Copper- Benefits, Dosage, Deficiency, Sources

The first evidence to show copper as an essential element for the formation of hemoglobin was studied by E.B. Hart in 1928.

Dietary Sources: Copper is found in fresh and dried fruit, green and leafy vegetables. It is available in liver, kidney, shellfish, and dried legumes. Milk is poor in copper. Copper is widely distributed in nature. Soft water has more copper than the reservoir water. Even poor diets provide enough for human needs.

Dried Fruit

Functions in the Body: It is required for absorption of iron. It is good for the bones, and regulates sugar. Tiny amounts of copper are necessary for the formation of hemoglobin. In normal serum, a copper-containing globulin ceruloplasmin, is found to occur. It catalyses the oxidation of the ferrous ion to ferric ion, and thereby enables iron to be trapped by transferring, the protein carrying iron in the body. It is then transported to tissues for the synthesis of iron-containing compounds, mainly hemoglobin.

It also forms and integral part of certain enzymes likes tyrosinase, uricase, oxidase, cytochrome etc. In copper deficiency the marrow of red bones markedly decreased in cytochrome oxidase. It makes an amino acid-tyrosine, useable, which works for pigmentation in hair and skin. It is also essential for utilization of vitamin C.

Copper is mostly absorbed at the level of the duodenum in the intestine. Approximately 32% of copper in the diet is absorbed and excess gets excreted in the bile. The amount of copper in are adult body is estimated to be between 100-150 mg. Liver is the main store. Minute amount (0.1-0.5 mg) is present in blood. The average serum copper levels are higher in adult females than in males. It further increases significantly in women during pregnancy and when on oral pills. Copper content of the brain and liver of foetus and infant is such greater than that of an adult to prevent deficiency in the sucking period.

In human red blood corpuscles, a copper-containing protein erythrocuprein is present, but its function is not clearly known.

Copper strengthens the muscular system and is thus believed help in treating arthritis. People drink water kept in copper vessels and also wear copper ring or bracelet to get relief from this disease.

Deficiency Indicators: Either the deficiency or excess of Copper is rare. Hypocupremia occurs in patients with nephrosis, Wilson's disease, and protein energy malnutrition and in infants fed for long periods exclusively on cow's milk. Wilson's disease is due to poor copper metabolism resulting in fall in plasma ceruloplasmin and increase in copper content of brain and liver leading to neurological disturbances and hepatic damage. The abnormality caused by copper deficiency is Neutropenia.

Hypercupremia reflecting excessive intake may result from eating food prepared in copper utensils, or due to acute and chronic infections like leukemia, severe anaemia, myocardial infarction and hyperthyroidism.

Normochromic microcytic anaemia occurs during copper deficiency which causes failure in proper absorption of iron. The cure lies in administering Copper and Iron together in the ratio of 1:100. More about Copper- Benefits, Dosage, Deficiency, Sources

Copper- Benefits, Dosage, Deficiency, Sources

Dr John Anne
Read more on Minerals - Benefits, Deficiency, Sources

Find complete and updated information on bare mineral, mineral, vitamin and mineral, mineral oil, everyday mineral. Read http://www.healthvitaminsguide.com - Information on Vitamins, Minerals, Amino Acids

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Munch On Delicious Snack Products To Lose Weight

Chips as well as sugar filled soda are convenient snack options. But, each of those items contribute to body weight gain. Snacks which help in losing excess fat as well as taste great can be found. An effective fast way to lose weight is munching on those healthful as well as delicious items.

To start with, snack options are important in every individual's dietary habits. Snacks or meals must be eaten every few hours to keep metabolic rate increased. Hence, deciding on nutritious foods will be vital for eliminating unwanted fat.

Dried Fruit

Pretzels, chips and microwave popcorn are unhealthy snacks since these foods typically consist of salt and hydrogenated oils. Candy bars, ice cream and cookies are unhealthy snack options since these foods are full of processed sugars. Salt, sugar and hydrogenated oil cause excessive pounds. Therefore, removing foods with these three things is helpful whenever attempting to remove unwanted fat.

While selecting snacks, drinks ought to be taken into account as well. Beverages for instance Mega Monster, Gatorade and Mountain Dew are high in refined sugars. Hence, if wanting to lose unwanted body weight those three drinks may want to be significantly reduced or excluded from a diet. Instead, enjoy water, freshly squeezed juice or unsweetened tea.

