Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes - Choose Fruits That Suit You!

People with type 1 or type 2 diabetes often have questions about eating fruit ... they often want to know if fruit juice will raise their blood sugar levels faster than eating a piece of fruit. Another question relates to the glycemic index (GI) of fruit.

Actually the effect of fruit on your blood sugars depends on several factors:

the form of the fruit ... is it juice?
do you eat fruit as part of your meal, at the end of your meal, or separately as a snack
the GI of the fruit

Fruit usually does not raise your blood sugar levels more quickly than other carbohydrates but some fruits raise your levels faster when eaten alone.

These fruits have a low GI ranking:

apples
grapefruit
prunes
peaches

but these:

pineapple
watermelon
dates and raisins

have a high GI. You need to work out how fruit in general, and specifically which fruits affect your blood sugar levels. For example, does eating fruit at breakfast make it difficult for you to keep your levels stable throughout the day? Is there a particular fruit that causes your blood sugars to rise drastically? Alternatively, does eating a piece of fruit in the afternoon give you enough of a carbohydrate boost to get you through to your evening meal?

Fruit is a great energy source containing vitamins, minerals and fiber and really should not be left out of your food plan ... fruit should be eaten each day. The best idea is to work out which fruit is best for you to eat and whether to eat it with your meals or as a snack. Your blood sugar level goals will help you with that decision.

Check your blood sugar level two hours after eating the piece of fruit. It is also important to make sure of the quantity ... you may think you are having one serving whereas you are having two or three, e.g.

1 serving for a small apple should be 4 oz (113 g)
1 serving of grapefruit equals half, not the whole fruit
1 serving for a medium peach should be 6 oz (170 g)

If you drink fruit juice be careful of the amount, it's easy to drink more than you realise. Actually it is a good idea to drink as little fruit juice as possible, it offers good nutrition but does not contain the fiber of fresh fruit.

Why not take one or two pieces of fruit from home each day ... you could eat them with lunch, as a snack in the afternoon, or on your way home from work to take the edge off your hunger.

To download a copy of my free E-Book, click here now: Answers to Your Questions ... it's based on questions diabetics have asked me over recent months.

Beverleigh Piepers is a registered nurse who would like to help you understand how to live easily and happily with your type 2 diabetes.

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