Diabetes and Fruit

[Rene Oswald]

I wanted to share a recent question I was asked about diabetes and fruit consumption. Please pass this information on to anyone that might benefit.

Hello Rene,
I have enjoyed viewing your videos and am curious if any of your raw food creations and smoothies are suitable for the Type 2 diabetic? I have been watching closely my diet for many years and have arrived at the place where types of foods and there preparation seem to be my last chance at good control of my blood sugar. I started looking at your videos to see how you used the Vita-Mix Blender and then became very interested in a raw food diet. I use very little meat in my diet now and could easily remove it entirely. I hope you may have some suggestions because I love fruit and vegetables but know that most fruits are too high in natural sugar. I am also looking into Dragon Fruit and Dried Dragon
Fruit. Do you know about it’s use in salads or smoothies.

Thank you,
Robbay

Hi Robbay,
I’m sorry to hear that you have diabetes, but am excited to hear your interest in this lifestyle. I’ve seen many diabetics decrease or stop needing insulin shots completely after adding delicious living foods to their diet. I know many people will benefit from your question. Thanks for asking!

Fruits are a valuable food for all of us, including diabetics. They are high in vitamins, phytochemicals, and fiber. The fiber allows the fruit to breakdown in our bodies at the perfect speed. When fruits are juiced and the fiber is removed from the fruit it changes the way the fruit is metabolized in our bodies. This faster assimilation can cause the blood sugar to rise too quickly, therefore diabetics should refrain from drinking fruit juices. That’s where the Vita-Mix becomes an essential part of the diabetic’s kitchen. When making fruit smoothies, the entire fruit, including the fiber is present. In it’s “whole” form, it is a very acceptable part of the diet. Adding greens to your fruit to make a “green smoothie” helps to slow the absorbtion of the fructose and decrease the chances of blood sugar elevations. The only precaution that diabetics need to take when eating fruits are to eat those that have a low glycemic index. The Glycemic Index measures how fast the food is converted to glucose. Those fruits that score a Glycemic Index below 55 are the best ones for diabetics.

Here are some examples of the Glycemic Index in specific fruits:

Food/Gycemic Index Value
Cherries 22
Grapefruit 25
Prunes 29
Apricots, dried 30
Berries (Strawberries, Raspberries, Blackberries) 30-40
Apple 38
Peach, canned in juice 38
Pear, fresh 38
Plum 39
Orange, Navel 42
Peach, fresh 42
Pear, canned 43
Grapes 46
Mango 51
Banana 52
Fruit Cocktail 55
Papaya 56
Raisins 56
Apricots, fresh 57
Kiwi 58
Figs, dried 61
Apricots, canned 64
Cantaloupe 65
Pineapple, fresh 66
Watermelon 72
Dates 103

Low Glycemic Index food for diabetics are less than 55
Foods with GI index between 55 and 70 are consider intermediate
High Glycemic Index food have a glycemic index above 70

You can see by this list, there are plenty of fruits that diabetics can eat.
This is just a chart of the fruits, however most of the other foods that I use in the recipes in our “Transitioning to Living Cuisine” book are low glycemic, such as Nuts—GI of 15-30, Tomatoes—GI of 15 and Green Leafy Vegetables with a GI of 0-15.

Interesting that you asked about dragon fruit, also know as pitaya fruit. There have been health claims that dragon fruit helps to control glucose blood sugar levels in type 2 diabetes and some with type 1 diabetes. Dragon fruit is also high in dietary fiber and Vitamin C. I normally recommend fresh fruit rather than dried fruit, but since it’s often hard to find the fresh fruit, you may have to purchase the dried variety. Another benefit of eating dried dragon fruit is that the dried fruit has about 10x more Vitamin C than the fresh fruit. Fresh dragon fruit or dried dragon fruit both are great additions to a healthy diet. Fresh dragon fruit is best eaten by cutting the fruit in half and scooping the flesh out. They are a wonderful addition to smoothies, or just eaten by themselves or in a fruit salad.

