It took me months of Internet investigation after diagnosis to figure out what I personally needed to do to control my diabetes and still eat well. My personal physician, an otherwise excellent doctor, had absolutely no idea how to tell me what foods to choose for daily consumption. His initial advice was, “Don’t drink soft drinks, no jams, stay away from candy, try not to eat sweet breads, keep your tortilla input as low as possible.” Well, nice try, but no cigar.

Many if not all of the successfully controlled diabetics I know–diabetics who have lost excess weight and lowered their blood glucose levels to normal levels–eat all meats–including beef, pork, chicken, etc. We eat fats in the form of butter, lard, margarine, and oils of all kinds. We eat piles of green vegetables: spinach, broccoli, green beans, and all other kinds of leafy stuff, as well as cauliflower and some other veggies. We eat limited amounts of other vegetables, things like carrots, beets, peas, beans, tomatoes, potatoes, and other vegetables that are high in carbohydrates.

Notice what’s missing in that list? Yep: refined and not-so-refined carbohydrates. I choose not to eat breads, rice, other cereals, potatoes, large amounts of beans, all sugars, and other comestibles that I have discovered will spike my blood sugar to unhealthy and unacceptable levels.

The American Diabetes Association recommends a completely different regime, one that allows certain amounts of both unrefined and refined carbohydrates. That diet is largely unsuccessful for many if not most diabetics. The ADA does not adequately educate people with the disease, much less adequately educated doctors and other practitioners who come into daily professional contact with people who desperately need their help.

I have lived outside the USA for many, many years. I don’t know Paula Deen, I don’t know much about what she cooks and I know nothing about what she actually eats. I have never seen her show, her books, nor have I any knowledge of what products she endorses. I had to Google her to see what all the fuss was about.

Food and the culinary world are my professional bailiwicks. I will say this: if we believe that every chef, celebrity or not, eats *only* what he or she cooks, sells, and is famous for, we are naive beyond hope.

Go ahead and brand Ms. Deen the Devil Incarnate, though, if it makes you feel better. But in my opinion, you’d be wrong.

I just read your great post (and now I have your blog, which I’m loving)! As you mention, after the first wave of Paula-bashing, I’m glad to see more foodies get on board with defending her, and redirecting the blame to more appropriate causes.

All best, Catherine Pond