A healthy diet should almost always include some fruit, and this is particularly true if you’re suffering from adrenal fatigue. The difficulty arises in choosing the best and most nutritious fruits to eat. Most nutritionists will recommend sticking to low carb fruits where possible as they usually tend to be low in sugar.
This makes a lot of sense if you’re trying to maintain a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle. It’s even more important if you’re following a low-sugar diet like Atkins, keto, or the anti candida diet. But how do we measure the sugars in a particular fruit, and which fruits have the lowest amounts?
How To Measure Sugar In Fruits
We don’t actually take a piece of fruit, examine it in the lab, and quantify the grams of sugar in each portion. What actually happens is that we measure the effect that that fruit has on our blood sugar (also called blood glucose) levels. There are two ways to represent this – Glycemic Index (GI) and Glycemic Load (GL). First I’ll explain how these measures work, and at the end of article I have included two tables with the numbers for various fruits.
What Is Glycemic Index?
The Glycemic Index of a food is a numerical unit describing how far eating a food will raise one’s blood sugar level; effectively, it represents how ‘sugary’ the food is. The Glycemic Index uses a scale from 0 to 100, where 100 is pure glucose. A food which has a high GI will cause a large increase in blood sugar, while a food with a lower GI will not have much impact at all.
As a rough basis, mid-50s to mid-60s in a food’s GI is considered average, while 70 and above is considered high. Foods with a GI of less than 55 are considered to have a low glycemic index, and thus will have smaller impact on blood sugar levels. As a general rule of thumb, dried fruits, like many processed foods, have higher GI.
Glycemic Index Vs. Glycemic Load: What’s The Difference?
The main problem with the Glycemic Index is that it does not factor in typical portion sizes. In fact, it standardizes each food to include 50 grams of carbohydrates. This leads to some peculiar distortions. For example, to obtain 50 grams of carbohydrates you would need either 2.8 ounces of a Snickers bar or 35 ounces of pumpkin. It hardly seems fair to compare the two when these portion sizes are so unrealistic!
In 1997, researchers at Harvard University introduced the concept of Glycemic Load with the aim of solving this problem. The Glycemic Load seeks to balance the Glycemic Index by accounting for serving size. Let’s take watermelon’s glycemic index as an example. It has a high GI, as the carbohydrate will increase blood sugar levels rapidly, but it contains a relatively small amount of carbohydrates per serving, meaning that it has a low glycemic load.
A food’s Glycemic Load is calculated directly from its Glycemic Index. We simply take the food’s Glycemic Index, divide it by 100, and multiply it by the grams of carbohydrate (excluding fiber) in a typical serving size. A GL of above 20 is considered high, the 11-19 range is considered average, and below 11 is low.
Let’s look again at watermelon. It has a Glycemic Index of 72, which is relatively high. However, a typical serving size only has 5 grams of carbohydrate. This means we can calculate the Glycemic Load like this: 72/100*5 = 3.6. As you can see from this example, sometimes what is classified as a high glycemic fruit can still be a healthy snack that will barely affect your blood sugar.
However, watermelons are an unusual case, insofar as they have a high Glycemic Index (above 70 is considered high), yet have a low Glycemic Load (below 11 is low). This is not common, as most foods with a high GI will have a correspondingly high GL.
The Glycemic Load Of Fruits
Here are two tables containing the Glycemic Load of various fruits, taken mostly from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2002 (full version here) and the American Diabetes Association in 2008 (full version here). I have created one table showing the fruits ordered by Glycemic Index, and another showing them ordered by Glycemic Load.
Glycemic Index Chart For Fruits
Remember that a GI of more than 70 is considered high, a GI of 55-70 is considered average, and a GI of below 55 is considered low.
| Fruit | Glycemic Index |
|---|---|
| Cherries | 22 |
| Apricot | 23 |
| Lime | 24 |
| Plum | 24 |
| Grapefruit | 25 |
| Lemon | 25 |
| Peach | 28 |
| Prunes | 29 |
| Nectarines | 30 |
| Dates | 36 |
| Apple | 38 |
| Pear | 38 |
| Strawberry | 41 |
| Oranges | 44 |
| Grapes | 46 |
| Kiwi | 52 |
| Blueberries | 54 |
| Banana | 55 |
| Mango | 56 |
| Figs | 60 |
| Raisins | 64 |
| Pineapple | 66 |
| Cantaloupe | 67 |
| Watermelon | 72 |
| Guava | 78 |
Glycemic Load Chart For Fruits
Remember that a GL of more than 20 is considered high, a GL of 11-19 is considered average, and a GL of below 11 is considered low.
