Eating fruits the wrong way.

[Tot@l_Recal|]

I get so many different views on how to eat fruit the right way, I thought i'd start a thread on how to properly portion fruit intake.


Example problem: I'm told that it's always good to eat fruit, and to eat fruit at every meal. Now this is very vague advice, as it's obviously possible to eat a banana at every "fruit intake". Yet I've read, and experienced, many problems involving eating too many banana's ( mad diarhea, too much sugar, etc).

What's the scoop on each fruit, you fruit-eating geniuses.

If there are other threads on this, then I must be blind, so post them here(in brail, if possible).

I'd like to get a list on the pro's and con's of each fruit and how to intake them properly( and yes, I know there's a wide variety of fruit). You don't need to know how to eat a plethora of fruit, just leave an opinion/fact on at least one, and let the list compile slowly.

Arguing is encouraged, lets get all the different views on the main fruits available: oranges, apples, bananas, grapes, etc.

In no way am I implying that fruit is bad, I just want to take the next step on fruit education.

Yes, I have googled this, but I haven't put together what I've learned yet. I wanted to get this thread out while I look up more stuff. And besides, a lot of the cites can be full of shit sometimes, so I'd like to hear it here regardless.

 

[Bubble Boy]

Fruit = high glycemic index.
i.e. sugar.

Top Five Fruits according to nutritional expert Sue Gilbert, MS:

1. Watermelon: Loads of vitamin C and carotenoids, good amount of fiber, and low in calories.
2. Papaya: Loads of vitamin C and carotenoids, great source of potassium and fiber.
3. Orange: Great vitamin C and folate, and plenty of fiber if you eat the whole fruit and not just the juice.
4. Grapefruit (pink or red): Loads of vitamin C and carotenoids, good amount of fiber of the cholesterol lowering type, pectin, plus it contains phytochemicals such as flavonoids, terpenes, and limonoids.
5. Apricots: They are brimming with beta-carotene, have loads of potassium and fiber, and contribute some vitamin C to the diet. Dried apricots don't have the vitamin C, but are a good source of iron. Canned apricots have only half the vitamin C and beta- carotene as fresh.


I've seen many times that Cantalope is pfp the best overall fruit out there due to it's antioxidants and vitamin content.
Oh, and figs are high on the alkalinity scale, which some nutritionist say is a a very good thing in a modern fast food world with mostly highly acidic foods...

 

[-V-MuayThai-V-]

I don't remember what site it was on, but I read somewhere that Watermelon will get you feeling the most full and satisfied with the least amount of calories.

Have you ever heard of the Gracie diet? It's all about balancing acids and alkalines, I've never read the science behind it but It seems like they got it pretty much figured out.

 

[zdrax]

Depending on your carb sensitivity, it really depends. I'd say 2 - 3 servings of fruit a day is fine for someone who wants to just eat "healthy." Those interested in losing weight should eat 0 - 1 serving of a low-GI fruit, and lots of green cruciferous vegetables.

The Gracie diet is bogus and harkens back to the food combining mythology of the 80s. The Gracies' are thin because they undereat horribly - just read their Superfit book. Unbelievable.

There's some research out there that has compelled some authors to limit fruit to the morning hours. Fruit must pass through the liver first before it can be processed as muscle glycogen, so in that sense, it is sub-optimal.

That said, most people could stand to eat way more fruit. My recommendations only count for individuals who are eating clean 90% of the time (lots of veggies, lots of whole foods, limited condiments, lots of lean protein, supplementing with EFAs etc.).

Quick test to see if you need to eat more fruit - if your diet does not consist of the following carbohydrates 90% of the time, eat more fruit : fruits, veggies, oats, oat bran, brown rice, yams, sweet potatoes, multigrain bread/whole wheat tortillas, yogurt and cottage cheese. If you're getting more than 5g of carbohydrate from condiment at any single meal, eat more fruit.

And the poster that said fruit has a high GI needs to research before he posts. Fruit has a limited glycemic load, meaning while it does have sugar, even the higher GI fruits like bananas will have nowhere near the same effect as ANY starchy carb on your insulin levels. Apples have a glycemic index of 46, and a very low glycemic load. High-GI my ass. Anything below 50 is considered "low."

