Can A Person With Diabetes Eat Natural Sugar From Fruits?
Posted in Definition on 19. Jan, 2010
My daddy is a borderline diabetic, which means he doesn’t exactly quite have diabetes but is in the risk of getting it. We’ve already tried to make him eat less sugar to keep from getting it, but he always wants what he can’t have. Is it okay if he eats natural sugar in fruits?
Let’s put it this way… I’ve had type two diabetes for over six years. I was taking medication for it and it kept getting worse. I began to do some research. I found that I was deficient in certain nutrients found in abundance in fruits, like potassium. Since increasing my intake of fresh fruits, like bananas, my diabetes has reversed to the extent that I no longer need any medication. Hopefully, that answers your question
I do hope that you people well know the chances of a person being diabetic, coz I don’t know what exactly borderline diabetic means.
There is this simple concept that the blood sugar levels should remain normal. I know that most of the fruits can be eaten by diabetic people, but just 75 gm a day; that too incase the fruit is really sweet like mango, pineapple and banana. At the same time (and papaya also) all these fruits are less sweet when raw (green), so that’s a good thing to have than to have the really ripe ones.
Actually the thing is that all natural sweet things (except those used to make artificial sweetener) have sucrose, lactose or such other form of carbohydrate which increases blood sugar levels. So a good and strict diet chart is important to be maintained, by that your dad can also eat sweet fruits as well as maintain his blood glucose levels too.
As a diabetic you are often given conflicting advice as it seems even all the medical people concerned with diabetic care can agree on everything. I have found that using a variety of the methods supported by different professionals both my husband and I have managed to control our sugar levels. One thing I did find helpful was on a course we attended for the management of diabetes they spoke about the (GI) Glycemic Index of the food this is worked out by the effect the food has on blood sugar. We were advised to try and eat as much from the low to medium sources and use high GI foods with caution. See the web site below for more information but a quick basic answer is yes a diabetic can eat fruit, also he does not have to completely cut out sugar or foods containing sugar he just has to keep an eye on him. Another helpful piece of advise we were given was when checking the back of packets when working out the sugar content was anything with over 10g sugar per serving should be limited
People with diabetes who follow a healthy eating plan can include some sugar in their diet. However, the sugar should be eaten in nutritious foods, such as breakfast cereals or low fat dairy products, rather than in sweets or soft drinks.
You can use artificial sweeteners to replace some sugar if it helps to reduce your total energy intake and control weight.
Basic eating guidelines
Follow this simple healthy eating plan if you have diabetes:
Eat regular meals throughout the day.
You may need to limit the serving size of your meals and snacks, as too much food will lead to an increase in body weight.
Choose a food containing some carbohydrate at each meal. Examples of carbohydrate foods are bread, cereals, pasta, rice, fruit and starchy vegetables.
Do not restrict your carbohydrate intake. Aim for at least 130g per day.
Choose high fibre carbohydrate foods.
Select a variety of healthy foods from the different food groups. Include breads and cereals, fruits, vegetables, low fat dairy products and lean meat.
Limit saturated fats that are found in foods such as full fat dairy products (including cream, milk, icecream, yoghurt, butter and cheese), meat fat (trim the fat from meat and limit your intake of processed meats), fried foods, cakes, pastries and foods containing palm oil and coconut oil.
Consume small amounts of unsaturated fats like olive, canola or sunflower oil, monounsaturated or polyunsaturated margarines, oily fish, avocado, seeds and nuts.
Eat only occasionally baked items like cakes and biscuits, in small serves, even when they are low in fat.
Avoid lollies and sweet soft drinks.
Don’t add salt when you cook or at the table and reduce the use of high salt foods.
Limit alcohol to two standard drinks per day for men and one standard drink per day for women. Have at least two alcohol-free days per week.
Hi,
The sugars from peaches, and other fruit will increase a blood sugar levels, but not as much as say drinking coffee with a tablespoon of cane sugar.
A little fresh fruit is great for him, strawberries even have a fairly low glycemic index. A diet without fruit in it can lead to Scurvey, something not common today, because we tend to eat a lot of vegetables and fruit.
Meat is not a requirement with each meal. You can eat oatmeal with cinnamon for breakfast, adding strawberries or peaches to sweeten it, not artificial sugars – but a little plain sugar is OK if required to eat a otherwise healthy meal.
