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Alexandra Murcier (Liberal dietician-nutritionist)
Do you love making a smoothie first thing in the morning? Be careful, certain fruits should not be eaten as soon as you get up, otherwise you risk causing your blood sugar to explode!
Banana, apples, mango, grapes, peaches… Many of us eat naturally sweet seasonal fruits as soon as we wake up. And for good reason: they lend themselves to many delicious recipes: pancakes, colorful bowls, compote, fruit cake… and other fruity delights. The problem ? While fruits are excellent for your health, some should not be eaten first thing in the morning, warns Alexandra Murcier, dietitian-nutritionist.
Sweet breakfast, a bad idea
First point and not least: throwing yourself at a bowl of strawberry granola or your bread-butter-jam toast for breakfast is anything but recommended, explains Alexandra Murcier.
“It would be better avoid eating a very sugary breakfastbecause it increases blood sugar throughout the day and exposes us to cravings, especially in the morning. If we eat only one or more fruits on an empty stomach in the morning, our blood sugar will rise quickly. explains the nutrition expert. “It is therefore recommended to include fruit but rather within a complete breakfast, which ideally contains a source of protein to lower the glycemic index of this meal”.
You can therefore start your day with a slice of turkey, accompanied by some wholemeal bread, a hot drink and an orange, for example.
Another option: prepare an avocado toast and scrambled eggs, to accompany some clementines.
Then, the shape of the chosen fruit is important.
“You should avoid fruits in the form of juices or smoothies which increase blood sugar levels very quickly. assures Alexandra Murcier.
Indeed, juices and smoothies are often devoid of fiber, which helps slow the absorption of sugar into the blood. Therefore, sugar is directly assimilated by the body, which quickly increases blood sugar levels.
The 5 fruits to discard
Faced with the well-filled basket of fruit, Alexandra Murcier is firm. Exit certain beloved fruits!
- “We avoid dried fruits such as raisins or dried apricots – often present in mueslis – which have a very high glycemic index.“, she assures.
- “At the level of the sweetest fruits, we find the banana blackberry (this is not the case if it is not very ripe), grapes and mango”, she further details.
In terms of portions, the ideal is to consume only one portion of fruit, so as not to increase the overall glycemic load of the meal.
“A serving of fruit is equivalent to half a mango, for example, or a quarter of a melon. On the other hand, red fruits and citrus fruits are less rich in sugar… so we can easily integrate them!“, concludes the expert.