A healthy snack food will be popcorn. But, the popcorn has to be air-popped. This food is full of fiber, contains zero sodium and contains no sugar. Moreover, popcorn is low in calorie count. For this reason, it will be a fantastic option which can aid in getting rid of extra body weight. One main point is keeping in mind never to put on butter and salt. When extra flavor is needed then sprinkle on cayenne pepper, cinnamon or paprika.

An additional nourishing snack food is raw nuts such as pecans, almonds and hazelnuts. It is believed raw nuts contain fat so must not be eaten. This particular idea is wrong. Actually, raw nuts have fat. However, fats found in nuts are mostly unsaturated, which are healthy. Therefore, whenever in search of a proper fast way to lose weight eat almonds, hazelnuts and pecans.

Another healthy snack is dehydrated or dried fruit. Dried fruit provides no fat, sodium or cholesterol. It assists to sweeten plain food products without adding refined sugars. Dried fruits are a delectable snack. But, keep track of calorie content found in dried fruits. Usually, one-quarter cup is equivalent to a half cup of the fresh version. Some fruits which are available dried or dehydrated include apples, dates and blueberries.

Munch On Delicious Snack Products To Lose Weight

Products ought to be consumed throughout the day in order to keep the metabolism elevated. Snack items will be a great method that assist in keeping metabolism elevated. A great tasting snack food is combining raw nuts, dried fruits and air-popped popcorn. As a result, a fast way to lose weight is munching on nourishing snacks for instance air-popped popcorn, dried fruit and raw nuts.

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Heal Injuries and Stop Inflammation With Fruit!

Whether you are a sports enthusiast, you work on projects around the house, or spend time gardening, you like so many hikers are at risk for injuries. Many people find themselves in the emergency room due to accidents around the house or due to sporting events. Women who are older are often at higher risk for injury to muscle and bones due to osteoporosis, so it is important to take measures to protect yourself from injuries by eating properly, resting, participating in regular exercise to keep muscles and bones stronger and taking the nutrients needed to support your muscular-skeletal system. In general the body requires protein to keep the muscles and bones stronger, along with calcium and magnesium. But who would have thought that your body's best friend after injury might just be a fruit!

Every continent of this world is blessed with certain plants that contain elements to help us stay well and heal from various maladies. What I am going to share with you here might just be a life-saver if you are unable to get help quickly after an injury. Even the smell of this fruit puts smiles on many faces as they think about cool ocean breezes, sandy beaches and coconuts filled with frozen pina-coladas. No, it is not the coconut we are going to discuss, it is the delicious golden pineapple! That's right - pineapple my friends is an incredible blessing for several reasons, so read carefully and get to your local grocery store to keep some fresh pineapple on hand whenever possible.

Dried Fruit

If you do injure yourself and are unable to get immediate medical care, please keep a home care emergency kit nearby. Your homecare kit should include bandages, calendula and hypericum tinctures found at your local health food store to treat minor wounds, a homeopathic remedy called arsenicum; use the lotion and or ointment for sprains and muscle injuries and aloe vera gel for skin irritations. Raw honey is great as a natural antiseptic in a pinch, and also you can also take a small amount for energy if you have been hiking all day and feel fatigued. But the very best anti-inflammatory I have ever used from nature is fresh pineapple, or chewable Bromelain tablets made from the core of pineapple. This substance works in several different ways to help your body heal. Bromelain aids the body in reducing inflammation because it is a proteolytic enzyme, an enzyme that digests protein. I have found that bromelain is the preferred way to take the substance because it travels easily.

During an injury cells become damaged. These damaged protein cells also die and must be broken down and excreted in order to aid healing and reduce toxic build-up at the site. Bromelain has a wonderful ability to help reduce swelling as well as bruising; it is also rich in potassium and therefore helps to remove toxins from the cells acting like a natural diuretic. If you cannot find chewable bromelain tablets for some reason, purchase the most natural form of bromelain you can find in capsule or tablet form without coating or other substances. I do not recommend the fancy combination formulations because they are generally not as effective as plain old bromelain in my opinion.

