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Prediabetes Fruit in diet

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smithjohns

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For a long time we have been told to eat five a day of fruit and veg, and I am sure this is good advice. However, I find that fruit elevates BS. What do we do about oranges, apples, melons, pears etc., that I am sure are healthy. I have always enjoyed them but do I now have to give them up. Opinions please.
 
@smithjohns I suggest that you read what Zoe Harcombe has to say about 5 a day, http://www.zoeharcombe.com/2014/04/the-perfect-five-a-day/
Basically, 5 a day was dreamt up as a marketing device, fruit contains loads of sugar and not that much that's good for you. Keep to leafy veg for your 5 a day.
Other sources describe fruit as "nature's candy", in other words sweeties that grow on trees. Fruits have been developed to be ultra sweet, what you buy nowadays is quite different from what cavemen may have eaten - in season. All low carb / sensible diabetic diets put a very big AVOID next to the fruits you mention.
Sally
 
Hi there love fruit myself and have not had to give them up. I always have a banana for lunch and have grapes to accompany my lunch. As the fruit also contains carbs I find no problem as long as you take account for the carbs accordingly. For example my own requirements are when I have a banana for breakfast I need to pre bolus about 50 mins beforehand to prevent too much of a spike..... For the grapes it's about 25 mins however your own requirements may obviously be different.
 
Postleneo said:
Hi there love fruit myself and have not had to give them up.
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I'm very pleased for you @Postleneo but you, as a T1, are in the position to be able to deal with your generous sugar consumption simply by injecting more drugs. There are some who would say that this is not a wise approach, but it is not for me to comment. @smithjohns refers to his/her blood sugar rising and is probably a T2, trying not to end up having to inject.
Sally
 
The OP has said he is pre-diabetic and trying to avoid becoming diabetic.
@smithjohns Fruit contains fructose which is sugar, so not good if you have high blood sugar levels. Tropical fruits usually have higher sugar levels. I don't eat much fruit, but used to like tropical fruit more. I don't eat fruit now. Other people on here say that berries are ok. Some can tolerate bananas. But the best way is to test after eating fruit to see how it affects you.
 
I used to enjoy lots of things too...that's how I got where I was when diagnosed.
However I prefer my sight and my toes to the short term pleasure in eating what I used to eat.
My taste buds have changed now so even regular milk tastes sweet to me..
You'll very likely get used to it and won't miss fruit after a while.
 
I will have an apple to day and then run a hour and then two hour tests;)
 
I dont eat fruit like melons, grapes and pears and other super soft fruits but I probably eat more fruit now since being diagnosed T2 than I ate before and I consider it a healthy part of my balanced diet.

I eat a small crisp apple most days with my lunch and a small orange most days as part of my diner and I'll sometimes eat an 'easy peeler' satsuma/tangerine as a snack as I consider them a healthier option than a couple of biscuits or a packet of crisps.

I found out after extensive testing that small amounts of fruit taken with other food and sometimes on their own had little effect on my bg levels. Just as I discovered that a small portion of potato chips when eaten with vinegar and as part of a meal have little effect over and above the rest of the meal.

Which just proves that we all choose our own way of controlling diabetes and that we dont all have to eat the same diet.

Test every food stuff you eat in combination with the other foods you enjoy and find out what you can and cant eat and in what portions. Maybe a whole large apple will not be good for you but half an apple or even a small one may be fine, also foods that when eaten alone may increase your bg levels but when eaten as part of a balanced meal may make little difference.

You will only know these things after lots and lots of testing.
 
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sally and james said:
I'm very pleased for you @Postleneo but you, as a T1, are in the position to be able to deal with your generous sugar consumption simply by injecting more drugs. There are some who would say that this is not a wise approach, but it is not for me to comment. @smithjohns refers to his/her blood sugar rising and is probably a T2, trying not to end up having to inject.
Sally
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My apologies thought this was posted on the T1 forum and didn't read the thread title correctly again sorry I only have experience of dealing with diabetes management of T1
 
I seem to have put the cat amongst the pigeons! For some of you most fruit is an absolute no no, whereas others eat them in moderation without any problem. So, for me, the matter is still unresolved. Thanks anyway for replying.
 
smithjohns said:
I seem to have put the cat amongst the pigeons! For some of you most fruit is an absolute no no, whereas others eat them in moderation without any problem. So, for me, the matter is still unresolved. Thanks anyway for replying.
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It will resolve if you use your meter (if you have one) to test out your personal reactions to individual fruits. That is the only way you can do it. No-one here can speak for you, only for themselves. Personally I can't eat fruit without a large spike. I can eat 2 strawberries or a small handful of raspberries as part of a meal (not as a snack) and with cream or a full fat yogurt. I once tried a small plum, tested before I ate it and again 2 hours after - I was still above 9 at 2 hours. The birds got the rest of the punnet. Fructose is a very peculiar form of sugar.
 
Thought this might help. Average apricot 4g carbs, average Apple 16g carbs, blackberries weighing 80g = 4g carbs, medium banana 20g carbs, blueberries weighing 80g = 11g carbs, cherries weighing 100g = 12g carbs, medium Clementine 10g carbs, cranberries weighing 80g = 3g carbs, one fig is 3g carbs, 1/2 grapefruit is 6g carbs, a kiwi is 5g carbs, chopped mango weighing 80g is 11g carbs, chopped melon weighing 80g is 5g carbs, a medium orange is 7g carbs, pomegranate prepared & weighing 80g is 9g carbs, large plum is 10g carbs, nectarines weighing 80g = 7g carbs, medium peach is 11g, medium pear is 20g, an average round slice of pineapple is 4g, raspberries weighing 80g is 4g carbs, strawberries weighing 80g = 5g carbs, watermelon weighing 80g = 6g carbs.
Hope this might help. You can buy a great book on Amazon called carbs & cals, that will help you.
 
Watch out for anything healthy - it is likely to do you damage.
The advice comes from the same people who want you to buy fruit from them - so a vested interest has to be factored in.
I do eat melon, but most fruit is over my self imposed 10 percent limit which I do try to stick to, but I am frequently tempted. I am getting better at resisting - because when I ate a mango I got a reading over 14 mmol/l so I know I can't eat them and be in control.
 
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Fruit contains fructose and I think I read on Dr Fung' s blog that consumption of fructose leads to a fatty liver and all the problems that gives us. Which has finally put me completely off eating fruit.

I occasionally eat tiny amounts of blueberries or raspberries with full fat Greek yoghurt and a strawberry or three in season fresh from my garden. Other than that I don't really bother as I don't like it when my BG spikes.

Pre diagnosis most of my food budget went on fruit and veg. I thought I was being health conscious if I ate tiny amounts of meat, almost no fat and no eggs.. I ate a fresh fruit platter most days for breakfast (banana, melon, red grapefruit, pear, grapes, pineapple), there was always a big bowl of fresh fruit salad in the fridge for snacking on and, on top of that, I was having a love affair with my blender making green smoothies for lunch and red fruit with banana smoothies for supper. The big surprise is that I wasn't diagnosed before.

It took ages for me to accept that fruit and I are not compatible. :)
 
Avocado Sevenfold said:
If you would like the fibre and vitamin benefits of fruit, maybe pick the less sugary ones such as tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, olives etc.

As with all foods, your meter will guide you.
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A good reminder. I tend to forget tomatoes are fruit.. I eat a lot, and daily, raw and cooked, so I guess I do eat fruit! :)
 
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