Sugar from fruits!

gogosyss

I always eat fruits during the day and since I started MFP I noticed that I am always "red" on sugar...I had a look from were it came and most of it comes from the fruits....I always eat a banana for breakfast and for my 2 snacks during the day I usually eat an apple, orange, kiwi or melon. My question for u guys, do you think that's too much sugar from 3 fruits a day?
Banana in the morning, 1 fruit around 12:00 and second around 16:00.
I try to have a clean diet most of the time so I am talking about days when I really eat healthy and I don't eat any other sweets.

coliema

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/527855-is-sugar-from-fruits-bad-for-you

a_claire

Don't worry about it. Eating three servings of fruit a day isn't going to make you fat.

rekite2000

I keep track of my overall carb number. I eat 3-4 servings of fruit and that puts me over on sugar. No medical reasons to worry about sugar so I only glance at it at the end of the day.

rhall9058

I always eat fruits during the day and since I started MFP I noticed that I am always "red" on sugar...I had a look from were it came and most of it comes from the fruits....I always eat a banana for breakfast and for my 2 snacks during the day I usually eat an apple, orange, kiwi or melon. My question for u guys, do you think that's too much sugar from 3 fruits a day?
Banana in the morning, 1 fruit around 12:00 and second around 16:00.
I try to have a clean diet most of the time so I am talking about days when I really eat healthy and I don't eat any other sweets.

I wouldn't necessarily worry about the sugar from the fruits. More importantly though, do some research on your servings as it relates to the acidity of the fruit. For example, oranges and kiwis have a high amount of acid and several servings will start to eat away your stomach lining over time and create ulcers. While I subscribe to the 3 fruits a day theory as good, just make sure you are getting the right content.

willdob3

While fruit is not usually a problem for people with no health issues it can be a factor sometimes.

As long as you are seeing progress don't worry about it. If you stop losing you might want to switch to fruits that are lower in sugar and/or eat a bit less fruit while increasing green vegetables.

Rilke

oranges and kiwis have a high amount of acid and several servings will start to eat away your stomach lining over time and create ulcers

Can you PLEASE post SOME kind of evidence to back up a statement like this? Unless one has gastritis, gastric reflux or some other issue already present, I have never heard of such a thing.

changing4life

I agree with Rekite. It's the total carb count at the end of the day that matters, not the amount of sugar, especially from fruit. There are so many health benefits from eating fruit that far outweigh the amount of sugar in them.

cwolfman13

Everyone knows that over consumption of fruit is what has caused the obesity epidemic in this country...

/sarcasm

Seriously though, the MFP recommendation for sugar is based on the AHA's recommendation for added sugar. Sugar in fruit is still fructose, but unlike sugar in a piece of cake or candy or soda or something, the fructose in fruit is wrapped in a lot of fiber, so your body metabolizes this differently (more slowly) and the insulin spike isn't so...spikey.

Regular consumption of fruit has numerous health benefits as many fruits and berries are very nutrient dense...2-3 servings per day is excellent along with 4-6 servings of veg.

ZozoMonster

Generally I ignore the sugars from fruits and just count refined sugar... MFP doesn't register the difference between the 2 and fruit is good for you so, y'know...

Afura

If you're eating an abnormal amount of fruit, it may be something to cut back on, but from your comments it doesn't seem like that's all you're eating. There have been many comments before from people about how the sugar limit is low, especially since fruit is counted on there. I make sure that the sugars I am eating primarily come from healthy sources (read: fruit ), and just ignore it otherwise. Mostly I use it to help indicate what foods I'm eating that are contributing to that macro.

UsedToBeHusky

Don't worry about it. Eating three servings of fruit a day isn't going to make you fat.

+1

goldfinger88

We need some fruit. Of course, like with all foods it should be in moderation. But fruit is an excellent source of antioxidants, vitamin C and other good things and we need several servings a day. It's hard to keep the sugar in the green because so many packaged foods have lots of sugar. If you eat organic and less processed food, that should stop.

krissynicole787

i say if its natural, it is fine to eat.

taylorckt1

I had a situation occur where my buddies were taking off weight and I wasn't although I worked out harder and ate better on a consistent basis (pre MFP)...my trainer took a look at my food log on my computer and suggested I eliminate fruits (which I love and know they are good for me)...I bulked but took the suggestion and the results were amazing!

You have to do what works for your body. There is no cookie cutter answer to this. If you are still taking weight off and feel great, I wouldn't worry about it, if not, consider eliminating them from your diet for a while and see how it goes. Veggies and a pure 6 oz glass of fruit juice are enough for me on a daily.

Good Luck!

JoRocka

Don't worry about it. Eating three servings of fruit a day isn't going to make you fat.

no but if you are trying to lose weight- you are going to seriously stall your progress by eating too much fruit. You do not NEED to eat 3-4 peices of fruit a day.

If you are cutting processed sugar- go ahead and subsitute with natural sources such as honey or fruit- but really- if you are trying to lose weight- once you come off the "processed" sugar addiction/issues- I would HIGHLY recommend you seriously limit fruit to one a day and keep it earlier- so not for a desert.

Saucy_lil_Minx

I always eat fruits during the day and since I started MFP I noticed that I am always "red" on sugar...I had a look from were it came and most of it comes from the fruits....I always eat a banana for breakfast and for my 2 snacks during the day I usually eat an apple, orange, kiwi or melon. My question for u guys, do you think that's too much sugar from 3 fruits a day?
Banana in the morning, 1 fruit around 12:00 and second around 16:00.
I try to have a clean diet most of the time so I am talking about days when I really eat healthy and I don't eat any other sweets.

