Sugar content of fruit

burybugs

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Type of diabetes
Type 2
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So my diabetic nurse had advised me to keep below 25g of sugar per day (130g carb, 56g protein and 55g fat).

When using my fitness pal to log nutrients the fruit I am eating is taking me over my sugar allowance. i.e blueberries in my porridge is 8g. And a pear at lunchtime is 14g.

Should I be reducing my fruit intake to one portion a day to keep below the limit?

Interestingly I can have an 'Aldi - Specially Selected - Dark Chocolate Flavour Coated Peanut Butter Bars (Gluten Free)' which is 7g of sugar for the whole bar (more calories I know but nice as a treat)

Also should I be using skimmed milk instead of semi-skimmed to keep the sugar down?

Confused . . . my diabetic nurse is not help and the dietician at the hospital was worse. I have hypothyroidism with T2 and she told me she didn't know anything about hypothyroidism and not to worry about it but to concentrate on the diabetes!!!
 
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It's great to keep an eye on sugar.
However, our bodies break down all carbs to sugar. Therefore, you may find you need to consider more than the 7g of sugar in your chocolate treat.
As a "Newbie", @daisy1 has some great advice which she will provide.
This is incredibly useful and should explain the sugar/carbs thing and more.
 

Mike d

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Not enough info to draw conclusions just yet but red flags ... pears? No way. Porridge? Same
 
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Bluetit1802

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All carbs turn to sugar once eaten, so instead of looking at the sugar content of your food, look at the "total carbohydrate" amount. This is given on all packaged food in the nutrients label, and states the amount of carbs per 100g. Sugar is a carb, and is included in the total carb amount.

I assume you haven't got your own blood glucose meter? It would be a great idea to buy one and then you can see at a glance what your meal choices are doing to your blood glucose levels. All carbs will raise your levels, some quicker than others, but they will all release the glucose at some point. Fruit is never a good idea for us because they contain a lot of fructose (sugar). The best ones, in small amounts, are raspberries and strawberries, eaten as part of a meal with cream or a plain full fat yogurt.

If you buy a meter (and you really should), you may have a shock what porridge does, especially if made with milk that has lactose in it (sugar) and a lot of blueberries. Full fat milk has less sugar than semi-skimmed, and semi-skimmed has less sugar than skimmed, so full fat milk is best.
 

There is no Spoon

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So my diabetic nurse had advised me to keep below 25g of sugar per day
Hi burybugs.
when I first joined someone pointed me in the direction of this video there's a part where he explains how the body divides the work load of breaking down sugar from fruit and how it increases the work load of your Liver. (that's not something you want)

'Aldi - Specially Selected - Dark Chocolate Flavour Coated Peanut Butter Bars
Just quickly looked this up it says 8 grams of carbs so you should count at 8 not 7 grams of sugar. which is no big deal just if your counting and think your hitting your target you might be underestimating your total. :banghead:

There are practically no vitamins and nutrients in this bar, now nobody is expecting you to live like a monk, but if your gona eat 214 calories in one snack I would be looking to get more bang for my buck. ;)
:bag:
 

burybugs

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Hi burybugs.
when I first joined someone pointed me in the direction of this video there's a part where he explains how the body divides the work load of breaking down sugar from fruit and how it increases the work load of your Liver. (that's not something you want)


Just quickly looked this up it says 8 grams of carbs so you should count at 8 not 7 grams of sugar. which is no big deal just if your counting and think your hitting your target you might be underestimating your total. :banghead:

There are practically no vitamins and nutrients in this bar, now nobody is expecting you to live like a monk, but if your gona eat 214 calories in one snack I would be looking to get more bang for my buck. ;)
:bag:
Sometimes I just need a quick fix . . . I'll look again for something to satisfy lol Thank you . . . I'm new to this so any advice is gratefully received. I'd just like someone to devise a menu for me (and perhaps a personal chef!!) which I could easily stick to and lose weight and lower sugar level (and not affect my underactive thyroid)
 

burybugs

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Type 2
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Diet only
Not enough info to draw conclusions just yet but red flags ... pears? No way. Porridge? Same
Just finding my feet in this minefield (along with a long standing underactive thyroid) . . . thanks for the advice . . . pears and porridge off the menu from now on.
 

Bluetit1802

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Just finding my feet in this minefield (along with a long standing underactive thyroid) . . . thanks for the advice . . . pears and porridge off the menu from now on.

You need a meter so you can test your body's reaction to them. Some people tolerate small amounts of porridge, and a few pieces of pear. This is why meters are so valuable to us.
 

daisy1

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@burybugs

Hello Burybugs and welcome to the Forum :) Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. Ask as many questions as you want and someone will be able to help.


BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEW MEMBERS

Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist.

A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us. It’s far from the end of the world though and on this forum you'll find well over 235,000 people who are demonstrating this.

On the forum we have found that with the number of new people being diagnosed with diabetes each day, sometimes the NHS is not being able to give all the advice it would perhaps like to deliver - particularly with regards to people with type 2 diabetes.

