Fruit & Blood Sugar

[julesmoz]

I like to exercise first thing in the morning, but I usually need to eat a little something before doing so. I need something that will be quickly digested so that I can start exercising shortly after eating, but that basically leaves me with sweet fruits.

Isn't it bad for my blood sugar to break my nightly fast by eating a sweet fruit? I can feel the jolt of sugar going through my system as soon as I eat, and it seems more pronouned in the early morning than it does when I eat fruit later in the day. I had blood sugar problems a few years ago (though I am now completely healed from them), and I DON'T want to abuse my insulin and risk going back there!

I've heard that combining sugars with fats helps to slow their entry into the bloodstream, but I've also heard that it slows digestion and causes fermentation. I've also read that the sugar-fat combo could aggravate blood sugar. So if anyone has insight on this, I'd also appreciate it :)

If you do feel that this fruit is not my best option, what alternatives would you suggest?

[Rawkinlocs]

How about a green smoothie? From what I heard, you can slow down the absorption of sugar by adding greens or even some celery to the smoothie. I've done banana-celery with water to desired consistency and it was suprisingly good! At first I could not imagine what that might taste like, but I actually liked it!

[rawfigure]

I like to exercise first thing in the morning, but I usually need to eat a little something before doing so. I need something that will be quickly digested so that I can start exercising shortly after eating, but that basically leaves me with sweet fruits.

Isn't it bad for my blood sugar to break my nightly fast by eating a sweet fruit? I can feel the jolt of sugar going through my system as soon as I eat, and it seems more pronouned in the early morning than it does when I eat fruit later in the day. I had blood sugar problems a few years ago (though I am now completely healed from them), and I DON'T want to abuse my insulin and risk going back there!

I've heard that combining sugars with fats helps to slow their entry into the bloodstream, but I've also heard that it slows digestion and causes fermentation. I've also read that the sugar-fat combo could aggravate blood sugar. So if anyone has insight on this, I'd also appreciate it :)

If you do feel that this fruit is not my best option, what alternatives would you suggest?


A very low gylcemic fruit would work w/o giving you the blood sugar rush. I also like to exercise in the morning before a meal. I find some morning I need a bite of something. Since i am not into the task of preparing a green drink (saving some leftover from previous nite is not a bad idea either ...) I will have a handful of berries or a few apple slices, peaches are low glycemic too. No sweet fruit is best for me.

[jaurequi]

If you're not having a problem with the fruit, then I wouldn't worry about what "might" happen.
These days, I run on an empty stomach; but I have done both ways. It just depends on how I feel.
There was a time I was eating a sweet potato before a run and it was great, perfect for a long run. Then I moved to sweet fruit (mango or figs) which worked fine too. I go back and forth with eating before/not eating before depending on how I feel. I *do* always have a recovery meal, though (green smoothie).

I don't think it's inherently wrong to have fruit like you described unless you determine that *for you* it doesn't work.

Best,

[julesmoz]

Thanks, all! I think the green smoothie may be my ticket . . .