How To Consume Fruits For Good Health?
Healthy eating habits ensure proper nutrition for the required appropriate physical fitness. Fruits are nature’s candy, appeasing your sweet needs while giving your body the necessary nutrients. They support your active lifestyle by providing your body with essential nutrients, such as minerals, vitamins, and fiber.
We must get our fruit consumption in some form, whether through snacking on it alone or including it in our daily diet. However, eating specific fruits at different times of the day is necessary to reap the full benefits of the fruit.
Everything we eat has some protocols, and complete benefits are gained by fulfilling those nuts and bolts. Improper indigestion of sugar, protein, and other nutrients may lead to some severe health problems.
Most people nowadays are concerned about gastrointestinal issues. It is not because they eat poorly; rather, the timing of their meals prohibits them from absorbing nutrients.
- Fruits offer optimal nutrition when consumed fresh and whole.
- Apples float because they are 25% air by volume, making them perfect for bobbing contests.
- Pineapples take about two years to mature and produce just one fruit per plant in that time.
- Blue and purple fruits, like blueberries and plums, help improve brain health and memory.
- Frozen fruits retain most nutrients and are an excellent alternative when fresh fruits aren’t in season.
- Pairing fruits with healthy fats, like nuts or yogurt, enhances the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins.
- Fruits’ versatility allows for endless delicious combinations and culinary exploration
Read on to find out which fruits are best eaten at different times of the day and why.
How To Eat Fruits Fruitfully
On an empty stomach, first thing in the morning
Fruits promoting digestion are beneficial. It is critical to ingest high-fiber meals to help digestion. Watermelon, papayas, guavas, mangoes, pomegranates, and bananas are high in fiber and may thus assist in the treatment of constipation.
Eat whole fruit rather than its juice
Fruit juices, even freshly squeezed ones, are not nutritionally equivalent to whole fruits because the juicing process removes the fiber content, which is essential for keeping the digestive system healthy. After all, it aids in active nutrient absorption, prevents blood sugar spikes, and keeps healthy bacteria happy.
So, eating whole fruit is the best way to consume fruit; avoid juicing it.
Eat with Peel
Many fruits can be eaten with their peels. Consume the peel, which contains high fiber contents, which balances the sugar. If you have a real craving for juice, shake fruit with its peel in water. In this way, you will consume and take advantage of the whole fruit.
Eat Them As snacks in between meals
Fruit snacks in the morning and afternoon are another great option for healthy eating between meals. A good diet comprises three meals each day, plus two snacks.
Aside from keeping your metabolism going, having nutritious snacks in between meals may prevent your body from going into ‘starvation mode,’ when it stores fat instead of burning it.
In Which Forms, Should Fruits Be Avoided?
Fruit Candies
Candies that claim to be made from real fruit are typically just sugary treats that are high in calories and unhealthy for weight loss. Usually, they only contain the essence of fruits and nothing else.
Fruit Desserts
When added to creams, custards, and cakes, fruits lose their reason to be fruitful. High fat and sugar content undermine their nutrition and drag you nearer to obesity. In this way, you also don’t get the full benefit of minerals and vitamins they contain.
Packed and Processed Juices
In packaged fruit drinks that claim to be “prepared with genuine fruit,” sugar isn’t the only issue; preservatives, artificial flavors, colors, and in many drinks, starch may also be present.
There is no dietary fiber, either. The daily fruit intake recommendation should be made up of fruits alone, not prepared juices from the grocery store.
Canned Fruits
Some people believe that canned fruits with sugar syrup are healthy. But how can sweet fruits with no nutritional value be healthy? They’re the easiest way to put on pounds, especially around the stomach.
Fruits in the form of Jams and Squashes
The excessive sugar level and preservatives in jams and squashes that claim to be created from natural fruits contradict their healthful claims. Jams claim to be produced from fresh fruit; however, a very small portion of fruit is present in them.
Believing that jam bottles contain genuine fruit benefits is ridiculous as they contain high sugar and starch. Consumption regularly in any form will surely result in a significant gain in body mass and be prone to diabetes.
Dried Fruits in Cereals
Like other processed foods, dried and dehydrated fruits in packaged, processed, and highly processed foods have little to no nutritional value. Avoid choosing cereals based only on their fruit content.
Can All Fruits Be Eaten At Any Time?
Like other foods, fruits vary in caloric, glucose, and nutritional value. Therefore, it is better to categorize them according to the time they are taken. Some fruits are fine to eat at any time of day, while others should be restricted to some particular times.
