Summer fruits…
…mean some bolus finagling. I don’t eat a lot of fruit. It’s not because I don’t like it, it’s simply because I don’t eat that many carbs in general. We eat a ton of veggies in our house, so I do feel like I’m getting an adequate nutritional spread. But when summer rolls around and the strawberries are perfect and the mango is like a little slice of heaven, I find those foods bolus worthy. I found myself faced with these two formidable adversaries after a Trader Joe’s run last week.
I’ve often felt in the past I have a hard time getting the bolus for fruit “right,” which has contributed to me avoiding it. I’ve gone from 85 to 285mg/dL from a small banana that I dosed three units for, which was discouraging to say the least. However, I think part of the issue is that many fruits also have a high glycemic index, and push sugars up very quickly - especially the super sweet varietals I love like grapes, strawberries and mangoes. I’m managing these better now in part because of 1.) actually carb counting the fruit by measuring it and dosing accurately - yes, following the rules does help sometimes, DUH Lexie and 2.) Taking my insulin a littler earlier when I’m dosing for fruit so I can “keep up” with the glucose hitting my system.
Life is too short and summer to way to delightful to skip these fruity delights. So although I’m not getting it perfect every time, I’m getting better at least!
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Comments
Generally speaking, usually a cup of most berries is around 15g carbs (strawberries are lower, blueberries are higher). Cantaloupe is fairly low in carbs, and don’t forget peaches, nectarines, apricots and plums. They’ve got lots of fiber, so that lowers their glycemic “footprint” on your BG. Living where you live, you probably have a plethora of places to procure produce. (I’ve got a nice, ripe cantaloupe chilling up right now in my fridge).
Good for you!
To make your project more successfull though, I’d suggest to check up on the carb count of strawberries, cause I’m pretty sure they are way less carby than mango and grapes. (And so are the other berries, I think. Also, imho, frozen-raspberry-blended-with-yogurt-and-splenda is the best low-carb ice cream you will find!
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