The cinnamon helps slow the absorption rate of the food into blood sugars, so you tend to get the food to last a longer time, giving the sugars slowly to the body to feed it all day long.
You might want to read this book. Dr. Barnard’s Program for Reversing Diabetes.
Good Luck!
If you can get him to cut back on carbohydrates, that will help. If he will eat less bread and potatoes, he stands less of a chance for diabetes. He can eat fruits with the natural sugar but he needs to balance his amount of sugar and starchy intake. Mainly, cut back on everything that turns to sugar and he is less likely to need medication for diabetes.
My dad and grandma are both type 2 diabetics and they seem to have to be pretty careful about their food intake as they are not on insulin and cannot just give themselves a shot if it accidentally goes too high (although exercise can help this). For my dad, fruits eaten in a balanced meal do not bother him much, but if he eats too much high fats he has more trouble controlling his sugars.
It is all about balancing your meals and watching your portions and in a type II diabetics case in particular —> exercise is vital <—.
In the case of a borderline diabetic if he would just lose some weight and maintain a healthy weight afterwards with exercise and eating healthy foods he may never cross the borderline (my grandfather did this and it worked for him) and in fact may even be able to back away from the borderline all together.
Also, one thing I always mistakenly thought was that sugar was the only thing a diabetic had to watch. This is incorrect. Any carbohydrate can effect the blood sugar levels. How much it affects it depends on what it was eaten with and the portion size and whether it is a complex or simple carb. Also fats can be an issue (it affects my dad a lot).
My husband who is a type 1 diabetic says there isn’t any food a diabetic cannot have. It just depends on how much.. with what.. and where his sugar level is at the time plus whether or not he plans to exercise.
Try to encourage him to lose weight and exercise. You can do this by asking him to exercise with you and also having everyone in the family eat better. A diabetics diet is actually the best diet for all people.
Your daddy can eat what he wants but in moderation. Natural sugar from fruits is good for him but like all foods some fruits are higher in sugars than others. He can eat nearly every fruit there is but in regular serves, moderation. Like a normal slice of watermelon not half the melon. A fourth of a canalope not the whole thing. A cluster of grapes not a whole bunch. A large banana not two or three. Your daddy can eat for joy of eating. Just don’t live to eat. That’s what they tell us at the Diabetic clinics I go to and at the Renal Unit. Your daddy should eat what the rest of the family eats and not be guilty to eat. Good fresh fruits, breads, cheese, milk, pasta, even potatoes in casseroles are all good. He can have spices with his meals to make them tasty. A good rule of thumb is if you won’t eat it, he won’t either. If you’re going to have fruits and cake, he should too, but not a lot of it. You’re going to feed Popa to live and enjoy life, not to deprive him and make him miserable for the foods he can’t have. Good luck.Also, there are foods to lower his sugar numbers. Lamb, spinach, cinnamon, pasta, sweet potatoes, garlic and onions All lower blood sugars.
Whole fruits in moderation are okay. To slow the absorption of fructose, he could eat a piece of fruit w/ some sort of protein. (e.g. an apple w/ 1 oz. of low fat cheese or 6 almonds w/ a couple of apricots)
It’s important that your dad switch from processed carbs & simple sugars to whole grains & whole foods. Increasing physical activity will also help lower his blood sugars.
For more info. http://www.diabetes.org/pre-diabetes/wha…
People with diabetes are encouraged to eat a normal varied and healthy diet, that includes fruit. Just be aware that some fruits are sweeter than others so watch the portions, and try to spread the fruit throughout the day with the sweeter fruits as part of or end of a meal. Also, eating whole fruit is much better than drinking the juice only.
If you want to help your daddy and learn more about healthy eating visit the Diabetes uk site http://www.diabetes.org.uk/
I have type two diabetes and yes sugar from fruits can elevate the blood levels too. Tell him to drink plenty of water if he does eat anything sweet. Really he shouldn’t eat anything sweet. I know it is not easy to resist the temptation. There are many diseases that come with having diabetes. It is important to maintain a low weight. Even then there are many risks involved.
I’m a diabetic. Have been for a 6 years or so. Anyway, what I have noted is that there are certain fruits that are good for you and some that aren’t all that great. For example, good fruits are raspberry’s, blue berries, some grapes, apple slices. Some of the sweeter and sugary fruits are bananas and watermelons; and yet when I’ve had this, my sugars aren’t as high as they would be had I eaten a snicker’s bar.
