Fruit....I just don't understand it. Help please!!!
pinkacidtrip
Posts: 9
I'm curious about fruit? They are high in calories and sugar. Does that count towards anything. Fruit always gets me because it's better than eating a candy bar, but why? It still breaks down into the body in the same way. Is it okay to eat unlimited amounts, or is it? Help! I don't understand what to do with it?!? The say it's good for you but sugar and carbs!?? Ahhh! It's frustrating!
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Replies
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Well I'm no nutritionist, but very roughly - the sugar in fruit is fructose which is kinder to your blood sugar levels and pancreas than refined sugars in chocolate. Gram per gram, fruit has less calories than chocolate/candy. Fruit is full of vitamins and minerals, and fibre, and has a high water content. So yes, fruit still has calories, but they're nutritious calories
Edit: Oh, and I'd imagine lower GI than candy, so you won't feel hungry again as quickly as you would if you ate candy.0 -
You need to be able to change your mentality. Realize that there are good sugars, good fats, good calories and all that. Fruits are broken down differently in the body, they may look the same with regard to sugar and carbohydrates but the way your body sees it is different. I agree with Acria, there is much more nutrients. It's also an unprocessed source of energy. Yes, too many apples and fruit a day isn't good bc you still need to stick to a certain level of sugars, but it's better for you than a candy bar.0
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If you like fruit, eat fruit. If you want a candy bar, have one. Sugar and carbs are not evil. However, nothing can be eaten in unlimited quantities. A calorie is a calorie. While some foods are more nutrient dense than others, all that is required for weight loss is a calorie deficit.0
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A calorie is a calorie.
but think how many calories are in an average choccy bar,roughly 250?
I'd say that's about 2.5 to 3 pieces of fruit, which would contain far more nutrients, vitamins, water and fibre than any chocolate could.
fruit and vegetables should be the cornerstone of any diet, with a slight emphasis on veg.0 -
If you like fruit, eat fruit. If you want a candy bar, have one. Sugar and carbs are not evil. However, nothing can be eaten in unlimited quantities. A calorie is a calorie. While some foods are more nutrient dense than others, all that is required for weight loss is a calorie deficit.
I disagree. All calories are not equal. High Fructose Corn Syrup is just calories but should you be eating food that contains it? Based on what some reports say probably not. Highly processed carbohydrates probably don't need to be completely avoided, but you should be paying attention to ensure you are getting more of the good kinds like in whole grains and fruit vs sugar and white bread types. Have a candy bar? Sure, but maybe as a weekly reward instead of a daily one.0 -
I have the most wonderful mental image of you looking utterly confused at a bowl of fruit.0
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How is fruit "high" in calories? Have you met walnuts before?!0
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I'm curious about fruit? They are high in calories and sugar. Does that count towards anything. Fruit always gets me because it's better than eating a candy bar, but why? It still breaks down into the body in the same way. Is it okay to eat unlimited amounts, or is it? Help! I don't understand what to do with it?!? The say it's good for you but sugar and carbs!?? Ahhh! It's frustrating!
Good article that can explain your question:
http://www.livestrong.com/article/546655-does-the-body-process-fruit-sugars-the-same-way-that-it-does-refined-sugar/0 -
Sugar in itself is not bad it's refined sugar that's evil. The sugar in fruit is paired with high amounts of fibre which slows down glucose absorption which prevents the rapid blood sugar spike of some other easily digestible 'foods' like candy bars.0
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lolI have the most wonderful mental image of you looking utterly confused at a bowl of fruit.0 -
If you like fruit, eat fruit. If you want a candy bar, have one. Sugar and carbs are not evil. However, nothing can be eaten in unlimited quantities. A calorie is a calorie. While some foods are more nutrient dense than others, all that is required for weight loss is a calorie deficit.
I disagree. All calories are not equal. High Fructose Corn Syrup is just calories but should you be eating food that contains it? Based on what some reports say probably not. Highly processed carbohydrates probably don't need to be completely avoided, but you should be paying attention to ensure you are getting more of the good kinds like in whole grains and fruit vs sugar and white bread types. Have a candy bar? Sure, but maybe as a weekly reward instead of a daily one.