Take the simple formula; the more sugary and carbohydrate-full fruits should be consumed till or before supper so that their sugar and calories may not accumulate in the body.
Morning
After a full night’s sleep, eating fruit first thing in the morning makes the stomach most efficient for digesting the speedy fruit digestion. As a result, without competing nutrients from other foods, your body can better use the nutritional content of the fruit.
Not all, but most fruits, in any form, can be eaten first thing in the morning. To name a few, fruits are banana, fig, grape, guava, lychee, mango, persimmon, pomegranate, durian, watermelon, grapes, sapodilla, dates, melons, and apples are high in energy because they include healthy carbohydrates and high levels of glucose.
This is because you have the whole day to consume these calories when taken at the start of the working day.
Apples, figs, guava, and mangoes help you lose belly fat and contain detoxifying elements, making them a healthful food. They also work as laxatives. If you are eating dry figs, soak them in water for the whole night.
Avoid acidity concerns when eating sour or citrus fruits first thing in the morning. Maintain a rigorous diet of fresh fruit and at least 30 minutes between meals.
You might not need breakfast for a comparatively longer period with bananas and mango.
Afternoon
High-sugar fruits could also be consumed in the afternoon as our bodies are starting to tire, so some pick-me-up is in order. Consuming high-sugar fruits may help you achieve this aim.
As a result, consuming sweet fruits like mangoes or bananas will keep you going strong all day long. You can also consume watermelon and citruses in the afternoon.
Night
Consuming fruit before bed might elevate blood sugar levels, making sleep difficult and perhaps leading to weight gain. On the other hand, fruits can be had a few hours before night to help relax the body and fill it with the nutrients it requires to sleep.
Fruits like pineapples, avocados, and kiwis are healthiest when consumed late at night.
Watermelon, cucumbers, and others containing much water are foods to avoid at night. Eating these things right before bed will result in a full bladder and an uncomfortable night’s sleep.
In the middle of the night, you’ll need to use the restroom, which will make you get up and run, which could affect how well you sleep.
Clementines, oranges, grapefruits, tangerines, lemons, and kumquats are all citrus fruits that stimulate the production of stomach acid, making it difficult to fall asleep. Conversely, eating a handful of cherries before bedtime is a proven method of relaxing and drifting off.
You can get some of the neurotransmitter serotonin from bananas, which your body can convert into melatonin. Some melatonin can also be found in almonds and almond butter. And they’re chock full of beneficial nutrients like magnesium, vitamin E, and good fats.
Can Fruits Be Consumed On An Empty Stomach By Everyone?
However, remember that not everyone can eat fruit on an empty stomach, so follow these guidelines. You should better not eat fruit on an empty stomach if
- You have a weakened digestive system, like the elderly or small children, or
- Suppose you have stomach ulcers, acid reflux, or diverticulitis. Fruits containing acetic acids, such as grapefruits, cranberries, pineapples, tomatoes, oranges, lemons, and even persimmons, increase gastric acid production in the stomach and may worsen heartburn and consequent discomfort.
Should Fruits Be Taken Following The Completion Of A Meal?
Many believe eating fruit after a meal would help them better digest their food. Yes, they can help you, but it’s better to give a gap as munching on fruit after a meal will not compensate for the calories you ate, and that means you’re just stuffing your body with extra fat and calories.
How Many Fruits End Up In Weight Gain?
Fruits’ importance in weight loss is fiercely discussed, with some claiming that they should be avoided due to their high sugar content and resultant suppression of fat burning. Many people believe that eating as much fruit as possible is healthy, since it includes only natural sugars and a variety of helpful nutrients.
Many individuals attempting to lose weight are torn about whether to consume fruits in season, such as bananas, mangoes, and others with high sugar content.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that healthy people have five servings (or 400 gm) of fruit per day, whereas people with diabetes should consume at least two servings (or 100 gm) of fruit per day.
How To Eat Fruits To Maintain A Healthy Weight?
Most fruits are high in vitamins, minerals, and other elements that assist in fat burning; the trick is to choose fruits with a low glycemic index and exercise portion control when eating them. The fruits eaten with peels should be consumed completely.
Fruits and vegetables are considered key components of a well-balanced diet; excluding them from your diet is unproductive. Most fruits are high in fiber, which helps reduce appetite and maintain a good gut, so eating them daily is essential even if you’re on a diet.
