Hello my friends,
Last week, we talked about how simple movements and exercises can help normalize your blood sugar. We looked at how using your muscles acts as a "glucose sink," soaking up sugar from your bloodstream.
But movement is only half the equation. Today, we need to talk about the input.
Specifically, I want to address the single most common myth I hear when it comes to nutrition and blood sugar.
If you have high blood sugar—or if you’re just worried about it because you want to stay healthy for the long haul—you have likely been told to avoid fruit.
You’ve probably heard that bananas are "sugar sticks," that grapes are "little bags of syrup," and that if you want to prevent or manage diabetes, you should stick to bacon and avocados while treating the produce aisle like a minefield.
That advice is not just wrong.
And honestly? It breaks my heart.
I see so many of you trying to do the "right" thing. You’re cutting out whole food groups. You’re terrified of a mango. You’re stressing over the sugar content of an apple.
Whether you are managing a diagnosis right now or just trying to prevent one in the future, I want to give you permission to stop the madness.
Today, we are looking at the Proof (what the science actually says about fruit and diabetes) and the Practice (how to actually eat it without the overwhelm).
Why We Believe the Lie
Why is this myth so persistent?
It comes down to a "Complexity Trap." We are often wired to believe that the solution to a difficult problem must be complicated, restrictive, or expensive to be effective.
We readily spend $90 on a "Greens Superfood Powder" because the marketing promises it will detoxify our cells and optimize our insulin. But we hesitate to spend $1 on an apple.
Why? Because the apple seems too simple. Too ordinary. And yes, it contains sugar.
The wellness industry makes billions by isolating nutrients—zooming in on "sugar" while ignoring the package it comes in. This is called reductionism. It’s looking at a car and only seeing the gas tank, ignoring the brakes, the steering wheel, and the engine.
How Do Fruits Actually Help Blood Sugar?
You might be wondering: if fruits have sugar, how can they help with blood sugar control? Here's how it works:
Fiber: Fruits contain fiber, which slows down how fast sugar gets into your bloodstream. This prevents big spikes in blood sugar.
Polyphenols: Fruits contain special plant compounds called polyphenols. These compounds help your body use insulin better (insulin is the hormone that controls blood sugar). They also protect the cells in your pancreas that make insulin.
Low Glycemic Index: Many fruits have what's called a "low glycemic index," which means they don't cause rapid increases in blood sugar. Apples, berries, and citrus fruits are especially good choices.
Other Benefits: The compounds in fruits also reduce inflammation in your body, act as antioxidants, and help your gut bacteria stay healthy—all of which help with diabetes control.
The Proof: What the Science Says
You don’t have to take my word for it. Let’s look at the data.
Study #1: Adding Fruit Lowers Blood Sugar
A recent meta-analysis looked at 19 different studies involving 888 people with diabetes. The researchers found that people who ate more fruit actually saw their fasting blood sugar drop by an average of 8 points. Both fresh and dried fruits showed this benefit.
Study #2: Restricting Fruit Doesn’t Help
Another study specifically tested the "cut it out" method. They took people with Type 2 diabetes and split them into two groups:
Group A: Told to eat at least 2 pieces of fruit daily.
Group B: Told to restrict fruit (no more than 2 pieces per week).
After several months, guess what happened? The group that restricted fruit did not see any improvement in their A1C, weight, or waist circumference compared to the fruit eaters.
Cutting out fruit didn’t make them healthier. It just made their diet more restrictive.
The Practice: How to Actually Do It
So, if the science says "eat the fruit," how do we do that in a busy life without overcomplicating it?
The general recommendation is at least 2 servings of whole fruit per day.
As an example, one serving equals:
1 medium apple, orange, or banana
1/2 cup of berries or chopped fruit
1/4 cup of dried fruit
Here is how to make that happen without turning it into another chore on your to-do list.
1. The "Visual Cue" Strategy
If you don't see it, you won't eat it. We are visual creatures. If your fruit is hidden in the crisper drawer (where good intentions go to die), you will grab the chips from the pantry instead.
The Fix: Put a fruit bowl front and center on your kitchen counter or your desk. Make it the path of least resistance.
2. The "Frozen Hack" Strategy
I hear this objection all the time: "Grazelle, I buy fruit, but I travel for work/get busy, and it rots. I feel guilty wasting money."
The Fix: The freezer is your friend. Frozen fruit is picked at peak ripeness and flash-frozen, meaning it often retains more nutrients than the "fresh" fruit that has been sitting on a truck for two weeks.
My Go-To: I keep bags of frozen berries and mango chunks. I throw them into a smoothie with some protein powder, soy milk or yogurt. It takes 2 minutes. No washing, no chopping, no waste.
The Banana Bread Confession
Now, I want to be real with you.
I am a Lifestyle Medicine professional. I know the science. I aim for my 2 servings every day.
But I am also a human being, a mother, and a busy clinician.
There are weeks when I buy a beautiful bunch of bananas with the best intentions. And there are weeks when life hits—sleepless nights with the baby, general chaos—and those bananas turn completely black on my counter.
Last month, I looked at a pile of mushy bananas and thought, “I’ll save them! I’ll make healthy banana bread.”
I tried. I forgot again. The bananas were... let's just say, "inedible."
And you know what? That’s okay.
The fact that I let fruit rot doesn’t mean I’m a failure at health. It doesn't mean I should stop buying bananas. It just means rot happens.
You iterate. You try again next week. You buy a bag of frozen strawberries instead because they don't have a deadline.
The Long Game
If you take one thing away from this newsletter, let it be this: Fear is not a health strategy.
When we operate out of fear—fear of spikes, fear of sugar, fear of "doing it wrong"—we narrow our lives. We miss out on the joy of a summer peach or the convenience of a banana on the go.
But more importantly, we miss out on the protection.
People who eat the recommended amount of fruit have lower risks of heart disease, stroke, and even death from all causes. By trying to "save" your blood sugar by cutting out fruit, you might be missing the very nutrients that protect your blood vessels and heart in the long run.
So, here is your permission slip.
Go eat an apple. Enjoy the berries.
Trust the fiber.
To your health—sweetness and all,
Grazelle 🌱
P.S. What is your favorite fruit that you’ve been avoiding? Hit reply and tell me—I’d love to hear what you’re adding back to your menu this week!
My poor bananas…
Whenever you’re ready, here are some other (free) resources you can check out:
Join the free Health Habit Reset 7-Day Challenge for evidence-based strategies that fit your busy schedule.
Want to start eating plant-based? Grab this free guide to simplify your transition to a whole food plant-rich lifestyle.