Can Diabetics Drink Juices and Smoothies Safely?

Is It Safe for Diabetics to Drink Juices and Smoothies? Or Will They Cause a Blood Sugar Spike?

Because I have a very cool online video course on juices and smoothies and how to get the most out of them, I’m often asked if it’s safe – and healthy – for diabetics to drink juices and smoothies.

The answer is yes! – BUT diabetics need to be more careful about which juices and smoothies to choose.

Here’s why.

It’s All About Sugar, Fructose and Fiber

As a diabetic, you already know that you’ve got to be really, really careful about sugar.

Fruit juices have a bad reputation for containing a lot of sugar – and rightly so in some cases. For example, some store-bought juices have added sugar, and that’s a problem if you’re diabetic.  You need to read the labels really, really carefully.

That’s why it’s better to make your own juices and smoothies. You know exactly what goes into them. And luckily, it’s really quite easy!

Fruit contains a natural type of sugar called fructose.

When you eat a whole fruit (e.g. an apple), there’s fructose, vitamins and minerals, and fiber. Fibre is good for your digestion, and helps you feel full. Most importantly for diabetics though, fibre slows down the absorption of fructose, which is good.

Smoothies keep some of the fibre from fruit, but juices keep very little fiber.

So generally, it’s best to eat whole fruit, then smoothies are second-best and lastly, juices.

But that’s not the whole story!

Smoothies Are More Interesting!

It’s lovely to eat whole fruits. But it’s not always easy to eat to eat as much fruit and vegetables every day as you should.

Smoothies make it really easy to meet your healthy eating goals – and they’re much more exciting! They offer an almost endless supply of different combinations, tastes and textures.

On the down side, however, it’s very easy to drink a LOT of smoothie in a short space of time. This means you could be drinking a lot of extra calories, carbs and sugar.  It looks like a drink, but don’t consume a smoothie AND a meal!

Make Your Own, Or Be Picky

Make your own yummy smoothies so that you know exactly what goes into them.

If you’re ordering a smoothie away from home, ask about the ingredients and see if the staff can make one without added sugar. If not, avoid it. You might also be able to order specific ingredients for your smoothie, and watch while they make it for you. That’s cool.

The Best Smoothies for Diabetics

Interestingly, the best smoothies for diabetics are often also the best smoothies for general health. Smoothies that contain mostly vegetables are the best smoothies for everyone.

It’s often difficult to eat as many vegetables as you should for your health. But adding them to smoothies is a fun way to “eat” them without getting bored.

Vegetables are low-cal, low-fat, low salt, low-almost-everything except goodness!

When I first started with smoothies, I avoided veggie drinks, and especially green drinks. But I quickly found out that I didn’t taste the veggies. Not only that, but I found out how to “sneak” in veggies that I don’t like. Cauliflower for instance. And yet it’s in some of my favorite smoothies!

A smoothie made with mostly green, leafy vegetables and a little yummy fruit for flavour gives you tons of healthy nutrition AND tastes great!

So, what SHOULD you put in your smoothies? Find out below……

What To Add To Your Smoothies

OK, so green leafy veggies should be your biggest smoothie ingredient – spinach has very little taste so it’s a good one to start with. Kale is hugely beneficial but has a stronger flavour – I got used to green smoothies before trying kale.

As a diabetic, you should add a small amount of healthy fats to your smoothie. Good fats help to slow down the speed at which sugar enters your blood. Fats also make a smoothie more satisfying.  Ad a little unsweetened almond or peanut butter, plain unsweetened Green yogurt, chia seeds, avocado or raw nuts.

Adding protein to smoothies also helps diabetics, because it slows the absorption of food into your bloodstream. Good sources of protein include plain, unsweetened Greek yogurt, hemp and other seeds, almonds, pea or whey protein, and dairy milk.

Add fiber to your smoothie to reduce the risk of a glucose spike. Green leafy veg, a little fruit, raw nuts and chia seeds all add fibre.

Add extras to your smoothie for flavour – unsweetened cacao, fresh herbs, black coffee, and spices such as cinnamon, ginger or turmeric all have health benefits as well as great taste.

Other Conditions to Consider

What if you have diabetes – together with other conditions? Here are some quick tips for making smoothies that will work for you..

If you are lactose intolerant, use unsweetened almond or soy milk instead of dairy milk or yogurt.

If you have Celiac disease, be careful of ingredients such as whey protein. Whey itself is gluten-free, but some manufacturers add gluten fillers to their products – check the label.

If you are obese you’ll need to monitor your calories. Plant foods and fibre are good. A smoothie that’s good for diabetics is usually also good for managing weight too.

If you have high blood pressure and high cholesterol, choose high-fiber, low-fat foods, such as:

• beetroot
• nuts and seeds
• green leaves
• fruits

And you’ll want to avoid added salt if you have high blood pressure.

Summary

As a diabetic you have to be careful to avoid sugary smoothies – but smoothies made the right way are fun, flavorsome and healthy. Green smoothies in particular are a great way to eat enough veggies AND avoid a blood sugar spike, while maintaining your weight and eating well.

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Warm regards,

P.S.  Don’t forget to download your FREE recipes for yummy smoothies that will keep you feeling full!  Click here.