Sugar in fruit

by Jim
(Newberg OR.)

Q I’m new to this, how do I know my sugar intake is not too high?

Are sugar spikes something to worry about? I get a buzz from my fruit drinks and I even mix them with veggies.

A Great question Jim. I’m not big on fruit juices because I do believe they put too much sugar into the system at once. And usually when I eat fruit I mix it with greens, celery, or cucumbers. My morning meal is a very large green smoothie that’s about half fruit and half greens by volume.

Typically it’s eating fat with fruit, or even eating large quantities of fat at other meals that create sugar and insulin issues. If you consume a large amount of fat at dinner there may still be fat in your system in the morning or even later in the day that will interfere with the insulin trying to usher sugar into the cells.

Everybody’s body is different, and each individual has certain nutritional needs and perhaps issues, but for most people the above advice seems to work. There are people who can’t handle as much fruit as others, and even some who have issues with fructose absorption.

You have to listen to your body and see what feels and works best for you. You can purchase a blood sugar monitor to test your blood after meals and during the day, and also go for blood tests. When having your blood checked for blood sugar you’ll also want to check your insulin levels.

A natural health practitioner can help you determine if you have issues or not.