Type II diabetes occurs when the insulin in the body stops working as effectively as it should. Normally, insulin is produced by beta cells in the pancreas and its job is to act on cells in the blood to enable them to turn sugar into energy. If this process is not working as it should, blood sugar builds up and this can eventually lead to a diagnosis of type II diabetes.
If you have been diagnosed with type II diabetes, you need to get used to making some changes in diet and lifestyle, in order to deal with the condition. You also need to purchase supplies, so that you can keep track of blood sugar levels in your body, by checking them on a regular basis. In order to keep blood sugar at an acceptable level, you need to think carefully about what you eat.
The benefits of eating fruit
Everyone has heard about the benefits of eating fruit, including the fact that it’s packed full of antioxidants. These benefits do not change because you are diabetic. Many people assume that because fruit contains sugar it’s not a good idea for diabetics to eat it. This is not the case as the natural sugar that is contained in fruit is different to the refined sugar that is in foods such as cake and candy.
It’s true that some fruits have a higher glycaemic index value than others. This is the value that indicates how quickly food causes blood sugar levels to raise. The higher the value, the faster blood sugar levels rise. All this means is that low GI fruits such as apples, oranges and pears may be a better choice for diabetics to eat than high GI fruits such as banana, pineapple and papaya. But, all fruits can be eaten as part of a healthy diet, even if you are diabetic, as long as you keep a regular check on your blood sugar levels.
What you need to be aware of
If you have type II diabetes, it’s better to eat fruit in its natural state than it is to drink fruit juices or smoothies. The reason for this is that juices and smoothies do not contain the same amount of roughage as a piece of fruit; it’s already been broken down. This means that it’s easy to drink large quantities in a short space of time, enabling higher quantities of sugar and carbohydrates to enter your body. These products can cause blood sugar levels to spike which is not good if you are diabetic. If you want to drink fruit juice, it’s best to limit your intake to one small glass in every twenty-four-hour period.
As you can see, eating fruit as part of a healthy diet is just as important to diabetics as it is to everyone else. It’s better to eat pieces of fruit than it is to drink fruit juices or smoothies on a regular basis.
