[Sca-cooks] recipes without honey

[Lisa]

>A member of my barony not on the list posed the question about the use of
>honey in feast recipes when there are known to be several members present
>who are diabetic and can't eat honey. Her concern is that with the
>prevalence of honey as a sweetenerin our period, that she wouldn't be able
>to find enough recipes to cook to offer an alternative "sweet" dish in her
>feast menus that those people could eat that she could still serve to
>everyone. Any thoughts?
>
> Geoffrey

Well, most dr's agree that it is extremely difficult to avoid sugars
completely, even though that is what diabetics are supposed to do.  I have
had issues with hypoglycemia in the past, which is similar, although not the
same, as a diabetic taking their insulin and then not eating..  With this
condition also, sugars are a major problem.  What I was told by my dr was to
plan my sugar intake and balance it with a protien.  With both diabetes and
hypoglycemia, fruits are allowed, but limited.  What I would do, is prepare
a fuit based sweet, with no sugar, the fruit providing the sugars needed.
Also, make note that this is a fruit only dish.  I appreciate the need to
have the option of providing dishes for diabetics, and actually I applaud
this attitude, but also, keep in mind that it is the diabetic's
responsibility to care for their own illness and limit their intake of any
type of sugars.  If they choose to take a serving of a sweet that they know
has sugars, that is their choice and responsibility.  Same if they choose to
take a larger size serving than they should of a "diabetic" sweet.  It is
their responsibility to let you know that the need is there ahead of time,
just as someone with an allergy to nuts or mushrooms would alert the cooks
to their allergy ahead of time so that adjustments could be made.

Elizabeta of Rundel