Fruitarianism by all rules
Fruits and berries (the same fruit, but smaller in size) are a treasure trove of flavor and benefits. They are rich in vitamins, trace elements, antioxidants, fiber, fruit acids and pectin. According to WHO recommendations, an adult should eat an average of 200 g of fruit per day. Let's find out how to get the maximum benefit from them and not to harm the body.
Have time for the season
A modern person can buy apricots in the winter, and kiwi in the summer. But the best in composition and flavor are only those fruits that have grown and ripened according to their natural cycle and are consumed in the same period. Out-of-season produce is poorer in vitamins and moisture, more loaded with sugars and almost always treated with chemicals that lengthen shelf life.
The maximum amount of seasonal fruits and berries in our country, of course, falls on summer. The very first strawberries, strawberries and honeysuckle appear, from mid-June - cherries and apricots. In July, raspberries, currants, cherries, gooseberries, blueberries, blackberries, nectarines and peaches ripen. From August to September - the time of apples, pears, watermelons, melons, cranberries, blueberries, cranberries, sea buckthorn, grapes, plums and rose hips. In October, quince and imported pomegranates and persimmons are added to apples and pears. From the end of fall begins the time of citrus fruits. In December the season of really "winter" fruits starts: kiwi, bananas, avocados and pineapples, which lasts until spring.
Watch out for fruit!
For all their benefits, fruit is not so harmless and not equally beneficial for everyone.
Many fruits before storage are treated with a mixture of paraffin, wax and sorbic acid. This composition can only be washed off with special detergents and hot water or scrubbed off with a brush. There are also much more dangerous "protective coatings" that threaten health. For example, diphenyl, a petroleum product with carcinogenic properties. Such substances are especially dangerous for children and the elderly.
Fruits are quite allergenic products and can often be the cause of cross allergies. In this case, a person with an allergy to birch pollen may be allergic to stone fruits and berries (apples, peaches, plums, cherries). This is because these fruits contain a protein similar in structure to that of birch pollen. At the same time, if these fruits are subjected to heat treatment (for example, baked), the protein is destroyed and loses its allergenic properties.
Fruits, especially high-calorie (avocado, banana, mango, persimmon, figs, nectarines - 50-200 kcal per 100 g), are rich in carbohydrates, and excess carbohydrates are contraindicated in some chronic diseases: diabetes and other disorders of carbohydrate metabolism, obesity, most diseases of the skin, liver and gastrointestinal tract. If you suffer from such conditions, it is recommended that you discuss nutrition with nutritionists and adjust your diet to maintain and improve your health.
Some therapeutic nutrition protocols, which are also available at our company, severely restrict or prohibit fruit intake altogether. For example, on the yeast-free diet and ketorazione diet, fruit is not allowed, only berries in small quantities. At the same time, the standard healthy and proper nutrition programs of the company "Balance of Taste" contain the necessary amount of various seasonal fruits and berries, optimally distributed throughout the day.
Myth #1
Fruits can be eaten in any quantity, they do not make you fat.
Trying to lose weight, people exclude baked goods from their diet, but often start eating more sweet fruits. In this case, fruits are among the most caloric natural products because of the high content of fructose. When reducing body weight, it is recommended to eat no more than 150 g of fruit per day in the first half of the day. It is better if it is the most low-calorie fruits (less than 50 kcal per 100 g): raspberries, blueberries, grapefruit, cranberries, plums, kiwi, lemon, pear, apples and pineapple.
Myth #2
Fruits and berries are healthy in any form, including jams and jams.
The huge amount of sugar required to make jam nullifies all the useful properties of berries and fruits. To preserve vitamins, berries and fruits can be frozen or dried.
Myth #3
Green colored berries and fruits of the same name are healthier and less caloric than red and orange ones.
This does not correspond to the truth. For example, red and green apples have about the same calorie content.