Another bit of information about the pineapple enzyme called bromelain is that it has an extremely wonderful side benefit which can prove beneficial during a major trauma to muscle, bone, and all tissue in general; it has the ability to help dissolve blood clots which are often present during massive injuries. Since blood clots can be extremely dangerous, and can even be the cause of death after traumas, keeping some bromelain on hand, or at least 100% pure pineapple juice in the refrigerator, is a very smart idea. I also drink fresh pineapple juice and eat fresh pineapple before and after strenuous workouts. And since long plane trips cause blood to pool in the legs predisposing people to poor circulation and potential blood clots, I drink pineapple juice before long flights or car trips too. In a real pinch I might even take some dried pineapple with me. It is really suggested that we rehydrate the dried fruit before consuming as it is too concentrated and can cause bowel problems if you eat too much of it. But, you can easily rehydrate dried pineapple overnight in a jar of water if you are a camper or hiker.

If you ever want to test the effect that fresh pineapple, or even canned pineapple, has on protein tissue just pour a can of pineapple on a piece of meat overnight. If you want to ruin your sugar baked ham, just cook the entire ham with a can of pineapple in a slow cooker overnight; in the morning you will have a nice lump of gooey ham that appears to have been placed in a blender. I know from experience that pineapple is one of the best meat tenderizers, similar to papaya often used in meat tenderizers.

You never know when you will fall or injure yourself, but you can take simple and quick measures to protect yourself until you can get to see a doctor. Always check with your doctor before adding any new substance to your diet as some medications may conflict with some foods. If you are allowed to eat pineapple then I would definitely keep some form of it on hand for times when your body needs help healing from an injury.

Wishing you wellness!

Heal Injuries and Stop Inflammation With Fruit!

Janet Angel is a sought-after wellness expert with advanced degrees in nutritional biochemistry and psychology. She believes that everyone needs to educate themselves on the wellness opportunities available around the world. Dr. Angel has counseled many prominent citizens across the United States and has participated in several international research programs surrounding health. She has been a guest on many radio programs, is a public speaker, author and seminar leader. Dr. Angel believes that the body has the innate ability to heal itself in most circumstances, given the right environment, the right elements and the opportunity. For further information on her drive to help others reach their fullest potential, please go to http://www.Totallywell.com For financial wellness ideas go to [http://www.LinkToCashNow.com]

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How Much Does it Cost to Use a Food Dehydrator?

A common misconception is that it is expensive, electricity wise, to operate a food dehydrator. This is not true, even though dehydrators use electricity to operate their heating system and fans for longer periods of time, sometimes up to twelve and eighteen hours.

Food dehydrators are used to dry various foods by eliminating the water within the food. The water content of food is very high, typically between 80% to 95% for various fruits and vegetables and 50% to 75% for different meats. In order to minimize dehydration time, best dehydration practices to follow include slicing food into 1/4 inch or less strips and evenly spreading the food throughout the unit's trays in order to maximize the amount of the food's surface that is exposed to the unit's heat and air flow.

Dried Fruit

However, even following best dehydration practices, a food drying process can take multiple hours. One temptation is to try and speed up the drying time by increasing the dehydrating temperature. This is not recommended and can result in case hardened food; that is, food that is dried and hard on the outside but moist and containing water on the inside. Case hardened food will spoil due to microbial growth.

So what do typical dehydrators cost to operate? Obviously the costs depend on the state and local area that you live in, however, within the U.S., on average, running a 750 watt unit for one hour would cost about 8 cents. Cost per state, per hour, for the same 750 watt unit varies from about 5 cents on the low end in North Dakota to almost 22 cents in Hawaii.

A typical dehydrator may run for twelve hours. As an example, assuming a dehydrator user lives in the state of California, a food dehydrator calculator can be used to estimate electricity costs required to run a 750 watt food drying appliance for, say, 12 hours straight. In this case the electricity cost would be about .21. In fact, most food drying units power on and off during the drying cycle so this would be a maximum electricity cost.

If the same Californian user bought about 3.7 pounds of apples at .29 per pound and dried those apples during that 12 hour time period, the user would have about 1 pound of dried apples and the cost of the dried apples would be .77. The total operating cost for one pound of homemade dried apples would thus be about .98. This homemade cost compares favorably to a well known national brand of dried apples that was recently selling at a major grocery store chain for .79 for a 5 ounce bag or a cost per pound of .93. Savings for homemade dried apples, made with a dehydrator, versus store bought - about .00.

