People who have Type 2 Diabetes often find themselves confused due to the fact that most people tend to say that eating anything with sugar is forbidden whenever you have one. In order to be more specific, since fruits contain sugar, they say that it’s also bad for you. However, this statement is only half-true. Even though fruits contain sugar, eating it is very safe, as long as you can monitor your carbohydrate intake. Needless to say, as long as you can keep your fruit consumption in check, it’s alright for you if you eat one. In addition to that fact, fruits are also rich in fiber so eating those will help you feel full, thereby effectively lessening your food intake.
If you’re a type 2 diabetic, listed below are the things that you must remember when taking fruits:
- Avoid Dried Fruits and Fruit Juices. Dried Fruits such as prunes and raisins are known to have excessive amounts of sugar because of their dried state and sugar that is also added in the drying process. If the skin is removed, the fiber content of dried fruits is also lessened so it is not recommended for diabetics to eat. Drinking Fruit Juices are also prohibited due to the fact that they don’t contain any fiber and it is easy to drink excessively without minding the additional calories. So instead of these two, just try to take whole fruits instead. It is okay whether it’s fresh, frozen or canned, as long as you’re sure that it contains no added sugar.
- Always keep your fruit consumptions in check. Anything you take in excess, whether you’re normal or diabetic is definitely dangerous. Even though you take fiber-rich fruits, taking it excessively will also have a negative impact towards your own health. Aside from consuming fruits with no added sugar, you must make sure that you consume fruits that are rich in fiber such as raspberries, blackberries and blueberries.
- Only consume fruits that have Low Glycemic Index. According to the American Diabetes Association, a diabetic, whether he or she is a type 1 or type 2, must only consume fruits that have a low glycemic index. The GI rating is used to determine or measure how a carbohydrate-containing food raises the body’s overall blood glucose rating. Most fruits tend to have low GI except melons and pineapples. However, this doesn’t mean that you can’t eat those. As long as you can keep your fruit consumption in check, there’s no problem.