Fruit I eat are apples and Guavas (sometimes oranges and mangoes mixed in a fruit salad) and could maintain a good HBA1C of around 5 -6 until last year. I also eat a lot of peanuts.Usually diabetics in India are recommended a diet with whole wheat, oats, low glycemic index vegetables and my mother who is a diabetic for over 25 years has been following this diet. However, I cannot eat any kind of bread, rice etc and it was the reason why I started the low carb diet several years ago.
The only spikes I noticed till last year was with any type of rice, wheat (whole wheat, mixed grains and low glycemic index) also oats, corn, cornflakes etc. After the low carb diet failing, I am now noticing an improvement after taking Nutrolin B Plus everyday and eating more vegetables. The doctors in India have never prescribed any probiotic supplements to me and I was wondering if anyone had more experience with probiotics and its connection to a low carb diet. I read that high protein intake can alter the intestinal flora and cause high blood sugar (mostly in pre-diabetics).
I love fruit! After eating low carb for two and a half years, I have added fruit back into my diet. Prior to that, I only ate small amounts of berries. I should also add here there was a time when I was known for my fruit salads.
I think fruit is fine in small amounts - (no more fruit salad for me) - and can be equally satisfying with a meal that includes appropriate amounts of fat, protein, and non-starchy vegetables. For example, when oranges are in season, I slice an organic orange in half then eat 1/2 inch slices of it with the peel (for the nutrients and fiber). I've since learned that lime with peel cut in very small pieces is a nice addition to some recipes. Including the peel also reduces the sweetness. I also like the taste, though I had to eat it a few times before I began enjoying it. Now I can't imagine eating oranges any other way.
I no longer take a probiotic, but I agree with you that anything we can do to improve the health and balance of our gut flora is good for diabetes. I'm very much a "work in progress". To feed my gut flora, I eat 4 - 6 cups of vegetables a day, a mix of cooked and raw - (and a small portion of fruit, typically no more than an ounce). All vegetables are organic and hopefully pesticide and herbicide free. One of the things I've learned is that the RoundUp which contains glyphosate kills bacteria in our gut. Not good.
It's great that you're avoiding grains. They continue to be very problematic for me.
I also eat organic, pastured animal protein and fat from happy, healthy animals that are fed their traditional diet. In the US, conventionally raised animals are fed a diet that makes them sick, that is not organic, and antibiotics. That food is not healthy. I don't eat it. Toxins are partitioned off in the fat, and I eat animal fat, so organic is important.
My goal is to continue rebuilding my gut flora by eating fermented beverages and farm fresh vegetables. Pre-biotics (food) is very important to rebuilding the gut flora. And farm fresh, organic vegetables lightly rinsed and eaten raw daily provide soil based probiotics.
There is an interesting study in which they found that whether or not an obese person has diabetes or not has more to do with toxic load in the body than weight. Those obese people who have the most toxins, have the most diabetes. Those who have the least toxins have little to no diabetes. Lesson learned? Diabetes is driven in part by toxins (persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and heavy metals).
Eating low carb is the first step. Eating plants, lots of plants grown locally and organically in my opinion is the next step. Other things that have helped me is taking digestive enzymes and alpha lipoic acid.
You have to be a member of Diet Doctor to view this recent interview with Ron Rosedale, M.D. but in it he discusses some interesting work he's doing in India. Perhaps this would interest you...
https://www.dietdoctor.com/member/interviews/rosedale#more-859660
Apologies for covering all this ground without providing links but I'm right in the middle of transitioning a fundraiser to a new non-profit and I'm just slammed right now with that process. Best of luck to you!