 

[PariahCarey]

My problem is with fruit is that if you don't eat it relatively soon it goes bad. I like Kiwis and i left them out for 1.5 days and they were covered with fruit flies. Since its winter they had to be already in the fruit somehwere. Whats even more frightening is i had some KFC Honey Barbacue wings (wanna feel like shit. Eat clean for awhile then eat these!) and the fruit flies seem to prefer the KFC over the Kiwis.

 

[KOU In3]

I keep thinking that the average person (heck almost everyone) is so far off in their day to day diet that the specific fruit intake isn't going to matter all that much. I'd spend more time focusing on clean carbs and sufficient protein personally.

Getting some fuit (any fruit) a few times a week in an otherwise decent diet is going to be pretty much the same as some closely monitored fuit dosage plan in my opinion.

Just about everyone misses the occasional meal, grabs some fast food sometime, or orders a tiramisu when eating out at some point during the week. Seems to me this is going to have a bigger impact than choosing between 2 bananas and an apple or 3 papayas, 1 cantaloupe, and a mango.

Personally I'd say take a multivitamin and eat some fruit in moderation. Anything else seems to needlessly complicate the issue on something so small.

 

[Tot@l_Recal|]

I've read all of your posts so far. All of it sounds good


KOU In3's comment, in particular, made me feel stupid, but is probably right: maybe I shouldn't worry about it so much.

I don't eat out often, if at all. I am trying to lose weight though. I only drink water.

How about we debate on how much fruit I should eat while losing weight. Zdrax comments mentions that I shouldn't eat that much a day/week compared to green vegetables.

I eat a lot of fruit, thats why I brought this up. I eat a lot of dried fruits as well as whole fruits, and was wondering if there are side effects I should look out for. If I'm losing weight slowly, I guess I should lay off the fruits, stick to not drinking soda's and garbage(like I had been doing for a while), and maybe working small dishes of greens to replace snacks? Or am I tripping?

 

[zdrax]

Can fruit make you fat? Sure. Remember, GI is an indicator of a single pre-defined serving size independent of its load. One of the big criticisms of using GI as the only indicator of a food's effect on insulin levels was that it gave carrots a bad rap. Carrots turned out to be a "high GI" food. Well, the test measure they used was equivalent to that of SEVEN CARROTS! You eat seven carrots, of course that's going to have a significant impact on your insulin levels.

Alright, let's just get quick and dirty here. You are most sensitive to carbohydrates after training. I'm not talking long-slow cardio (yes even on the order of 30 minutes), I'm talking intense exercise - weight training, high intensity interval training, etc. The three or so hours after exercise are the best time to eat carbs. Period. So, if you want to "have your cake and eat it too," I'd save fruit for two times of the day.

1. Morning. Your liver glycogen stores will be depleted, so eating fruit in the morning will help refill those stores. You won't have to worry nearly so much about those excess sugars turning into fat. I find keeping fruit to breakfast (or simply eliminating it all except for time 2 as outlined below) keeps me lean.

2. Post-workout. You can eat your fruit post-workout. While _technically_ sub-optimal, I doubt you're advanced enough in the field to understand nutrient timing. Let's just say sugar after working out = teh win .

I'd say if you're looking to maintain, 2 - 3 servings a fruit a day is perfectly fine. I'd say even up to 4 or 5 if you're trying to back on muscle. Optimizing body-comp, I'd say 0 - 2. Personally, I eat only green veggie carbs, lean protein (chicken, fish, sirloin, eye of the round, 93% lean ground beef), and fats (mixed nuts, olive oil, flaxseed) outside of my workout. Immediately after I workout I get ~ 50g of sugar and ~25g of fast acting protein (whey). That's my only glut of carbs during the day. I've had success eating some fruit in the morning and even a piece or two after a workout, but I like to keep my diet lower in carbohydrate - I'm a poor carb metabolizer and I just do better.

But remember! Eat your veggies! I get 8 - 10 servings of veggies a day! We're talking 1 - 2 cups of green veggies per MEAL! So don't neglect your vegetables if you decide to cut out fruits!

