I love fast food! No, I didn’t hit my head. I am talking about FRUIT!
I love fruit. Apples, pears, oranges, grapefruit, kiwi, mango, bananas, pineapple, lychee, passion fruit, papaya, grapes, cherries, the list is endless!
Think about it, fruit is one of nature’s “fast foods”. It’s convenient, portable and easy to prepare, and so much better for you than a big mac or a slice of pizza.
Recently, while working with a client, we were putting a list of snacks that she could eat mid day. When I suggested different types of fruit, she looked at me like a “deer caught in the headlights”. She had heard that fruits were bad and if she ate fruits she would gain weight. Oh wow, I thought. I have to demystify this fast or she would miss out on a very tasty, satisfying and important food group.
Here’s what I told her:
FRUITS COME FROM PLANTS. They are real (not processed), whole foods and people have been eating fruits for a very long time!
EATING FRUIT IS NOT THE SAME AS EATING A CANDY BAR. Fructose (sugar) is harmful in large amounts (ie: candy bars, soda, white table sugar) and it is impossible to overeat fructose by eating fruit.
FRUIT HAS FIBER, VITAMINS AND MINERALS AND WATER. Fruits (like an apple or an orange for example) are loaded with fiber, takes a while to eat and digest and so the fructose hits the liver slowly. Your body can take care of this “sugar” and it will not have disastrous consequences.
PEOPLE WHO EAT FRUITS HAVE A LOWER RISK OF MANY DISEASES. People who eat more fruits are going to be more health conscious overall. They typically have a lower risk of serious diseases like heart disease, stroke and type II diabetes.
STAY AWAY FROM DRIED FRUIT AND FRUIT JUICE. Dried fruit (loaded with sugar and easy to eat more than you should) and juices are not as healthy as you may think. Many juices are mixed with water, some concentrate and a whole bunch of added sugar. When you blend a fruit to make a smoothie, chances are you are eating many more pieces of fruit for the serving, not getting the fiber because it is strained out and you don’t get the chewing resistance to slow down consumption.
So, what’s the bottom line?
FRUITS ARE HEALTHY! They are the default “health foods”. EAT FRUIT INSTEAD OF JUNK FOOD. This should seem obvious to losing weight. Eating fruit rather than candy should lead to an automatic reduction in weight loss. There are many health benefits for eating fruit, nature’s candy!
What’s your favorite type of fruit? I would love to hear! Email me at rachel@livehealthynyc.com and I will tell you more about why you should eat fruit and how to lose weight.