What are GOOD foods that a diabetes patient should eat in order to keep their blood glucose (sugar) normal, and which BAD foods should they avoid, so that their blood sugar will not spike out of control?

Let's start off with the BAD foods first.  Diabetes patients should definitely avoid foods that will spike blood sugar, including foods that are high in carbohydrates; avoid:

• White bread (eat whole wheat pasta instead)
• White pasta (eat whole wheat pasta instead)
• Butter
  
• Potatoes (brown, golden)
• Corn
  
• Sodas (and other sugary drinks, especially those with high-fructose corn syrup)
• Sweets, cakes, candy bars
• Oranges & orange juice
• Avoid salt
• Avoid vegetable oil
  

Now that's not too bad--not!  But you have to get used to avoiding these "bad" foods if you want to keep your sugar under control.  Here are some foods that are lower in carbohydrates and should not spike your sugar and are good for you to eat:

• Lettuce/Salad
• Green leafy vegetables
• Peppers
  
• Onions
• Tomatoes
  
• Whole-wheat bread
• Whole-grain bread
• Rye & pumpernickel bread
• Peanut butter
• Eggs
• Watermelon
• Kiwi
• Eggplant
• Skim or Soy milk
• Cheese
• Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
  

Don't forget to drink plenty of water to keep your body hydrated.  Diabetics tend to get dehydrated.

If you have a real sweet tooth for candies and ice cream like we do, a lot of products are now made with sugar substitutes (such as Splenda and Stevia) that we eat a lot of and that do not cause a spike in diabetes blood sugar levels.