Count sugar from fruits?

KeyMasterOfGozer

Yes, it does contain other sugars, but the main sugar in fruit is fructose. Just like the main sugar in milk is lactose. And those sugars are "naturally occurring", they are not refined, they are not processed.

Many fresh fruits contain high levels of sucrose, including nectarines, mangoes, jackfruit, peaches, cantaloupe, apricots and bananas. Sucrose makes up about 73 percent of the 8.5 g of total sugar in 100 g of fresh apricots and about 67 percent of the 14.8 g of total sugar in 100 g of mangoes. Bananas contain 15.6 g of total sugar, but sucrose makes up only 42 percent of that total.

There are as many different ratios of sugars in fruit as there are fruit. Not that I subscribe to the diet, but the Paleo Diet website used to have a nice chart of the percentages of sugars in different fruits, but they have taken it down for some reason.

All "refined/processed" sugar is also "naturally occurring". It is the exact same sugar and is grown in plants the same way. The refinement process only separates the sugar from the "other stuff" in the plant. This doesn't change the sugar molecule, nor how it is used in the body.

dengarrett

Keymaster - thank you so much. A few questions My understanding of the reason that whole grains are good for us is to slow the process of conversion to glucose and thus avoid the spikes. Do I have that right? And, the idea behind more, smaller meals is the same thing - spread out the process to avoid spikes. Because the spikes lead to declines which then dramatically increases our hunger which leads to binge eating.

Assuming I have the above correctly and if I understand what you say about sucrose, are we not better off favoring high sucrose intake for these same reasons?

Also, I have heard the concept of "overloading your liver" is also not good - is this where the problem with fructose comes in? Is this the long term effect of alcoholism on the liver?

Noctuary

That is what I would have thought - so why do some not count it?

Maybe they are relatively healthier? I assume others don't focus on it as much as Diabetics do. Time and time again I hear some non Diabetic telling me, well just eat this honey, it's ORGANIC. It's good for you. Eat some whole grains! It's good for you. Carbs..organic or not..we have to watch our intake. But healthier poeple don't have to worry as much as we do I guess. Half the stuff I see non Diabetics eat here that is healthy I can't touch. Carrots raise bg levels for gosh sakes!

With diabetes you have to be consistent with your carbs, however you don't need to eliminate them. You should have 45-60 grams of carbohydrates per meal. And like you said, a carb is a carb is a carb - it all turns to blood glucose. In your case you want the healthiest carbs with fiber to help you feel full (plus fiber is a carb that is not fully digested). Carrots are considered a "free food" but yes, they do raise blood glucose, not as much as corn, or peas, or potatoes, however.

Organic doesn't make a difference, either, you're right. But - there is NOTHING that you can't touch! You can eat what you want, within reason, watching portion sizes.

Essentially a "diabetic diet" is a very healthy diet, it's good for EVERYONE with or without diabetes to keep their blood sugar consistent, people with diabetes just have to be more diligent about it. And a "diabetic diet" if followed correctly and with exercise incorporated is a good weight loss diet.

Oh I totally agree with your post! For each Diabetic, we react differently to different carbs. Which is why we always say trust your meter. I started by testing my bg before a meal and 2 hours when I peak. I found I can eat oatmeal just fine. But 2 slices of low carb Sara Lee bread and I spike something awful. For me, sandwich bread is out unless it's a later meal and I need it. And a Diabetic diet is a good choice for lots of people. I read so many threads here of poeple starving themselves and hungry as hell. I have yet to be hungry. And I eat 5 small meals/snacks a day. Pretty much every 3 hours I am snacking on something healthy for me. And yes, spreading out your carbs is good. You don't feel so drained like you do when you eat a big portion all at once. I also try to eat my carbs with a good healthy fat because it helps work the carbs better.

dengarrett

That is what I would have thought - so why do some not count it?

Maybe they are relatively healthier? I assume others don't focus on it as much as Diabetics do. Time and time again I hear some non Diabetic telling me, well just eat this honey, it's ORGANIC. It's good for you. Eat some whole grains! It's good for you. Carbs..organic or not..we have to watch our intake. But healthier poeple don't have to worry as much as we do I guess. Half the stuff I see non Diabetics eat here that is healthy I can't touch. Carrots raise bg levels for gosh sakes!