Dehydrate your own dried fruit, dried vegetables and jerky at home using your food dehydrator. You'll continuously save money versus store bought dried fruit and jerky and obtain a return on the cost of the food drying appliance. Further, you can control the ingredients that go into your food (most store bought dried fruit and jerky contain excess sugars and salts) and make great tasting food.

How Much Does it Cost to Use a Food Dehydrator?

Visit Food Dehydrator to learn how to dehydrate food and make beef jerky and dried fruit. Use our food dehydrator content and calculators to discover the benefits of food dehydrators and dried food.

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Luo Han Guo - The Sweet Taste of Health

In China the Luo Han Guo fruit has been used as a natural sweetener for nearly a millennium. The official name of this herbaceous perennial vine is Siraitia grosvenorii. It is native to southern China and is best known for its fruit.

Luo Han Guo, (罗汉果; Pinyin: luóhàn guǒ) literally means "arhat fruit" or "monk's fruit", and is one of several that have been called the "longevity fruit". It is also commonly spelled as "luohan guo". It is grown primarily in the southwestern Chinese province of Guangxi (mostly in the mountains of Guilin), as well as in Guangdong, Guizhou, Hunan, and Jiangxi. These mountains lend the plants shade, and are often surrounded by mists.

Dried Fruit

Luo Han Guo is rarely found in the wild. Most of the plantations are located in Yongfu County and Lingui County, which in China are renowned for the extraordinary number of centenarians. Longjiang town (Longjiang meaning "Dragon River") in Yongfu County has a number of companies specialised in making Luo Han Guo extracts and finished products.

The dried fruits are part of the daily life in the provinces where it is grown. They are stored and used for drinks, teas, soups, candies, cakes, and crackers that are consumed all year long. Records show that Luo Han Guo has been cultivated in the Guangxi province since 1813. Currently, the largest plantation is in the Guilin mountains, covering 16 square kilometers. Guilin supplies over 90 percent of the total commercial production and is considered to be the home of Luo Han Guo fruit production, with a tradition of processing that began in the late 19th century. During the Tang dynasty, Guilin was one of the most important Buddhist retreats. Luo Han Guo was named after a group of Buddhist monks who, due to their proper way of life and meditation, achieved enlightenment.

Luo Han Guo became better known in the 20th century. The first report of it in English was found in an unpublished manuscript written in 1938 by Professor G. W. Groff and Hoh Hin Cheung. The report stated that the fruits were often used as the main ingredient for remedies that treated fever or other dysfunctions, traditionally associated with warmth or heat. It was widely known that the juice of the fruit was very sweet. Groff and Hoh realised that Luo Han Guo was an important Chinese domestic remedy for the treatment of cold and pneumonia.

The fruit only recently gained importance in Chinese history, however, it appears that a small group of people had mastered its cultivation a long time ago.

Lou Han Guo came to the United States in the early 20th century. Seeds of the fruit were bought in a Chinese shop in San Francisco, and were subsequently entered into the universal botanic description of the species in 1941.

The sweet taste of Luo Han Guo comes mainly from mogrosides that make up the flesh of the fresh fruit. Through extraction, a powder containing 80% mogrosides can be obtained. Five different mogrosides are known, each one numbered from 1 to 5. The main mogroside in this plant is mogroside-5, that was previously known as esgoside. The pure mogroside mix results in a sweetness that is 300 times sweeter than sugar. The 80% mix is approximately 250 times sweeter, while pure mogroside-5 can be up to 400 times as sweet.

There are no reported incidents of negative side effects of Luo Han Guo and there are no restrictions on consuming the fruit or its extracts. The plant is most prized for its sweet fruit, which are used for medicinal purposes, and as a sweetener. Luo Han Guo fruits are generally sold in dried form, and traditionally used in herbal teas or soup. They are used for respiratory ailments, sore throats and are thought to aid longevity.

Recent research on Luo Han Guo suggests that the mogroside works as an antioxidant and that it helps to prevent cancer. The use of Luo Han Guo as a remedy for diabetes and obesity has been mentioned, since it can be used as a substitute for sugar. Luo Han Guo has also been shown to be useful against the Epstein-Barr virus.

