How much fruit is "too much"

[borofergie]

What I need to ask, and again please forgive my ignorance, is when should I test to see how a particular fruit (or other food) is affecting my BS? Should I test immediately after eating the item or a specific time after? Up to now, all my tests have been before meals, on the instruction of my DSN.

Dotty, the trick is to test just before you eat, and then 2 hours afterwards. Your goal is to keep your BG at less than 7.8mmol/l 2 hours after you eat...

What sort of levels are you getting from your pre-meal tests?

 

[borofergie]

As a T2 diabetic, the question you really need to ask yourself is "what nutrients do I get from fruit that I can't get from vegetables?"

I think that the answer to this is "none". So if you are going to do the "5 a day" thing, it'd probably be better if most of the 5 were non-starchy veg rather fruit. Vegetables are just a nutritionally dense as fruits (sometimes even denser), but come at a much lower carbohydrate cost.

 

[Dottybagpuss]

Thanks for that Borofergie, just needed that explained to me. But can you also explain what would be an acceptable rise in level and what would be unacceptable?

My present levels are varying, but for example they can be:
before breakfast - 4.2 to 7.8
before lunch - 8.0 to 11.0
before tea - 9.2 to 12.0
before bed - 11.0 to 13.0+

So rising as the day goes on, despite eating what I believe to be a good diet. I am overdue to have an orthopaedic operation, and my specialists and myself are trying to settle these levels to allow the surgery to go ahead. This in turn will allow (once I have recovered!) some exercise to be taken, which up to now has been impossible for several years.

Knowing now that certain fruits should either be limited or cut out completely, I hope to make some improvement to the situation. Quite honestly, getting quite depressed by it at the moment, which doesn't help!!!

Susan

 

[borofergie]

Thanks for that Borofergie, just needed that explained to me. But can you also explain what would be an acceptable rise in level and what would be unacceptable?

Well the goal would be to keep it at less than 7.8mmol/l 2 hours after you eat, which would mean you'd have to start a bit lower.

Although to be honest, things are a bit more complex for insulin users, because you have to be careful about getting too low (hypoing), so you might have to adjust your targets accordingly. Hopefully one of our insulin using friends can give you more information.

 

[Dottybagpuss]

Thanks for that. It is so hard to get the old head around!!!
:? :? :?

Susan

 

[DickM]

A quick question regarding Water Melons, how bad are they?

 

[chris lowe]

I find it depends on how you get on with metformin which lists several problems in it's side effects. I can tolerate most fruit, a small apple, raspberries, blueberries but strawberries have me running for the loo several times a day . Of course I'm only assuming it's the metformin that causes the problem but I could always eat them before the medication.

 

[xyzzy]

I eat approx 150g of fruit salad made from of a wide range of fruits most days as pudding which I have with a good serving of double cream. Pretty much regardless of fruits choosen (except banana) it always ends up with a mix that is approx 10g / 100g. As that 10g / 100g is going to be mostly sugar from the fruits adding double cream and eating along with a main meal will lower its gi and make it all far less fast acting so you don't spike. However like everything you need to try it out and see what your meter tells you.

 

[GraceK]

Personally, if there is one thing I will not give up eating, it has to be fruit.

I can happily live without all the processed simple carbs but if diabetes requires me to give up fruit, :***: then diabetes can go to hell because the fruit is staying!

I'm doing my very best, I've cut out all simple carbs, I'm eating LCHF and I love fruit, and I'm eating it every day but not gorging on it.

I used to eat ALL types of fruit but a banana makes me feel like i've eaten 6 months worth of carbs in one go. So I stopped eating them a year or so ago. Apples I can live without, but fresh nectarines are a must, as are strawberries and kiwi fruits and I have both chopped up and covered in single cream at least every two days. They don't seem to make any difference to my BG. I think if I didn't eat fruit I'd get a bit sick of the LCHF savoury foods all the time. My taste buds demand a break and a palate cleanser too.

 

[lucylocket61]

There is no reason to give up fruit totally just because you are a Diabetic.

All anyone has to do is include the carbs/sugars from the fruit into their safe amount of daily carbs. You will know the safe amount by testing before eating what you consider a reasonable portion of fruit. Then testing 2 hours later to see the effect it has on your blood sugars.

It may be that you need to eat a smaller portion. But you also need to see the effect in a whole meal. For example, if you eat some peas, chicken and carrots, then have a nectarine for pudding, that will have more affect on your blood sugar levels than just eating a nectarine on its own.

its all about what works for you and your body.

 

[KimsMum]

have a look in the shop for fruit in tins without sugar. I do and eat this kind of fruit and my bs is stable after eating it. FRUITJUICE? I drink juice and flavoured water without sugar. I am doing well on it. You may try this too

 

[hdragon]

I live on a large amount of fruit and crème fraiche. I grow my own and freeze them a good low carb fruit are melons water honeydew and other types try any of these they are filling and re-freshing in the hot weather. if you want to add different things to any or the berries or fruit some ideas I have tried:- strawberries and black pepper(ground) , pineapple and a little salt- takes the sting out of this fruit put them in slices in a plastic bag of a few hours or days then eat, salt on bananas sweetens them , cinnamon on apple slices leave in the fridge and just eat as and when, and of course cream never goes wrong, but I find crème fraiche a little lighter. It's surprising how a little salt or pepper can take the sting out of a sour or sharpe fruit. Resting them over night in the fridge just adds juice to the seasoning.

 

[Pura Vida]

I find most berries and sour cherries do not affect my BG much

 

[KevinPotts]

My only fruit intake is Blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawbs. Any other fruit and I spike


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[MarionOxford]

Well if you listen to Dr Bernstein "none" is the right answer, but that's hardly reasonable.

I would say that Fruit Juice is almost certainly out of the question (it's like drinking a glass of sugar), and I probably wouldn't eat canned fruit either. Some people suggest that berries have a lower GI and are much kinder to your blood sugar than the types of fruit you've been eating.

It really comes down to working out how much carbohydrate is in all that fruit, and adjusting the amount you eat accordingly:
Half a can of peaches in juice = 11g of carb (surprisingly low)
Large glass of Orange Juice = 50g (ouch!)
1 apple= 21g for a medium apple

Total = 11+50+4*21=145g of carbohydrate per day just on fruit.

Some people suggest that 100g TOTAL carb per day is a good starting amount to aim for. You're already 45g over this, without accounting for any other carbs in the rest of your diet.

I'd forget the 5 a day too, it's a load of old unscienttific rubbish.

If they won't give you a meter, try and find some money to get one for yourself. It would tell you instantly what's wrong with eating so much fruit.

Hi, I had two kiwi's, two small fresh figs and an avocado for lunch. Do you consider that too much fruit/sugar? I've heard conflicting views on it

 

[lucylocket61]

Hi, I had two kiwi's, two small fresh figs and an avocado for lunch. Do you consider that too much fruit/sugar? I've heard conflicting views on it

What was the result of your blood sugar level test 2 hours afterwards?

Have you read about how fructose affects our livers?

Ps are you on any meds for diabetes?