The Best Fruits For Diabetics
In saying fruit can be healthy for diabetics, “I am referring to fresh fruit, not canned or processed and not dried fruit,” Besser says. “Those have a higher sugar content, as the water has been removed, so you tend to eat more volume of dried fruit compared to fresh, and this will cause sugar spikes.”
And even among fresh fruits, certain types are best, depending on their sugar and water content, as well as a measurement called the glycemic index .
This scale measures how quickly foods will cause blood sugar levels to rise, with a higher number indicating a more rapid spike in blood sugars, which can be dangerous for diabetics.
Foods with a GI of beneficial than high-GI foods for regulating blood sugar.
The following fruits have a low GI:
- Avocado: 15
These fruits have a higher GI and sugar content:
- Mango: 56
- Grapes: 59
- Watermelon: 76
But GI isn’t everything water content also matters. For example, even though watermelon has a high GI, it can still be a relatively safe option because it’s made up of 92% water.
“It is laden with sugar, but due to its high water content, the amount of sugar per serving ends up being reasonable,” says Orville Kolterman, MD, chief medical officer at Pendulum, a company that makes products to help control glucose levels.
Protein And Diabetes: What You Need To Know
What is protein, how much protein should you eat, and what are the best sources of protein for people with diabetes?
In conversations about diabetes and meal planning, carbohydrates tend to take center stage. But protein also has a significant role to play in your health and wellbeing. Your organs, muscles, nervous system, blood vessels, and skeleton are all made of, and dependent on, protein. Were here to break it all down: What protein is, why its important, how much you should be getting every day, the best sources of protein, and what the science says for people with diabetes.
Can Oranges Lower Blood Sugar
Oranges can help lower blood sugar levels because they contain high amounts of vitamin C. Vitamin C acts as an antioxidant that helps to fight against free radicals. When you have high blood sugar levels, the glucose reacts with the protein in your body. With this heightened oxidation, cells may be damaged which leads to various complications of diabetes such as cardiovascular or kidney diseases. As an antioxidant, vitamin C can protect against these effects of elevated blood sugar, thereby lowering your risk of developing free radical damage.
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Ditch The Working Lunch
Are you rushed, not properly chewing your food, and possibly suffering from gastrointestinal issues? Do you drink your food?
How you eat and drink matters. Studies are indicating that this has more of an impact than we previously thought.
When it comes to how you eat, let’s first look at mindful eating.
Mindful eating can help to promote more healthful eating behaviours. Simply put, it means to take smaller bites, eat slowly, chew thoroughly, and savour every bite. Notice and appreciate the smell, taste and texture. Breathe. Mindful eating helps to give your digestive system the hint to prepare for digestion and to secrete necessary enzymes.
Eating with attention and intention also addresses the role of hunger and satiety cues and stresses eating in response to those cues instead of eating in response to automatic patterns. This can also help with weight loss because eating slower often means eating less.
Did you know that it takes about 20 minutes for your brain to know that your stomach is full?
Thought so!
We also know that more thoroughly chewed food is easier to digest and it makes it easier to absorb all of those essential nutrients.
And what about about drinking your food?
If youre keen on crafting your own smoothies, here are a few tips:
What Is The Ideal Time To Eat Fruits Like Oranges If You Have Diabetes
Is there any best time to eat fruits? Have you heard about some lame assertions like best time to eat fruits is during afternoons or fruits should be eaten only during the morning hours when the stomach is empty? Otherwise, they will make digestion difficult if taken along with regular meals? Surprisingly, if you infer properly, then all such myths contrast each other because neither makes any logical sense or scientific basis hence, we termed them lame. When fruit with high fiber content coupled with food rich in proteins is eaten in the form of regular basic meals, it will cause your stomach to release food in the small intestine more slowly, thereby preventing postprandial diabetes and subsequent rise of blood sugar levels.
Fibers are excellent at speeding down the absorption of food. The sugars will enter the blood at retarded rates having no negative impact on blood glucose levels. The only exception is the case of gestational diabetes, as a person undergoing this problem must avoid eating fruits in the morning hours to get rid of any possible complications. This is because some specific hormones are secreted during pregnancy, which attains their peak levels during the morning and is probably linked with causing a hike in blood sugar levels.
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Add Beans To Salads And Soup For A Source Of Fiber
Beans are a great source of soluble fiber and an inexpensive that is low on the glycemic index, making them ideal for preventing big swings in blood sugar levels, Smithson says. “A higher fiber content in foods is beneficial for slowing the rise in blood glucose levels because it takes longer for your system to break down the fibrous foods,” she explains.
