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Bananas

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GrahamP

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I enjoy a banana with my porridge every morning and will also eat one later in the day. Lots of sites I read give me different information. Can you tell me if eating bananas as I do is okay. Thank you
 
Try testing before and two hours later to see what your levels are. Bananas can be high in carbs, as is porridge.
 
Bananas are one of the fruits that many Type 2 folk avoid as they are pretty well the highest carb fruits. 1 medium size banana (85g) would be 20g carbohydrate so when added to your porridge also high carb and something many can't tolerate would make a very high carb breakfast. Many people are more sensitive to carbs in the morning and find a low carb a much better option otherwise you are starting the day with high blood glucose levels.
A breakfast of protein eg eggs, or Greek yoghurt and berries id much better
 
Hi @GrahamP do you mind me asking what type of diabetes you have please? For a type 2 who is diet maintained or on pills like metformin, bananas may have too much sugar and carbohydrate for your body to process without putting up your blood glucose. But for a Type 1, I think (I'm not T1), they'd have more insulin and that would balance out the carbs in the banana.
Cheers, Sarah
 
On the contrary - Type 1s have no insulin whatsoever. 🙂

Because I have to inject insulin for every thing I eat with carbohydrate in it I mentally weigh up whether I enjoy things enough to make jabbing to cover it, worthwhile. It isn't merely whether I like the taste, it's whether the thing increases my blood glucose too high for too long. As it happens, I've never been that fond of bananas and more than about 2inches of one does affect my BG too much for too long - so I hardly ever bother eating any although I do have a bit if my husband ever has one with some ice cream as his pudding - he'll slice it and give me a bit. Enough for me and much more easily covered by insulin.

I agree with Windy - test your BG before and after eating that brekkie - can your body cope with that mega carb hit?
 
trophywench said:
On the contrary - Type 1s have no insulin whatsoever
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"They'd have more insulin" should have read "They'd take more insulin". Definitely not my area of expertise either way though.
Sorry, bad nights sleep (really stormy and windy in the midlands last night) and not picking the best words today.
 
Yep - still howling with wind at our house, lashing down earlier but rain's now stopped and sunny - but still arctic. Snowdrops look nice though! (and next door's pink camellia over the fence)
 
Bananas and oats as porridge were listed on the diet sheet from the GP I'd been following before diagnosis, all high carb, low fat foods. I used the sheets to light the barbecue the day after diagnosis and have not eaten either since.
My freezer is piled with meat and fish, frozen berries and vege mixes the fridge full of eggs cheese, cream, salad and fresh low carb veges and I am a lot thinner than I was, also stronger and fitter.
 
The thing with bananas I find is that an average banana as listed in nutritional charts is a lot smaller than the ones you get in the shop. If I eat bananas, I often choose the small/kiddie ones.
 
Inka said:
The thing with bananas I find is that an average banana as listed in nutritional charts is a lot smaller than the ones you get in the shop. If I eat bananas, I often choose the small/kiddie ones.
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My Carbs and Cals has the weight of a peeled banana with the carb amount and as you say the small banana looks the size of a kiddy one.
 
Leadinglights said:
My Carbs and Cals has the weight of a peeled banana with the carb amount and as you say the small banana looks the size of a kiddy one.
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Yes, it was weighing what I thought was an average banana that showed me how much heavier it was and thus more carby. As a Type 1 I’m on insulin, but if I was a diet-only Type 2 I’d be wary and if I chose to eat a banana I’d go for the smallest or just have half.
 
Drummer said:
Bananas and oats as porridge were listed on the diet sheet from the GP I'd been following before diagnosis, all high carb, low fat foods. I used the sheets to light the barbecue the day after diagnosis and have not eaten either since.
My freezer is piled with meat and fish, frozen berries and vege mixes the fridge full of eggs cheese, cream, salad and fresh low carb veges and I am a lot thinner than I was, also stronger and fitter.
Click to expand...
was that the eatwell and get diabetes plate sheet? I have recycled mine. Low carb for me.
 
I tend to restrict having a banana to a very occasional treat when I have done a really long brisk walk and my levels are really low or very occasionally half of one one day with some cream or yoghurt and the other half the next to spread out the impact. Two in one day is almost certainly pushing your luck if you are Type 2 on oral meds or just diet controlled and porridge and a banana for breakfast may be setting you up for a day of high BG levels even without the second banana later.
Most of us here would strongly advocate for you getting yourself a basic BG meter and starting to test the impact the food you are eating has on your BG levels. That is the only way to find out if your system can cope with your current choices in food, by testing right before a meal and then 2 hours afterwards and keeping a food diary alongside the pairs of readings. You will soon spot the foods which cause you the most BG upheaval and decide whether it is worth reducing the portion size or finding something lower carb to eat instead.

The two meters which are tried and tested and recommended by people who self fund are the Gluco Navii and the Spirit Healthcare Tee2. These meter kits cost about £15 but you then need to purchase extra test strips as you go through quite a lot in the first few weeks and months of intensive testing, so test strip cost is of primary importantce when self funding, hence these two are recommended for reliability and economy of use. Additional test strips for them are about £8 for a pot of 50 and if you are ordering a kit, mke sure to buy extra strips and a box of lancets with it as you only get 10 with the lit and you will very rapidly use those.

If you need to know more info about testing and what you are aiming for with it, just ask, but I think from the replies you have had so far you will probably realise that you may not be helping your diabetes with your current diet.
 
Bananas are yukky.

That is all.
 
Windy said:
Hi @GrahamP do you mind me asking what type of diabetes you have please? For a type 2 who is diet maintained or on pills like metformin, bananas may have too much sugar and carbohydrate for your body to process without putting up your blood glucose. But for a Type 1, I think (I'm not T1), they'd have more insulin and that would balance out the carbs in the banana.
Cheers, Sarah
Click to expand...
Type 2
 
Eat at least 1 daily, always been fav fruit, some days have 2 & take one when out for long walks with dog.

Mind I'm type 1 so cant comment on whether its suitable for you Graham, best bet is to test bg after eating one.
 
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