We know that fruits are great for health, but most of us don’t know how to take their full advantage. There are also many myths and confusion surrounding which fruits are best to take, what’s the right time to consume them, and how much one should eat. Moreover, questions, such as how many servings one can have in a day and how eating excessive fruit can increase one’s sugar level, add to the dilemma. This article will help you understand these aspects and how you can get as many health benefits from the fruits you consume.
Which fruits are best to take?
Fruits contain antioxidants such as vitamins A, C, E, and magnesium, which kill free radicals that damage cells. However, different fruits contain different types and amounts of antioxidants, so what should one take? The answer is–Seasonal fruits.
Seasonal fruits
Fruits that grow in your region during different seasons of the year are considered seasonal fruits. These fruits are packaged with all the vitamins and minerals that are required by an individual during a season. For example, during summer, our body often gets dehydrated, and our energy level decreases, so we need those fruits that help us maintain the correct water level in the body.
And we all know fruits such as watermelon are found in abundance during the summer which, along with providing your body adequate water, helps prevent summer-related health issues such as skin breakouts, constipation, etc. Similarly, during monsoon and winter, seasonal fruits such as jamun, oranges, and guava provide us with the nutrients required during that time of the year.
Are imported fruits good?
Imported fruits are not bad, but they have less nutrition as compared to locally grown fruits. Most of their nutrition degrades during transportation, which makes it not as effective as locally grown fruits. Also, imported fruits are treated with chemicals to protect their shelf life, which sometimes depletes their nutrient levels. So, it’s best to prefer seasonal fruits over imported fruits to get the most out of them.
What do if fruits are available year-round?
For someone who is residing in countries such as Singapore and Dubai, where fruits are available year-round, one can follow the Indian way of eating fruits like melon in summer and oranges in winter. However, if the place you’re living in has either a hot temperature or cold temperature throughout the year, find out which fruits work best with your gut.
When to have fruits?
Fruits contain sugar, water and fibre (fibre is high in vegetables), which provides energy and helps balance electrolytes (sodium and potassium). So, eating them in the morning is more beneficial; consuming them in the evening and before dinner causes fermentation, leading to gas and bloating. Also, avoid consuming fruits with or immediately after a meal for the same reason (fermentation). So, the best is to eat fruits early morning, before breakfast, or mid-morning (Depending upon person to person).
Moreover, Lavleen Kaur, a reputed online dietitian in India, is against replacing meals with fruits because this deprives the body of the nutrients that it gets from the food. So, take fruit as a morning snack and not as a replacement for your lunch or breakfast.
Is it okay to replace fruits with meals?
As we have discussed earlier, it is not good to take fruits as a replacement for a meal. However, if you have no other option, take nuts and fruits along with this. This combination will provide you the nutrients, such as healthy fat, protein, vitamins and more, which are necessary for a balanced diet.
Can you put salt on the fruits?
Don’t add salt to the fruit because it absorbs its water content/electrolyte. Eat the fruit in its raw form, but if someone has digestion issues, you can sprinkle black salt, but not every day.
How much fruit should you take?
A question closely associated with the quantity of fruits is whether one should consume a single or multiple fruit. Well, the answer is not as difficult as the question. Let us say you consume bananas in the morning. What nutrients you will get- Potassium, right? And also in good amounts? However, if you mix bananas and apples, you will get their nutrients in small amounts.
Moreover, mixing more than three fruits such as apple, banana, pomegranate, and orange increases fructose (sugar) in your body while not giving you the required nourishment. So, it’s recommended to eat one fruit at a time. However, if you can’t live without mixing fruits, avoid mixing more than two or three fruits at a time. Also, if you want to include all fruits, you can have a banana in the morning, guava in the afternoon and similarly, other fruits on other days.
Should a diabetic person take fruits?
We all know that diabetics can take fruits with low sugar content. But if you want to eat fruit such as bananas, grapes or chikoo, you should take it with fibre and protein. For example, with half a banana, take nuts, almonds, walnuts or seeds. This is because when fructose in fruit increases the sugar level in the body, the protein, omega-3 and fibre in nuts and seeds help slow the absorption of sugar in the body, which prevents sudden spikes in the sugar levels. Also, a diabetic patient should not take more than one serving of fruit in a day as fructose increases the level of sugar in the body.
Should you take fruit juice?
One should not consume fruit juice because blending of fruits reduces their nourishment. The more you eat raw fruit, the more nourishment you will get from it. So, instead of blending the fruit and making juice out of it, chew the fruit thoroughly to get maximum nutrients out of it.
Can fruit intake cause bloating?
Normally, food intake does not cause bloating, but if you are not taking it timely or you are consuming excess fruits, it can cause bloating to you. High water-content fruits such as watermelon can also cause bloating in some people; those people can shift to fruits with less water content to solve this issue.
The bottom line
So, this is all about how you should eat fruits to obtain the maximum benefits. We hope this article has addressed all your questions and provided you with valuable insights on consuming fruits. Follow our advice and provide your body with a variety of nutrients and fibre. However, if you want a personalized diet plan, get in touch with a reliable and reputable dietitian in India and achieve your goals with their guidance.