| Fruit | Glycemic Load | Serving Size (grams) |
|---|---|---|
| Lime | 1 | 120g |
| Strawberry | 1 | 120g |
| Apricot | 3 | 120g |
| Grapefruit | 3 | 120g |
| Lemon | 3 | 120g |
| Cantaloupe | 4 | 120g |
| Guava | 4 | 120g |
| Nectarines | 4 | 120g |
| Oranges | 4 | 120g |
| Pear | 4 | 120g |
| Watermelon | 4 | 120g |
| Blueberries | 5 | 120g |
| Peach | 5 | 120g |
| Plum | 5 | 120g |
| Apple | 6 | 120g |
| Pineapple | 6 | 120g |
| Kiwi | 7 | 120g |
| Mango | 8 | 120g |
| Cherries | 9 | 120g |
| Prunes | 10 | 60g |
| Banana | 11 | 120g |
| Grapes | 11 | 120g |
| Figs | 16 | 60g |
| Dates | 18 | 60g |
| Raisins | 28 | 60g |
Glycemic Index And Diabetes
The concept of GI was initially developed to help diabetes patients. It’s important for diabetics and pre-diabetics to pay close attention to their blood glucose fluctuations and insulin levels. However, we can all benefit from paying attention to the carbohydrates we eat.
Here’s what happens to your body when you eat high glycemic foods. Through the process of digestion, carbohydrates are turned into glucose – our body’s essential fuel. Whether we eat a donut or an orange, in the end, both will be converted into glucose. What will be different, though, is how quickly this fuel enters the bloodstream.
Donuts have high GI and GL and will release a lot of glucose all at once. In response, the pancreas will secrete large amounts of insulin. This hormone helps stabilize blood glucose levels by storing the excess in your liver. Yet, if the surge in insulin is too big, too much glucose is removed and blood sugar levels plummet as a result.
This is why you will most likely feel hungry again soon after having eaten a donut. Overconsumption of processed foods may even make us feel sluggish and demotivated, while consuming certain fruits can make you feel happy.
A Low-Glycemic Diet Could Help Manage Your Weight And Energy Levels
A diet consisting of high-GI and GL foods produces large spikes and drops in blood sugar, ultimately leading to weight gain and fatigue. The opposite is also true – if you maintain more stable blood glucose levels, you will feel more energetic. Low GI and GL foods usually contain a lot of fiber that slows down digestion and supports blood sugar stability.
When we eat high-fiber foods – like many fruits – glucose is released more gradually into the bloodstream. We feel full for longer, eat less, and burn fat instead of storing it. So in the end, it makes a huge difference whether you get your carbohydrates from a donut or an orange.
This has implications for more than just your weight or looks. Studies have shown that people on high GL diets have a higher risk of diabetes and heart disease. It’s important to note that high glycemic foods are usually also highly processed, high in calories, and low in vitamins and minerals. Maintaining stable blood sugars can help with energy levels, liver repair, heart health, weight, and much more.
Should You Avoid High GI And GL Fruits?
Bear in mind that a high GI and GL does not necessarily mean that fruits are unhealthy and should be avoided. Compared to refined carbs, whole foods are a much more nutritious option. In fact, fruits are some of the healthiest carbohydrates a person can consume. They contain lots of antioxidants and vitamins, and the sugar they contain is paired with lots of fiber so is less likely to spike your blood sugar.
However, if you’re following a low-carb diet or worried about your blood sugar, you may use the above tables to select fruits that are just as rich in vitamins and minerals but low on carbs. Generally, high GI fruits have more total carbohydrates.
Create Your Own Healthy Eating Plan
Are you looking for more healthy eating tips? In The Adrenal Fatigue Solution, Dr. Wood and I lay out a healthy eating plan with lists for the foods that you should eat and avoid. I have also included lots of super-nutritious recipes that will help to boost your energy levels.
Thank you! Your site is proving very valuable in my self-researched treatment of Adrenal Fatigue (I have an appointment with a NP health coach in a few weeks). Question. The Glycemic load of honey is higher than the glycemic load of table sugar. What makes honey so much better? I’m also looking into agave (read that it isn’t so great due to the fructose) and coconut sugar. I will limit whatever I end up using, but do need sweetners occasionally (teas, whole grain desserts on occasion etc). Which would you suggest and why? THANK YOU!
