What's the truth about fruit?

[Sillybloss]

I'm wondering a lot lately about the fruit issue. Here's what has got me confused. First, I've been mildly diabetic for 13 years (it runs in the family), and have had to watch my intake of anything sweet, including fruit. My first step toward Raw was the PH Miracle Diet (70% raw/30% cooked or acidic). He strongly recommends staying away from fruit due to the high sugar. Gabriel Cousens (a highly respected leader in the raw food movement) also recommends the same thing. On top of the diabetes, I suffer from MAJOR candida, so I've been brainwashed to think that fruit will make that worse.

I recently read, however, that the candida problem is not with the sugar, but with the fat you intake. I recollect learning that unused (maybe because of not enough insulin production?) sugar in the blood turns to fat! So aren't we back to where we started?

OK, so you're probably saying, "Just do what works for you!" Well, here's where the wondering comes in. I have been on an anti-candida diet the last 2 months, eating NO FRUIT. This was really hard, as late summer and early fall in my area bring a BOUNTY of fantastic fruit. Then, I got sick earlier this week and someone suggested a fruit fast for a day or so. "I can do that!" I thought. For those two days, even though I was sick, I had more energy that I've had any day in the last 6 months! Yesterday, I had a salad for lunch, my usual routine, and I felt a real drop in energy. What's that about?!?!

So, what's the truth about fruit? Maybe I'm meant to eat more of it!

[Ariannah]

According to Natalia Rose (The Raw Food Detox diet), fruit is our birthright. I agree. It's the most natural, pure, untainted form of food on this earth. It's one thing I can eat in and of itself as a meal and be satisfied.

Picture yourself stranded in a desert island. Fruit trees abound ... apples, pineapples, apricots, dates, figs, bananas, blueberry bushes, blackberry bushes....

my mouth is salivating at the thought of being on that island.

[dhammala]

I have noticed with me, that even eating a handful of dates does not give me the same shakes and sugar rush that eating a large chocolate chip cookie did.

It is soo amazing how much information, correct and incorrect, is out there around food. I think the ultimate Truth is, NO ONE knows what they are doing or why. We all have our own opinions and our scientific research only goes so far. The Truth is, we have no idea how much we DON'T know about food and diet and health. For example, how do those yogi breatharians survive if we listen to only what science says?

Like you said in your post, 'go with how you feel!' Chocolate chip cookies ALWAYS tasted so good, but ALWAYS felt so bad 15 minutes later.. LOL

[Live Free]

I have noticed with fruit. I think this is the most fruit I have ever eaten in a years time.

I have hypoglycemia so I would always fix it with eating something that had white sugar in it. That was the exact opposite of what I should have been doing.

I can eat dates and fruits without it affecting my hypoglycemia. No more shakes and I can eat as many dates as I like.

Even if I dont eat dates for a whole day I still will not get the shakes.

Thank God for RAW.

Teresa and Mae
Live Free

[Beanie]

I get hypoglycemic too! And was shocked to discover that dates DON"T affect me.

Fruits USED to affect me but are doing so less and less. Once our bodies get clean and heal, I think it better absorbs raw foods. But ultimately, read, study, listen, etc. but your body knows best!!

[rawpriestess]

In her book, Alissa talks about how she cured her candida with raw foods.

I think reading her book is a very good idea concerning yeast.

I used to get yeast infections all the time, nothing since raw.

thank goodness.

[twinee1]

I get hypoglycemic too! And was shocked to discover that dates DON"T affect me.

Fruits USED to affect me but are doing so less and less. Once our bodies get clean and heal, I think it better absorbs raw foods. But ultimately, read, study, listen, etc. but your body knows best!!

I have been reactive hypoglycemic for 10 years and totaly avoided fruit and sugar. So now I am Raw I can eat all the fruit I want. I am still reacting to the dried fruits, dates, raisins, figs but I believe as time goes on and my body gets more tuned to the RAW diet...I will be able to handle them.

[Carlene]

SillyBloss,

This is something you can learn for yourself. I find if I eat too many fats my blood sugar rises, too many bananas have the same effect. But I can have one banana a day and I'm fine. How do I know? I check my blood with an over the counter blood kit. In this case, going by how you feel is a poor judge as your own concerns, stress, desires can affect your mood and energy levels. If you want to know how fruit affects your blood sugars set up a few days where you purposely eat fruits you are afraid of and watch how they affect your blood. What you are looking for is spiking - a quick high number followed by a quick low number. Why be in the dark and keep guessing? Don't forget to watch for fats as well. Hypoglycemics can do the same.

[Sillybloss]

Thanks, Carlene and all of you for your insight! I will update my glucose testing supplies and do some experimenting! I have read Alissa's book cover to cover, especially where she talks about her yeast candida problems disappearing on raw. I believe I've got a deep underlying problem, starting in infancy, that is going to take a lot of cleansing to clear up, so that's why I'm really cautious.

Even though I've been 100% raw for 5 months, I feel almost no better than before. I have none of the increased energy, skin glow, clear eyes, etc. that everyone raves about. BUT WAIT! Newbies don't get discouraged!!! I'm just REALLY toxic and have more to clean out than the average person, so it's going to take me longer to feel the benefits. I'm OK with that, I'm just more careful about throwing those old cautions to the wind just because I'm raw. I really need to be careful, still!