Summers call for loading up on bowlful of fresh seasonal fruits and why not; they make for extremely important part of a healthy diet. Most fruits are not only low in calories, but also supply many vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients that promote good health.

According to dietary guidelines of United States Department of Agriculture, a person needing 2,000 calories per day includes two cups of fruit and 2.5 cups of vegetables in their daily diets. But most of us may love to enjoy eating more of these fruits in a day.

Does that mean eating over the recommended quantity can lead to health problems? Should we eat fruits in moderation even if they are deemed as healthy? Let's find out.According to Consultant Nutritionist, Dr. Rupali Datta, "It is recommended to eat five servings of vegetables and fruits in a day. There is no upper limit to consumption of fruits, but you can't just have fruits to fulfil your daily dietary requirements. While fruits may be nutrient-dense, there are various nutrients that you may only get from consuming a balanced diet, which may include grains, pulses, lentils, et al. So it is important to take essential nutrients from other sources. Fruits can be a part, but not a balanced diet."

Health Coach and Macrobiotic Nutritionist Shilpa Arora agrees, "Balanced nutrition is important for good health and well-being. Too many fruits means too much sugar for the body to metabolise. Body needs complete balanced protein to build muscle tissue strength, hair, skin and over-all recovery."

She further continues, "All macro-nutrients are essential for health and it isn't sustainable to miss any. Eating too many fruits is okay but this approach will only lead to high blood sugar levels leading to other metabolic diseases."

Why Eating Fruits May Impact Your Health?

Sugar comes in different forms namely glucose, fructose and sucrose. So the more sugar you eat, the more fat you store. Specifically, too much sugar from the fructose found in fruits can lead to a build-up of that visceral belly fat that has also been linked to type-2 diabetes by quite a few studies. Keep in mind to eat more fresh fruits and not dry fruits that usually pack more of sugary, calorie-dense punch.

Excessive Fruit Consumption May Lead To Weight Gain

If you are looking at losing weight, consuming too many fruits may not help you cut down on kilos; instead these low-calorie foods will add to your overall calorie recommendation for the day. Avoid juices and dry fruits in order to lose weight as they lack fibre.

Fruits Are Healthy, But They Are Not Wholesome

While fruits are loaded with nutrients, they do not possess all the necessary ones that you need to have a good health. Fruits lack essential fatty acids and amino acids that other food groups may have. They are also deficient in minerals like calcium, iron and selenium.

Over-Indulging In Fruits May Cause Gastrointestinal Discomfort

Over-indulging in fruits may cause bloating, cramping, gas and loose stools, wreaking a havoc on your digestive health. The large amounts of fibre can also cause GI discomfort.

Excessive Fruit Intake May Cause Elevated Blood Sugar Levels

People with diabetes or who have the chances of developing diabetes should avoid eating too many fruits in a day. They should be consumed as a part of your meal plan, as per the American Diabetes Association.

Most diabetics are advised to eat low-glycaemic foods, considering they may spike blood sugar levels quickly and cause various other health problems. Therefore, it is imperative for most who are susceptible to diabetes or those who already have the condition.

What is glycaemic index and what is its function? We give you a sneak peek of the foods that have high glycaemic index and are supposed to be avoided as much as possible.According to Dr. Parul Srivastava, Nutritionist and Dietician, Eldercare, "The Glycaemic index is a value assigned to foods (carbohydrate), based on how slowly or quickly they affect blood glucose levels. Carbohydrates with a low GI value (55 or less) are more slowly digested, absorbed and metabolised and cause a lower and slower rise in blood glucose.

Foods with high-glycaemic index numbers make blood sugar levels as well as insulin levels spike fast and subsequent rapid return to feeling hungry." Senior Diabetes Educator, Kanika Malhotra agrees, "GI also depends on whether the food is eaten in isolation or with other foods. Consuming a food along with protein, fat, or other CHO that have a lower GI effectively lowers its GI value. Other factors that might affect a food's GI include the ripeness of fruits (under-ripe fruits have a lower GI than ripe ones) and also how food is cooked or processed."

According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), the rank that is used to measure high or low glycaemic includes:Low GI Foods: 55 or less
Medium GI Foods: 56-59
High GI Foods: 70 or more

How do high glycaemic foods affect blood sugar?
According to School of Public Health, Harvard University, eating high glycaemic foods tend to cause spikes in the blood sugar, which can lead to an increased risk of developing type-2 diabetes, heart disease, weight gain, et al. In some cases, it also increases the risk of breast, prostate, colorectal and pancreatic cancers.

Health experts do not suggest eliminating all high-glycaemic index foods, but you can definitely work towards an intermediate and low-glycaemic index choices. Many high glycaemic foods may be low in calories and super nutritious; for instance, watermelon is counted under a high glycaemic index food, but it is super healthy; therefore, you mustn't completely give up on such foods.

The chances of developing type 2 Diabetes Mellitus are more in shift workers due to their genetic risk according to latest research.

If shift work has been long the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus increased, with problems like weight gain and poor sleep which can produce unhealthy habits such as eating irregularity and getting less exercise.

In the present study scientists at Brigham and Women's Hospital, based in Boston, Massachusetts, US, focus on the impact of shift work and how it was examined to check if it modified the relationship between genetic risk for type 2 diabetes and existing type 2 diabetes.

The scientists retrieved 270,000 people of shift work and reviewed with records taken from the UK Biobank database which emphasis on employment histories of 70,000 people and 44,000 genetic data of people. From that more than 6,000 people had type 2 diabetes mellitus.

