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Fruit & Green Smoothies: What Diabetics Should Know

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– by Ariel Policano

Today we get ready to kick off our transition week for the 21-Day Green Smoothie Detox!  We’ve had all sorts of questions come in prior to the detox, including a few requests about whether consuming green smoothies that contain a lot of fruit should be a concern to Diabetics.

We passed on our question to Naturopathic Doctor, Ariel Policano.

If you’re diabetic, should you be wary of bananas and mangos with your spinach and chard?  Find out what Ariel has to say…

The answer is – yes.

Having green smoothies will increase your mineral consumption, which is awesome! This improves your body’s ability to process insulin, which ultimately means healthier blood sugar levels for you.

Still, it is possible for the high consumption of fruit to raise blood sugar, even with a beautiful green smoothie. I have found this to be true particularly when drinking smoothies in the morning, as opposed to around 2-3 in the afternoon (an afternoon pick-me-up). This is probably because our morning one is consumed alone, on an empty stomach.

Either way, when concerned about blood sugar levels, it is best to keep fruit content low, as in “for flavor only”. For example, 1/2 a banana or 1/2 mango per 2 cups of smoothie. You could also opt for low glycemic fruits like blueberries in the amount of no more than one cup.

Try a small amount of hemp seed oil, flax oil or ground flax seeds in your smoothie. This will slow down the release of the fruit sugar into your bloodstream.

People who are aiming to balance their blood sugar levels have been also opting for low glycemic “savory” green smoothies that include no fruit, but greens, herbs, veggies (tomatoes are good) and about 1/4 to 1/2 avocado. This would be a good choice for you to play with!!!

With love,

Ariel

Ariel Policano, NMD
www.doctorariel.com

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NEW!

We had a great question/comment come in!  So we’ve added a little more information for you here from Ariel!

Question from Larissa:

Would the same rules apply for hypoglycemics? Thanks!

Answer from Dr. Policano:

Yes! People with hypoglycemia would definitely benefit from the recommendations above.

There are similar issues going on with both diabetics and hypoglycemics. Hypoglycemia is definitely the first sign that the body’s mechanisms for properly regulating blood sugar are not working properly. This moment in time is the best place to stop this cycle before it progresses.

Hypoglycemia typically has at least part of its origin in a deficiency of minerals. This deficiency, particularly of chromium among others, can eventually lead to insulin resistance. Enjoying green smoothies as described above will help to ultimately stop the hypoglycemic symptoms, which will truly improve your overall sense of well-being.

The 21-Day Green Smoothie program is an excellent way to heal your hypoglycemia, so…go for it!