[RyanG]

I've been diagnosed with diabetes now for about 10 years. Up to now I've had trouble keeping this disease under control. I'm happy to say now that since I've read Dr. Joel Fuhrman's book "Eat to Live" and T. Colin Campbell's book "The China Study" I've had much success in keeping my blood sugars under control. I've cut down my Gliclazide in half which is still giving me lows so I will be off those pretty soon.

What shocked me the most about this way of eating is the amount of fruit I can eat and how my sugars can bounce down to normal after a couple of hours. I used to be afraid to even look at an orange let alone eat one. Now I'm eating oranges, bananas, raspberries, grapes, and strawberries in one meal with very little effect on my blood sugars.

I've recently come across a web site which advocates going on a juice fast for 10 days at a time. Now being diabetic I know that drinking fruit juice extracted with a juicer is not very diabetes friendly.

What I want to know is if anyone who has a Vitamix machine has made fruit juices or smoothies has had any troubles with their sugars spiking even though the pulp is not lost using a Vitamix instead of a juicer.

 

[breezeonby]

Welcome to the forum! Gosh I don't know that much about juicing and fruit juice spikes my blood glucose. I can drink orange juices but I get a slower spike. It doesn't work very well if my blood sugar is low. I hope someone has the answer to your question. Good luck!

 

[beefy]

I use a vitamix and have fruit in my post-workout smoothie.

For the non-fruit ingredients I use:

1 Cup water
1 Scoop whey protein powder
1 TBSP glutamine
organic baby carrots (6-8)
organic baby spinach (about 8-10 leaves)

For fruit I try for organic, fresh fruit (frozen if fresh unavailable or too expensive) and use:

4 large strawberries
1/4C of whole blueberries, blackberries or raspberries
1 small orange (mandarin/clementine) OR 1/2 a banana if a long, hard workout.

I usually also add ice just to thicken, unless the fruit is frozen enough.

And no, this never causes enough of a spike to worry about... but it could be because I have it post-workout... also the extra fiber from the carrots and spinach, and the protein from the whey concentrate should slow digestion/absorption of the fructose somewhat.

 

[beefy]

I should also add I've made smoothies with whole apples and grapes too, but they put me up a little higher than the berries do.

I threw in an entire apple and a small handful of grapes once (on the vine, including the vines) and spiked up to a 6.8 (122) in about an hour. Although that's not high enough for me to worry, it is higher than the berries put me.

I haven't tried an apple smoothie without the grapes, I'll try that tomorrow, maybe throw in a little no-sugar yogurt, cinnamon and stevia and pretend it's a dutch-apple-pie milkshake, LOL.

 

[jwags]

A few years before I was dx'd with diabetes I bought a VitaMix and was making the best smoothies ever. I was putting every fruit imaginable + yogurt in the smoothies. I ate very healthy and exercised. I was shocked when I was dx'd with diabetes. I now know I can't handle that amount of fruit without a spike. I ate totally vegetarian before diabetes and fasting was 240. Now that I am eating fat and meat again my fasting is 80-95. I still use the Vitamix to make Huumus and some soups but not fruit juice or smoothies.

 

[MARIAM]

i've been diagnosed with diabetes now for about 10 years. Up to now i've had trouble keeping this disease under control. I'm happy to say now that since i've read dr. Joel fuhrman's book "eat to live" and t. Colin campbell's book "the china study" i've had much success in keeping my blood sugars under control. I've cut down my gliclazide in half which is still giving me lows so i will be off those pretty soon.

What shocked me the most about this way of eating is the amount of fruit i can eat and how my sugars can bounce down to normal after a couple of hours. I used to be afraid to even look at an orange let alone eat one. Now i'm eating oranges, bananas, raspberries, grapes, and strawberries in one meal with very little effect on my blood sugars.

I've recently come across a web site which advocates going on a juice fast for 10 days at a time. Now being diabetic i know that drinking fruit juice extracted with a juicer is not very diabetes friendly.