Those suffering from metabolic syndrome, glucose intolerance, or diabetes should be particularly cautious of the additional sugars in fruits. Liver metabolizes fructose rather than glucose, and the metabolic consequence gives the fruit its distinctive sweetness. It is deposited in the body and is known as “fat.” As a result, it is easy to consume fruits and gain weight.
You should avoid fruits when dieting is untrue. Eating regularly and paying attention to portion amounts are essential to maintain excellent health.
Consume whole fruits to maximize vitamin absorption and health benefits.
Which Is More Beneficial: Fruit Juice Or Whole Fruit?
Fruit juice is less nutritious than eating whole fruit. While tasty and enjoyable, fruit juice lacks the nutritional value of whole fruits. Some nutrients, especially fiber and water-soluble vitamins, are lost when a whole fruit is squeezed to generate juice.
Although the sugar in fruit juices is natural and considered “healthy,” consuming too much of a good thing may have negative consequences. Without fiber, the sugar or glucose in fruit juice becomes more dangerous and can make you diabetic.
Even if even 100 percent fruit juice contains certain nutrients, it can’t compare to the nutritional density of the full fruit from which it was extracted.
Let’s take the example of the all-powerful orange juice, one of the most common items eaten for breakfast globally. The vitamin C in oranges is most easily absorbed if you eat the white pulp, where you’ll find most orange flavonoids.
These colourful pigments promote several metabolic processes in the body. Thus, the pulpy white portion of the orange is removed in the production of orange juice, and the flavonoids in the orange are lost.
Avoid buying juice boxes at the grocery store. They include a lot of sugar and additives, but very little real fruit. As a result, it is simple to consume many calories without supplying the body with any genuine sustenance.
Can You Lose Weight By Drinking Only Fruit Juices?
Fruits are undeniably nutritious and healthy, but because they contain natural “sugar,” they should be consumed in moderation. Fructose, a naturally occurring sugar in fruits, is digested by the liver and converted to glucose, which causes blood sugar to rise. Unlike other carbs, the fiber amount here will not induce a quick rise in blood sugar.
Taking the pulp out of certain fruits and vegetables causes a spike in blood sugar and subsequent insulin production during juicing.
Insulin is also a hormone that encourages fat storage in the body. Insulin has two functions: it lowers blood sugar and assists in fat storage for excess calories. So, prefer eating fruits over consuming them as juice.
How Leaving Out Fruits Can Cost You?
Most fruits contain vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other nutrients. Blueberries, strawberries, oranges, and grapes contain antioxidants that help protect cells from free radical damage.
This implies that eating these fruits can help you save money on anti-aging treatments such as serums, lotions, and Botox.
Bananas, the most divisive fruit due to the widespread belief that eating them will cause weight gain, are a great source of beneficial nutrients such as potassium, magnesium, fiber, and the amino acid tryptophan, which, when consumed is converted into serotonin (the “happy hormone”) and aids in sleep, increasing your chances of losing weight.
The naturally occurring fructose component of fruits also helps to reduce sugar cravings. Minerals such as copper found in fruits such as guava, kiwi, and pineapple help in fat-burning by accelerating the release of fat from adipose cells into circulation, where it may be used as fuel.
Iodine-rich foods such as strawberries, cranberries, and pineapple promote thyroid health. Vitamin B12, found in bananas, apples, and berries, raises metabolic rate and boosts calorie expenditure.
According to recent studies, the calcium concentration in fruits such as apricots, oranges, kiwis, pineapple, papaya, and others assists in the breakdown of more fat in the body. As a result of their high fiber content, fruits like apples, pears, strawberries, and bananas help you feel full for longer and regulate your appetite.
Foods high in healthy fats like avocado and coconut may boost your metabolism, lessen your hunger, and protect you from overeating.
So, eating a portion of fruit daily helps with overall weight loss.
Takeaway
Honestly, there is no ‘wrong way’ to eat fruit. The only reason behind all the debate is if you consume fruit at unusual hours of the day, the health benefits still need to be fully got.
There is, however, an ideal way to consume fruit, one that optimizes the health advantages while avoiding the possible negatives of eating fruit “wrong.”
Everyone understands that eating fruit is nutritious and necessary for keeping a healthy body and weight. However, “What is the proper way to consume fruit?” frequently arises.
Fruits are high in vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants, all essential for good health. Fruits’ high fiber content helps with satiety and appetite management, and the high nutrition keeps you away from many immunity-related diseases.
Most people who get enough nutrition from fruits are healthy and fall less victim to serious health issues.