Yet its curative history is not what first brought it to the attention of food manufacturers in this country.

Mongrosides contribute hardly any calories to the diet and have potentially healthful side effects to boot. Though glycosides tickle our sweet taste buds, the body handles them differently from carbohydrates. Insulin levels do not rise in response to glycosides, since they arent broken apart to produce energy. This way you cant pack on the pounds. Researchers at Nihon University in Japan have identified nearly 20 compounds from Luo Han Guo with potential anti-tumor activities. Animal studies at the University of Hiroshima, also in Japan, have shown that two of the mongrosides can inhibit the growth of skin tumors initiated by known carcinogens.

Other promising studies demonstrated that mongrosides not only fail to raise blood sugar levels but may actually slow the entrance of sugar into the blood. Mongrosides may even help to protect against heart disease by preventing the oxidation of LDL cholesterol, a known risk factor, especially for persons at risk for heart disease or with diabetes.

Luo Han Guo is harvested in the form of a round green fruit, which becomes brown when it's dried. Since it is hard to store, you can rarely find it in its fresh form. For this reason, the fruits are usually dried before they are sold in Chinese herbal shops. This limits the use of the dried fruits and extracts to teas, soups, and as a sweetener for products that would usually have sugar or honey added to them. There are a number of commercially prepared Luo Han Guo products. The extracted fresh and dried fruit is usually processed into a powder, comprised of at least 80 percent mogrosides. The powder dissolves in water and the taste is unaffected by cooking, making it an ideal natural replacement for artificial sweeteners. One of the most famous of these is powdered, instant Luo Han Guo, which is sold by the Yongfu company. It is sold in China, Hong Kong and in Chinese shops in the West. In addition, there are a number of other products which contain Luo Han Guo either on its own, or in a mix with other herbs. You can also find it in some juice products, where it is combined with other super-fruits.

We often hear of miracle foods and other over-hyped ingredients, in the global health and nutrition industry. Luo Han Guo might just be the first super-fruit that could live up to every bit of the hype that's surrounding it.

Luo Han Guo - The Sweet Taste of Health

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Feeding Wild Birds

Feeding wild birds can be quite an eclectic practice. This is wild birds have different food preferences. Some eat bugs while others prefer seeds or tomatoes. Other wild birds such as hummingbirds prefer to suck up sugar water. To make feeding wild birds even more complicated their diet can change from season to season. For instance some birds may eat insects for most of the year but then switch to berries in the winter when there are less creepy crawlies around.

Here is a brief guide to feeding wild birds.

Dried Fruit

If you want to attract:

Blackbirds - Spread millet out on a platform feeder.

Bluebirds - Spread millet out on a platform feeder along with raisins, dried fruit and fruit remnants. They will also eat from a suet ball and enjoy suet balls covered with peanut butter.

Jays - Spread a platform feeder with corn, peanuts and sunflower seeds. They also enjoy a nice ball of suet.

Cardinals - Spread sunflower seeds, peanuts or fruit on a platform feeder. They will also eat from a suit ball or suet feeder.

Cedar Waxwings - Spread a platform feeder with fresh or dried pieces of fruit.

Chickadees - These wild birds need a tube feeder with black oil sunflower seeds. The will also feed from a suet feeder or a platform or tube feeder supplied with peanuts or thistle seeds. They will also feed from suet balls or tree bark spread with peanut butter.

Doves - Spread millet, corn and peanuts on a platform feeder.

Finches - Finches feed best from a tube feeder filled with black sunflower seeds or a platform feeder with peanuts. They will also eat safflower seeds and thistle seeds (also known as niger)

Flickers - Flickers enjoy suet balls or pieces smeared with peanut butter, or you can smear the peanut butter on a tree.

Grackles - Spread a platform feeder with peanuts

Grosbeaks - They will feed on sunflower or safflower seeds from a tube feeder or a platform.

Hummingbirds - These wild birds feed on fructose so they need a hanging nectar feeder filled with sugar water. They will also eat peanut butter smeared on tree bark.

Juncos - Spread a platform feeder with corn and peanuts

Mockingbirds - Mockingbirds thrive best feeding from a platform feeder filled with fresh or dried fruit.

