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Yes, I’m Asian.  Specifically Chinese.  And also Diabetic.  I suppose you could name a few reasons why this is not exactly a match made in heaven.  Well, being diabetic to begin with is not anyone’s #1 wish to Santa or the Genie but the combination of being Asian AND diabetic is lame.  Why?  I can tell you exactly why.

Rice, rice, baby.

That’s it.  Some would say this is a stupid reason, but growing up eating all types of Asian foods, it’s really not.  I love rice.  A breakfast scramble with veggies over rice with a drizzle of soy sauce? Yum.  If you haven’t tried it, you should try it.  Rice was integrated into every meal, along with noodles as well.  Something about that simple tasting, sticky, slightly chewy goodness that I can never seem to fully give up.  I tend to have a weird yearning… or craving if I don’t have it for awhile.  Maybe it’s that I’m Chinese and try to limit my carb intake.  Hmm probably.  Love-hate it is!

Why is this bad for us diabetics?

1.  Rice is one of the top foods that raise your blood sugar levels.

2.  White rice has very, very little fiber which means that this food does not stay in your system for very long.  Maybe this is why people say they are hungry not long after chowing down on some Chinese food?

3.  Little nutritional value.  Not a whole lot of vitamins, minerals, fiber… just plain rice goodness.

4.  A cup of rice is about 45 grams of carbohydrates.  This is the equivalent of 3 slices of bread or one and a half apples.

5.  TWO cups of rice breaks down to the equivalent of 22 grams of SUGAR!

6.  High glycemic index which means your blood sugar will increase rapidly after eating!

Okay, enough of the negative.  Let’s be real, I eat it anyways.  My endocrinologist says I should stay away but I’m doing pretty well as far as control with my diabetes.  So… I’m going to enjoy that rice gosh darn it!  It’s delicious and scrumptious and I doubt I could ever fully give it up.  Moderation is key I suppose.  You only live once, right?  I feel so fortunate that I am able to have the insulin that suits my needs and the ability to know how much to take for any given meal.  Being diabetic is not fun in a lot of ways, but there are always worse things.  So, in conclusion, I eat what I love in moderation and I will never stop loving rice.  Yum.