Honey contains various minerals and nutrients that you won’t find in regular sugar, and it also helps with digestion. However you should try to use any sweetener, even the healthier ones, in small amounts. For baking, try some homemade unsweetened apple sauce instead!
In very small amounts though, right?
It really depends on the rest of your diet, but you certainly should aim to keep you overall sugar intake (including natural sugars) within a reasonable range. You can also try some sweeteners like stevia, erythritol or xylitol, which are frequently used by diabetics looking to control their blood sugars. Hope that helps!
Just an FYI… xylitol can be deadly for dogs, so if you have counter-surfing dogs or are inclined to share your food with them, please be aware of this!
Does stevia and xylitol cause pseudo sugar spikes so that the body then craves more of them?
No, they don’t raise blood glucose.
I’ve used unsweetened applesauce as a sweetener instead of sugar in cookies and muffins. And it works wonderfully! It makes the food taste much better than it ever did with the sugar. I highly recommend it. Use unsweetened applesauce for your best results
The most nutritious sweetener is date sugar or date paste. Whole fruit ground up. Second most nutritious is concentrated fruit juice. Coming in third is raw unrefined sugar. Honey doesn’t have much nutrition, only slightly more than white sugar or corn syrup (which have essentially none). Honey is medicinal, but not that nutritious.
I disagree about the honey…
Raw honey contains up to 80 different substances important to human nutrition. Besides glucose and fructose, honey contains: All of the B-complex, A, C, D, E, and K, minerals and trace elements: magnesium, sulfur, phosphorus, iron, calcium, chlorine, potassium, iodine, sodium, copper, and manganese.
People have very simplistic thinking concerning food. “Good”‘or “Bad”. Yes, date paste or date sugar and honey have more nutrients than pure sugar, but they’ll still make you diabetic and fat if you consume them at the same rate and quantities as you used to consume sugar.
In the table above, could you please also include the typical serving size considered for each fruit mentioned? At least please provide the typical serving size considered for Watermelon, Musk Melon, Apple and Banana.
Please see the updated tables with the serving sizes 🙂
Could you please also include Lemons & Limes, thanks
Added now 🙂
Hi there, I’m wondering, about the serving size? it says, for banana as an eg. , 120G, but without knowing the actual amount of grams that are in a full banana, is 120G’s half the banana? most the banana? No weigh to weigh these fruits at home for most people I’m sure lol 🙂
Hi Neal, the standardized measurements are used to help us compare the glycemic load of different fruits. A small banana weighs something like 120g – I hope that helps!
You have a picture of blueberries in this article but you don’t show the glycemic load of blueberries. Could you please add them to the list?
Added! 🙂
what about papaya
So if I eat 240g of banana I’ll end up eating GL of 24? Which makes it high!?
Ms. Fawne, which scale do you suggest a Cancer patient, dreading to consume sugars in order to avoid feeding Cancer, should use; GI or GL, please?
Hi George, neither of these measures is perfect. GL is usually thought to represent the way we eat more accurately, since it accounts for portion size. If you’re trying to avoid sugars, I would look at both measures and keep an eye on your portion size too.
My 10 year old boy has high levels of yeast and needs to have low sugar diet. I am concern about his nutritional needs from fruits and carbohydrates he is very thin and continues to loose weight. What is the appropriate GI or GL for him?
Thanks!!
Sandra
Hi Sandra, he can still get plenty of calories from healthy fats like coconut, avocado etc. Have you been to see an integrative doctor? A young boy needs lots of calories and a very low sugar diet is likely to make him tired. You might want to consider eating foods like low sugar fruits and foods like sweet potato, while pursuing other therapies like probiotics too.
Have you had him tested for diabetes my daughter had similar symptoms.
Could you add the GL for pomegranates?
Hi Pat, as far as I can find, pomegranates haven’t actually been tested for GI or GL yet. However I have found some sources estimating their Glycemic Load as 10.
Good tables. Concept of glycemic load has been explained in a simple language. I am recovering from Bell’s Palsy. Typical Prednisolone dose has deteriorating effect on my blood sugar. Hence, looking for information on sugar control. Wiser now.
Hi! This might be a question that you’ve been asked more than once but can you explain glycemic load and index that’s understandable to a person just getting started? Thank you!
Hi Maria! Very simply, the Glycemic Index measures how much a particular food will raise your blood sugar. The Glycemic Load adjusts that by allowing for typical portion sizes, so it is more representative of how we actually eat.
