What do you do about fruit?

AnnieEcowarrior said:

I’m a new T2 not on medication and am using my trial libra 2 sensor to understand what happens to my BSs when I eat my normal vegan diet. I usually eat a lot of fruit but it’s the single thing that sends my numbers up as I’m not a cake/sweets eater.

I was hoping to control my diabetes without medication but not sure I can go without fruit. I’d be grateful for your thoughts.

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Hi Annie
I'm a new T2 like yourself. Fruit is probably the thing I miss the most. I used to have a mango and a peach for breakfast.
Since taking the low carb route I have a very small amount of strawberries or raspberries with yoghurt (If you slice them while they are still a tiny bit frozen the bites stay quite substantial ) and I count 3 carbs for 50g. My other go to has been smallish apricots.I often have one after a meal and just nibble it like a peach, again I count 3 carbs for this. Everyone is different but my meter readings stay absolutely the same with these.

I used to love fruit, and ate lots - it was "good for me" right? And I didn't eat other sweet stuff apart from very occasionally.

When diagnosed 2 years ago, and realising my mistake, going on the keto diet and putting my T2 into the non-diabetic range, I gave eating fruit up overnight. I was very sad about that, but hey! Life is full of hard decisions, and getting my BG into the normal range was a priority. There was plenty of other delicious food to eat, after all.

Now I am cautiously experimenting with Very Low Carb. There are fruits that I will never eat again that I used to love (mango, peach, melon, figs, dates etc.) but will be for ever on the "these don't exist" list for me but not for others - we all respond differently physically and mentally. You will need to find your own safe areas in your own time.

But in the last week, on separate days. I have had one alpine strawberry, and one raspberry. Interestingly (for I am not a character to stop at one anything) each was quite enough, and very enjoyable.

You will be navigating your own journey. We can support you so please use our different but all relevant experience. It isn't anything like as difficult as it looks.

@AnnieEcowarrior is a vegan so recommending ff Greek yoghurt and cream and cheese to balance the fruit is no good. I think if you want to remain vegan then ditch the fruit unless you test first and establish if there are any fruits that don’t affect you.

I have a portion of berries most days, usually raspberries as testing showed I was better with raspberries but I have gooseberries when in season.
I also eat fruit such as tomatoes and cucumber.
And I have rhubarb, a veg treated as a fruit, in fake crumble made with ground almonds instead of flour.

So mainly berries in Greek yogurt or more sour fruit in crumbles with a sweetener such as xylitol.

Edit: I didn't realise you are a vegan - check the carbs in vegan yogurts and see if they are OK.

I eat all fruits, but only a small bite for taste.
This approach is helped by having a group of guinea pigs who are happy with fruits missing a bite.

TriciaWs said:

I have a portion of berries most days, usually raspberries as testing showed I was better with raspberries but I have gooseberries when in season.
I also eat fruit such as tomatoes and cucumber.
And I have rhubarb, a veg treated as a fruit, in fake crumble made with ground almonds instead of flour.

So mainly berries in Greek yogurt or more sour fruit in crumbles with a sweetener such as xylitol.

Edit: I didn't realise you are a vegan - check the carbs in vegan yogurts and see if they are OK.

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Xylitol is a no no for me as it spikes my BG where as Erythritol doesn’t. Also xylitol is poisonous to dogs so be extra careful that you don’t spill any where they might lick it up!