A half-cup serving of black beans has about 15 g of carbohydrates. The ADA recommends eating bean spreads, like hummus, which can be a great dip for raw veggies, or adding beans to soup, chili, casseroles, and salads.
Do Meals High In Protein Require Extra Insulin
When you eat carbohydrates in combination with protein , it can take longer for your body to convert the carbs into glucose. This can be a good thing with snacks, but for larger meals the effect is hard to predict it depends on the type and amount of carbs and the relative amount of protein and fat in the meal. The classic example is pizza, as you get lots of carbs from the crust alongside protein and fat from the cheese and toppings. You will see glucose levels rise after eating pizza, but glucose could remain elevated for up to six hours, depending on how much you ate.
For people taking mealtime insulin, the effect of the protein has to be taken into consideration. For big meals, some people stretch out the dose by taking less insulin around the time of the meal and then a correction bolus later, or they use their insulin pump to deliver a dual or extended bolus.
In this way, large mixed meals can pose a real problem, because taking too much insulin too early might cause you to go low. Thats why its a great idea to test your blood sugar a few hours after the meal or, if it is available to you, use a continuous glucose monitor to stay on top of your glucose levels.
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Carbs Drive Blood Sugar Levels
Compared with proteins and fat, carbohydrates have the biggest impact on blood sugar levels, which is why keeping tabs on carb intake is so important for managing diabetes.
The digestive system breaks carbs down into glucose, or blood sugar, which is a main source of energy for the body. When sugar enters the blood, the pancreas usually releases the hormone insulin, which allows cells to process and absorb that sugar. As they do, blood sugar levels fall.
However, diabetes affects how people are able to produce or use insulin. In people with type 1 diabetes, their pancreas is unable to make insulin. People with type 2 diabetes cant make enough insulin, or their cells have stopped responding to it effectively, so glucose builds up in the blood.
In both types of diabetes, this can lead to dangerously high blood sugar levels if not treated. Consistently high blood sugar levels can damage blood vessels, eyes, feet, kidneys, and the heart.
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Is It Important For People With Type 1 And Type 2 Diabetes To Be Careful About How Much Fruit You Eat
Yes. For all people, and for all people with diabetes, fruit can affect your blood sugar level. That doesnt mean that you shouldnt eat fruit at all fruit still includes important nutrients that your body needs, some of which can lower your risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and other chronic conditions.
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Should You Use Carbohydrate And Protein To Treat Hypoglycemia
The ADA recommends pure glucose as the preferred treatment for hypoglycemia , although any form of carbohydrate that contains glucose will raise your glucose level. Carbohydrate sources high in protein should not be used to treat or prevent hypoglycemia.
To learn more about nutrition and diabetes, click here. If youre looking for protein-rich meal and snack ideas, check out Catherine Newmans recipes.
About Constance
Constance Brown-Riggs, MSEd, RDN, CDCES, CDN, is a national speaker and author of the award-winning Diabetes Guide to Enjoying Foods of the World, a convenient guide to help people with diabetes enjoy all the flavors of the world while still following a healthy meal plan, and The African American Guide to Living Well with Diabetes. Learn more about Constance and follow her on and .
Patient Education: Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus And Diet
TYPE 2 DIABETES OVERVIEW Diet and physical activity are critically important in the management of the ABCs of type 2 diabetes. To effectively manage glycated hemoglobin and blood sugar levels, it is important to understand how to balance food intake, physical activity, and medication. Making healthy food choices every day has both immediate and long-term effects. With education, practice, and assistance from a dietitian and/or a diabetes educator, it is possible to eat well and control diabetes. This article discusses diet in the management of type 2 diabetes. The role of diet and activity in managing blood pressure and cholesterol are reviewed separately. and Patient education: High cholesterol and lipids .) Articles that discuss other aspects of type 2 diabetes are also available. and Patient education: Diabetes mellitus type 2: Insulin treatment and Patient education: Self-monitoring of blood glucose in diabetes mellitus and Patient education: Hypoglycemia in diabetes mellitus and Patient education: Diabetes mellitus type 2: Alcohol, exercise, and medical care and Patient education: Preventing complications in diabetes mellitus .) WHY IS DIET IMPORTANT? Many factors affect how well diabetes is controlled. Many of these factors are controlled by the person with diabetes, including how much and what is eaten, how frequently the blood sugar is monitored, physical activity levels, and accuracy and consiContinue reading > >
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Do Bananas Raise Your Blood Sugar
Carbohydrates and sugar impact your blood sugar levels and can fluctuate based on the portion. Bananas are high in sugar and carbs, meaning that regardless of it being a healthful food option, over-consumption will increase blood sugar levels.
