Integrative Health Blog

Summer is here!

One of the biggest reasons I love summertime is the fruit!  Beautiful berries, watermelon, cherries, peaches, nectarines and plums - all make my mouth water. They also bring back memories of trips to the local farm when I was a kid to buy fresh produce, long before farmer’s markets were “en vogue”.

Now that I am older, I am also wiser when it comes to eating fruits.

As you know from reading my blogs, I am interested in helping people understand how blood sugar problems can lead to insulin resistance, pre-diabetes and Type II diabetes.

You’ve heard the phrase “work smarter, not harder”, right?

I want to remind you of a tip I have given you before to help you make smart decisions when it comes to enjoying all the beautiful and luscious fruits that are in season now.

Here is my healthy tip:

NEVER EAT A FRUIT ALONE-

ALWAYS PAIR IT WITH A PROTEIN OR A HEALTHY FAT!

What kind of healthy fat?

Every time you eat a piece of fruit grab a handful of nuts (protein/fat) or cut up the fruit and put some cream on top (healthy fat). It’s easy to do. If that doesn’t appeal to you, eat a spoonful of almond butter or peanut butter (protein/fat) with your fruit. By doing that, you are slowing down the absorption of the sugars in the fruit.

Why does sugar absorption matter?

The faster the blood sugar rises, the higher the level of insulin required to normalize blood sugar. High levels of insulin not only tells the body to store fat, it also tells the body to hang on to the fat it already has!

When insulin levels remain high throughout the course of the day, week, year, insulin resistance develops and there is a greater chance of developing pre-diabetes and Type II diabetes.

It’s easier to prevent these conditions than it is to reverse them.

This summer, eat “smarter” so that you don’t have to work “harder” down the road!