Fruits…Good or Bad

Anything in excess can be bad for you. Whether it is working out with the unchanged routine or eating a constant diet day-to-day. I will say this: Excessive amounts of fruit can be bad.  As for a moderate intake of fruit let’s dive deeper. 

Fruit can be hard to classify and many fitness experts differ on whether fruit is a complex or simple carb. Complex carbs=“good” carbs vs. simple carbs =“bad”. Some exercise experts will put fruits into the simple carbs category because it contains sugar called fructose: simple monosaccharide.  As we all know, sugar is empty calories with no nutritional value for our bodies.  It is absorbed directly into the bloodstream and then is metabolized quickly by the body which makes it more easily converted to fat.  This excessive intake of sugar usually leads to high blood sugar and diabetes as well. 

Having several of my clients on a fruit and vegetable cleansing diet I have never seen negative results. Overall you should not worry about seeing negative side effects.  It would take a substantial amount to become unhealthy in my opinion.  This is in a large part due to the more natural sugar found in fruits along with the nutritional value.  However, please do not confuse fruit juice with fruit.  Most fruit juices are often made from concentrate with added refined sugar, which would completely offset the good qualities of whole fruit.

Here is a list of fruits based on sugar content:
Low to medium sugar: Strawberries, casaba melon, papaya, watermelon, peaches, nectarines, blueberries, cantaloupes, honeydew melons, grapefruit and apples. Fairly high in sugar: Plums, oranges, kiwi, pears, and pineapple.Very high in sugar: Tangerines, cherries, grapes, pomegranates, mangos, figs, and bananas.

My Advice:
A great way to eat more while getting fewer calories is fruit.  Add fruit into your diets but have a well-rounded diet with vegetables and protein. Your body will love you for it.