Pair Fruit With Protein
by Admin
Posted on 25-12-2022 03:30 AM
If you live with type 1 or type 2 diabetes , you may be swiping left on fruits like pineapple and grapes. But while they’re not great candidates for an exclusive fruit relationship, a little sampling doesn’t hurt every now and then. In fact, in moderation and paired with healthy fats or protein, most fruits can be part of a healthy eating plan. All fruit is packed with soluble fiber, vitamins, and minerals you’ll want to load up on. So, instead of ruling out certain types of fruit, just keep track of their carbohydrate content and where they rank in terms of glycemic index (gi) and glycemic load (gl) and adjust your portion sizes accordingly.
Fruits and the glycemic index
When it comes to diabetes, blood sugar and dried fruit, there's more to the story than just carbs. It's also helpful to know what a fruit's glycemic index is. The glycemic index ranks carbohydrate foods on a scale of 0-100, according to how they affect your blood sugar. Foods that are digested very quickly cause a large spike in your blood sugar and have a higher glycemic index (over 75). Compared to candy, cookies or other sugary carbohydrate foods, fruits are digested more slowly, so they have less of an impact on blood sugar, and a lower glycemic index.
Always eat fresh, local, and seasonal fruits. Fruits should not be eaten with your main meals, it is best to have fruits in between meals and as a snack. Blend fruits with low-fat milk or curd to make smoothies or shakes. Eat fruits with some nuts and seeds to reduce the glycemic index. Sprinkle fruits with cinnamon, which is very helpful in balancing blood sugar levels. Add fruits to desserts as a sweetener and consume in moderate amounts.
When it comes to fruit, here are some general guidelines. You’ll figure out what makes sense for you if you test two hours after eating different fruits. #1: don’t drink fruit juice, consume only whole fruit. By eating whole fresh fruit, you get the fiber, which helps slow the absorption of the sugar. Therefore your blood sugar won’t go as high. Fiber helps fill you up and doesn’t affect your blood sugar levels. Fiber has other health-enhancing benefits, too, such as keeping your whole digestive track healthy. Fiber also helps reduce cholesterol levels. #2: in fruits that have edible skins, don’t peel them off! you want the extra fiber and nutrients in fruit skin.
If you're looking for some of the health benefits that fruit can provide without getting too much sugar, lemons and limes might be good options. Healthline noted that lemons and limes typically contain approximately one gram of sugar per piece of fruit (lemons contain nearly one and a half grams). But they're also loaded with vitamin c, potassium , calcium, phosphorus, and more. There are many good reasons to eat a serving of fruit and you should definitely still include fruit as part of a healthy and balanced diet, but if you need to monitor your sugar intake for whatever reason, knowing which fruits have more and which have less is crucial for determining which are the best for you.
There’s a big difference between added sugar and naturally occurring sugar. Much sugar is added to processed foods such as donuts, bread, candy, soda, fruit punch, sweet tea, and even condiments like ketchup and barbeque sauce. The result is that many people consume a large amount of added sugar that has no nutritional benefits. And too much added sugar can lead to health problems including high blood sugar, insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, dental issues such as cavities, increased triglycerides, obesity and type 2 diabetes. Sweeteners like fruit juice, honey, molasses and maple syrup contain natural sugar and have some nutritional benefits.