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Fruits are an important component of a healthy, balanced diet as they're loaded with powerful nutrients and antioxidants that promote health. Many fruits are also high in fibre, which is good for digestion, helps to keep blood-sugar levels steady, and which keeps you full for longer. Fruits are also generally low in kilojoules - excellent news if you need to lose weight.
However, it's important to understand that all the different kinds of fruits in Nature's basket can have different effects on your blood-sugar levels. This effect on blood-sugar levels is measured by the glycaemic index (GI). Fruits that are absorbed quickly and which release a quick burst of energy are categorised as high-GI foods, whereas fruits that are digested slower, and therefore provide a more sustained energy release, are categorised as low-GI foods. As it's so important for diabetics to regulate their blood-sugar levels at all times, it's important to learn the GI value of fruits.
Fruits with a low glycaemic index (GI value of 55 or less) are always the recommended, safe choice for diabetics as they contain mainly slow-release carbohydrates that help to regulate blood-sugar levels better. Good examples of low-GI fruits are apples, pears, oranges, peaches, plums and strawberries. All berries are low GI, even though they're very sweet, making them the perfect substitute for unhealthier snacks such as chocolates and sweets to satisfy your sweet tooth.
Though low-GI fruits are a safer choice for diabetics, you can still eat medium to high-GI fruits (such as banana, pineapple, watermelon, sweet melon and papaya), as long as you do it after exercising for at least one hour to avoid a high sugar spike.
So, go ahead and enjoy those lovely summer fruits. Just make sure to get some exercise before spoiling yourself. The alternative would be to enjoy these higher-GI fruits in combination with other low-GI foods to help sustain your blood-sugar levels. A dietician can teach you how to do this in a safe and sensible manner.
