Fruit has been getting a bad reputation in the fitness world for a while now. Many nutritionists say that you should avoid fruit because it’s fattening or give advice that you should eat only small amounts in the morning. Why do they advise that? Primary reason is the simple sugar content in fruit, fructose and glucose. Fructose is considered the top enemy of fat loss and has been avoided for the reason that it accumulates as fat much easier than other forms of sugar. Our body uses fructose to fill in the glycogen stores in the liver and if they are full it is converted to fat, it also doesn’t lead to high blood sugar levels as it can covert to glucose if insulin is not present. Main problem is that fructose can’t be stored in muscles like glucose.
Most bodybuilders will avoid fruit as they can’t know if their liver glycogen storage is full so to avoid converting any fructose to fat they avoid eating fruit completely. However I think that is a mistake, fruit has its benefits and should be a part of a healthy balanced diet plan.
So When Should You Eat Fruit?
Best time to eat fruit is when you wake up because body used carbohydrates for energy during our sleep depleting the glycogen storage. However that is not the only time you can use the benefits, you can also eat fruit before or after your workout. Fructose has benefits over glucose before training as it doesn’t stop fat burn during the workout. If you are on a heavy diet fruit can help you avoid the constant feeling of hunger and also help you conserve as much muscle as possible while still losing fat. Research has proven that potassium content from fruit is responsible for keeping muscle, bananas are very rich in potassium and ideal for breakfast and after training.
Eat the Right Fruit at the Right Time for Weight loss
Some scientific research shows that eating grape fruit in the morning helps with fat burn. Any high fiber fruit will help with weight loss as it lowers insulin allowing the body to burn fat for energy. Fiber also slows down digestion of proteins, thereby achieving more uniform absorption of amino acids.
How to choose the right fruit at the right time
Basically all fruit is different and by knowing ratio of glucose and fructose content in fruit we can pick which one is ideal to eat at the given time.
- Higher in fructose – Best to consume before workout because the insulin levels will stay the same and the body can burn fat while training in that state. Fruit to eat at this time:
- Pear
- Apple
- Cantaloupe
- Grapes
- Strawberries
- Raspberries
- Almost same fructose and glucose – In the morning body carbohydrates stores are empty and fructose is ideal to fill up the liver glycogen store and glucose will fill the muscle storage. Your best choice of fruit:
- Pineapple
- Orange
- Banana
- Bilberry
- Nectarine
- Kiwi
- Higher glucose content – After workout we need to raise insulin levels to promote muscle growth and increase the flow of nutrients to the muscles. For maximum results you can eat:
- Cherries
- Peach
Conclusion
Fruit has been a much neglected part of modern bodybuilding and fitness diets for no real reason. By applying these guidelines you can improve you physique as you take advantage of the vitamin, mineral and fiber benefits of fruit. Fiber supplements and weight loss has already been discussed and the conclusion was that nothing can replace natural food. Eating unprocessed raw food is never a mistake, remember that before attempting any diet you should consult your nutritionist or physician. I’m sure your view on fruit has changed after reading this article and that you will adjust your diet with the new knowledge from this article. Losing weight isn’t easy but you can make it a lot easier with the right information and determination. You can find all the information you need here at ShockingFit.com.
