Just diagnosed with Diabetes - Everyone is telling you to stop eating fruit as it is full of sugar. But you love fruit............and are confused.
So why is it so confusing?
Fruit contains natural sugars, but also contains a host of vitamins and minerals and fibre meaning it is a fantastic choice for everyone and the reason why the Australian Dietary Guidelines recommend two serves per day. With Diabetes, we like to promote foods with a lower Glycemic Index (GI) which means how likely the food will increase your blood sugar levels, or "spike" your blood sugar levels.
Fruit is considered low or moderate GI which means that it doesn't spike your blood sugar levels and it can help to keep you fuller for longer as well.
Studies have also shown that those who eat more fruit have a reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes, and eating fruit if you have already been diagnosed with diabetes can help to reduce complications from diabetes.
It is recommended that everybody eats 2 serves of fruit per day as fruit provides a valuable source of Vitamin C, and Fibre.
A serve of fruit is considered to be
- 1 medium piece of fruit, for example a banana or an orange or an apple,
- 1 cup of chopped fruit or small fruit such as grapes, or
- 2 pieces of fruit if they are small for example 2 kiwifruit or 2 plums.
Best Fruits to include are:-
- Citrus fruits such as oranges, mandarins or grapefruit
- Stone fruits such as peaches, plums and apricots
- Berries
- Apples and pears,
- Bananas when they are greener and not so much as they brown up which is where the starch in the banana becomes sugar.
(Watermelon, cantelope, and lychees have a higher GI and should be enjoyed in moderation, or enjoy them with some dairy to reduce the GI)
So when somebody tells you that "You shouldn't be eating that!!" ask them if they are getting their 2 serves a day, and know that in moderation Fruit not only is healthy, but is a handy snack and can be enjoyed anywhere - BY ANYONE