The role of carbohydrate

Carbohydrates are a factor in diabetes because they ultimately break down into sugar (glucose) within our blood. We then need enough insulin to either convert the blood sugar into energy for our body, or to store the blood sugar as body fat.

If the amount of carbohydrate we take in is more than our body’s own (or injected) insulin can cope with, then our blood sugar will rise.

The bad news

Research indicates that raised blood sugar levels over a period of years can lead to organ damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications.

The good news

People on the forum here have shown that there is plenty of opportunity to keep blood sugar levels from going too high. It’s a daily task but it’s within our reach and it’s well worth the effort.

Controlling your carbs

The info below is primarily aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, however, it may also be of benefit for other types of diabetes as well.

There are two approaches to controlling your carbs:
  • Reduce your carbohydrate intake
  • Choose ‘better’ carbohydrates
Reduce your carbohydrates

A large number of people on this forum have chosen to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat as they have found this to be an effective way of improving (lowering) their blood sugar levels.

The carbohydrates which tend to have the most pronounced effect on blood sugar levels tend to be starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and similar root vegetables, flour based products (pastry, cakes, biscuits, battered food etc) and certain fruits.

Choosing better carbohydrates

The low glycaemic index diet is often favoured by healthcare professionals but some people with diabetes find that low GI does not help their blood sugar enough and may wish to cut out these foods altogether.

Read more on carbohydrates and diabetes.

Over 145,000 people have taken part in the Low Carb Program - a 10 week structured education course that is helping people lose weight and reduce medication dependency by explaining the science behind carbs, insulin and GI.

Eating what works for you

Different people respond differently to different types of food. What works for one person may not work so well for another. The best way to see which foods are working for you is to test your blood sugar with a glucose meter.

To be able to see what effect a particular type of food or meal has on your blood sugar is to do a test before the meal and then test after the meal. A test 2 hours after the meal gives a good idea of how your body has reacted to the meal.

The blood sugar ranges recommended by NICE are as follows:

Blood glucose ranges for type 2 diabetes
  • Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 8.5 mmol/l
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (adults)
  • Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (children)
  • Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l
However, those that are able to, may wish to keep blood sugar levels below the NICE after meal targets.

Access to blood glucose test strips

The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:
  • structured education to every person and/or their carer at and around the time of diagnosis, with annual reinforcement and review
  • self-monitoring of plasma glucose to a person newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes only as an integral part of his or her self-management education

Therefore both structured education and self-monitoring of blood glucose should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes. Read more on getting access to blood glucose testing supplies.

You may also be interested to read questions to ask at a diabetic clinic.

Note: This post has been edited from Sue/Ken's post to include up to date information.
Take part in Diabetes.co.uk digital education programs and improve your understanding. Most of these are free.

  • Low Carb Program - it's made front-page news of the New Scientist and The Times. Developed with 20,000 people with type 2 diabetes; 96% of people who take part recommend it... find out why

  • Hypo Program - improve your understanding of hypos. There's a version for people with diabetes, parents/guardians of children with type 1, children with type 1 diabetes, teachers and HCPs.
 
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bulkbiker

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Sometimes I just need a quick fix . . . I'll look again for something to satisfy lol Thank you . . . I'm new to this so any advice is gratefully received. I'd just like someone to devise a menu for me (and perhaps a personal chef!!) which I could easily stick to and lose weight and lower sugar level (and not affect my underactive thyroid)
Check out www.dietdoctor.com huge amount of meal plans, recipes and generally useful info on low carb life.
 

flexi06

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373
Type of diabetes
Type 2
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Tablets (oral)
I agree with the others, you need a meter - we all should get one or how will you learn. You can get them free sometimes. I looked on google and got one then my diabetic nurse gave me one too. I would not rely on nhs guidelines either. Get a carbs and cals book or something like it. My fitness pal is good and so is tesco web site for carb content. Increase exercise. I’m pretty new to this too but have found these things helped. AND this forum is a mine of helpful people and information. Xx
 
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Mike d

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Just finding my feet in this minefield (along with a long standing underactive thyroid) . . . thanks for the advice . . . pears and porridge off the menu from now on.

As @Bluetit1802 said, test and try ... and I should have said that rather than quote from my experiences

I used to love cling peaches ... but now? Disaster for my BS
 
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Resurgam

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It seems as though your nurse knows very little about diabetes too.
My underactive - as in defunct - thyroid is replaced by tablets of thyroxine, and has been for years - if you are suffering by having low hormone levels you really should be on replacement therapy - my thyroid staggered along for some years before it gave out but they were not pleasant years.
To get my numbers into the normal range after being diagnosed diabetic type 2 I had to drop my intake of carbs to a maximum of 50 gm per day. Eating 150 gm would have made no improvement at all.
Blueberries are the highest carb of the berries, and blueberries in porridge is far higher in carbs than just counting the sugar - and as for milk - lactose is a sugar, best have cream in your coffee and forget the milk entirely.
I know it is contrary to all the really good advice from HCPs ( that was in my really sarcastic tone) but eating low carb and higher than normal fats is proving to be very effective in controlling diabetes for many type twos, and also in reducing weight for a lot of people.
 
