Avocado and pre-diabetes

[PhilFreeToAsk]

A friend of mine has been classified as pre-diabetic. The nurse has given her a diet sheet of a healthy diet for pre-diabetes and diabetics. On the sheet it mentions that avocados should be restricted. I believe that avocados do not spike blood sugar so what would be the reason behind its restriction? Does the nurse think it is unhealthy?

[PhilFreeToAsk]

Is the level of fat a problem?

[PhilFreeToAsk]

Good because I told her to carry on eating as I felt avocados would be really good for her because of the fat content, vitamins and minerals.

The diet sheet seemed confused about the message to present and it made it difficult for my friend to understand.

I had a quick browse on the diabetes.co.uk website and everything seemed to be positive about eating avocados. In fact this link seems to be at odds with the NHS diabetes.co.uk/diet/nhs-die....

[PhilFreeToAsk]

I have just read a booklet on Alzheimer's which unfortunately she is in the early stages. One of the foods that it suggests for brain health is avocados.To me it was a no brainer (excuse the pun) that avocado was indeed beneficial for her plus she enjoys eating them.

[Activity2004 Administrator in reply to PhilFreeToAsk]

Avocado is a great food to eat and I do believe your friend should continue eating them-- especially if she likes them and they are very healthy for anyone. I'm a type 1 diabetic and I have avocado on salads, on the side and with other meals. Great job!

[Bazza1234]

Quite often these kind of "guidelines" have 3 sections - 1. foods that are encouraged 2. foods that are forbidden and 3. foods that are "restricted" - restricted in this sense usually means allowed but limited in quantity. Avocados are good for you - but I suspect that "too many" avocados would not be good for you because of their fat content. It is "good fat" and we need fat in our diets - but there is a limit!!

[RobertR65]

HI. I was diagnosed pre-diabetic at the end of August 2016. I joined this forum and was advised to read Dr. Michael Mosely's book Blood Sugar Diet. The book describes in simple terms all about diabetes and its causes. More importantly it gives good advice about the correct foods we should eat. I didn't go on the 8 week diet but followed the advice and cut out the white stuff, bread, potatoes, rice and pasta. A blood sugar check at the end of November showed that my blood sugar was normal. I've continued my regime ( don't do diets) and I've got my BMI into "healthy" band. The book does say that avacado fruits are ok and also not to bother with the low fat dairy products, but everything in moderation, keeping a watch on calorie intake. I've set a new target weight and working towards that now. So all good fortune to your friend and to all other "pre-diabetics" who may read this. Take heart, it can be beaten!

[Tibblington]

This article might be both interesting and useful to your friend.

healthscams.org.uk/diabetes...

I cannot comment on whether avocados are good or bad.

[PhilFreeToAsk in reply to Tibblington]

What an excellent link. I suggest other people read this to make up their own mind. It is so easy to believe in conspiracy theories but there is one startling fact that cannot be denied and that a diabetic epidemic is on us now.

The reason I take food state multivits&minerals supplement despite what I think is quite a healthy diet is because of nutrient soil depletion. So I was quite pleased to know that I am taking the recommended chromium.

I wonder if people who change their diet to control blood sugar have unintentionally increased their levels of chromium?

[Ailsa72]

Government guidelines. Probably no butter either. Where a little bit of butter is less harm that low fat spreads, full of sugar and emulsifiers.

[Koalajane]

I am a type 2 diabetic and eat an avocado nearly every day. As I am on a low carb high fat diet I believe it helps to fill me up.

My type 2 has been in remission for 2 years and my latest hba1c was 35 so I will continue to eat avocados.

[Cooper27 Administrator in reply to Koalajane]

This post is a few years old now, so you might find dietary advice has now changed anyway

[TheAwfulToad]

Superstition.

Avocadoes are an excellent food for people who want to avoid full-blown diabetes, precisely because they are high in fat and low in sugar/carbs.

The reason the diet sheet is confusing is because it's nonsense. The lack of any internal consistency is your red flag (as you've realised yourself) that the best place for it is in the cylindrical filing cabinet.

It's truly depressing that the NHS hasn't sorted themselves out on this issue. There are bits of the NHS that have got with the programme, but it's taking an awful long time to turn the oil tanker around.

[Cooper27 Administrator in reply to TheAwfulToad]

This post is a few years old, it's that old HU trick of showing related threads I think. I think dietary advice has evolved in the meantime

[TheAwfulToad in reply to Cooper27]

ha - you're right. That's annoying!

But I doubt the advice has evolved in the meantime

[Cooper27 Administrator in reply to TheAwfulToad]

Oh it has, it's just going the wrong way in some cases

[Subtle_badger in reply to Cooper27]

Yeah.

If you go to the NHS diabetes page nhs.uk/conditions/type-2-di... it links to diabetes org page which features this horror on the front page.

diabetes.org.uk/guide-to-di...

It is hyper low fat, and features mashed potato!! Or sweet mashed potato, which has an even higher GI.

Are they trying to kill people?

[Cooper27 Administrator in reply to Subtle_badger]

For me, it was a chicken wrap on the front page.

A quick look at the diabetes website suggests that their approach is all about losing weight. I reckon their fat reduction approach is purely about reducing calories & "fat makes you fat" mentality.

[Fran182716 Prediabetic in reply to Cooper27]

The picture/recipe must keep changing because I got Chicken Kiev - with instructions to avoid the “fatty garlic butter” and use low fat cheese instead!

I agree losing excess weight is important for diabetes but this doesn’t mean avoiding natural fat which is so much more helpful for controlling the blood sugars.

[Subtle_badger in reply to Cooper27]

Yeah, low fat is bad, but even if the NHS/Diabetes UK don't acknowledge that, I thought that high G.I. foods have been known to be bad for diabetics for decades. I thought that was mainstream. Mashed potato has a much higher GI than orange juice, and sweet potato is worse. That could be mitigated by adding fat, but they tell you to use skim milk. Anyone's blood sugar would soar after eating that.

I learnt about mashed potatoes and blood sugar from a GI book in the 90s, and have rarely had it since. Mashed cauliflower is a revelation!

A chicken wrap might at least be low GI. Probably isn't, but it could be.

[Fran182716 Prediabetic in reply to Subtle_badger]

Slightly veering off topic but I just love mashed cauliflower (especially with the real deal cream cheese!)