Thursday, August 13, 2020

Just to Clarify on the Smoothie Thing ...

The other day, I wrote a post on smoothies, which sparked a discussion/debates, with some saying smoothies are bad for you, others saying they're good.

I think here's where the confusion comes in, which even though I mentioned, I perhaps didn't make clear - and the answer is - it depends on the smoothie :)

Yes, it's true, store-bought juices and smoothies are just as bad as what gave me prediabetes - soda.

I don't eat sweets (never have, too sweet for me - except occasional ice cream) and I am not overweight, so my doctor and I have determined that returning to my previous soda amount intake for the caffeine is the main culprit of my new prediabetes diagnosis.

(Last fall, I was mid-normal range with my hemoglobin A1c, I've suddenly jumped to 6.0 - right on the line between normal and prediabetic - because I've been exercising less/drinking more soda during COVID, which I had cut way down before COVID.) 

Thus, for starters, smoothies are best made at home without ever adding sugar.  

It's also important to keep the fruit content very low, so just "topping" your protein and fiber off with it.  The protein and fiber are necessary in order  to offset the sugar spike from fructose (fruit sugar).  If you don't have the protein and fiber, you might as well drink a full can of soda!

When I make my morning smoothies, they consist of mostly nonfat Greek yogurt and oatmeal, adding at most 2 strawberries with 5 blueberries with one-quarter of a banana, for one blender full, split between both Mark and myself. 

If done in this way, tiny bit of fructose, combined with protein and fiber - it's actually very healthy for diabetics/prediabetics - but typically only first thing in the morning, when blood sugar is lowest.  (Veggie smoothies in the afternoon.)




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