Don't Eat Fruits?

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Breathe_Glamour
Breathe_Glamour Posts: 136
in Food and Nutrition
I heard a podcast today & the speakers said that we should not eat carbs 3 hours before our workouts and, if possible, we should not eat them 2 hours after a workout. Okay, I get that - it makes sense because of insulin & its affect on the body's ability to burn fat and blah blah blah.

BUT, the speakers also said that we should space out meals that include carbs by 5 to 6 hours! This, too, makes sense, especially when you consider the refined carbs many people eat & how "bad" they are for our bodies. One speaker included fruits as examples of the foods we're not supposed to eat before/after workouts, along with sugar, pasta and bread! Following his "rule" would mean that we could only eat fruits every 5 to 6 hours, therefore, fruits cannot be a snack that we should eat often. However, if we should eat 5 meals per day, 3 big meals and 2 snacks, (6 meals for some) how can this be true? No one ever said fruits were bad for me & I refuse to believe they are. Of course, if you have too much of anything then it can be bad for you, but what the hell is wrong with eating a peach, nectarine, mango, apple, kiwi, or pineapple at 10 am and then eating another one at 2 pm?!

Am I the only one disturbed by this finding? Can any of you really healthy people attest to the validity of the speakers' opinions?

Replies

  • Naokoheart
    Naokoheart Posts: 161
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    That is quite absurd, our bodies run on sugar,so high calorie fruits such as banana's and dates are great ways to restore our glycogen stores,thats the fruitarian way anyway. :D
  • DrBorkBork
    DrBorkBork Posts: 4,099 Member
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    I think it's rubbish (although some fruits are better choices than others-- ie: choosing an apple over a mango, the mango is a lot higher in sugar). And the no carbs rule doesn't make much sense to me either. The only reason I survive a hard workout is because I eat a balance meal of carbs and protein before I go to it.
  • nroesler
    nroesler Posts: 81
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    I am not even remotely affected by this...and here's why;
    you can search online and find 100 sites that agree with this idea and 100 that don't.
    I don't think any of us here are going for 0% or perfection and I see this as a more hardcore version of eating
    I know my body and I know what works, this won't. I love fruit and it's much better than the other sugar alternative so if I want to fruit smoothie after a workout or an apple as my evening snack I sure as heck will.

    Don't get bogged down in the particulars, just eat healthy food, portion properly and get active!
  • DizzieLittleLifter
    DizzieLittleLifter Posts: 1,020 Member
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    This is BS, don't listen to that guy anymore :wink: One needs to eat fibrous carbs (which includes fuit!) through out the day, and especially after a strenuous workout. I can keep going on about this, but I'll leave it at that. This guy is an idiot.
  • DeeJayTJ
    DeeJayTJ Posts: 355 Member
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    Wow I dunno but after a workout I eat a whole box of blackberries and a grape fruit and maybe a sandwich or salad. I've lost about 33lbs so far. I eat fruits like a crazy person.
  • MsElphaba
    MsElphaba Posts: 432 Member
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    That is just too much to think about. If I have to work that hard, I'll quit. Like others have said. Its more about keeping a good balance, watching your calories, and keeping it "real."

    L
  • kimjoan
    kimjoan Posts: 192 Member
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    I concur with those saying this is garbage. Carbs = equal energy. If you want to eat carbs right before and right after you go to the gym is the best time to eat them. Before because they give you an energy boost and you have a better workout and after because your body is in optium efficiency mode to burn those carbs.
  • mm3898
    mm3898 Posts: 138 Member
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    Is this the Cut The Fat Podcast? B/c if it is, I really would take almost everything they say w/ a grain of salt... They don't seem like the most nutritionally educated people, and although they have some nuggets of wisdom, most of it I really would NOT follow. Carbs are our friends, and while it is important to keep carbs in check, our brains need them to survive, as do our muscles. As long as you stick w/ whole grains, lower sugar fruit and veggies, you should be golden. Good for you to double check and not believe every piece of "health" advice thrown your way!

    Best of luck!
    xoxo
    Maggie
  • LaurenH2010
    LaurenH2010 Posts: 71
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    I agree that you shouldn't get bogged down by the particular's of this. Yes carbs give you energy but from my understanding for the first half hour of a workout you are working off what you recently ate. After that half hour your body starts to use its stored energy; which is what carbs turn into if they are not used up quickly. So by that logic if you eat a ton of carbs but are doing a lot of cardio you wont store the carbs you have eaten but you wont be losing your stored carbs as quickly. Fruits do have carbs but there is such a thing as good carbs and bad carbs. Fruits have the natual sugar which again I have only heard and not done much research myself on it but...I have heard the carbs in fruits are easier for our bodies to digest so they get processed fasted than the carbs in something like white bread.

    I also agree that you have to do what works for you. Keep eating those fruits especially if it is a lifestyle that you can stick with. I think you would find if you had to restrict how and when you ate them you might get frustrated and give up on the entire eating healthy idea. I know that if I was that strict about my eating it would take away all the pleasure for me. So bottom line, do what works for you:happy:
  • akaDumbo
    akaDumbo Posts: 187
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    I concur with those saying this is garbage. Carbs = equal energy. If you want to eat carbs right before and right after you go to the gym is the best time to eat them. Before because they give you an energy boost and you have a better workout and after because your body is in optium efficiency mode to burn those carbs.

    Perfect answer Kim
  • Breathe_Glamour
    Breathe_Glamour Posts: 136
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    All of you have been so helpful...I love y'alls advice :love:

    Thank you for the help :happy:
  • metizzy2
    metizzy2 Posts: 122
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    Eating fruit is GOOD for us, whether we're watching our weight or not. I agree that it depends on what KIND of fruit to eat. Watermelon has more sugar than say, canteloupe. Green apples have less sugar than any other type of apple.
    Hope this helps.

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