Diabetic Type 2

[BellaLaDonna]

I have just been diagonosed as Diabetic Type 2, that is why I decided to become finally a raw foodist? Can I still consume fruits as a diabetic?

[Queenie]

Hi - look at the other post on this site about diabetes, there are some suggestions and links. Good luck and I'm glad you decided to go raw! It's great for diabetes!

[BellaLaDonna]

oops! I guess I should have looked through all the posts!

Okay, thanks :)

[juliebove]

I had gestational diabetes when pregnant and was diagnosed with type 2 a year later. So I've known that I had type 2 since 1999. I suspect that I had it for longer though. Most of my life I had reactive hypoglycemia. I could not skip a meal or I'd get really sick. Well, one day I noticed this was no longer the case. Suddenly I could skip a meal with no problem! I thought this was a good thing. Apparently not. At the same time, I kept having recurring thoughts that I had diabetes. There were no outward signs and I had no real reason to suspect that I had diabetes so I didn't bring it up with the Dr. I feared he would think I was nuts to bring it to his attention just from the recurring thoughts. Well, now I wish I had because by the time I was diagnosed, I had neuropathy in my feet and lower legs from the high BG (blood glucose).

At any rate, the issue here is fruit. There are just so many variables. How active you are. How insulin resistant you are. How many of your beta cells are burned out. What (if any) diabetes meds you are on. Some diabetics find they can eat fruit, others can not. Some can eat only some fruits. Some people say that melon works well for them. Others say it is the worst fruit for them. Many say that berries work well for them. I don't eat a lot of fruit, mainly because I don't like it. But I do like grapefruit. So I've been eating this for breakfast or sometimes a bedtime snack, along with some pumpkin seeds. If you're going to eat fruit, it's important to eat some protein/fat along with it to help delay the absorption of carbs. If you don't, you could have a spike (BG that is too high). But there are times when you may need to raise your BG quickly because it is too low (hypo). Then you will want something fast acting like orange juice.

I've found that Wolfberries (goji) are another thing I can eat. I eat about 1 tablespoon at a time. We have pear and apple trees so I eat those things simply because they are there. But I eat limited amounts. I'll make a big green salad topped with nuts and other veggies and a thinly sliced apple or pear. This works for me.

Really the only way to know what (if any) fruit will work for you (and when) is to use your meter. Test before you eat, then test at two hours later. If your BG is <120 at two hours after eating then you'll know that meal is fine for you. If >120, then you've taken in more carbs than your body can handle. You'll have to modify the meal to have less carbs, and/or more fat.

Also keep in mind that the body is the most insulin resistant first thing in the morning. Many diabetics find they must eat less carbs then. Dinner is often the meal where we can get away with eating more carbs. And it's likely you'll need to eat carbs before bed so you don't get dawn phenomenon (liver will dump glucose) while you sleep.

And still another factor is weight. Some people who are overweight will find that their insulin resistance improves when/if they lose weight. If this happens, they may find they can eat more or different foods than before.