Thurlow does not demonize fruit. “If you have a healthy metabolism, you can eat fruit,” she says. As a rule, she recommends a ratio of one fruit to three types of vegetables.

As for her favorite fruits, she is a fan of brightly pigmented berries, which are associated with metabolic benefits2. But you might be surprised to learn that Thurlow also likes bananas.

Other metabolic health experts say that bananas can raise blood sugar, and that’s entirely possible for some—again, everyone’s body is different, and Thurlow actually thinks they have little effect on her glucose levels.

“I’m weird. I like bananas when they go from green to almost yellow. It’s basically an unripe banana,” she shares. “I’ve been wearing continuous glucose monitors for almost two years and I don’t get massive blood sugar reactions to bananas We suspect this has something to do with their stage of unripeness, as bananas do get sweeter as they ripen.