Are all fruits equal or are some better? What if one has diabetes or trying to lose weight? The internet can help find these answers, as well as you doctor, and trained registered dietitians. Most have never put any one fruit above another, in regards to losing weight and living healthfully virtually all fruits are fantastic.
According to Kimberly Gomer, MS, RD there are only two fruits she cautions against: coconuts and avocados. Avocados are problematic for weight loss goals as they are high and fat and dense with calories; and coconuts are high in saturated fat. Otherwise fruit is a healthy choice.
Fruit is low in calories which is important to weight loss goals. Low calorie dense foods such as fruits and vegetables throughout the day will help keep the stomach filled up and feeling satisfied to help fight hunger and cravings making it easier to go past those drive thru windows. Every bite of fruits are low in calories only second to vegetables as the highest source of low calorie dense foods; making fruit despite popular lore a friend to weight loss.
An apple is a mere 10 calories per bite as compared to an energy bar which is often 70 calories per bite that are often small and offer little in the ways of hunger curbing satisfaction.
Fruit are nutritional powerhouses being load full of fibre, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytochemicals containing just about everything the body needs to function optimally.
Almost all fruits have nothing or little in the way of health and waistline killers such as fat, sodium, cholesterol, and added sugars. Anyone wishing to avoid the standard disease producing diet would do well to fill the day with fruit and other naturally fiber filled plant foods such as fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains.
Since 1975 there have been more than 100 published studies affirming that proper nutrition and fitness can lower blood sugar, help shed weight, lower blood pressure, reduce cholesterol levels even in those on statins, reduce and/or eliminate need for diabetes medications, and slow and/or reverse progression of diabetes and related conditions including metabolic syndrome.
Fruits do contain sugar, but these sugars are naturally occuring sugars. An apple will not send blood sugar levels soaring the way candy would or especially a can of soda, which is loaded with added sugars.
For blood sugar control and losing weight loss goals ensure that you are consuming whole fruit and not can or fruit juices, for example fresh oranges and not orange juice or prepackaged fruit cup. Try packing a bunch of grapes or cherries to snack on during the day and leave the juice bottles in the vending machines as these have stripped of the beneficial fiber in whole fruit which the waistline and blood sugar levels don’t agree with.
Dried fruit is actually fattening for most people, although it does contain the fiber it does not have the stomach filling water that traditional fresh whole fruit has, making it best to steer clear of dried fruits.
If you have diabetes, pre-diabetes, insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome or similar challenges talk to your physician or dietitian to work out what is best for you in regards to fruit. There are some things that can be done to help with such challenges such as not eating fruit alone, rather pair it with another fiber rich food to slow the release of the fruit natural sugar into the system such as strawberries with oatmeal or apples with carrot sticks.
Fruit can be used to replace desserts and treats as well for maximum weight loss goals. Don’t let dining out scare you, even if fresh fruit isn’t on the menu most kitchens have fruit and majority of chef’s would gladly serve you up a dish of fruit instead of gooey, sugar, fatty choices on the dessert cart.
Berries typically have lower sugar content than that of other fruits, making them a better choice for fruits lovers as they are a more blood sugar forgiving fruit.
Bottom line is not to be afraid of fruit, they are excellent food choices for health and weight loss goals. That being said it is possible to overindulge, 3-5 servings a day are recommended for maximum nutritional and low calorie dense benefits of whole fresh fruit. So fill up those shopping carts with glorious gorgeous colours of greens, blues, reds, yellows, and oranges of fresh whole fruit (and vegetables) and eat the rainbow while enjoying and savoring every nutritious sweet bite.
