Raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, cherries and many other fruits have a lot of vitamins, minerals, and fiber, and relatively small amounts of sugars and starches. Why not include these in your diabetic eating plan?

There is a wealth of misconceptions surrounding whether or not type 2 diabetics should eat fruit. Fruit is actually a great way to get vital nutrients into your body, and if the right fruits are eaten in the context of a balanced meal, there is no reason to exclude them from your diet.

The main objection to fruits being part of a diabetic diet is that they generally contain high amounts of fructose, or fruit sugar. This can hit the bloodstream quickly, causing a sharp spike in your blood sugar levels. If there is nothing present to buffer this action, the blood glucose will rise rapidly, then fall sharply.

The secret to successfully including fruits in your diet lies in the art of selection and combination. Choose fruits that are high in fiber to delay absorption by your body, and combine fruit with one or more other foods to provide steady release of sugar as each food breaks down at its own pace.

Great fruits to add to your diet include apples and pears (with skins on), berries, bananas, apricots, grapefruit and kiwifruit. All of these have high fiber content and a balance of fructose and glucose that is easy for your system to assimilate.

Fruit Juices: Processed fruit juices are high in sugar and low in fiber. A fruit and vegetable blend that is high in fiber is a better choice. Alternately, you can buy a juicer and juice whole fruits, or throw berries, bananas and unsweetened yogurt or milk in the blender for a smooth refreshing beverage.

Dried Fruits: Avoid dried fruits as the sugar content has been concentrated.

Canned Fruits: Canned fruits should also be used sparingly as the skin is usually removed from the fruit and the fruit itself is often packaged in corn syrup.

As you cut back on high sugar items in your diet, you can use fruits to curb sugar cravings… as long as you eat them in moderation and in combination with other foods. Fruit makes a great afternoon energy snack, but you should preface it with a portion of cheese or some whole wheat crackers to provide a buffer. Otherwise your sugar will skyrocket then crash… leaving you feeling worse than before.

Fruit can be an important part of any balanced diabetic diet, as long as it is eaten responsibly with an eye to the effect it can have on your blood sugar levels. Learning what your body will tolerate in the way of fruit may require some trial and error, but over time you will figure out what combinations work best to keep your blood sugar levels under control.

• SYNTRA 5 Review - Is it Breakthrough Product to Tackle Diabetes?
• Diabetic Dinner Recipes - Make Your Own
• Preventing Type 2 Diabetes in the Next Generation!
• What Are Signs of Diabetes - First 8 Symptoms of Diabetes
• How to Reverse Diabetes Naturally - 3 Super Foods You Can Take Advantage Of!
• Diabetes the Sly Old Fox (Catch it Before it Catches You)

No Comments »

No comments yet.

RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URL

Leave a comment

You must be logged in to post a comment.