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Would eating a banana be a bad idea?

Swiggy

Well-Known Member
Messages
330
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
I am becoming really fed up. I have been trying so hard, testing before and two hours after meals and I am rarely seeing raises of more than 2 mmol. The problem is that I very rarely drop below 7 and my lowest reading is 6.6.
My fbg is usually 8-9 at 6am falling to around 7.5 by 11am when I break my fast with creamy coffee.
The bananas in the kitchen are calling me but I would rather avoid completely if they are likely to really spike me. Should I wait until 11am and test before and two hours after eating one? And should I still have my creamy coffee or just the banana?
Any advice would be appreciated. X
 
Wow lucky you having low blood sugars! Ideally you should be aiming between 4 and 7 mmol for your blood sugars. Having a banana would give you a spike due to the carbs in a banana. I usually have one after or just before I exercise. Are you type 1 or type 2?
 
Dr David Unwin called bananas "sugar sticks" during his talk at the PHC conference this weekend.. I think they contain about 4 teaspoons of sugar so best avoided..
 
Thanks @andyboll1 I'm type 2, no meds and last hba1c in April was 54. It was 119 when I was diagnosed so avoiding carbohydrates is clearly effective but I am gaining weight.
 
bulkbiker said:
Dr David Unwin called bananas "sugar sticks" during his talk at the PHC conference this weekend.. I think they contain about 4 teaspoons of sugar so best avoided..
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Thanks @bulkbiker, I will leave the bananas where they are. Describing them as "sugar sticks" has reduced their appeal.
 
Swiggy said:
Thanks @bulkbiker, I will leave the bananas where they are. Describing them as "sugar sticks" has reduced their appeal.
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He also did admit that he doesn't like them ... so he may be a bit biased.. I think I'm allergic to them.. my stomach swells up like a balloon if I have one. edited to say I haven't eaten one for about 20 years..
 
Yesterday I've have had a pizza talking about dangerous foods. I've taken a salad before starting the pizza, and I've taken a "marinara rinforzo friarelli" (tomato sauce origano garlic pick and browned turnip greens)
If you really want a banana you can try to eat it wit a lot of vegetables before to slow down the sugar absorption and match the crab counting. I've stopped to eat bananas because I actually didn't liked very much and was warned by my dietician.
 
Thanks @MikeTurin I am going to pass on the banana. I'll stick with the strawberries and cream. Pizza is no longer a word in my vocabulary but I plan to try the fathead pizza one day...
 
Swiggy said:
Thanks @andyboll1 I'm type 2, no meds and last hba1c in April was 54. It was 119 when I was diagnosed so avoiding carbohydrates is clearly effective but I am gaining weight.
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You know what @andyboll1 you have made me feel so much better describing me as lucky. I had forgotten how far I have come and how much my levels have improved.
 
Hi Swiggy,

You did brilliantly to get your HbA1c down so much in April, but your base levels levels aren't dropping and are still a bit high for a low carb diet. Is it time to either reduce your carbs some more, or consider some medication? If your carb level is already low, then medication may be helpful.

If you are gaining weight, less carbs should help. You may also be overdoing the fats or eating larger portions than you need. Do you weigh or count your food and keep a diary? Keeping a diary including portion sizes is very useful so you can see just how many carbs/fats/protein you are eating. You can then analyse where you may be going wrong. You may already be doing this of course.
 
My lifetime of putting on weight easily is all explained by how insulin works when you have too much of it - I was thrown out of a slimming club for putting on weight on their regime.
I'm seeing a tiny fall in weight at the moment after adding in strawberries and cream, so you might need more fat in your diet, and I have lowered the carbs a little as well now that I am sure about the cream helping.
A lot has to happen to restore normal metabolism from a diabetic one, so patience seems necessary, but you are already seeing benefits and if you stick to low carb you'll continue on down the same path.
I just have to tell myself that it took more than a few months to develop diabetes, and I have already come further than I ever expected.
 
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