Have I been eating too much fruit?

[Libbaloo]

Up until recently when GP told me about my prediabetes, I thought I had a healthy diet. Looking back, I realise I have always loved (perhaps craved) fruit and snacked on it a lot but forgot that it also has lots of natural sugars and some, more carb (and higher Glycaemic index) than others. I have also gradually gained tummy fat over past ten years as lifestyle became more sedentary. (Busy but lots of sitting and driving). Has the fruit caused the blood sugar spikes over the years and my lifestyle added to that? I am in a bit of a panic now I realise I have a short window to try to reduce the risk of transition into Type 2 diagnosis.

 

[sanguine]

Hi, welcome

It's quite possible they are a factor. For most diabetics fruit is a problem. Safest are berries (blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries). Tropical fruits are usually a no-no (bananas especially), temperate fruits like apples and pears vary in their impact.

If you are only prediabetic now is the time to make changes before you get nearer to diabetic levels.

 

[ButtterflyLady]

Welcome to the forum. Don't panic. What are you basing your belief about a short window on? Do you know what your HbA1c test result number was? Do you mind if I ask about your weight, height and age? If I have this info, I will get a better idea of what the situation is for you and can share my thoughts with you.

In my case I went from prediabetic to diabetic in just under a year, because I basically took no action to prevent it, thinking I had years up my sleeve. I could have stopped the progression in as little as 3 months, I believe, if I knew then what I know now.

In any case, I lost 45 kg / 7 stone and got my blood test result into the non diabetic range within a year, through a low carb, higher fat diet.

Fruit probably didn't make a huge difference for you... you may find out that you can still eat the fruits you enjoy, in moderate quantities. More info will come your way as you learn about the condition. To a large degree, most of us are diabetic because of the genes we inherited. We should not blame ourselves, it achieves nothing. The future is what matters.

I will tag @daisy1 to come by as she has some newbie info that she can post for you.

 

[DeejayR]

Hello, welcome. Advice as above.
Try not to worry. You can take control from here on.

 

[Libbaloo]

Thanks to all so far. I have generally good health but had a routine well woman fasting blood test at age 51 and then a follow up blood test 6 months later. Too early to diagnose type two. but prediabetes news was given to me by GP over telephone in a 10 minute call - no extra explanations other than ' lose weight and we'll review in New Year'.

I've been on borderline high BP and statins meds for ten years but well managed.(lots is genetic) She was pleased my bad cholesterol has dropped due to my recent efforts to stop eating cheese but was concerned re blood glucose which was elevated and has fluctuated in the recent fasting tests.

I probably need to lose about three or four stone to get into normal BMI ? I am 5 ft9 and 15stone 3 and fat settles round waist. My dad had a AF stroke two years ago so I am now thinking I have an increased risk.

I also look at my 21 yr old son and his high sugar and carb diet and snacking. He is tall and slim but with the tummy bulge developing.

I feel like a big wake up call re diet, exercise and lifestyle for me and my family. Yikes!

 

[Libbaloo]

Hi, welcome

It's quite possible they are a factor. For most diabetics fruit is a problem. Safest are berries (blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries). Tropical fruits are usually a no-no (bananas especially), temperate fruits like apples and pears vary in their impact.

If you are only prediabetic now is the time to make changes before you get nearer to diabetic levels.

 

[Libbaloo]

Thank you for replying and for all the links. As I am a newbie, I am trying to acquaint myself with the medical/ diet etc info and using the site without feeling overwhelmed. I don't have any figures re results but will book another GP appt soon.

 

[Libbaloo]

Welcome to the forum. Don't panic. What are you basing your belief about a short window on? Do you know what your HbA1c test result number was? Do you mind if I ask about your weight, height and age? If I have this info, I will get a better idea of what the situation is for you and can share my thoughts with you.

In my case I went from prediabetic to diabetic in just under a year, because I basically took no action to prevent it, thinking I had years up my sleeve. I could have stopped the progression in as little as 3 months, I believe, if I knew then what I know now.

In any case, I lost 45 kg / 7 stone and got my blood test result into the non diabetic range within a year, through a low carb, higher fat diet.

Fruit probably didn't make a huge difference for you... you may find out that you can still eat the fruits you enjoy, in moderate quantities. More info will come your way as you learn about the condition. To a large degree, most of us are diabetic because of the genes we inherited. We should not blame ourselves, it achieves nothing. The future is what matters.

I will tag @daisy1 to come by as she has some newbie info that she can post for you.

 

[Libbaloo]

Thank you. I suppose I kidded myself that because I have always been tall and fairly slim, the midriff was just part of being in my 50's but of course, the info in media has raised awareness together with my own pre diagnosis. The exercise bike is going to have to come out of the shed and the labrador will be walked further and quicker plus my next food shopping trip in Sainsburys will be a lot more intentional. As you say, at least I have an opportunity to change things around if I can make significant changes but I still feel concerned that Type two looms and there is an inevitability about it at some time or another. but maybe not.

