The Great Fruit Debate

Good morning and happy Monday!

I hope you guys are feeling better than I am this morning. I had a super busy weekend that didn't exactly allow for much rest. I hope you guys are feeling more refreshed than I am today.

Saturday morning, we held our first Beach Boot Camp class powered by Juice Plus!

Although we didn't get many takers for the early time, I can't help but love that view as the sun is rising over the water. A-maz-ing! To think this gorgeousness is right in my backyard and I don't take more advantage of it on a regular basis is quite a shame. I definitely must plan a routine to get out there more often. Friends Pam, Mitzie and I had a blast working out together and then catching up at Starbucks afterward. We must have talked nutrition for over an hour, it was awesome! How did I get lucky enough to find friends that are as crazy about nutrition and fitness as I am?

Hanging out with like-minded people is important when you have the type of goals that we do. The motivation and support that we all give each other, despite being individual runners, makes us more like a team. Love them!

Saturday afternoon, was one softball game to start off the weekend tournament. We got the W and were slated to begin our next game at 10am Sunday morning. 10am start time meant I had to be up early to complete my long run in time to start warming up around 9:30am.

I got to my starting spot around 6:40am Sunday and even wore a sweatshirt for the first three miles. The weather was beautiful and I couldn't have asked for a better 11-miler. 

I had 12 miles to cover and was unable to complete that before I had to be at the field, so stopping at 11 I planned to get the last mile in between games. Turns out, I would end up running a lot more than one more mile yesterday.

Post-run, I fueled up with a shake and some watermelon and changed clothes to meet my team for our first game of the day. With the storms that went through Wilimington Saturday night, this site wasn't exactly promising, but they ended up getting us ready to go by about 11:30.

My team was in an end of season, double elimination tournament. We lost our first game and came back to win the next five games! We ended up losing in the championship game, but it was a fun day, and although not the ideal conclusion to a season, it ended on a positive note. I'll tell you what though, I am physically and mentally wiped after 11 miles and six softball games. This morning I had to push myself through my first three classes and am hanging on til 4:15 rolls around and I can go home and more than likely...crawl into bed. :)

The Great Fruit Debate

During nutrition consultations lately, I can't tell you how many times I have heard, "I thought you're not supposed to eat a lot of fruit?" or even, "I was told not to eat any fruit at all." These statements are typically coming from people who are trying to maintain or lose weight. Considering almost all health conscious individuals fall into one of those two categories, (unless your trying to gain weight in terms of muscle mass), I figured it's probably a question that some of you have as well.

So, I am here to clear the air on this one, because it's certainly a very important topic! I had my own opinion, but like I always do, checked out the current research to make sure I haven't missed any pertinent info. Here are my arguments, and hopefully some pointers to make sure you can include fruit in your diet, in the most beneficial way.

Any diet that tells you to completely omit fruit, is WACK! Humans have been eating fruit for centuries. It is a natural, plant, whole food that is jam-packed with fiber, vitamins and minerals, antioxidants and is ultimately low calorie for all of the nutrients it contains. If you are receiving nutrition/exercise advice from someone who tells you not to eat fruit, do not give them another dollar of your hard earned money.

Fruit is more than safe, it is imperative for optimal health.

Here are some general guidelines you may want to consider: 

Like all foods, it should be consumed in moderation. The daily recommendation for fruit intake is between 3-5 servings per day. Fruit naturally contains fructose, one of the main components in sugar, which is the main reason that some diets and health professionals are advising clients to steer clear. In my opinion, this is very ignorant. The fructose found in fruit is no where near a dangerous amount to even begin to contribute to the sugar-related diseases such as heart disease, cancers and obesity. Assuming we aren't going way over our allotted calorie range for the day, and that fruit isn't the only thing we are eating, the benefits of eating fruit blow the risk for high sugar intake OUT OF THE WATER. Not only that, but the high fiber content of most fruits, such as apples, means slower absorption and a very delayed release of fructose into the blood stream, avoiding the potential spike in insulin we get with simple carbohydrates that don't contain any fiber like juices, soda, candy etc. 

One of the key resources for Dietitians everywhere- the USDA says to "Make half your plate fruits and vegetables."

The most important factor in my opinion, is that fruit contains antioxidants. If you aren't familiar with antioxidants, you need to be educated on this immediately! Our body is constantly fighting off free radicals brought on by stress, exercise, the processed foods we eat, smoking etc which cause our healthy cells to die off or become damaged. The more free radicals in our body, the higher our risk of cancer, diseases, illnesses and the negative effects of aging become. Antioxidants, found solely in plant foods, and in more fruit than any other foods, are the only thing that can fight off free radicals. Thousands of studies have proven over and over that the higher our fruit and vegetable intake is, the less likely our disease risk. Take five minutes and Google it. 

The best way to consume fruit:

1. Organically if possible, though not absolutely necessary. The nutritional value of the fruit technically does not change, but it's bio availability, or the ability of your body to actually digest and absorb those vitamins and minerals can be altered. Fresh, locally grown fruit is always going to be your best bet, and if you can get it organic, this will help to avoid consumption of any sort of pesticides or harmful chemicals that may alter it's absorption in the body.
2. First thing in the morning. However, if you miss it this first meal, I certainly wouldn't stray from it until the next day. Get it in as a snack or two later on in the day. The reason I suggest first thing in the morning is to ensure those carbohydrates aren't sitting in your stomach, being unused and absorbed as fat. Almost anything we eat right before bed, can arguably go "unused" and be stored as fat. 
3. With or without other types of food. The second bogus statement that sent health professionals into a tizzy, was that fruit must be eaten alone and on an empty stomach to ensure that all of the nutrients can be absorbed. The argument, that if eaten with other foods, the other foods will absorb first and cause the fruit to "rot" in the stomach. First of all, if this were true for fruit, it would have to be true for all foods. Secondly, in order for fruit to rot, it would have to be taken on by bacteria which isn't found in our stomach, but actually our colon...all the way at the end of our digestive tract. Considering it takes 6-10 hours to reach the colon, and three hours max to leave the stomach, no matter how much food is in our stomach at any given time, it is impossible for any of it to rot in the stomach. 

Here's some food for thought...if you're breathing right now, you know that obesity is an incredibly large and dangerous epidemic right now, that doesn't seem to be going anywhere, anytime soon. Fun fact- from 1994-2002 the average American consumed .5 servings of vegetables per day and 1 serving of fruit. How can we honestly make such an ignorant statement that FRUIT is the cause of our obesity when we are bigger than ever and eating less plant foods than ever. 

Furthermore, in 2013, the Journal of American Medical Association illustrated observational studies that showed an increased fruit consumption was directly related to lower body weight and a decreased risk of obesity related diseases.

So eat up! In our culture, sadly enough you are more at risk of not getting enough fruit than you are in danger of getting too much. And remember, if you are worried about bridging that gap between the amount of fruits and veggies you are eating, and the amount you should be eating, I'd love to talk to you more about Juice Plus capsules. Easiest way to add the nutrients of 25 different fruits and vegetables into your daily nutrient regime. Along with all the benefits of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, you can have peace of mind knowing you and your family are fighting off disease and living healthier, longer, more fulfilling lives. 

Share with us! What are some other crazy diet trends you have questions about?