I have decided that I need to consume more fruit in my diet. I am actually craving fruit lately which means that I must obviously need more in my diet? Or maybe I am just feeling guilty because I just don't think I eat a balanced diet - which is why I choose to take a daily multivitamin. Problem solved?
When I lived in Sydney, Australia and the pressure was on to look your best, it was easy to eat well...and I don't mean eat alot, I mean eat good foods and correct portions. The fact that the weather is gorgeous also made it easy to consume alot of fruit.
Then I moved to Seattle and things went crazy. You begin to rely on foods to comfort rather than choosing healthy alternatives. And of course when Winter hits the last thing I want to do is eat fruit. But Winter hasn't arrived just yet and I still have time to get some good fruit eating habits in before it does. I know you often hear comments from 'experts' that eating fruit is bad because of the high sugar content. I stumbled onto this bit of information from the site, High Energy Fitness to help combat any fruit eating fears.
Nutrition Corner: Fruit and Your Diet
There is a prevailing sentiment in many exercise circles that you shouldnt consume fruit if you are trying to lose weight. This philosophy however, is misguided. The fact is, you absolutely can and should consume fruit, even when weight loss is a goal. Fruits are nutrient dense (replete in vitamins, minerals and fiber) and supply healthy amounts of antioxidants that are difficult to get from other foods. Moreover, their sweet taste can help to satisfy sugar cravings, which tends to reduce the intake of empty calorie foods such as cakes and candies.
It is important, however, to monitor the quantity of fruit consumed. To understand why, a little physiology lesson is in order.
Fruits contain large amounts of a sugar called fructose. The problem here is that only two bodily tissues can store sugar (in the form of glycogen): the muscles and the liver. Depending on body habitus, the liver has the ability to store about 50 grams per day or so (approximately 200 calories worth) while the muscles can store more than five times this amount (approximately 1000 calories worth). Muscles, however, lack an enzyme that converts fructose into glycogen. Thus, while glucose-based carbohydrates (such as starches) can be stored in both muscle and liver tissue, fructose storage is almost exclusively hepatic (i.e. in the liver). Once liver glycogen is full, the body starts converting fructose into triglyceridesthe precursors of body fat. Thus, an excess intake of fructose is more likely to result in fat deposition when compared to other forms of carbohydrate.
So how much is too much? As a general rule, its best to limit daily intake to approximately three to four medium-sized pieces of fruit; any more, and you risk surpassing your bodys fructose capacity and thereby enhancing the possibility for unwanted fat storage. Be especially careful with dried fruits such as raisins and prunes. When a fruit is dehydrated, it isnt as filling (water helps to promote satiety) and consequently tends to promote overeating.
Recent Comments