Marina Chaparro has had type 1 diabetes for almost 20 years and says she doesn't eliminate carbohydrates from her diet. A nutrition specialist, she admits that those around her are always surprised when her food choices contradict their expectations.
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A simple croissant is often enough to spark surprise, she points out. Chaparro explains that diabetes is associated, in the public perception, with a rigid list of prohibitions, especially when it comes to carbohydrates. In practice, however, he supports this in a material recently published in Eating Welldisease management is not about total food eliminations, but about control, balance and constant monitoring.
“Carbohydrates are not the problem themselves,” emphasizes the specialist. “Amount, food context and treatment adjustment are the things that make the difference.”
Licensed dietitian specializing in the nutrition of people with diabetes, Maria Chaparro explains that the management of this condition is not based on absolute prohibitions, but on metabolic control and dietary balance. Cutting out carbs completely is, she says, neither necessary nor sustainable.
“Carbs are not the problem. The way we relate to them is. Carbohydrates represent metabolic information, not a moral judgment. Healthy eating is not an all-or-nothing game.” supports this.
Fear of carbohydrates has become, for many patients, almost a reflex. Carbohydrate-rich foods are often seen as a direct threat, and simplistic messages in the area of restrictive diets have reinforced this perception. Marina Chaparro points out that this distorts reality.
Carbohydrates are fuel, not the enemy
Carbohydrates are one of the three major classes of macronutrients, along with protein and fat. In addition, it is the body's main source of energy, especially for the brain, which is directly dependent on glucose. The complete elimination of carbohydrates is not compatible with the optimal functioning of the body.
The body reacts differently from one person to another. Metabolic tolerance, physical activity level, medical background, and lifestyle directly influence how carbohydrates are handled.
Carbohydrates include sugars, starches and fibers and are found in a wide range of foods, not just baked goods.
Marina Chaparro explains that the important difference is not between “good carbs” and “bad carbs,” but between food sources and how they are consumed. Foods rich in fiber, such as fruits, vegetables, legumes or whole grains, are digested more slowly and have a more balanced impact on blood sugar. Conversely, refined products, consumed in large quantities, can lead to rapid fluctuations in blood sugar.
Pairing carbohydrates with protein and fat can help maintain a more stable glycemic response. It's not about drastic eliminations, it's about balance.
In this context, says Chaparro, a croissant is not a problem in itself. How it is integrated into a meal makes the difference. Rigid restrictions, the specialist warns, can unnecessarily complicate eating and accentuate the strained relationship with food.
Sugar free does not automatically mean healthier
Products advertised as low-carb or sugar-free are often perceived as automatically “better” options, but their metabolic impact is not always different from that of classic options.
After the diagnosis, Marina Chaparro's family adopted the same strategy frequently encountered among patients: replacing regular products with special variants. The intention was natural, but the results, she says, were not always what was expected.
Many sugar-free products can affect blood sugar in a similar way to standard versions, especially when they are heavily processed or low in fiber. In addition, some of these foods contain polyol-type sweeteners, substances that can cause digestive discomfort. The idea that a product labeled “sugar-free” is automatically safer for blood sugar remains, the specialist points out, one of the most persistent confusions.
“There is no diabetes diet. Instead, there are food skills such as: reading labels, understanding total carbohydrates, managing portions, and building balanced meals,” cfills Marina Chaparro.
Drastic restrictions rarely work in the long term, since man is not a machine for calculating carbohydrates, and nutrition cannot be reduced to rigid mathematical formulas. What works is education: the ability to read a nutrition label, understand what total carbohydrates mean versus simple carbohydrates, manage portions based on individual needs, and build meals that provide both nutritional balance and satisfaction.
For example, a package of sugar-free biscuits can contain as many carbohydrates as the classic version, maybe even more, if the manufacturer has compensated for the lack of sugar with starch or other ingredients. In addition, certain substitute sweeteners used in sugar-free products can cause bloating, cramping or diarrhea.
What matters, emphasizes Marina Chaparro, is not the label on the package, but the actual composition of the product and how it integrates into the daily diet. “The ability to distinguish a real healthy product from one just advertised as such is essential, but it takes time and education. Many people with diabetes do not receive this education and end up navigating confusing labels without clear tools.”
Carbohydrates also feed the emotional dimension of food
Food is memory, comfort, culture. Research shows that carbohydrates contribute to the synthesis of serotonin, a neurotransmitter associated with well-being. But beyond physiological mechanisms, carbohydrates are deeply embedded in the human experience.
Reducing food to numbers and restrictions can damage the relationship with food. Marina Chaparro notes that this rigid approach ignores the fact that food also has a social, emotional and cultural dimension. A family lunch, a celebration, a birthday – all include foods that, by definition, contain carbohydrates. Their complete elimination is not only impractical, but can isolate and generate anguish.
Therefore, the approach that the specialist promotes is a flexible one. “Yes, you can eat carbs, and add fiber, protein, and healthy fats for balance. You don't have to choose between pleasure and health. You can have both, provided you understand the underlying mechanisms and make smart adjustments.”
Consistency matters more than perfection. A croissant eaten occasionally, in the context of a generally balanced diet, will not sabotage blood sugar in the long term. “But complete prohibition, combined with constant guilt, can create cycles of restriction-overkill that affect both metabolic and mental health.”
Marina Chaparro points out that food cannot be separated from context. Man eats not only to cover his physiological needs, but also to connect with those around him, to celebrate, to remember, to feel good. “Carbohydrates are part of all these experiences. To cut them out completely is to isolate yourself from a significant part of your social and emotional life.”
Carbs are not the enemy
Marina Chaparro rejects the idea that life with diabetes must be built around dietary restrictions. Professional and personal experience led her to a pragmatic conclusion: balance is more important than drastic restrictions.
“Carbohydrates are not the enemy. They should not be completely eliminated, but understood and managed. Healthy eating is not about rigid rules, but about sustainable decisions.” explains the specialist.
For Chaparro, diabetes is not a list of forbidden foods, but an ongoing process of adjustment and monitoring. An occasional croissant does not define glycemic control, just as radical eliminations do not guarantee metabolic stability.
“Yes, you can eat that croissant. What matters is the overall context of the meal and the long-term consistency,” points out Marina Chaparro.