Please note where I said "some foods are more nutrient dense than others". I did not suggest she fill her diet with candy bars, merely that the only thing required for weight loss is a calorie deficit. Most people are aware that eating enough nutrient dense food is important for maintaining a healthy body.0 -
They don't exactly break down the same way! A candy bar is processed, fruit is in it's most natural state. I wouldn't recommend eating unlimited amounts of fruit a day HOWEVER fruit benefits in moderation will always outweigh it's natural sources of sugar and calories!0
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If you like fruit, eat fruit. If you want a candy bar, have one. Sugar and carbs are not evil. However, nothing can be eaten in unlimited quantities. A calorie is a calorie. While some foods are more nutrient dense than others, all that is required for weight loss is a calorie deficit.
I disagree. All calories are not equal. High Fructose Corn Syrup is just calories but should you be eating food that contains it? Based on what some reports say probably not. Highly processed carbohydrates probably don't need to be completely avoided, but you should be paying attention to ensure you are getting more of the good kinds like in whole grains and fruit vs sugar and white bread types. Have a candy bar? Sure, but maybe as a weekly reward instead of a daily one.
Yes thank u! It's not about a calorie deficit per se, it's a lifestyle! So you're saying if you're diet calls for 1300 cals a day to lose weight you'll eat that in ice cream because calories are calories? No!!0 -
Fruit has sugar (fructose), it it also has vitamins, minerals, fibre and water, so it's a nutritional food, unlike candy, candy provides empty calories, calories with no benefits. It's recommended we eat 5 portions of 5 different fruit or veg a day, selecting different coloured fruit/veg will provide a broader range of vitamins and minerals. You don't get that from candy, no matter how many or varied the selection
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Sugar in itself is not bad it's refined sugar that's evil. The sugar in fruit is paired with high amounts of fibre which slows down glucose absorption which prevents the rapid blood sugar spike of some other easily digestible 'foods' like candy bars.
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Well I'm no nutritionist, but very roughly - the sugar in fruit is fructose which is kinder to your blood sugar levels and pancreas than refined sugars in chocolate. Gram per gram, fruit has less calories than chocolate/candy. Fruit is full of vitamins and minerals, and fibre, and has a high water content. So yes, fruit still has calories, but they're nutritious calories
Edit: Oh, and I'd imagine lower GI than candy, so you won't feel hungry again as quickly as you would if you ate candy.
^^^^^^^ this0 -
A calorie is a calorie.
Please not this again, my head can't stand the face palming!!!!0 -
You need to be able to change your mentality. Realize that there are good sugars, good fats, good calories and all that. Fruits are broken down differently in the body, they may look the same with regard to sugar and carbohydrates but the way your body sees it is different. I agree with Acria, there is much more nutrients. It's also an unprocessed source of energy. Yes, too many apples and fruit a day isn't good bc you still need to stick to a certain level of sugars, but it's better for you than a candy bar.
Exactly what she said. Figure out your daily Protein, Carbs and fats (healthy) ... too much fruit IS bad for you.0 -
If you like fruit, eat fruit. If you want a candy bar, have one. Sugar and carbs are not evil. However, nothing can be eaten in unlimited quantities. A calorie is a calorie. While some foods are more nutrient dense than others, all that is required for weight loss is a calorie deficit.
I disagree. All calories are not equal. High Fructose Corn Syrup is just calories but should you be eating food that contains it? Based on what some reports say probably not. Highly processed carbohydrates probably don't need to be completely avoided, but you should be paying attention to ensure you are getting more of the good kinds like in whole grains and fruit vs sugar and white bread types. Have a candy bar? Sure, but maybe as a weekly reward instead of a daily one.
Yes thank u! It's not about a calorie deficit per se, it's a lifestyle! So you're saying if you're diet calls for 1300 cals a day to lose weight you'll eat that in ice cream because calories are calories? No!!
Ha! Edited because I didn't actually write anything before I posted...!
You're kind of arguing but making the same point. You CAN lose weight just by eating at a calorie deficit - so if you wanted to eat five or six 250 cal chocolate bars a day and nothing else, you could - and you would lose weight. But you'd also be severely deficient in nutrients and very unhealthy! You would also be starving hungry all the time!