Could you please include more berries in your chart? Berries are usually my go-to dessert or sweet snack on a low carb diet, but it would be nice to see how they stack up against the other fruits.
Hi Carolyn, the GL numbers have not been calculated for all fruits yet. In general terms though, most berries have a low GL. You might want to also include some non-berry fruits like apricot, pear and nectarine, which are also quite low in natural sugars.
Hi, this is a great patient education resource! You might want to consider updating though, because even though your resource is in 2012, it is quoting research from 2002. You might want to upgrade to the 2008 table below:
“International tables of glycemic index and glycemic load values: 2008” by Fiona S. Atkinson, Kaye Foster-Powell, and Jennie C. Brand-Miller in the December 2008 issue of Diabetes Care, Vol. 31, number 12, pages 2281-2283.
Thanks for the comment Sunder! I have changed a few of the entries to reflect the updated numbers, and I have also included link back to the American Diabetes Association study that you mention. I appreciate the feedback!
Could you please post or tell me if Raw Mangoes are ok
Hi Arun. Mangoes are quite high in sugar but are nutritious and rich in vitamin C. Most fruits are OK, but just watch your overall sugar intake to make sure it doesn’t get too high 🙂
Also be aware that mangoes are quite high in potassium. Many adrenal fatigue sufferers have a potassium/sodium imbalance. So if you eat mangoes, make sure you are getting enough salt in your diet.
Hello Fawne,
This is the best information! Thank you for taking the time to teach all of us. You make it all very easy to understand. I recently found out I have elevated blood sugar, which is weird to me because I used to be borderline hypoglycemic. About 15 yrs ago I tested as low as 33 mg/dL. My sugar is not considered dangerously high now, but in the past I was warned that it could change to the opposite, and here we are! I am 48 now and 60 lbs overweight. I am very serious about getting this weight off, I do not want to become diabetic. Coming up with the right diet for me is more challenging than I thought. I don’t want to make myself sick, but I am not real big on doctors. I found this out from a natural medicine doctor. Thank you for helping me to learn so much 🙂
Dee, I realize that I am late coming to the party and your extra weight may already be a thing of the past, but if you are still struggling to lose that extra weight, please allow me to recommend the book The Leptin Diet by Byron Richards. It will help to heal your blood sugar issues, adrenal fatigue and hormone imbalances – and permanent weight loss is just the gravy! (Look up his website online for more info. I believe the name is something like Wellness Resources.) Good luck!
can you add Psidium guajava GI? thanks.
Hi Hanny, I added guava for you. The best reference I could find says that it has a Glycemic Load of 4. That’s pretty good, so its unlikely to spike your blood sugar too high if you eat a reasonable portion. If that’s helpful, please consider linking to this page from your blog!!
okay, thankyou fawne 🙂
excellent content
thanks from Brazil
Hi, I love this! Very helpful, thank you. I’m wondering what happens to the glycemic index/load with fruit juice. For example, I often add some apple juice or pineapple juice to my green smoothies for added sweetness. Would I be better off using just water and real fruit and adding a bit of stevia for sweetness instead?
Fruit juices have a very high glycemic load. So yes, it would be much better to use the whole fruit and some water.
If I eat one cup of blueberries, one cup of water melon, one cup of pineapple, one cup of strawberries a day, does that add up all the GI and the GL for each of these fruits? Will I be overloading on fruits if I do this? Thanks so much for your easy to understand responses to all these questions.
i would love to know the answer to this as well! i also use fruit juices and whole fruit in my green smoothies and add water to dilute the sugar and maximize the liquid my blender needs in order to work properly. i would love to eliminate the fruit juice and only use the fruit but the taste tends to be literally ” watered down ” when i have experimented with that. any suggestions? i have also tried almond milk but it changes the fruity flavor i enjoy in the middle of all that green 🙂 would also love a reference for the GI or GL of fruit juices! i do partake here and there and would a formula to refer to so i can be responsible with my sugar intake. thank you in advance! 🙂
I like to add back strap molasses (a less refined variety) to my fruit and vegetable smoothies. It give me a bit of sweetness and molasses contains magnesium, calcium, iron, vitamin B (i.e. folate), vitamin B6 and pantothenic acid. Blackstrap molasses also helps in stabilizing blood sugar levels. It has a low glycemic index and aids in slowing the metabolism of glucose and carbohydrates, which subsequently means less insulin production.
Hi Artificial sweeteners ted to be carcinogenic trend carefully
I am starting to learn about the importance of looking at the Glycemic index of food and this article has been very helpful.