From that information, they identified more than 100 genetic variants associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus and further they developed a genetic risk score for type 2 diabetes mellitus. For this research, they examine data from tens of thousands of workers.

From their research, they found that frequent shift work, particularly at night might increase risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus, regardless of genetic predisposition.
Dr. Celine Vetter, who examined the study and explained: “We observe dose-response relationship between frequency of night shift and type 2 diabetes mellitus, which suggest that people who do shift work generating more chances of type 2 diabetes mellitus, regardless of genetic predisposition. This help us to understand one piece of puzzle: night shift frequency plays key role.”

The chances for development of type 2 diabetes mellitus are more in all shift workers except permanent night workers & permanent day workers. People who worked irregularly or in rotating shifts had a 44 % increased risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Still no evidence were identified on shift work properly so researchers are trying to investigate the link further.

Dr. Frank Scheer (Research fellow) said: “Our investigation is to finding out there does not seem to be an interaction between type 2 diabetes mellitus risk factors which is novel and which further requires its replication in future studies, especially in non-European ancestry.”

This study was present in the journal of Diabetes care.
From researches, it was identified that working in irregular shifts associated with more fatigued and higher calorie snacks, so eat less calorie food and exercise daily to overcome the negative effects of shift work.

Yoga can cure anything and everything, isn't that what we all thought. But is that true when it comes to diabetes? Can yoga help in curing diabetes as well? Let's look at it.

Diabetes
In colloquial terms, diabetes for people is about sugar. But on a medical note, diabetes is how our body manages sugar. The major hormone insulin does not behave the way it should if you have diabetes. Insulin brings energy to the cells and that's why people suffering from diabetes feel lethargic and tired, despite resting and eating properly.
Yoga and diabetes
It would be wrong to say that yoga does not do any good when it comes to diabetes. Not only in diabetes but for any other health condition, practising yoga is of great help. The most important and beneficial thing that yoga does to your body is it mitigates stress. And we all know, be it any health condition stress has a major role to play.

Yoga works?
Full of restrictions and an incurable disease, diabetes can be controlled by yoga if it's practised regularly. Asanas like Kapalbhati and Pranayama have proven to be excellent in controlling diabetes. People suffering from high-level sugar should practice these asanas for 15 to 30 on an empty stomach.

Conclusion
There are medicines in the market which can control diabetes for sure but there are no medicines which can improve the function of the pancreas and thus, cure diabetes. The case with yoga is a little different as yoga can improve the functioning of pancreas and strengthen them and thus, help them to produce the an improved amount and regulate the hormone insulin. However, diabetes can be controlled to such an extent that you may not need medication but it cannot be cured, even through yoga.

Pre Diabetes Diet – Pre diabetes is a condition when the blood sugar level is above average level but below the value that marks the condition as type 2 diabetes. So, pre diabetes, as the name suggests refers to a state before suffering from actual diabetes. By consuming a proper pre diabetes diet, you can keep your sugar level under control.

What is Diabetes – A Quick Glance
Diabetes is a physical condition that occurs because of too much of sugar in the blood. There are two types of diabetes. One is Type 1 and the other is Type2. Type1 Diabetes is a condition when the pancreas produces very little insulin and Type2 is a condition when the body cannot properly process blood sugar i.e. cannot push the glucose down to the cells for the proper breakdown.

If you have been warned about a pre-diabetic condition, it is time to switch to some healthy pre diabetes diet plans. Some significant pre diabetes diet foods items that can benefit you and can be followed in your daily routine have been described below:

1. WHOLE GRAINS – Pretty Healthy!
You can lower the risk of getting Type 2 diabetes by having a whole grain meal every day in your diet. This is an excellent pre diabetes diet. Oats in your breakfast can help you save time and also are very yummy. Brown bread is also good for your day’s start. You can have a corn dish for your lunch and something made out of wheat for dinner.

Have you heard of Chapattis? Well, these are unleavened flat bread mainly eaten in South Asia. If you have any of these in your day’s pre diabetes diet plan, then you are heading the right way.

2. FRUITS – Be Wary of Them
Well, fruits are good for health, but there are some fruits which can increase the blood sugar level. So, it would be ambiguous to describe whether a pre diabetic patient can eat fruits as a pre diabetes diet on a regular basis or not. They certainly can, but the advice for them is to ask a doctor whether a particular fruit is good for them or not.

Fresh fruits, plain frozen fruits, canned fruits minus any extra sugar syrups and fruits that taste less sweet in comparison of other fruits can be eaten in a specific amount as suggested by your doctor.

3. FISH – Good Option For Pre Diabetes Patients
Fish is good for the heart as well. So, if you want to include fish in your week’s pre diabetic diet plan, you certainly can. Olive oil is also good for diabetes patients. Therefore, even the pre diabetic patient can include it in their pre diabetes diet menu.

Fish cooked in olive oil can be an excellent option! If you are using any other oil, then ensure using a little amount of oil.

4. Protein – Choosing The Right Ones!
Plant based proteins are useful for people suffering from a pre diabetic condition. These include examples like nuts, tofu, beans, etc., Also, you may derive protein from seafood, chicken, and eggs. You should discuss the right amount of each of these items with your doctor.

The Misconception
Most people think that if they do not eat too much of sugar, then they will not get diabetes. That is not true. Yes, eating too much of sugar is seriously not good but sugar is also necessary. In fact, too much of everything is bad. The risk of getting diabetes depends on the food you eat, your daily life routine and also your weight.