 

[Madmick]

Fruit = high glycemic index.
i.e. sugar.

Top Five Fruits according to nutritional expert Sue Gilbert, MS:

1. Watermelon: Loads of vitamin C and carotenoids, good amount of fiber, and low in calories.
2. Papaya: Loads of vitamin C and carotenoids, great source of potassium and fiber.
3. Orange: Great vitamin C and folate, and plenty of fiber if you eat the whole fruit and not just the juice.
4. Grapefruit (pink or red): Loads of vitamin C and carotenoids, good amount of fiber of the cholesterol lowering type, pectin, plus it contains phytochemicals such as flavonoids, terpenes, and limonoids.
5. Apricots: They are brimming with beta-carotene, have loads of potassium and fiber, and contribute some vitamin C to the diet. Dried apricots don't have the vitamin C, but are a good source of iron. Canned apricots have only half the vitamin C and beta- carotene as fresh.


I've seen many times that Cantalope is pfp the best overall fruit out there due to it's antioxidants and vitamin content.
Oh, and figs are high on the alkalinity scale, which some nutritionist say is a a very good thing in a modern fast food world with mostly highly acidic foods...

Actually most fruits are classified as medium Gi except for most tropical fruits.

But I've read the same of cantaloupe over the course of my life, and that list by Sue Gilbert (although I don't know who she is) was a solid contribution. Thanks.

 

[Tot@l_Recal|]

Good comments. What are recommendations for people (me) that don't work out as much. I'm guessing 2 fruit servings a day.

And what's the scoop on apples?

 

[KOU In3]

KOU In3's comment, in particular, made me feel stupid, but is probably right: maybe I shouldn't worry about it so much.

I don't eat out often, if at all. I am trying to lose weight though. I only drink water.

Apologies, I should have put it less abrasively. There's no reason for a poster like me to make you feel stupid when starting a valid thread looking for information.

 

[Tot@l_Recal|]

lol, don't trip KOU.

 

[yomon]

don't fuck with my bananas! :icon_evil

seriously i doubt the sugar you get from fruit will cause you darastic wieght gain. if anything it's that burger you had for lunch causing the wieght gain so leave fruit out of it!

 

[Tot@l_Recal|]

don't fuck with my bananas! :icon_evil

seriously i doubt the sugar you get from fruit will cause you darastic wieght gain. if anything it's that burger you had for lunch causing the wieght gain so leave fruit out of it!

I dont' eat burgers for lunch. Don't stereotype me please. I have a high risk of getting diabetes because of a health problem i got from birth. I don't eat tubs of ice cream all day; I'm far from that. I'm just taking more steps in watching what i eat, and seeing whta practices are important and which ones are not. I guess I shouldn't worry about my fruit intake then, if thats what you were getting at.

Also, I've been drinking water and orange juice only for as long as i can remember. I can probably count on my hands how many beers and sodas I've had in one year. And no, i'm not a party pooper by choice, it's just something I have to do.

 

[Urban]

This thread makes me think of that southpark episode where everyone shoves food up their ass and craps out their mouths... That's the wrong way to eat fruit.

 

[Hockeyfight]

This thread makes me think of that southpark episode where everyone shoves food up their ass and craps out their mouths... That's the wrong way to eat fruit.

LOL. Seriously how healthy are strawberries in terms of GI? I can't eat oatmeal with out them.

 

[Tot@l_Recal|]

I stick blueberries up my ass. It's good for you, dude, try it. The stuff that comes out your mouth even cleans your teeth. No joke.

 

[Madmick]

If you're looking for a trick or something to fruit, you're not gonna find one.

My "views" on fruits are that it's good. Eat a variety. Eat it throughout the day.

 

[yomon]

This thread makes me think of that southpark episode where everyone shoves food up their ass and craps out their mouths... That's the wrong way to eat fruit.

lol thanx that was much needed.

 

[zdrax]

Couple things - ditch the OJ. Eat an orange and drink some water. Second, fruit all the time all day, while for some individuals works great, for those of us with a propensity toward endormorphism, fruit consumption should be monitored in a more systematic manner.