A calorie IS a calorie - there are not "good calories" and "bad calories" because a calorie is a fixed unit of energy, like a gram is a fixed unit of mass, or a second is a fixed unit of time. The calories in a bar of chocolate all pretty much come from sugar and fat - the key is to choose foods that allow you to stay within your calorie goal AND give you a balanced diet of all the different nutrients your body needs.
Easier said than done sometimes...!0 -
I count fruit kinda like a sweet replacement. I still get the sweetness but it's a fraction of the calories (banana = 100kcal, chocolate bar = around 250kcal) and it's more filling. Plus they give you vitamins you would never get from normal sweets.0
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Whole fruit contains wonderful amounts of fibre. You have to chew and chew an apple to eat it, you can't inhale it like a handful of gummi bears. Eat your fruit whole, with the skin on when possible, and you will have a tasty sweet snack that gives you energy, fills you up and keeps you regular.
Note that all the benefits of fruit go out the window when you juice it. Juicing concentrates sugar and removes fibre. Not good for weightloss.
An apple a day keeps the lovehandles at bay 0 -
If you like fruit, eat fruit. If you want a candy bar, have one. Sugar and carbs are not evil. However, nothing can be eaten in unlimited quantities. A calorie is a calorie. While some foods are more nutrient dense than others, all that is required for weight loss is a calorie deficit.
I disagree. All calories are not equal. High Fructose Corn Syrup is just calories but should you be eating food that contains it? Based on what some reports say probably not. Highly processed carbohydrates probably don't need to be completely avoided, but you should be paying attention to ensure you are getting more of the good kinds like in whole grains and fruit vs sugar and white bread types. Have a candy bar? Sure, but maybe as a weekly reward instead of a daily one.
Yes thank u! It's not about a calorie deficit per se, it's a lifestyle! So you're saying if you're diet calls for 1300 cals a day to lose weight you'll eat that in ice cream because calories are calories? No!!
Sigh. A calorie IS a calorie. It's a unit of energy. Y'all are getting confused between nutritional value and calories AGAIN.0 -
As other posters have stated - it's the other stuff fruit brings to the table - the micronutrients. Plus the fact the sugar in fruit comes with fibre, meaning it's digested slower, less likely to spike the blood sugar and less likely to leave you wanting to eat all the foodz.
Most candy won't compare. An exception being good dark chocolate, which has soluble fibre, anti-oxidants and is a good source of iron and magnesium.....0 -
Surgar (such as fhe sugar in fruit) is only really bad for you when eaten after, or in combination with fats as the digestion rate is higher it ferments in your stomach. Better to eat it for breakfast. As for weight loss, its full kf vitamins which your body needs and without which will cause cravings forr unhealthy foods if youre not in tune with your body. Of course the calories will give you energy.0
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Surgar (such as fhe sugar in fruit) is only really bad for you when eaten after, or in combination with fats as the digestion rate is higher it ferments in your stomach. Better to eat it for breakfast. As for weight loss, its full kf vitamins which your body needs and without which will cause cravings forr unhealthy foods if youre not in tune with your body. Of course the calories will give you energy.
I don't think it matters whether you eat your fruit for breakfast, lunch, dinner or in between or whether you eat it with fats, with something else or alone.0 -
You're over-thinking it! The benefits of fruit far outweigh the disadvantages.0
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If you eat it between 6 - 7pm you can have 2 pieces (that's when it's happy hour).
Enjoy your fruit.0 -
I don't understand what to do with it?!?I have the most wonderful mental image of you looking utterly confused at a bowl of fruit.
LMFAO... yeah. just wildly amusing.
my first answer is EAT IT!!!!
eat in moderation- you're fine.
And yes- anything you put in your body 'counts'.0 -
What's not to understand about something that tastes good, is full of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Fruit contains natural sugars not refined sugars which are in a plethora of processed goods. Vegetables also have natural sugars in them as well as many other foods, so if you were to prohibit all sugar (even naturally found sugars) then you would be left with very little to eat.0
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Fruits do not have a lot of calories. One cup of red grapes is approximately 100 calories vs one candy bar which is over 200 calories.
Fruits are nutritious and high in antioxidants.
Don't worry about the sugar content. Have fruit and a candy bar if you can fit it into your calories for the day.0
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