Fawne
I drink tomato juice could you please add its GL to your list
Regards from Australia
Rena
I haven’t added any juices to the table. As a general rule, the Glycemic Load of juices will be far higher. You should really avoid all juices apart from pure vegetable juice. Vegetable juices with a little pear or green apple to sweeten them are probably OK, but the fruit should be the smallest ingredient.
I did find one source saying that tomato juice has a GL of 27. As you can see, that’s very high. Other fruit juices are even higher (grapefruit juice 75, apple juice 82)!
Rena, according to the nutrition data web site below, V8 juice (original) has an estimated glycemic load of 4 for a 243g serving. (243 grams is about 8-8.5 oz.) However, it’s quite high in sodium, so if that’s an issue for you, perhaps you could try the low sodium variety, which also has a GL of 4.
Oops, forgot to leave the link!
http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/10450/2
Hi, thanks for this wealth of info. I have trouble visualizing grams. I was wondering if you could include what that looks like. For instance, 120g of grapes= about 8 of them. Or, 120g of apple=1 small apple. Thank you so much.
Hi
How about maple syrup? Does it have a hi GL?
Thank you
I found one source saying that 100g of maple syrup would have a Glycemic Load of 37. The Glycemic Load for a typical serving of maple syrup (1 tablespoon) would be 7.
As a rule, anything that includes the word ‘syrup’ is likely to raise your blood sugar quite sharply!
Fawne,
This is a very useful reference, thank you. As I miss eatingfruit I used to eat huge amounts of it daily, but no longer can – or at least sparingly now. This helps me monitor the amount of GI or GL I am now consuming, so I do not raise my blood sugar level. However, may I suggest making the serving size = to 100g. Reason being is that it is much easier to multiply by a factor of 10 to calculate the amount of GL one is consuming.
For example, a banana that weights say 200g is much easier to multiply the GL by a factor of 2 (200/100) than by 1.66(200/120). Even if the banana weighed a value of 225g it is simply 2.25 times rather than 1.875. Just a thought? (I tend to view it like currency exchange..simple round numbers).
Hi John, I know what you mean! 100g would certainly be easier than 120g. However, 120g is the amount used by both the sources I mention in the article, so I decided it would be easier to stick with that. Why did they choose to use 120g in the first place? I have no idea 🙂
Hi Fawne
I would like to know how the GL figures relate to dried/ fresh fruit? i.e. How do you work out a corresponding portion size. Thanks
Simon
Hi Simon. Take a look at Grapes and Raisins in the table above. Grapes start off with a GL of 11 (for a 120g portion size). By drying them and turning them into raisins, they get a GL of 28 (for 60g portion size). So you could estimate that turning grapes into raisins increases the sugar content per gram by about 5 times. Does that make sense?
Basically all dried fruits and fruit juices are likely to spike your blood sugar.
My brother asked me what fruits he should eat and my google search gave me the good fortune of finding your site. I really enjoy reading the comments. So have decided to add a comment of my own. I suggest that next time a person is having blood tests to ask for a thyroid antibodies test, in addition to the usual T3, T4, TSH. This suggestion was given to me by a man that is a biochemist and a naturapath. I live in New Zealand and here the lab that does the testing suggests that thyroid antibodies should be less than 60. What a surprise to find that my first thryroid antibodies result was 23600. After having changed to gluten free for some time it dropped to 1100. Then I watched a “Thyroid summit” online hosted by Suzy Cohen, a compounding pharmacist in USA. On the summit I heard a functional medicine doctor say that they used to think that gluten free was enough, but now suggests gluten, grain and seed free. After about a year of rigourously following this diet, I had a blood test done and it is now 60. High thyroid antibodies can effect women trying to fall pregnant and also increase the risk of having a miscarriage. Also a book by Dr Alan Christianson titled “The complete idiot’s guide to thyroid disease” has tables that give blood test ranges, considered normal by blood test labs in USA and gives what he believes the ranges should be. I know that I have gone off topic, yet wanted to learn from the wonderful questions and answers, to thank Fawne and to share information about thyroid antibodies blood tests. My GP had no suggestion when the result came back as 23600, so wanted to share my extreme good fortune in having the test done and later finding a suitable diet. I don’t find this diet difficult and I have much less temptation to eat foods that impair my health. Wishing everyone around the globe, good health, happiness and the desire to continue being open to finding life enhancing information, including this wonderful site
Hi Gail, I really enjoyed reading your message. My question, for clarification, is are you no longer eating, grains or seeds??? I was under the impression that seeds are really good for me so I bought a lot of sesame, pumpkin & sunflower seeds. I have been eating them every day. If you were me, would you stop that immediately????? It sounds like, “yes”. Please respond. Thank you!!!