Nuthatches - Feed these wild birds with a suet feeder or a tube feeder filled with black sunflower seeds.

Orioles- These songbirds feed from a nectar feeder filled with sugar water and on pieces of dried or fresh fruit.

Pheasants - Feed these large birds with platform feeder filled with corn.

Pigeons - Fill a platform feeder with millet or corn.

Pine Siskins -This wild bird feeds on thistle seeds.

Quail - Fill a platform feeder with corn.

Sparrows - These wild birds feed from a platform feeder filled with millet or peanuts. They also enjoy millet, sunflower seeds, thistle seeds and corn.

Tanagers - These songbirds prefer a nectar feeder filled with sugar water and fresh or dried fruit.

Titmice - These tiny birds prefer a tube feeder filled with black oil sunflower seeds or peanuts. They will also dine off of platform feeder with peanuts or on tree bark covered with peanut butter.

Woodpeckers - They enjoy fruit, dried fruit, suet balls and tube feeders filled with peanuts or sunflower seeds. They also enjoy suet or tree bark smeared with peanut butter.

Wrens- These tiny birds do best feeding from a suet ball or suet filled feeder. They will also feed on suet balls or tree bark that has been smeared with peanut butter.

As part of your regiment of feeding wild birds you may also want to provide them with a bit of grit. Grit is simply fine grains of sand. You can also buy pet bird grit or make your own by grinding up eggshells. Eggshells also supply wild birds with calcium that they need to lay their bird eggs in the spring.

Birds ingest fine grains of grit to help them digest seeds and peanuts. This is especially crucial if you are feeding wild birds in the winter when the ground is covered in snow and the dirt that they usually eat to supply their gizzards with grit is scarce. A deficiency of readily available grit is why wild birds can sometimes look a bit unhealthy in the winter season. The wild birds will probably appreciate it if you mix just a bit of grit in with their food as it eases their digestion.

Feeding Wild Birds

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Fruits For Diabetics - Learn Which Fruits Diabetics Should Eat and How to Eat Them

Should Diabetics Eat Fruit?

This is a tricky question. On the one hand, most of the calories in fruit come from carbohydrates which of course is something diabetics have to watch very closely or their blood sugar may spike. Additionally, most fruits have a high glycemic index compared to low carb high protein foods. On the other hand, some fruits are extremely high in antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and fiber if eaten in their unadulterated raw form. There is no question that fiber helps regulate blood sugar. Scientific studies are rapidly proving the powerful health benefits of antioxidants. These include antioxidants that help regulate insulin and help our cells become more sensitive to insulin, i.e. they help reverse diabetes. They also include antioxidants that help fight off health complications that diabetics are more susceptible to including heart disease, premature aging, stroke, and cancer. The pectin found in apples has been shown to improve glucose metabolism. Early studies show grapefruit can also lower blood sugar.

Dried Fruit

My take on this is that most diabetics should eat fruit BUT they should be very prudent about how they go about it. The primary purpose of this article is to give those with diabetes (and those who love them) practical information they can use to make wise decisions about which fruits they eat and how to eat them.

One important caveat: From a strict botanical perspective, some foods which we call "vegetables" are technically fruits but I am not including a discussion of these in this article. I do want to mention that many of these "vegetable fruits" are superstars in the diabetic diet. For example, a medium-sized peeled cucumber which is technically a fruit has only 3 net carbs and an extremely low glycemic load of 1 plus they are chock full of nutrients and fiber.

What Are the Best Fruits For Diabetics?

The best fruits for diabetics, taking all important factors into consideration, are berries. Relative to other fruits, berries are low carb and have a low glycemic index (20 - 45 GI, usually on the lower end of this). They are also exceptionally high in fiber and antioxidants. Within the most common berries consumed in the US, raspberries and blackberries have less carb and a lower glycemic index than blueberries but you can adjust your serving size to compensate for this. For example, a 100 gram serving (about 2/3 cup) of raspberries or blackberries has approximately 6 net carbs whereas the same volume of blueberries has 12 net carbs. So, if you're keeping your carbs super low you may want to reduce your serving size of blueberries to 1/3 - 1/2 cup.

