In the fight against diabetes, counting is important. Diabetics are only successful in controlling blood sugars to the extent they measure their calories, their grams of carbohydrate, and, in many cases, their insulin. Knowing how much carbohydrate is really being consumed makes the difference between success and failure in both blood glucose control and controlling weight.
Packages can be misleading. Suppose you were to look at the label for a "small blueberry muffin." One portion of "mini-miniature blueberry muffin," according to Nutrition Data, a very reliable source of carb counts, has a mere 67 calories and 8 grams of carbohydrate. You might think there was so little carbohydrate in a blueberry muffin you practically don't need to count it.
The problem is, a "small" blueberry muffin at the bakery typically has 518 calories and 132 grams of carbohydrate. And a "regular" muffin might set you back 1,000 calories and nearly 200 grams of carbohydrate--more than a full day's allowance on any diabetic diet.
Hands-on measurement is essential for blood sugar control. That's why a food scale can be a very useful gift for diabetics.
Good scales don't have to cost a lot of money. The Escali Primo Digital Scale is usually available for less than . This scale only gives you weight of product, but you can combine it with the free online nutrition tracker FitDay or, for the computer phobic, the old reliable Complete Book of Food Counts.
For about , the EatSmart scale instantly gives you calories, carb grams, fiber, sodium, potassium, magnesium, total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, calcium, protein, and vitamin K levels for packaged and non-packaged foods. With this scale, you don't need to look up nutrition values online or in a book, they appear as you measure your food.
Remember, giving a food scale or a diet product to someone who is in denial about their diabetes or weight problem likely will wind up offending them. The message you want to convey is "Here is a gift that will help you reach a goal that means a lot to you." Food scales are most appropriately given to people you know are already striving to reach their diabetes or diet goals.