Gail A,
Everyone should be very careful about cutting foods based on someone else’s experience. Going gluten free/seed free/low sugar is part of a process including testing. I don’t think anyone should cut based on just how they feel. Could be a placebo effect and do you no good. Gail P had a thyroid antibody test done that lead down this road. Very interested to see if Thyroid antibody makes it into mainstream Med.
It already is in mainstream medicine a normal GP can order the test i know lots of people who have had this test
Look up paleo diet. Yes, drop those things and see how you do/ feel. Doctors don’t know know enough about this, so forget them.
Thank you, Gail Price. My doctor would not order an anti-body test this last time, saying the numbers do not change. I have been gluten free for one year and am going to insist on the test the next time.
Cantaloupe, not canteloupe.
Thanks for spotting that! It’s fixed now 🙂
is balanced blood sugar the secret to weight lost? what are your thoughts on this subject?
There are lots of factors, but yes it can certainly help. For one thing, balancing your blood sugars will help you to avoid food cravings.
Hi I was wondering if I can eat pineapple or drink it with spinach because I have fatty liver will it make my liver worse if I have a few pieces or drink a couple of cups of pineapple and spinach juice ? And my mom was diagnosed with prediabetes can she drink this or should she avoid pineapple all together ? Should I avoid it too ? Because we bought some pineapple.
Do you know if putting fresh fruit with water as your liquid in a Nutribullet will change the GL? I am hearing mixed reviews about it. Now they are saying that consuming fruit this way can cause your blood sugar to spike more rapidly.
Its much better than a fruit juice, as you’re retaining the fiber. But it will spike your blood sugar a bit more than eating the regular fruit, as it the fiber has been partially broken down.
This was so helpful, Fawne! Thank you. I have bookmarked this page for future reference.
My story: I have made major changes in my diet since October last year (fives months ago). I stopped all processed carbs (no sugar, no grains, no sweets or chips or anything like that). Now I eat plenty of animal products (with all that nasty saturated fat *gasp* that ‘experts’ have told us will kill us!), good fats (dripping, lard, butter, coconut oil, olive oil, avocado oil), loads of vegetables, a limited amount of fruit, nuts and seeds. After three months of eating like this, my HbA1c (I can never remember the order of those letters and numbers!) went from 45 to 31!! My triglycerides went from 2.9 mmol/L to .9! All my other cholesterol dropped significantly (they still need to come down a little more and my next blood test is end of March, so I’m looking forward to seeing more positive changes) and my liver function returned to normal! Oh, and I’ve lost 26 kilos!
It makes me so mad that every doctor I’ve seen, apart from the doctor I have now, has advised me to eat low fat, cut down on red meat, eat plenty of fruit and grains, and not said a thing about sugar and flour and the negative effects thereof.
All my sugar cravings have gone, and I now feel free. I’m 48 and had been struggling with my weight for years. Food was the first thing on my mind when I awoke and the last thing when I went to bed. Now I hardly think about it and really enjoy eating what I’m eating. I’m collecting a great repertoire of yummy and healthful recipes (I used to be a great cook of mostly unhealthful meals, so I had to either get rid of or tweak most of my amazing recipes….lol. It’s like learning to cook again.)
Anyway, sorry for the long post, but perhaps it will be an encouragement to another person on the same journey. Good food is powerful medicine!
To Michaela: This sounds so much like me. Could you share some of these recipes? Do you have vegetarian recipes as well? Congrats on the success!!
Jane
Jane,
could you please share some veggie recipes.
Thanks
jag
Great Michaela! Just, I don’t think you need the dead animals on your plate to make your diet healthy 😉 It is likely harmless to you, to eat a bit of meat, but probably won’t be of much help, either, with an otherwise healthy diet—and it definitely isn’t healthy for the animals (and the environment)! Keep it up, good luck!
Your comment is offensive. Why do you have to use terms like “dead animals”? If I don’t eat meat every three or four days, I get extremely weak and no matter how many vegan vitamins or whatever I’ve tried in the past that I take, nothing makes me feel whole and functioning unless I eat meat. Who are you to say what’s healthy for someone? I hate the negative words you vegans use. Really makes you all look like insensitive loons.