Shame the GP didn't say anything about self help or this site etc

 

[dawnmc]

Hi Lib, you should read up on statins too, they can make you diabetic.

 

[Libbaloo]

Hi Lib, you should read up on statins too, they can make you diabetic.

Really????!? Ten years on and I didn't know about that. Doctor said they had a preventative effect ten years ago and worth giving me added protection. Perhaps I should be controlling levels with diet and coming off them.

I get frustrated with GP's never viewing holistically just one condition at a time and not always the whole picture.

I'll have to book a double apt with GP and talk about all this. Thank you.

 

[ButtterflyLady]

Thank you. I suppose I kidded myself that because I have always been tall and fairly slim, the midriff was just part of being in my 50's but of course, the info in media has raised awareness together with my own pre diagnosis. The exercise bike is going to have to come out of the shed and the labrador will be walked further and quicker plus my next food shopping trip in Sainsburys will be a lot more intentional. As you say, at least I have an opportunity to change things around if I can make significant changes but I still feel concerned that Type two looms and there is an inevitability about it at some time or another. but maybe not.

Shame the GP didn't say anything about self help or this site etc

The GP has probably never considered that self help and sharing info with other people with diabetes would be useful. The belief that diabetes is progressive is debatable. Most doctors say it is progressive. But theoretically, if a person gets their blood glucose levels back into the non-diabetic range and basically keeps them there, and is a healthy weight, and doesn't have other conditions, then they should be able to avoid progressing to more severe forms of diabetes. Countless people who post in this forum say their glucose levels and weight are normalised and they have never felt better. So I think there is a lot to be hopeful about.

 

[ButtterflyLady]

Really????!? Ten years on and I didn't know about that. Doctor said they had a preventative effect ten years ago and worth giving me added protection. Perhaps I should be controlling levels with diet and coming off them.

I get frustrated with GP's never viewing holistically just one condition at a time and not always the whole picture.

I'll have to book a double apt with GP and talk about all this. Thank you.

I think it's probable that the doctor's view of statins was and is that the cardio-protective benefits outweigh the risk of diabetes developing. Not everyone on statins develops diabetes. I'm not saying I agree with this view, but it's basically what the doctors' guidelines say.

I'd recommend taking a cautious approach when discussing all this with your doctor, as she might see our ideas as controversial (at best). Our collected wisdom and the research we are aware of is placed up against their training, research, and guidelines. Doctors have a tendency to rely on the latter and shut out other ideas, which I think is understandable. It's their head on the block if something goes wrong.

Ultimately though, many of us have demonstrated to them with cold hard facts like lower blood glucose, cholesterol, BP and weight, and they then cannot ignore those facts. I think the smart approach is to mainly keep these ideas up your sleeve until you can show them the results of your hard work later. Some people start off by telling their doctor the wonderful things they have been learning here and are then shot down and treated like a naughty schoolchild. Your doctor sounds more professional than that but hey, I'm cautious I guess.

As you noted above, you have a few cardiovascular risk factors, so statins might be appropriate for you. And, who knows, you might have developed prediabetes anyway. A lot of this is speculation. To keep things simple, reducing carbs and weight should reduce blood sugar and cholesterol and cardiac risks... to a point where you may not need statins, or medication for diabetes. Probably something to put on the back burner for now, unless you are getting bad side effects from the statins, like muscle problems, for example.

I ran your weight and height through a BMI converter and the result was 31.5. 20-25 is "normal" and 25-30 is overweight. My own BMI was once 44 - yikes. Research shows that people start to see benefits after as little as 5-10% weight loss, which I think is about 1 and a half stone for you. I predict you will achieve this is in no time at all Once you've done that, you just keep on going until you reach your target. It's easier than you think.

You mentioned you've been on borderline BP meds? The recommended upper BP limit for people without diabetes or cardio-vascular disease is 140/85 and for those with diabetes or CVD it is 130/80. I would suggest with prediabetes and raised cholesterol and your family history the lower target is a good one to aim for. I'm on a low dose BP med and it keeps my BP well under control and it also protects my kidneys from damage. There is something about high BP, diabetes and high cholesterol that makes these 3 things go together and make each other worse. So we have to tackle them on all 3 fronts.

Managing slightly high BP is about the easiest part of all this, because the first-line drugs are usually well tolerated, and diet and weight loss aren't as important as they are with diabetes and high cholesterol.

