Can a diabetic eat Chocolate?
Chocolate is generally high in calories, sugar and saturated fat. The main risk for a diabetic from eating chocolate is weight gain. If you eat too much chocolate too often, you may gain weight raising heart disease risk. So, a diabetic can eat chocolate in moderate quantities only. Furthermore, high cocoa chocolate contains less sugar. So, you can reduce amount of sugar intake by choosing the high cocoa chocolate.
The general calorie breakdown for a chocolate is 64% fat, 31% carb and 5% protein.
Does chocolate raise blood sugar levels?
Yes. Generally, chocolate is high in sugar and it raises blood sugar levels. Hence it is important to limit the amount of chocolate a diabetic can eat. This is more important when you are already having high blood sugar levels.
On the other hand, if your sugar levels have gone low, you can quickly raise them by eating some chocolate.
In either case, you may find it helpful to measure blood sugar levels before and after eating chocolate. A blood glucose meter like this one can be very helpful to monitor blood sugar levels.
When is the best time of day to eat chocolate?
Many studies have been conducted to evaluate the effects chocolate can have on one’s health. The general opinion is that eating chocolate early in the day is more beneficial than eating it before going to bed. Apparently, eating chocolate in the morning boosts productivity and helps weight loss. A good way to start a day is with a chocolate cake.
On the other hand, eating chocolate at night can be more harmful for your well-being. Studies suggest humans are more prone to make wrong food choices at night. So, you may end up eating more chocolate than you want to if you tried chocolate at night than in the morning.
Moreover, chocolate contains Theobromine. Theobromine raises your heart rate and so can make it difficult for you to fall asleep. You may end up sleepless. So, a diabetic can eat moderate amount of chocolate in the morning for better results.