My doctor told me to go off refined flour, sugar and anything white: salt, rice, potatoes, white pasta. I have decided to adopt a PALEO diet (the one our caveman and cavewoman hunting/gathering ancestors used to eat) lots of fresh meat, fish, chicken, fruits especially berries (high in antioxidants), veggies, nuts (walnuts and almonds but NOT peanuts) and limit myself to walnut, olive and grapeseed oils. I have heard that coconut oil consumed on its own has incredible powers to melt felt. Body builders take a couple tablespoons before competitions to get their body fat percentage even lower. I have ALWAYS consumed meat, fish and poultry so to say that I am reducing or perhaps eliminating them from my diet to save the environment (kind of), or to save animals (I love animals but do not want to be contradictory after a lifetime of eating them) anyways the REAL reason I am leaning towards vegetarianism is my complete and total fear of getting cancer. Just recently learned that in farmed fish they use FLAME RETARDANTS and PESTICIDES, chemicals and antibiotics (already knew they used antibiotics and steroids on beef) and so I also intend to rid myself of animal by-products ie. dairy (but will keep honey) and may as well ditch gluten too. So… how do others get enough protein? Add protein powders to shakes? Vegan options like Tempeh? Do not want to eat soy products – apparently they have their own issues. I am keeping eggs and wild salmon simply for protein, omega 3’s and Vitamin D. Now I am researching low sugar fruits and alkalizing vegetables. I hear asparagus is awesome and kale we absorb as 100% calcium! Sorry for the novel but I am overweight, my husband has been diabetic for 5 years and I am borderline. Desperately seeking answers. Forgot how to eat..and I am hungry! Btw, does this make me an Ovo-Pescatarian?
Good for you!! This sounds like keto eating–>proving to be very good for weight loss, increased energy & maintaining blood glucose levels. Congrats on your discovery and newfound health!!
Found this very informative and helpful. Would like to get some recipes.
Have you seen the recipe section?
http://adrenalfatiguesolution.com/recipes/
I enjoyed reading all the comments! Please help me in planning “to go snacks”. I I’ve had breast cancer ,diagnosed on 2013 ,had right mastectomy and refused chemo.and other treatments. I need to maintain my weight ! They said prognosis gets worse if you gain too much weight! Pls. Help! The “handy/ to go snacks”, has something to do with my job! There are times it’s so hard to have break time to eat ! By the way , with God’s help I feel great and feel blessed! Thank you!
Hi Fawne,
Your site is amazing. 🙂 Do you mind to explain one more time if eating A LOT of Watermelon will result in a high rise of the bloodsugar or if it doens’t due to the low GL? I am asking because i eat a lot of watermelone and love it but people always say it has too much suagar.
Thank you:-)
Caroline
Much like anything else, if a little is good, a lot is not necessarily better. When you are eating that watermelon, remember that every time you eat a 120gm portion, your GL is increased by the amount listed for one 120gm portion. So, if you eat 120gm, your GL is four. But if you eat 240gm, your GL is eight. And at 360gm, your GL becomes 12, and so on. The key to keeping one’s blood sugar under control is the content of your diet, and the quantities that you eat. The best foods, eaten in large quantities, will still spike your blood sugar.
I read at the link below that “typical target [GL] total is 100/day or less.” (That’s a link to V8 juice, btw, not watermelon, but the “typical target” quote is listed in tiny letters below the big GL number.)
I’m not sure who/what organization set that target, but if it’s the government, it’s probably too high. LOL In any case, with that target in mind, you would add up your GL numbers throughout the day from your various foods, and try to keep it below 100 (just like counting calories). As Andrew said above, the GL number for additional servings would be added to your daily total.
http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/10450/2
Can you add honeydew to your list, please? Awesone article and responses! Thank you!
You mention grapes, but not by colour. Does this mean red, black and green are about the same? Thank you.
Sugar content of grapes varies by type, and there are dozens of types. It is unfortunately not well documented. They are definitely _not_ all the same. The highest sugar grapes have 10x the sugar of the lowest sugar grapes. Wish I had more specific information!
What about cranberries?
What about dried fruit? For instance, grapes are 11 (high) yet raisins are 28 (highest). Does that follow for, say, apricots? Does come the drying process actually change the fruit chemically? Is the increase with raisins due to the implicit assumption the consumed count will be three time higher, 11 grapes vs 28 raisins?
Yes, dried fruit will always have a much higher GL. When the water is taken out of the fruit, the fruit gets smaller but the sugar stays where it is. So each portion contains much more sugar.
