'Doctor, I've been so careful, I switched to fresh fruit juices, aam panna, cold lassi, all natural, nothing fried, so why has my sugar gone up?'
Fruit juices may seem nutritious, but the process of juicing removes much of the fibre that helps slow sugar absorption.
A single glass can contain the sugar equivalent of several fruits consumed at once.
"A tall glass of fresh mango juice can carry the sugar of three or four whole mangoes, minus the fibre.
A smarter swap is plain salted buttermilk, unsweetened chaas, lemon water with a pinch of salt, or plain water infused with mint and cucumber.
Most people focus on food when thinking about blood sugar. Experts say the real trouble frequently starts with beverages.
Dr Gagandeep Singh, MBBS, Founder of Redial Clinic and a specialist in reversing diabetes, said he sees the same pattern every year.
"Every summer, a patient walks into my clinic genuinely confused. 'Doctor, I've been so careful, I switched to fresh fruit juices, aam panna, cold lassi, all natural, nothing fried, so why has my sugar gone up?' It happens almost every year, and it tells me something: the foods we reach for to cool down in an Indian summer are often the very ones quietly pushing our blood sugar higher."
Fruit juices may seem nutritious, but the process of juicing removes much of the fibre that helps slow sugar absorption. A single glass can contain the sugar equivalent of several fruits consumed at once.
"A tall glass of fresh mango juice can carry the sugar of three or four whole mangoes, minus the fibre. Aam panna, sherbets, sweetened chaas, packaged 'fruit' drinks, they hit the bloodstream fast and leave you hungry again within the hour," Dr Singh explained.
A smarter swap is plain salted buttermilk, unsweetened chaas, lemon water with a pinch of salt, or plain water infused with mint and cucumber. These options help with hydration without delivering a large sugar load.
