This is such a true post! It should be required reading IMO. :-)

Cheri


Janet Wilder wrote in message
>...
>Any copy of the ADA Exchange Diet I've seen has a high carb count. Full
>of bread and starch and starchy snacks.
>
>You are the exception as most DM's I've talked to don't understand the
>exchange diet at all. The majority of them were given a sheet of paper
>with the exchange diet by their PCP and a scrip for some oral meds and
>sent on their way. You don't see them posting here. They wouldn't know
>that they need education.
>
>Most of those who are treated as above can't comprehend the exchange
>diet and switch to diet soft drinks and artificial sweetner in their
>coffee. They haven't a clue about the effect of carbohydrates.
>
>I personally know several DMs who struggled with the exchange diet,
>threw it away and only were able to get back in control when they
>learned to count carbs. It's much less threatening, much easier to
>understand, and much easier to test for results. I just sent a friend
of
>mine a carb counting book and for the first time in years, she's got a
>better understanding of how things effect her BG.
>
>When the local medical center has its free Senior screening, the nurse
>reading the results of the BG test tells the patient to "avoid sweets"
>when counseling them. Nothing about avoiding carbs. Every day I am
>finding recipes that say they are for "diabetics" because they
>substitute a sweetener for sugar. No counting the starch in the flour,
>milk, etc. I even cancelled a subscription to a recipe magazine
because
>after writing to them twice to please refrain from calling recipes
>"diabetic" when they were high in carbs, they never responded.
>
>That's the way it is in the real world. I'm glad your world is a better
>place.
>
>--
>Janet Wilder
>Bad spelling. Bad punctuation
>Good Friends. Good Life