 

[CollieBoy]

Up until recently when GP told me about my prediabetes, I thought I had a healthy diet. Looking back, I realise I have always loved (perhaps craved) fruit and snacked on it a lot but forgot that it also has lots of natural sugars and some, more carb (and higher Glycaemic index) than others. I have also gradually gained tummy fat over past ten years as lifestyle became more sedentary. (Busy but lots of sitting and driving). Has the fruit caused the blood sugar spikes over the years and my lifestyle added to that? I am in a bit of a panic now I realise I have a short window to try to reduce the risk of transition into Type 2 diagnosis.

@Libbaloo,
Current thinking is that there is a possibility that your (pre)diabetes is more due to a genetic predisposition, and that your tummy fat is due to your insulin resistance and your liver converting the fructose to fats!
My advice would to cut back your fruits to the lower carb berries and reduce your carb intake.
Good luck on your journey!!

 

[Bluetit1802]

I would just add that if your doctor thinks eating cheese will give you high cholesterol, she needs re-training. The vast percentage of our cholesterol is produced naturally by our livers. Only a small portion comes from the food we eat. Good fats will not harm your cholesterol levels, but too many carbs will. Eggs were demonised at one time because of their cholesterol content. This has now been disproved. We all need cholesterol to function properly, and women in particular, especially as they age, need a bit extra.

Have you got a breakdown of your cholesterol test (HDL/LDL/Triglycerides/Ratios) ? If not, ask for a print out, which you will find more than useful further down the line for comparisons and decisions on whether or not to continue with statins. Statins do raise blood sugar levels. It says so on the leaflets in the boxes. The NICE guidelines state that GP's should continue to prescribe statins to diabetics IF they feel the benefits outweigh the risks. In some cases they might, in other cases they don't.

There are some excellent threads on these forums about statins with links to various videos that are well worth watching. Have a browse round.

 

[Libbaloo]

I think it's probable that the doctor's view of statins was and is that the cardio-protective benefits outweigh the risk of diabetes developing. Not everyone on statins develops diabetes. I'm not saying I agree with this view, but it's basically what the doctors' guidelines say.

I'd recommend taking a cautious approach when discussing all this with your doctor, as she might see our ideas as controversial (at best). Our collected wisdom and the research we are aware of is placed up against their training, research, and guidelines. Doctors have a tendency to rely on the latter and shut out other ideas, which I think is understandable. It's their head on the block if something goes wrong.

Ultimately though, many of us have demonstrated to them with cold hard facts like lower blood glucose, cholesterol, BP and weight, and they then cannot ignore those facts. I think the smart approach is to mainly keep these ideas up your sleeve until you can show them the results of your hard work later. Some people start off by telling their doctor the wonderful things they have been learning here and are then shot down and treated like a naughty schoolchild. Your doctor sounds more professional than that but hey, I'm cautious I guess.

As you noted above, you have a few cardiovascular risk factors, so statins might be appropriate for you. And, who knows, you might have developed prediabetes anyway. A lot of this is speculation. To keep things simple, reducing carbs and weight should reduce blood sugar and cholesterol and cardiac risks... to a point where you may not need statins, or medication for diabetes. Probably something to put on the back burner for now, unless you are getting bad side effects from the statins, like muscle problems, for example.

I ran your weight and height through a BMI converter and the result was 31.5. 20-25 is "normal" and 25-30 is overweight. My own BMI was once 44 - yikes. Research shows that people start to see benefits after as little as 5-10% weight loss, which I think is about 1 and a half stone for you. I predict you will achieve this is in no time at all Once you've done that, you just keep on going until you reach your target. It's easier than you think.

You mentioned you've been on borderline BP meds? The recommended upper BP limit for people without diabetes or cardio-vascular disease is 140/85 and for those with diabetes or CVD it is 130/80. I would suggest with prediabetes and raised cholesterol and your family history the lower target is a good one to aim for. I'm on a low dose BP med and it keeps my BP well under control and it also protects my kidneys from damage. There is something about high BP, diabetes and high cholesterol that makes these 3 things go together and make each other worse. So we have to tackle them on all 3 fronts.

Managing slightly high BP is about the easiest part of all this, because the first-line drugs are usually well tolerated, and diet and weight loss aren't as important as they are with diabetes and high cholesterol.

 

[Libbaloo]

Thank you so much for your insights and the encouragements. It is easy to become overwhelmed by all the info on first learning of a pre- diabetes diagnosis and the desire to make changes. Thoughts about encountering GP is helpful too.
I have spent a lot of today doing research and browsing but I know that exercise should feature more in my lifestyle. I kid myself that being busy is enough, but when looking at the activity in a day, so much is sitting , driving or moving about in a gentle way rather than raising the heart beat on a regular basis and it all helps with the metabolism and waistline and fat deposits.