Diabetics Should Favor Fruits That Are Relatively Low Carb, Have a Relatively Low Glycemic Number, and Are Relatively High In Fiber

Besides berries which I've identified as the #1 choice overall, a small serving of apples (12-26 g/fruit), citrus (8-22 g/fruit), and stone fruits (1-19 g/fruit) a few times a week can be part of a healthy diet for most diabetics. These fruits have a relatively low glycemic index and relatively low carb per fruit. Stone fruits are fruits that have a single large pit (the "stone") in the middle with a sweet fleshy outer layer around it. These include cherries (1 g/fruit), peaches (11-19 g/fruit), plums (7 g/fruit), apricots (3 g/fruit), and nectarines (12-13 g/fruit). For your easy reference, I've included the estimated range of net carbs in grams per fruit. If you're on a really low carb diet (less than 30 carbs per day usually) or you are gaining unwanted weight, you may have to really curtail fruits. It is interesting to note that stone fruits are all members of the genus Prunus which also includes almonds, a superstar in the diabetic diet, and that a peach pit looks a lot like an almond shell. The edible skins of fruits tend to be very high in fiber so be sure to eat your apple peels and that fuzzy peach skin!

Cantaloupe (aka ground melon), watermelon, and pineapple are examples of fruits that are very high in carb so you might want to eat them only occasionally.

Bananas Are Very Popular In the American Diet But...

Bananas are the most popular fruit in America, even surpassing apples and oranges. However, bananas have 17-31+ grams of carb and have an average glycemic index of 55 which can be much higher with a really ripe super sweet banana (the way I like 'em). If you really miss banana, I recommend eating them only 1-2 times a week and eating only half a banana as a single serving. Plus, you can pick out small bananas when you shop to lower the carb.

Diabetics Should Avoid Fruit Juice and Dried Fruit

Even if you drink the unsweetened kind, fruit juice contains little to no fiber and is very high in sugar with a high glycemic index. Because of this, even a small amount of juice can play haywire with your blood sugar levels. Plus, when you drink juice, you miss out on many nutrients you'd have in the actual whole fruit. Dried fruit highly concentrates the sugar and should therefore definitely be avoided by diabetics.

Eat Fruit With Other Foods

This is a very important point so pay close attention. When diabetics eat foods that are higher in carbs and have a higher glycemic index such as fruits, they should always try to eat some protein and healthy fat along with it. The protein and fat balances out the effect of the carbohydrates in the fruit and you will get less of a spike in your blood sugar. A really good combination seems to be eating fruit with nuts. You can also combine eating fruit with some low carb yogurt, cottage cheese, hard cheese, or eat your fruit as part of a full meal. I love eating a small bit of fruit as a dessert. Use common sense though. If your meal already has a significant number of other carbs (like grains), you may want to skip the fruit.

Try To Eat Fruit Earlier In the Day

It seems that for most diabetics fruit has less effect on their blood sugar levels if they eat it earlier in the day. So, try to eat your fruit as part of your breakfast or lunch. This is especially true if you are experiencing the "dawn phenomenon" where your early morning blood sugar readings are much higher than they were when you went to bed. In this case, you should definitely avoid eating fruit at night and see if that makes a difference.

Pay Attention To Your Whole Diet and Keep It In Balanced

Let's say you go on a beautiful summer picnic and you splurge on some very sweet watermelon (yum!). To compensate, you may want to watch your carbs more carefully for the rest of the day and maybe eat a lower carb dinner. If you just have to have a banana with your breakfast (I suggest eating half of a small banana), try to eat a lower carb lunch and limit your other carbs at breakfast.

Pay Very Careful Attention To Serving Size

The phrase "eat in moderation" takes on new meaning for the diabetic. Food is medicine for the diabetic and can even reverse diabetes if you know what to eat and stick to it but it can also exacerbate the disease if you eat the wrong foods. When it comes to eating carbohydrates, no matter how healthy food item is, serving size is the most important factor. Yes, fruits are healthy in many ways but if you are diabetic, it is crucial you do not over-indulge in fruit. Doing so bcould result in a huge spike in your blood sugar, and worse, if you over-indulge too often you could make your cells less receptive to insulin.