)
Good luck to you and him, keep him boarder line and not full blown.
my friend has diabetes….the dietitian said “sugar is sugar is sugar…it doesn’t matter if u get it from fruit, candy, bread, pasta…..it all breaks down to sugar in your body…your body does not know the difference. So the main thing is watch portions and eat sweets very sparingly. Also it is good to eat a protein with a sweet…..it slows down the breakdown of sugar…not as likely to get that tired, sleepy feeling after u eat sweets.
Yes, fruits are healthy.
But the sugar in the fruit will also raise your blood sugar so even pigging out on a lot of fruit in one sitting would not be that healthy. Blood sugar levels rise when eating any carbohydrates – bread and potatoes.
Finding out what a portion of which ever fruit that is desired and having 5- 8 portions of fruit and veg a day is great.
Every thing in moderation.
I would advise looking into portion sizes. More than restricting the types of foods.
If he eats fruit that is high in fiber, it is actually good for him. A small apple, or a small orange is good for him. It gives a sweet taste to satisfy the body, without any of the ill effects of sugar. He needs to watch his carb intake, that is where, I have problems. A complication of diabetes is heart disease, si make sure he gets at least 30 minutes of exercise everyday.
Yes, if he eats fruit and veggies, he will actually decrease his risk of diabetes.http://www.naturalnews.com/024881_fruit_…
Now it needs to be whole fruit not fruit juice. Mainly because fruit juice has added sugar content.
Or if he likes fruit juice, make fruit smoothies without adding sugar.
Actually, eating certain foods is not good for diabetics, but as long as he/she keeps their blood sugar under control, they can eat most anything. It’s probably easier for a type 1 diabetic to get away with it more so than a type 2. ————————–
he can eat fruits. you don’t get diabetes from eating sugar. its the bodies inability to use the insulin made in the pancreas. or it doesn’t make enough. if he eats a balanced diet and exercises he should be able to include some sugar in it.
well he could totally eat natural fruit. you just got to worry bout the can fruit. lots of glucose in that!!! just make sure he does a lil bit of xercise to help bring some of your blood sugar down. any more questions, just write me back. hoped i helped
Diabetes is black and white. In your father’s case it means he has good chance to control his condition with proper diet and exercise. Read my blog for my story.
Best Wishes
sugar doesn’t give you diabetes. he can eat all the sugar he likes, and it wont hurt him one bit. i promise. any sugar is ok!!!
hope this helps, and don’t worry!!!
Xxx
Yes it’s fine because they are natural but he has to limit the amount he eats too.
my nephew has diabetes and eats fruit
i think that u can eat anything u want as long as u have your medicine
of course !
Yes fruit is fine. Many people don’t have a thorough understanding about “sugar”. Sugar found in chocolates and confectionary/processed foods, lollies, chips and sweet biscuits is the type of sugar to avoi if you are diabetic or simply concerned about you’bad sugar’ intake. Sugar in fruit is completely fine. Every adult should have 2-3 serves of fruit each day for the vitamins and fibre, the ’sugar’ in fruit is energy. It provides you with a middle of the range energy whereas processed foods and lollies only provides a short burst in energy and also increased levels of glucose/sugar in the bloodstream. Pastas, breads and rices that contain wholegrain are the best carbohydrates/sugars/glucose to eat. They provide long lasting energy and a slow increase in sugar levels that make it easier for those with diabetes to manage their sugar levels. So fruit is perfectly fine to eat. e.g. a piece at breakfast, lunch and supper is perfect.
Just so you know…ALL carbohydrates (bread, pasta, rice, cereals, biscuits, cake, sweets, noodles) contain sugar. Some of these sugar break down in out body really fast…lollies/chocolate/white bread/potato. Some of them break up moderately fruits, natural juices, wholemeal foods, pumpkin, Some of the sugar in certain carbohydrates breaks up slowly over a couple of hours to give longer lasting energy and less of a peak in sugar/glucose blood levels (wholegrains, rices, lentils).
It might be worth looking up foods that are “Low G.I” or “Low Glycaemic Index” foods. These are the slow release foods I have been talking about. There is plenty of information on the internet if you just search on a search engine such as yahoo.com. Or ask the doctor for pamphlets about Low G.I. foods.