It is also important to pay attention to the way you combine your foods. Fruits should always be eaten alone or only with greens or celery. Fruit should never be combined with fat, this includes avocado, coconut, olive oil, nuts and seeds, etc. Not only does this slow the assimilation of the sugars from the fruit, which is harmful to diabetics, it also causes unnatural fermentation, often causing a candida albicans overgrowth, which is the origin to many negative health issues.

Remember, everyone is different in how they assimilate fruit. This also changes as your body becomes healthier. You should monitor your blood sugar level to determine when it is the best time of day for you to eat fruit. The majority of the people that I have worked with find the morning hours to be the best time to consume fruit. They then eat the vegetable, nut and seed dishes for lunch and dinner. This allows for proper food combining, without having to think much about it. If you do east fruit at a meal when you will also be eating vegetables/fat in your food, it’s best to eat the fruit first, about 15-30 minutes before you eat the rest of the meal.

I'd like to invite you to check out my website at www.reneoswald.com for more information about the "Transitioning to Living Cuisine" book and to view many FREE health related videos and living food preparation videos. Email me at [e-mail] if you'd like to receive a free monthly newsletter also.

Enjoy the journey!
Rene Oswald
www.reneoswald.com

[Rene Oswald]

I wanted to share a recent response to this post from Pamela Reilly

Her response reads:
Hi, Rene! Thanks so much for sharing your great recipes and insight with us. As a Naturopath who’s had diabetes for over 42 years, and who now focuses 100% of her time coaching raw diabetics and researching the effects of raw foods on daibetes, I have to respectfully disagree with this post. Although most Type 2s can add low-glycemic fruits after their bodies have reversed existing insulin resistance and they’ve been able to go off their diabetes medications, I strongly recommend that diabetics avoid fruits in the beginning of their raw journey. Even fruits that are fully blended in a Vitamix can and will elevate glucose levels if the diabetic’s body is still experiencing insulin resistance or if their pancreas is not functioning at full capacity. I know this from personal experience, from the experience of my raw diabetic clients, and from multiple interviews with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetics.

Raw foods WILL reverse diabetes, but it takes time. Eating fruits too early will delay the reversal process. I generally recommend that diabetics wait until they’ve been completely off their diabetes meds for at least one month before adding tiny amounts of fruits having both a low glycemic index and low glycemic load to their regimen. If they can add berries without experiencing elevated glucose levels, they can then start adding more fruits to the diet and experimenting with fruits having a higher glycemic index and glycemic load. However, all diabetics should limit their fruit intake to no more than three servings per day to ensure their condition remains reversed.

But … having said all that … each person is different. Some diabetics, especially those who have not had diabetes for very long, may be able to use small amounts of fruit from the very beginning. Others may need to use more caution and avoid fruits for a while. Each person needs to find their own balance and do what works for them.

Thanks again for your great site! I appreciate your expertise very much! Have a blessed night!

My response to Pamela's comment:

Hi Pamela,

Thanks so much for your enlightening comments on this post. I’m so glad you brought those points out. I don’t think I stressed enough how important it is for everyone to monitor their progress closely as they progress on this diet. Like you said, everyone is at a different stage of disease and recovery and everyone should be treated individually. As you said, many people have to start on fruit slowly and I agree to limit it to not more than 2-3 servings a day. Many people do best if they have their fruit servings in the morning with their green smoothies and eat non-fruit meals for the rest of the day. There is usually more compliance to these dietary changes if we eliminate the fruit slowly instead of completely removing it from the person’s diet, while observing what happens with their glucose levels. Most people are more willing to make changes if it is a gradual transition. If I’m working with a person that is eating a very nutrient-deficient diet, I’ve found fruit to be a very positive change in their life compared to what they had been eating. They are more likely to try the new food choices if they are enjoying the food. I have seen many people who have had too many initial dietary restrictions just go back to their old eating habits.
Thanks again Pamela, for your knowledge in this area and for taking the time to comment!