I wouldn't necessarily worry about the sugar from the fruits. More importantly though, do some research on your servings as it relates to the acidity of the fruit. For example, oranges and kiwis have a high amount of acid and several servings will start to eat away your stomach lining over time and create ulcers. While I subscribe to the 3 fruits a day theory as good, just make sure you are getting the right content.

two comments:
1- Sugar from the whole fruit are totally acceptable as long as it is the WHOLE fruit, and not juice. The fruit also contains fiber which allows the body for a slow release of sugars so you do not get the insulin spike, and crash which causes you to overeat.

2- again the whole fruit will help to prevent the acid build up, as long as you are putting variety in your diet, and eating alkalizing veggies too (dark greens esp.) these help to neutralize an over abundance of acid build up that causes problems. It is all about balance.

Suggestion on how to measure foods: your palm (size and thickness) protein portion, size of two fists for veggies, size of one fist for fruit portion, size also one fist portion for grains, and size of thumb (base to tip) for healthy fat portion. Really easy to measure no matter where you are at.


Sugars to avoid: Lactose (milk sugar) no fiber in milk to slow absorption ( or drink with caution, it is also a food choice not a drink choice), fruit juices (see above), artificial sweeteners ( can cause other health issues), corn syrup ( again stripped of natural casing {corn it is derived from} ), agave nectar ( can be just as caloric as refined white sugar), and refined white sugar.

Acceptable sweeteners: Stevia (hardwood or birch varieties), coconut palm sugar, honey, or agave (as long as you are aware of how much your using)

Best option get use to not adding sugar to things, and just enjoy natural sweetness of things. Once the crap is out of your diet you really start to taste the good stuff.

michellechawner

I know in Paleo I was only allowed certain fruits because they were "better" for you. Anything "tropical" (banana, pineapple, Mango, Guava, etc) are EXTREMELY high in sugar (this was according to the diet plan and my trainers) - granted, it's natural sugar, but your body processes it differently.

I eat one banana and my sugar levels for the day are pretty much shot. Just with one banana.

But with Paleo I could eat all the berries I wanted. And the fiber from them is good too.

You just need to find what works best for you.

SanteMulberry

I always eat fruits during the day and since I started MFP I noticed that I am always "red" on sugar...I had a look from were it came and most of it comes from the fruits....I always eat a banana for breakfast and for my 2 snacks during the day I usually eat an apple, orange, kiwi or melon. My question for u guys, do you think that's too much sugar from 3 fruits a day?
Banana in the morning, 1 fruit around 12:00 and second around 16:00.
I try to have a clean diet most of the time so I am talking about days when I really eat healthy and I don't eat any other sweets.

The obesity researchers who are looking into the connection between fructose and obesity believe that it is important for obese individuals to restrict fructose (the primary sugar in fruit) to 15 grams a day. They recommend that non-obese individuals restrict their fructose to 25 grams per day. Having said that, the primary source of fructose, in the standard diet, is from eating sugary foods (sucrose, i.e. table sugar is 50% fructose) and processed foods (which virtually all contain added sugars). The amount of fructose in a can of "orange" soda is roughly equivalent to the amount of fructose in 10 oranges. It is important to remember that the fructose in fruits is encased in fiber and it is released more slowly into the bloodstream because of that. It isn't that our bodies are not capable of dealing with fructose, it is that large amounts at once seem to overwhelm the body's capacity to deal with it. Fructose is metabolized in much the same way as is alcohol, by the way. A little alcohol in one glass of wine does not harm the body (and some studies suggest it may well be beneficial). But drinking a bottle of wine overwhelms the body's ability to handle it and the deleterious effects are quite obvious rather quickly. The same is true of eating a lot of fructose in the form of sugar consumption.

I would say that a normal intake of fruit is probably quite safe (although there is some evidence that "fruitarian" diets--where nothing but fruit is eaten---are problematic). But, if you are obese and trying to lose weight, it may be wise to limit the amount of fructose to 15 grams per day. Glucose and galactose (the other two monosaccharides contained in our diets) do not seem to have the same deleterious effects as does too much fructose. Unfortunately, MFP does not have a separate tracking of fructose in the database. I calculate mine manually. Hope this has been helpful.

albertine58

oranges and kiwis have a high amount of acid and several servings will start to eat away your stomach lining over time and create ulcers

Can you PLEASE post SOME kind of evidence to back up a statement like this? Unless one has gastritis, gastric reflux or some other issue already present, I have never heard of such a thing.

haha yeah, this is a totally crazy, false statement. Your stomach is full of hydrochloric acid, for goodness sake- kiwis and oranges are MUCH less acidic than your stomach naturally is. 90% of ulcers are caused by a bacterium.

To respond to the actual thread...don't worry about fruit sugar as long as you're eating the whole fruit. I don't drink juice because it's just the fruit sugar with none of the satisfying fiber.

Saucy_lil_Minx

I know in Paleo I was only allowed certain fruits because they were "better" for you. Anything "tropical" (banana, pineapple, Mango, Guava, etc) are EXTREMELY high in sugar (this was according to the diet plan and my trainers) - granted, it's natural sugar, but your body processes it differently.

I eat one banana and my sugar levels for the day are pretty much shot. Just with one banana.

But with Paleo I could eat all the berries I wanted. And the fiber from them is good too.

You just need to find what works best for you.

Try cycling your higher sugar fruits to days you do cardio, and limit them. to one choice a day. Your very right too many high sugar fruits not good, but they are still important to the body on a nutrient level. I mean two kiwi's a day, and you have way more potassium than the banana, and less fat. Again I will stress lots of alkalizing veggies to counter act the fruit. I go for two veggies to every one portion of fruit.