Satsumas

LittleGreyCat said:

I've sworn off fruit for a bit, but a Satsuma is about 13 grams of carbohydrate per 100 grams, and a Satsuma weighs about 90 grams with the skin on.

So I am now considering that I might cope with one every day or so.

Not sure if this is the start of the slippery slope or just a sensible reevaluation.

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Before deciding, you might want to read this article by Jenny Ruhl. She is saying that eating fructose affects the A1c result but does not show up in home testing.
http://diabetesupdate.blogspot.co.uk/2007/10/fructose-raises-a1c.html

Alexandra100 said:

Before deciding, you might want to read this article by Jenny Ruhl. She is saying that eating fructose affects the A1c result but does not show up in home testing.
http://diabetesupdate.blogspot.co.uk/2007/10/fructose-raises-a1c.html

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I don't understand that. With home testing we measure the glucose in the bloodstream. HbA1c is a measure of the average glucose in the bloodstream. I can't see the how it got there makes any difference to the results.

Mr_Pot said:

I don't understand that. With home testing we measure the glucose in the bloodstream. HbA1c is a measure of the average glucose in the bloodstream. I can't see the how it got there makes any difference to the results.

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Did you read the article?

Alexandra100 said:

Did you read the article?

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Of course! It says we don't measure fructose but A1c doesn't measure fructose either.

Mr_Pot said:

Of course! It says we don't measure fructose but A1c doesn't measure fructose either.

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"It seems that Gary Taubes' new book ... reveals that fructose causes more glycosylation of proteins than does glucose. However, when we test our blood sugar we don't look for fructose, we only measure glucose, a different sugar.

Hence a diet that is high in fructose may raise A1c, and with it the risk of heart disease and other organ damage, in a person whose blood glucose is very well controlled."

Fructose is a funny one. Straight to the liver 'do not pass go, do not collect £200'. That is why table sugar is the first that one should cut from the diet as it is a combination of glucose and fructose which, for us, is a double whammy.

Alexandra100 said:

"It seems that Gary Taubes' new book ... reveals that fructose causes more glycosylation of proteins than does glucose. However, when we test our blood sugar we don't look for fructose, we only measure glucose, a different sugar.

Hence a diet that is high in fructose may raise A1c, and with it the risk of heart disease and other organ damage, in a person whose blood glucose is very well controlled."

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I am not contesting the fact that fructose may be more harmful than glucose, I am saying that HbA1c is a measure of glucose not fructose.

Mr_Pot said:

I am not contesting the fact that fructose may be more harmful than glucose, I am saying that HbA1c is a measure of glucose not fructose

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Have to say I followed the link and thought “ what a load of unscientific twaddle”

LittleGreyCat said:

I've sworn off fruit for a bit, but a Satsuma is about 13 grams of carbohydrate per 100 grams, and a Satsuma weighs about 90 grams with the skin on.

So I am now considering that I might cope with one every day or so.

Not sure if this is the start of the slippery slope or just a sensible reevaluation.

Click to expand...

I have decided that, with my addictive personality, I am not going to tempt fate with any diversions like this. So I eat no fruit, no bread, no root veg, no pasta, no rice, no cakes, no sweet stuff of any type. I don't eat anything with carbs that I can reasonably avoid. I find it simpler to abstain than control my intake. When I was on an addiction programme, I was told that binge eating was one of the most difficult things to control, including hard drugs, since you have to eat. I am not a binge eater, but I find portion control difficult.
Well, it works for me...

Jaylee said:

Haven't touched one in years..
But strangely.?
I used a satsuma as a "get out of jail card", treating a hypo earlier...

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How are you feeling now? Better, I hope.

I read somewhere that some can eat a satsuma if they are on the sour side.

LittleGreyCat said:

I've sworn off fruit for a bit, but a Satsuma is about 13 grams of carbohydrate per 100 grams, and a Satsuma weighs about 90 grams with the skin on.

So I am now considering that I might cope with one every day or so.

Not sure if this is the start of the slippery slope or just a sensible reevaluation.

Click to expand...

According to the Carbs and Cals book an 85g satsuma has 5g of carbs so on that basis I have one most days, an apple of the same size has twice the carbs according to the book, although varieties of apple probably vary. I used to eat vast amounts of fruit particularly grapes which was probably my downfall, I don't do that now but it doesn't feel right never having any fruit and I think a satsuma is a good choice.

The only "fruit" sanctioned by the great Dr Bernstein is rhubarb, which he lists under "permitted vegetables". Here is what he says about fruit in "diabetes Solution":

"Fruits and Fruit Juices
These contain varying mixtures of simple sugars and more complex carbohydrates, all of which will act dramatically on blood sugar levels, which you can prove with a few experiments with blood sugar measurements. Bitter-tasting fruits such as grapefruit and lemon contain considerable amounts of simple sugars. They taste bitter because of the presence of bitter chemicals, not because sugar is absent. Orange juice, which may be high in vitamin C, also contains about as much sugar as a nondiet soft drink. Although eliminating fruit and fruit juices from the diet can initially be a big sacrifice for many of my patients, they usually get used to this rapidly, and they appreciate the effect upon blood sugar control. I haven’t eaten fruit in more than thirty years, and I haven’t suffered in any respect. Some people fear that they will lose important nutrients by eliminating fruit, but that shouldn’t be a worry. Nutrients found in fruits are also present in the vegetables you can safely eat."

However this sounds as if anyone whose bg is NOT dramatically raised by fruit could eat them.

I really miss eating fruit especially mango and melon. the problem was that I could eat lot's of it in one sitting. I am used to having something sweet after dinner and obviously cake and ice cream are out.