What i want to know is if anyone who has a vitamix machine has made fruit juices or smoothies has had any troubles with their sugars spiking even though the pulp is not lost using a vitamix instead of a juicer.

always add vegetables to your juicing it will lower the sugar in these fruits. They are too sweet.

 

[sallyb]

I've been diagnosed with diabetes now for about 10 years. Up to now I've had trouble keeping this disease under control. I'm happy to say now that since I've read Dr. Joel Fuhrman's book "Eat to Live" and T. Colin Campbell's book "The China Study" I've had much success in keeping my blood sugars under control. I've cut down my Gliclazide in half which is still giving me lows so I will be off those pretty soon.

What shocked me the most about this way of eating is the amount of fruit I can eat and how my sugars can bounce down to normal after a couple of hours. I used to be afraid to even look at an orange let alone eat one. Now I'm eating oranges, bananas, raspberries, grapes, and strawberries in one meal with very little effect on my blood sugars.

I've recently come across a web site which advocates going on a juice fast for 10 days at a time. Now being diabetic I know that drinking fruit juice extracted with a juicer is not very diabetes friendly.

What I want to know is if anyone who has a Vitamix machine has made fruit juices or smoothies has had any troubles with their sugars spiking even though the pulp is not lost using a Vitamix instead of a juicer.

Are you referring to The 'raw food diet', eating fruit and veg, vitamix for smoothies etc? If so, take caution - this requires allot of excerise to maintain stable blood sugars. Durian Ryder (or Rider) is the guru of the lifestyle but he works out like a pro and is VERY convincing, as are his groupies. He eats 5,000 calories per day, mainly bananas claiming weight loss, perfect health and diabetes management - but this is only manageable if your excerising 4/5 hours plus a day. I tried it for 12 months...I was lucky but many people rather than improving health, are exhausted and pile on the weight let alone BS management.

I have a vitamix but do not make fruit smoothies for myself, I do for my family however I do make 'green smoothies' but take some swallowing and only when I need a recovery drink after a hard run.

 

[diabetes86]

A word of worning

High Blood Fructose is as damaging to us as high BG.

our meters do NOT measure Blood Fructose.

our liver converts Fructose to triglycerides and glucose.

 

[sallyb]

A word of worning

High Blood Fructose is as damaging to us as high BG.

our meters do NOT measure Blood Fructose.

our liver converts Fructose to triglycerides and glucose.

Very true - from my experience I felt terrible on a high raw fruit and veg diet plus excerise in order to
keep blood sugars at a good level. I really wanted to believe it was a good solution for me...

 

[Sunny]

If I were to do fruits blended in a vitamix, I would do it as a green smoothie just to be safe.

Victoria Boutenko has two books on the topic. She recommends you blend up leafy greens and add just enough fruits to make the greens palatable.

Back when I was a raw foodist, I was told that greens help balance blood sugar. I remember trying it a few times -- where i would snack on too many dates and not feel very good, or consume too much agave. Then I would start eating celery or make a green juice from leafy green veggies and lemon and I was surprised at how much better I felt --- although I don't know my BG readings because I was not aware I was pre-diabetic at the time.

Dr. Fuhrman refers to it as a blended salad I think. And he also recommends mainly beans and greens for diabetes -- so it seems like a great way to get some greens in your diet to balance out some of the effects of the fruit.

Although having said that, doesn't he allow four to six servings of fruit per day for a diabetic? As long as you stick within that limit just blending them up might be ok since you still have the fiber ...

 

[smorgan]

A few years before I was dx'd with diabetes I bought a VitaMix and was making the best smoothies ever. I was putting every fruit imaginable + yogurt in the smoothies. I ate very healthy and exercised. I was shocked when I was dx'd with diabetes. I now know I can't handle that amount of fruit without a spike. I ate totally vegetarian before diabetes and fasting was 240. Now that I am eating fat and meat again my fasting is 80-95. I still use the Vitamix to make Huumus and some soups but not fruit juice or smoothies.

Mmm. Hummus. I love it but I'm pretty wary of it. I seem to be able to tle rate about 2 tbsp if accompanied by meat, cheese, etc. How much can you eat at a time?