With diabetes you have to be consistent with your carbs, however you don't need to eliminate them. You should have 45-60 grams of carbohydrates per meal. And like you said, a carb is a carb is a carb - it all turns to blood glucose. In your case you want the healthiest carbs with fiber to help you feel full (plus fiber is a carb that is not fully digested). Carrots are considered a "free food" but yes, they do raise blood glucose, not as much as corn, or peas, or potatoes, however.

Organic doesn't make a difference, either, you're right. But - there is NOTHING that you can't touch! You can eat what you want, within reason, watching portion sizes.

Essentially a "diabetic diet" is a very healthy diet, it's good for EVERYONE with or without diabetes to keep their blood sugar consistent, people with diabetes just have to be more diligent about it. And a "diabetic diet" if followed correctly and with exercise incorporated is a good weight loss diet.

Oh I totally agree with your post! For each Diabetic, we react differently to different carbs. Which is why we always say trust your meter. I started by testing my bg before a meal and 2 hours when I peak. I found I can eat oatmeal just fine. But 2 slices of low carb Sara Lee bread and I spike something awful. For me, sandwich bread is out unless it's a later meal and I need it. And a Diabetic diet is a good choice for lots of people. I read so many threads here of poeple starving themselves and hungry as hell. I have yet to be hungry. And I eat 5 small meals/snacks a day. Pretty much every 3 hours I am snacking on something healthy for me. And yes, spreading out your carbs is good. You don't feel so drained like you do when you eat a big portion all at once. I also try to eat my carbs with a good healthy fat because it helps work the carbs better.

Ok, this is good information for me. So does sugar have the same effect on my body as it does on those that have diabetes? I’m thinking it does, but I do not suffer the effects because I don’t have diabetes. In other words, I am able to eat "less healthy" than those that are diabetic. For me, it means I have a choice. Before I began taking fitness seriously, I ignored the nutritional balance in my diet entirely. Now, I think I should choose to eat more like those that are diabetic than not. But I am just wired such that I have to know the elemental issues at the lowest level I can. So now, I want to what cause diabetes and why foods have such have a profound effect.

healthyjen342

I recently started "separating" the Natural Sugars (the good stuff) from the processed sugars (not always bad, just not naturally occurring) and adding it to the notes section in my diary...just so I know where i am at with my choices, ETC.

I dont ignore the processed sugars, I just know that they are there and I want to be conscious of how many non naturally occurring sugars I am consuming in a day.

KeyMasterOfGozer

Keymaster - thank you so much. A few questions My understanding of the reason that whole grains are good for us is to slow the process of conversion to glucose and thus avoid the spikes. Do I have that right? And, the idea behind more, smaller meals is the same thing - spread out the process to avoid spikes. Because the spikes lead to declines which then dramatically increases our hunger which leads to binge eating.

Assuming I have the above correctly and if I understand what you say about sucrose, are we not better off favoring high sucrose intake for these same reasons?

Also, I have heard the concept of "overloading your liver" is also not good - is this where the problem with fructose comes in? Is this the long term effect of alcoholism on the liver?

yes, whole grains are *better*, because it takes longer to break them down before they eventually get absorbed as simple sugars, and you are correct, that means you get more gradual insulin release instead of spikes. In the case of type 2 diabetes, your cells can grow immune to insulin, so the sugars that insulin is supposed to control in the blood, stay in the blood, so blood sugar levels continue to increase and more insulin is produced anyway, so the complex carbohydrates can be bad as well (for diabetics).

High Sucrose..., well, I think probably it would be better to say moderation would be better. Your brain requires sugar to function, so you need some. I would avoid High Fructose Corn Syrup if you can, but don't stress about it too much other than that, unless you become diabetic. I have never heard of particular problems from liver overload or anything, but I suppose it could do something like that. Probably better to research that, though before you worry about it. You need some sugar, so it is probably better to get what you do eat from fruits, since there are so many positive elements in fruit, but certainly you should not discount the sugar in fruit.