A Guest Post by Robbie Matthews

One of the biggest things I wish people would understand is that I’m not going to die from eating something with sugar in it. If you really take the time to read food labels (boring as it might be), you’ll notice that nearly everything has sugar in it. And there are different types of sugars. For instance, an apple and a Kit Kat bar have similar amounts of sugar but one is naturally produced and the other is refined and added for taste. What diabetics focus on are carbohydrates, which are complex sugars that the body uses for energy production.

So, when I sit down to eat a cookie, I’m eating the same cookie that other people are. And my body is going to digest and process that cookie the same way other people do.

The only difference is that when I eat that cookie,  I have to think about it.

I have to calculate the amount of carbohydrates I’m eating and then take insulin accordingly. Unlike someone with a functioning pancreas, I have to be the middle man and sort all the calculations out. Personally, this doesn’t bug me. I’m playing the role of a vital organ so I don’t die. And when you assume that role, you start to care a lot more about what you eat and all.

In short, I can eat anything. I’m not restricted to bland, sugarless foods. However, just like anyone else in the world, if I shovel candy down my throat it’s going to cause a multitude of problems, not just a spiked blood sugar.