Fruit = bad?

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ftt_nyeh
ftt_nyeh Posts: 17
in Food and Nutrition
There's a fellow by the name of Tim Ferriss who's been writing articles for AskMen and other online diet sites. He's suggesting that fruit is unilaterally bad for anyone trying to keep away from fat. Personally I think he's full of it. Anyone out there who has read his articles or anything similar have 2 cents to add? Any nutrition experts who can shed some light?

Replies

  • luv2ash
    luv2ash Posts: 1,903 Member
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    for me personally, fruit is not an option at this point in my weight loss. Why? It just has too much sugar and raises my blood sugar level too much too fast, and then it crashes, allowing me to crave more sugar and feel hungry. But thats just me.
  • tcorpo
    tcorpo Posts: 2
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    I am no expert but wondering, what is his basis for suggesting fruit is bad for people wanting to stay away from fat?
  • ♥Faerie♥
    ♥Faerie♥ Posts: 14,053 Member
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    I personally would think that is BS......fruit is the one thing I never deprave myself of, and it has NEVER made me gain an ounce.... but has prevented me from going mad with hunger pains on occasion....
  • kao708
    kao708 Posts: 813 Member
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    I am no expert but wondering, what is his basis for suggesting fruit is bad for people wanting to stay away from fat?
    I'm wondering the same thing...doesn't really make sense.

    Does he offer a suggestion for what to eat in place of fruit? More veggies I guess?
  • lemanda
    lemanda Posts: 116 Member
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    I love my fruit! I think it varies for everybody, but for me, having some honeydew or grapes helps my sugar cravings.
  • Manda1987
    Manda1987 Posts: 207
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    I'm definitely not a nutritionist, but I tend to disagree with this.

    It depends on what your ultimate goal is. If you want to have abs that ripple when you check your watch, and biceps the size of your head, then maybe you need to watch your fruit intake.

    If your aim is to lose weight, fruit can be a great alternative to other things. Instead of eating a cupcake, eat an apple. Half the calories, natural sugar instead of refined sugar, more fiber and vitamins and no fat. I don't think you should use fruit as a "free" food, because the calories do count, but working it into your daily recommended carb and sugar intake is fine.
  • kmm7309
    kmm7309 Posts: 802 Member
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    Fruit does not have fat in it, but if you pig out on fruit it spikes your sugar and makes you feel more hungry (and makes you crave more). My doctor suggested 1/2 cup of fruit a sitting. Fruit has important vitamins in it, don't get me wrong, but as with anything else, too much of it is still bad.
  • pyro13g
    pyro13g Posts: 1,127 Member
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    For most people fruit is not a problem. Fruit juice can be. Since there is sugar in fruit, you can eliminate it while getting off sugar. Those with blood sugar issues have to be careful and monitor what it does to them. It's really hard to gorge on most fruits because of the fiber content.
  • bethrs
    bethrs Posts: 664 Member
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    well... I'm no expert but... fruit is somewhat high in sugar and carbs...and some fruit is better than others nutritionally, that being said fruit is usually a great source of fiber, vitamins and general nutrition, It is a whole, natural, raw food that is minimmally processed. We have evolved as humans to eat mostly plants and some (little) meat. Fruits are plants...

    everything in moderation, but I'm thinking fruits are among the healthiest foods.
  • reikichris
    reikichris Posts: 85
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    I read a few articles yesterday about the best foods for dieting, and fruit was on every list (along with avocados, nuts, rotisserie chicken, raw veggies and low fat dairy).

    I eat fruit (mango, oranges, apples, kiwi, grapes, strawberries, etc.) on a daily basis and have had no problems. I am no expert but I think his article is a bunch of malarkey :)
  • myofibril
    myofibril Posts: 4,500 Member
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    Fruit does not have fat in it, but if you pig out on fruit it spikes your sugar and makes you feel more hungry (and makes you crave more). My doctor suggested 1/2 cup of fruit a sitting. Fruit has important vitamins in it, don't get me wrong, but as with anything else, too much of it is still bad.

    Yeah, fruit contains fructose which then gets converted to glucose which cause spikes in blood sugar levels leading to the possibility of over eating.

    However, this is offset by the health benefits eating fruit conveys.

    Fruit bad for fat loss? Possibly but a casual connection at best. Fruit bad? Errrrr, no.
  • amyoliver85
    amyoliver85 Posts: 353 Member
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    Tim Feriss must be out of his mind.

    Just like the guys who say that if you're trying to get your weight down you shouldn't eat any vegetables.

    Look, the key to weight loss is MODERATION and BALANCE.

    You have to balance the things you eat with each other and eat things in moderation. Carrots and potatoes are good for you, but if you eat only carrots and potatoes for a week, you're probably going to get fat. Why? Because carbs, when eaten in overload mode make people fat. The same is true of sugar...why? Same reason.

    Think BALANCE. If I eat 1.5 cups of fruit today, I should find a way to equitably distribute my remaining calories amongst protein, complex carbs and fiber.

    You should NEVER cut anything completely out of your diet, except for maybe alcohol and simple sugars and simple carbs--your body needs the nutrients you get from a variety of foods in order to function properly. Different foods complete each other and give you a better overall health. You may eat an incomplete protein, like in some seeds and then you eat some chicken, and that chicken offers up what the seeds need to become a complete protein.

    So just remember MODERATION and BALANCE.

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