I know the natural tendency of most Americans is to pick out larger sized fruit, which is why cultivators select for it. However, a simple trick for diabetics who want to limit their carbs is to pick out smaller fruit. It is generally just as tasty as the bigger fruit. Let me give you a few examples to illustrate the carbs you can save by doing so. A six inch banana has 17 net carbs whereas a nine inch banana has 31 net carbs. That's a 14 carb difference! That's very significant. Even if you eat just half a banana, that's still a 7 carb difference. Try to pick out small bananas. A small tangerine is only 9 net carbs (clementines are only 8 net carbs) whereas a large tangerine is 14 net carbs. You may even want to pick tangerines over oranges because even a small orange is 16 net carbs which is more than the largest tangerine. If you really want to limit your carbs, you may want to pick apricots and plums (3 and 7 net carbs respectively) over peaches and nectarines (11-19 net carbs). It's hard to resist eating the entire peach and it's awfully messy to slice and leave half (but possible). With cherries, you can simply count out the number of cherries by the number of carbs you can afford since they are 1 net carb per cherry. How convenient of them (smile).

Be Careful, You May Be Eating More Carbs Than You Think

I think many diabetics and low carb dieters grossly underestimate the net carbs in the fruit they eat. There are many reasons for this.

It is easy to be fooled when you look up the nutritional values of fruit. The value you get is probably an average value. The average may not be as big or as ripe as the fruit you are actually eating. The tests may have been conducted with a different species or variety that is more or less sweet or has more or less fiber than the fruit you are actually eating. There is a lot of variation between varieties in fruit and it can make a HUGE difference in the actual nutritional values. Even if you are comparing the exact same variety/species, your fruit may have been grown in a different soil type. Bottom line, you need to take the nutrition values you find for fruit with a grain of salt and be very aware that the values can vary greatly - much more so than with other types of foods like meat and dairy.

Cultivators and food science geeks play with genetics of fruits in an effort to make us, the sugarophilic super size that please consumers that we are, happy. I've read that the sugar content in cantaloupe doubled between 1950 and 1999. The values for fruit in the USDA Food Database were recently updated because they were so underestimated because fruits have gotten so much bigger and sweeter.

When you pick out fruit, don't you tend to pick out the ripest, sweetest, most tantalizing fruit you can find? I know I do. In general, as a fruit ripens its carb quantity goes up, especially if it ripens before it is picked. Have you ever heard anyone say, "That fruit was as sweet as candy?"

Know Your Own Body

There seems to be more variability in how diabetics respond to fruit than just about any other food type. For some diabetics, eating a whole apple seems to be just fine while with others eating just half an apple can send their blood sugar soaring through the roof. For this reason, you need to do some very careful testing to see how your body responds to fruit so you will know what quantities and which fruits you can eat without causing ill effects. You'll want to keep the testing as simple as possible. Measure out a certain quantity of fruit, perhaps a half cup or whole cup of a fruit you'd like to eat, and test your blood sugar just before you eat it and then again 1.5 hours after you eat it. Compare these readings to what happens when you eat a low carb high protein snack at the same time of day under as many of the same conditions as possible. You can try increasing or decreasing the amount the next day depending on the initial result and you can try other favorite fruits. Keep in mind that many other factors such as other foods you eat around the same time, how much exercise you've recently gotten, how much sleep you had the night before, how stressed you are, what you do in that 1.5 hours between tests, etc, etc can all affect the results so you'll want to test more than once to see how consistent your results are. If your blood sugar does spike after eating a reasonable portion of fruit, I encourage you to re-test in a month or two if you adhere to a good and consistent low carb diabetic diet and make other healthy lifestyle changes during that time such as getting more exercise, sleeping more, and lowering stress. Once the body has had time to heal itself, i.e. once you've had time to reverse your diabetes, you will likely be less insulin resistant (this is what happened to me) and your body may be able to handle reasonable portions of fruit (and a few other carbs) without the spikes in blood sugar.

Fruits For Diabetics - Learn Which Fruits Diabetics Should Eat and How to Eat Them

You CAN reverse diabetes by eating the right foods and by other natural means.

I am living proof of this and so are many other people who were diagnosed with diabetes but now have normal blood sugar levels and feel much healthier. My doctor could hardly believe the difference in my blood sugar readings after only a few weeks. Please visit my Reverse Diabetes Naturally website to learn more about how you too can reverse diabetes: http://reverse-diabetes-naturally.blogspot.com.

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