The Truth On Fruit

[Newgrl08]

When and how much fruit is OK? Is it a general rule of thumb to treat them as higher GI foods and eat them earlier in the day? Avoid your last few meals? Do you need to eat them on an empty stomach and is watermelon good for you? I've heard mixed reviews.

 

[Tatyana]

Fructose is a simple sugar, but it does not elicit an insulin response, and with the combination of the fiber in it, the small amount of calories and carbs from fruit, I do think it has been given a bad reputation in a fat loss diet.

Not all fruits are considered high GI either, the berries, apples, are very low GI.

It can also enter muscle cells without insulin.

It does induce glycolysis more strongly than any other carbohydrate, which is the central pathway of metabolism.

It is good for energy before training, but after training, you would want a simple carb that would spike insulin.

Watermelon is known to contain citrulline, which is one of the precursors to make nitric oxide. Nitric oxide is a vasodilator, so it relaxes blood vessels, and more blood can get to the muscles, or 'the pump'.

Nitric oxide is also known to induce the production and release of follistatin, which inhibits myostatin. Myostatin stops muscles from growing.

 

[fitness-rubber]

Fructose is a simple sugar, but it does not elicit an insulin response, and with the combination of the fiber in it, the small amount of calories and carbs from fruit, I do think it has been given a bad reputation in a fat loss diet.

Not all fruits are considered high GI either, the berries, apples, are very low GI.

Sometimes, I suspect that a lot of the bad reputation fruit gets is because marketers call a beverage that's mostly water and high fructose corn syrup "fruit juice." Fruit in and of itself isn't such a terrible thing.

 

[Newgrl08]

OK...good to know! So watermelon somewhat sounds like not such a great idea. (I just bought one)

You bring up another good question as I try to get all of this figured out. I haven't been doing my cardio in the am as I should (on an 'empty' stomach) usually have some protein and carb first and my workouts have been mid-day right now. That being said, you say to have a simple carb post workout. Can that be brown rice/wild rice/sweet potato/whole wheat/oatmeal/ berry/whey/skim milk shake? I always thought simple carbs were 'white' carbs which I want to avoid not only for fitness reasons but they hurt my stomach and spike my insulin to a point of unbelievable uncontrolable hunger. The slightest bit of flour. In this case I don't think it's a mind over matter thing, but rather my body reacts in a negative way to the white flour products.

Hope that made enough sense to get some answers.

Thanks again!!!! You are very supportive and helpful!

 

[Tatyana]

Sometimes, I suspect that a lot of the bad reputation fruit gets is because marketers call a beverage that's mostly water and high fructose corn syrup "fruit juice." Fruit in and of itself isn't such a terrible thing.

I thought they have to call that a fruit flavoured drink?

High fructose corn syrup is to be avoided.

Fruit in it's whole natural form is best.

 

[Gymgurl]

I eat it before and after training.....but that is usually it. BUT by training right now I mean running