A reference book that lists carbs would be more accurate. A tortilla is flat, but a standard tortilla has a lot more carbs than the whole-grain bread I eat.
[QUOTE=Kalhoun]
Huh. Interesting. I’ll have her take a closer look at her labels.
She eats sugar-free ice cream, pop, candy, and cookies. She also eats Muenster cheese, which she says isn’t too bad for diabetics. She eats English muffins, as her doctor said it’s less dense and better for the carb count. She also eats thin sliced rye bread, which effectively cuts her carbs in half. She eats plain broiled chicken breasts and steaks. And fish. One thing I think she’s doing wrong is eating sweet potatoes. Rather frequently. But she’s been doing all these things for a long time, so it doesn’t look like she’s added a glaring mistake to her diet.
If anyone sees something in this array that looks like it needs to go, please share.
[/QUOTE]
I’ve found that a lot of sugar-free ice creams, aren’t. Frozen yogurt is a better bet if you want carb-free. I’d be worried about the candy and cookies; again, a lot that claim to be sugar-free are not CARBOHYDRATE-free, and carbs count – it’s not just sugar that matters. 
As for the pop-- does it contain caffeine? I don’t know if this is a widespread reaction (my doc said he’d seen it before and didn’t seem worried), but I’ve found that caffeinated drinks, even sugar-free ones, affect my blood sugar. I don’t know why, though – maybe a biology type can chime in on that?
Anyway, if her doctor isn’t worried, she shouldn’t be. They know what to look for. Them doctors is smart.
Caffeine increases adrenalin. Adrenalin increases your blood sugar.
Now I’m at home with reference books:
Arnold Country White Bread, 19 carbs
Thomas’ plain english muffin, 25 carbs
Pita, white flour, 6.5" diameter, 33 carbs
Flour tortilla, 12-inch diameter, 65 carbs
Flatter does not equal fewer carbs. Actually, if you think about something like dried fruit, flatter = more compressed and is pretty high in carbs.
So yeah, an english muffin may be better than a sandwich with 2 slices of bread, but the english muffin probably has more than the number of net carbs she’s supposed to eat in a meal. Note that carb count in and of itself is misleading. Some whole grain products are digested slowly (which lowers the sugar spike) and have high fiber (which is also helpful for keeping blood sugar regulated).
I respect doctors, and like all the rest of us they are distractable and overworked. Several major medical problems in my extended family have been identified by family members doing a little research after being told “it’s not a big deal.”