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miahara

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Carbs in fruit and berries. This may help you decide what might be best avoided. Graph is grams per 100g.
upload_2018-3-22_17-12-33.png
 
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DeirdreS

Newbie
Messages
1
Type of diabetes
Type 2
So my diabetic nurse had advised me to keep below 25g of sugar per day (130g carb, 56g protein and 55g fat).

When using my fitness pal to log nutrients the fruit I am eating is taking me over my sugar allowance. i.e blueberries in my porridge is 8g. And a pear at lunchtime is 14g.

Should I be reducing my fruit intake to one portion a day to keep below the limit?

Interestingly I can have an 'Aldi - Specially Selected - Dark Chocolate Flavour Coated Peanut Butter Bars (Gluten Free)' which is 7g of sugar for the whole bar (more calories I know but nice as a treat)

Also should I be using skimmed milk instead of semi-skimmed to keep the sugar down?

Confused . . . my diabetic nurse is not help and the dietician at the hospital was worse. I have hypothyroidism with T2 and she told me she didn't know anything about hypothyroidism and not to worry about it but to concentrate on the diabetes!!!


I have been told by my dietician to limit myself to 3 pieces of fruit a day (keep bananas to the kiddie sized ones). And to aim for no more than 5g of sugar per 100g.

I still am struggling with the diet and it's been more than a year. Recently got my meds upped... annoyed with myself more than anything!!!
 

Bluetit1802

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I have been told by my dietician to limit myself to 3 pieces of fruit a day (keep bananas to the kiddie sized ones). And to aim for no more than 5g of sugar per 100g.

I still am struggling with the diet and it's been more than a year. Recently got my meds upped... annoyed with myself more than anything!!!

Your dietician should have told you to limit your fruits to berries only. Absolutely no bananas. Also to limit yourself to 5g carbs per 100g, not 5g sugar. Maybe this is why you are struggling and found your meds have been increased?

All carbs turn to sugar once in the system.
 

Resurgam

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There are only a couple of fruits which are at the limit you've been given - raspberries and blackberries, nothing under 5 percent carbs, so the three pieces of fruit instruction is pretty useless - and not going to help at all.Check all the things you are eating to be sure that you understand where the carbs are coming from, and if you have a blood glucose meter, check that you are not getting high readings after eating.
 

Mike d

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I have been told by my dietician to limit myself to 3 pieces of fruit a day (keep bananas to the kiddie sized ones). And to aim for no more than 5g of sugar per 100g.

I still am struggling with the diet and it's been more than a year. Recently got my meds upped... annoyed with myself more than anything!!!

No bananas ... ever. Your dietician is doling out VERY poor advice
 

Blackers183

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All carbs turn to sugar once eaten, so instead of looking at the sugar content of your food, look at the "total carbohydrate" amount. This is given on all packaged food in the nutrients label, and states the amount of carbs per 100g. Sugar is a carb, and is included in the total carb amount.

I assume you haven't got your own blood glucose meter? It would be a great idea to buy one and then you can see at a glance what your meal choices are doing to your blood glucose levels. All carbs will raise your levels, some quicker than others, but they will all release the glucose at some point. Fruit is never a good idea for us because they contain a lot of fructose (sugar). The best ones, in small amounts, are raspberries and strawberries, eaten as part of a meal with cream or a plain full fat yogurt.

If you buy a meter (and you really should), you may have a shock what porridge does, especially if made with milk that has lactose in it (sugar) and a lot of blueberries. Full fat milk has less sugar than semi-skimmed, and semi-skimmed has less sugar than skimmed, so full fat milk is best.
Fruit needs to be considered in any diet for vitamin C, which can also come some vegetables. Lack of vitamin C causes scurvy and can also contribute to sores not healing. Some older diabetics in Australia have been diagnosed with low vitamin C when sores were not healing. The CHO content of any food, including fruit, therefore needs to be considered as a part of a balanced healthy diet for diabetics.
 

Resurgam

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9,850
Type of diabetes
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Fruit needs to be considered in any diet for vitamin C, which can also come some vegetables. Lack of vitamin C causes scurvy and can also contribute to sores not healing. Some older diabetics in Australia have been diagnosed with low vitamin C when sores were not healing. The CHO content of any food, including fruit, therefore needs to be considered as a part of a balanced healthy diet for diabetics.

I take a multimineral and vitamin several times a week just in case my intake of vegetables and berries doesn't provide sufficient something - and of course there are things which are botanically fruits which I do eat because they are low carb, but I'm afraid that the words balanced healthy diet for diabetics are rather like a red rag to a bull where I am concerned - I have a long history of being put on balanced healthy diets which have caused me much misery, because they are not what I can cope with.