Foods with a low GI cause less of a rise in blood sugar levels than foods with a high GI. A slightly green banana has a lower GI than a ripe banana.
Green bananas, also known as unripe bananas, have resistant starch that prevents blood sugar levels from increasing. Because yellow, ripe bananas have more sugar than green bananas, they may cause a more significant rise in blood sugar levels.
When you eat carbs alone, the glycemic index shows you how rapidly they alter your blood sugar level. Lower GI fruits include grapefruit, strawberries, cherries, and apples, while ripe bananas and watermelon are found in the higher glycemic fruit spectrum.
Bananas contain simple carbohydrates, which means that at some point, they can cause blood sugar levels to rise faster than other nutrients.
How Much Fruit You Should Eat
“The secrets to success for patients with diabetes are to pick fruits which are low in sugar content and control the portion size that is ingested,” Kolterman says.
Portion control is important when eating fruit, according to the American Diabetes Association . While it can vary depending on the size and type of fruit, in general, a single portion of fruit one piece of whole fruit or a 1/2 cup of sliced fruit contains roughly 15 grams of carbohydrates, which is considered one carb serving.
Most adults with diabetes should eat 3 to 4 carb servings per meal and 1 carb serving per snack, though you should check with your doctor to develop an individualized eating plan. The ADA recommends “exchanging” carbohydrates from dairy or grains if you’re going to eat a piece of fruit. This ensures that you’re still limiting your carbohydrate intake.
Overall, speaking with your doctor or a registered dietitian can help you craft an eating plan including fruit to meet your specific needs.
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What Foods Can I Eat If I Have Diabetes
You may worry that having diabetes means going without foods you enjoy. The good news is that you can still eat your favorite foods, but you might need to eat smaller portions or enjoy them less often. Your health care team will help create a diabetes meal plan for you that meets your needs and likes.
The key to eating with diabetes is to eat a variety of healthy foods from all food groups, in the amounts your meal plan outlines.
The food groups are
- nonstarchy: includes broccoli, carrots, greens, peppers, and tomatoes
- starchy: includes potatoes, corn, and green peas
Use oils when cooking food instead of butter, cream, shortening, lard, or stick margarine.
What Foods And Drinks Should I Limit If I Have Diabetes
Foods and drinks to limit include
- fried foods and other foods high in saturated fat and trans fat
- foods high in salt, also called sodium
- sweets, such as baked goods, candy, and ice cream
- beverages with added sugars, such as juice, regular soda, and regular sports or energy drinks
Drink water instead of sweetened beverages. Consider using a sugar substitute in your coffee or tea.
If you drink alcohol, drink moderatelyno more than one drink a day if youre a woman or two drinks a day if youre a man. If you use insulin or diabetes medicines that increase the amount of insulin your body makes, alcohol can make your blood glucose level drop too low. This is especially true if you havent eaten in a while. Its best to eat some food when you drink alcohol.
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How Much Protein Do You Need
How much protein you need depends on your age, sex, health, and physical activity. On average, people with diabetes eat about the same amount of protein as the general public, which is 15-20% of their daily calories . The American Diabetes Association does not recommend a specific amount of protein, but if you currently get less than 15-20% of your calories from protein, this is a good range to aim for. If you eat 2,000 calories per day, then about 300-400 of those calories would come from protein, which is about 75-100 grams of protein.
If you dont keep track of your daily total calories, you can use the kilogram formula above to make sure you are getting enough protein. First, divide your weight in pounds by 2.2. If you weigh 170 pounds, that is equal to 77 kilograms . That number is also the minimum number of grams of protein recommended for you. Then, multiply 77 by 1.5, and you get a maximum number of 116 grams of protein per day. For instance:
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A 170-pound person would eat about 77-116 grams of protein each day.
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A 200-pound person would eat about 90-136 grams of protein each day.
Diabetes Management: Eat Whole Don’t Juice It
Make sure you have the fruit raw and whole for maximum benefits. Drinking its juice may cost you some healthy fibres and shoot up the blood sugar levels. A study published in the journal Diabetes Care, revealed that eating citrus fruits could lower the risk of diabetes in women, but drinking the fruit juice may prove detrimental to their blood sugar levels. The GI score of unsweetened orange juice is also around 50, as compared to the GI score of whole orange .
Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.
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Can People With Type 2 Diabetes Eat Oranges
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People with Type 2 diabetes need to choose foods that allow them to maintain a good blood sugar control while providing the most nutrition to protect them against the complications associated with the disease. An average-size orange can provide more than three-quarters of your daily vitamin C, in addition to many other important nutrients and antioxidants. Most Type 2 diabetics can safely incorporate small servings of fresh oranges, but not orange juice, into their diet.