 

[AloeSvea]

Up until recently when GP told me about my prediabetes, I thought I had a healthy diet. Looking back, I realise I have always loved (perhaps craved) fruit and snacked on it a lot but forgot that it also has lots of natural sugars and some, more carb (and higher Glycaemic index) than others. I have also gradually gained tummy fat over past ten years as lifestyle became more sedentary. (Busy but lots of sitting and driving). Has the fruit caused the blood sugar spikes over the years and my lifestyle added to that? I am in a bit of a panic now I realise I have a short window to try to reduce the risk of transition into Type 2 diagnosis.

Eating fruit never gave anyone diabetes! Is my own opinionated fruit-loving personal thought ! . (We have plenty of other culprits in our modern food environment to take the blame!) But I do believe it stands to reason.

What happens is once you have T2D, fruit eating can be a problem, because diabetes can be seen as carbohydrate intolerance, and fruit has lots of carbs. Eating and metering is really the only way to fine-tune your own carb and fruit eating as a diabetic. I love fruit so much this subject is a matter of great interest to me. (Hey! I no longer eat ice lollies/ice blocks. Let me eat three frozen grapes! Please!) (Good substitute on hot summer days, I promise. A fibre-covered little ice lolly/ice block given to you by Mother Nature and your freezer.)

I myself have recently discovered that eating higher fat foods with even tropical fruit (ie pineapple and banana) I can blunt a blood glucose spike that would/might otherwise happen. And I keep the amounts small. It's the only time I talk about "portion control"! This means a decent serving of cottage cheese with a few chunks of fresh pineapple. 1/6th of a banana in an almond-flour scone with lots of butter and maybe even whipped cream if you can take all that dairy. A half baked apple with lots of Greek yoghurt and cream. That way you can probably keep your blood glucose low, no spike. It seems to be working for me. I have also read about having fruit a part of a main meal will blunt a carb spike. I think this is what working for me pre-conscious-low-carbing. I guess it depends on how important to your life is fruit?! (It is important to me.)

Want to eat a whole peach? Eat and meter and see what happens after a half hour, an hour, an hour and a half, and two or three hours. I don't dare to eat a whole peach anymore, as a bona fide low-carber/LCHFer at the mo', alas. But I will eat a few peach slices, and a few slices of cheese or camembert... anyway, you get the picture.

 

[Libbaloo]

Eating fruit never gave anyone diabetes! Is my own opinionated fruit-loving personal thought ! . (We have plenty of other culprits in our modern food environment to take the blame!) But I do believe it stands to reason.

What happens is once you have T2D, fruit eating can be a problem, because diabetes can be seen as carbohydrate intolerance, and fruit has lots of carbs. Eating and metering is really the only way to fine-tune your own carb and fruit eating as a diabetic. I love fruit so much this subject is a matter of great interest to me. (Hey! I no longer eat ice lollies/ice blocks. Let me eat three frozen grapes! Please!) (Good substitute on hot summer days, I promise. A fibre-covered little ice lolly/ice block given to you by Mother Nature and your freezer.)

I myself have recently discovered that eating higher fat foods with even tropical fruit (ie pineapple and banana) I can blunt a blood glucose spike that would/might otherwise happen. And I keep the amounts small. It's the only time I talk about "portion control"! This means a decent serving of cottage cheese with a few chunks of fresh pineapple. 1/6th of a banana in an almond-flour scone with lots of butter and maybe even whipped cream if you can take all that dairy. A half baked apple with lots of Greek yoghurt and cream. That way you can probably keep your blood glucose low, no spike. It seems to be working for me. I have also read about having fruit a part of a main meal will blunt a carb spike. I think this is what working for me pre-conscious-low-carbing. I guess it depends on how important to your life is fruit?! (It is important to me.)

Want to eat a whole peach? Eat and meter and see what happens after a half hour, an hour, an hour and a half, and two or three hours. I don't dare to eat a whole peach anymore, as a bona fide low-carber/LCHFer at the mo', alas. But I will eat a few peach slices, and a few slices of cheese or camembert... anyway, you get the picture.

 

[Libbaloo]

I am a self confessed fruit bat! But that will need to change or at least I must be more careful. Thank you for the tips about adding a fat alongside to help blunt the sugar spike (see!! I am sounding more savvy by the end of my first day!) Until yesterday, I could have easily munched through 4 ripe nectarines in an afternoon thinking myself doing better than my husband eating one chocolate biscuit!! Both have pros and cons!

I managed to get through today with five raspberries, dunked in a bit of full fat crème fraiche. I did have a handful of almonds and seeds earlier with a small piece of cheese (my treat instead of a bag of crisps)and that has been my intake since scrambled egg for breakfast. Later I will bake salmon (with some cajun spice for family and see if we can all eat it on a bed of greens with salad. (teen son might object!)

The fridge has various new items - full fat dairy rather than low or '0%' plus 'almond milk' ... is this better for calcium and protein and lower carb than ordinary dairy cow milk? Why is it mentioned so much?

Please forgive me for jumping about with Q&A... I will be more accustomed to posting in the right forums in a while.