Hi Fawne, how about nut butters regarding GL? Also, I believe I have AFS and one symptom that is particularly difficult is about an hour before waking time, I start to have very stressful dreams that I cannot make sense of. Then I feel miserable and hard to get out of bed because I am already stressed out because of dreams. An idea just came to me while reading your post is that maybe my blood sugar is so low at that time and the adrenals are interpreting this as a stressor and therefore these weird stressful dreams in a light sleep state are the resulting alarm mechanism. Any suggestions would be HUGELY fearful. Thanks.
So, wouldn’t, in that case, eating a banana with some meat make the overall glycemic load low, because the meat and fat it contains therein balance the GI of the banana?
Dear Fawne
I have only just found your site and want to say a massive thanks it mightnt be for everyone but I am a diabetic and have had a real problem keeping my sugar under control. This list is going to be brilliant for me. I will keep reading.thanks again.
this is useful. I had PCOS ( before cancer meant I had ovaries , tubes and womb removed) I am very apple shaped in that I have thin legs and arms, my legs are almost wasted looking as they are frail like an old man’s legs and yet I have a very thick waist and big belly and shoulders like a man’s. I am a very adrenal type in that I respond best to excersise and stress makes me have an urge to do loads of kick boxing and fast activity or re arranging the house. I am nocturnal, crave carbs, get very tired easily and yet do not relax very well and have sleeping problems. I now have Diabetes type 2 as well as adrenal fatigue so am having to be careful with my diet, the fruit GI numbers are useful as I love fruit. I also am very heat intolerant and hate getting sweaty which puts me off doing excersise.
Hi. I have high cholesterol, so I blend pineapple, cucumber, aloe, flaxseed with honey, and drink it before breakfast. Will that spike my blood sugar?.
Yes, the honey and pineapple will.
I’m interested in this because of the negative effect that insulin levels in the blood (higher GI = higher insulin release) have on free flowing testosterone levels in the blood. I’m just hearing about GL….guess I have to re-think the fruits that I eat.
Thanks for putting this out there and confirming that strawberries with whipped cream is the healthiest snack there is 🙂
I have followed the low GI diet on and off for 13 years and there really is no better diet out there. I have tried others such as detox and paleo but I always crash straight back into bad habits because sweet or carb cravings get severe because of the depravation 😱. A low GI diet keeps you full with complex carbs and after a week I have so much more energy. The rule of thumb is 2-3 portions of low GI fruit a day but eat as many vegetables or salad as possible. Overly ripe bananas are High GI so only eat those that are still firm, complex carbs like whole grain brown bread, brown basmati rice ( lowest gi of any rice) and other whole grains such as quinoa or spelt, sweet potatos or baby potatoes skin on ( the older and larger the potatoes the higher the starch and Gi) are also good. Plain Greek yogurt with mashed up raspberries or strawberries and 1/2 a teaspoon of honey (one of the lowest gi natural sweetness) will do wonders when you crave something sweet, or a 5th of a large bar of Dark chocolate (only 85 % cacao or over) also does the trick in the evening with the added bonus of it aiding digestion before bed time, being high in anti oxidants and being low in sugar, so a win win all round 👍
I like your diet! I would love to see it in the form of a meal plan. Is this standard low GI plan advice, or do you follow, a particular one? Your point about sustainability is spot on.
I have read some of the comments regarding glycemic intake, and how this is affecting the health [negative and positive] of some of your correspondents. I greatly appreciate all the info on your cite.
I would just like to inform everyone who is concerned about high glucose intake, especially if you have cancer or want to avoid it. Cancer loves sugar and cannot survive without it, in fact if you remove your sugar intake the cancer cells begin to die. This has been proven in research labs where if they want to activate the cells they add sugar and they die when the sugar is withheld. You may ask; why have we heard so little about this fact and how we are able to rid ourselves of cancer by simply starving them to death? The answer is quite simple if we just think about it!!
If anyone wants more info on this subject one can contact Dr Stengler who has a medical clinic in California where I understand he also treats various kinds of cancer
I did not have time to read the whole thread. And I do know that artificial sugars do not raise glucose. But I believe now it is possible to test insulin levels. Do you know if they had done testing to see if artificial sweeteners cause the body to release insulin? This would be even more devastating if it did because if your sugar is low and then your body releases more insulin to reduce it even lower that’s going to result in a total bottoming out of your blood sugar and thus super hunger cravings
Thanks very much it’s my first time know about GL. Thanks