Including fruits in your diet to help manage your weight

Jul 24, 2022 News

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=Fit-Nest=

 By Davina Bagot

 Kaieteur News – Although fruits contain more sugar than most whole foods, such as vegetables, they can serve as a great start to help you lose weight.

I did some research before I started working on this piece to ensure I share the best possible information with my loyal readers.

Healthline, for example, indicated that several studies have found an association between fruit intake and weight loss. In fact, one research observed 133,468 adults over a 24-year span and found that fruit intake was associated with greater weight loss over time.

A smaller study conducted in 2010 found that obese and overweight dieters who increased their fruit intake experienced greater weight loss. Not only that, but another study found similar findings that followed 252 women over 20 months. This research found that those who ate more fibre had a lower risk of gaining weight and body fat than participants who ate less fibre.

You may be wondering how fruits, though containing a high sugar content, can still aid in weight loss; the magic they also contain is loads of fibre, a nutrient that works to help you lose weight.

Healthline explains that fruits contain natural sugars, very different from the added sugar we are used to, typically found in processed foods. It goes on to share the different health effects of the two. For one, added sugar has been found to be associated with a range of potential health problems, including obesity, diabetes and heart disease. On the other hand, it was noted that fruits contain a mixture of fructose, glucose and sucrose. When taken in large quantities, fructose can be harmful and may contribute to issues like obesity, liver disease and heart problems. For this reason, many people looking to eat less sugar mistakenly believe that they need to eliminate fruit from their diet. However, it’s important to distinguish between the massive amount of fructose found in added sugars and the small amounts found in fruits. Additionally, the high fibre and polyphenol content of fruits reduces the rise in blood sugar caused by glucose and sucrose. Therefore, the sugar content of fruit is not an issue for most people when it comes to health or weight loss.

Now that I’ve hopefully convinced you that fruits are indeed a magical wonder, I’ll share a few that you can use to help you lose weight and how you can enjoy them.

 

Apples

Remember the old saying our grandparents thought us ‘an apple a day can keep the doctor away’? Who knew this was actually a health fact! Everyday Health, another credible website I browsed quoted Atlanta-based Kristen Smith, RDN, spokesperson for Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and registered dietitian for Piedmont Healthcare who says apples are high in fibre but low in calories, which, like many fruits, makes them a wise food choice if you’re trying to lose weight.

“Foods with increased fibre can help slow digestion and keep you feeling satiated for longer periods of time,” Smith says. “For optimal satiety and fibre intake, keep the skin on.”

One medium-sized apple provides 4.37 grams (g) of fibre, which offers 16 percent of the daily value (DV), along with 96.4 calories, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Smith recommends topping your favourite salad with apple slices, dipping them in Greek yogurt as a snack, or adding them to oatmeal for natural sweetness.

Whole oranges, not the canned juice!

Often times, we tend to reach for a box or can of juice, believing that we’re grabbing a healthy drink, but we aren’t! I was at a health event organised by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) a few years ago to cover an event when I learnt that most canned juices contain just over 30 grams of sugar, which is equivalent to the total amount of sugar one needs per day! I was able to confirm this on a number of websites and you can too.

This does not mean we are not to use fruit juices, it means that if we make our own, it can avoid the excessive sugar intake. Heart.org said men should consume no more than 9 teaspoons (36 grams or 150 calories) of added sugar per day. For women, the number is lower: 6 teaspoons (25 grams or 100 calories) per day. Just think about what you would be doing to your body with all that extra sugar you would get from the other foods you would consume!

Nevertheless, I will snap out of this overdrive against sugar and share with you my research on oranges. Everyday Health notes that a medium-sized orange provides 3.14 g of fibre, or 11 percent of your DV. “Avoid orange juice and eat a whole or cut-up orange instead,” Dr. Smith says. “Also, oranges are packed with vitamin C, which offer several health benefits, like boosting your immune system, helping your body make collagen, and aiding with iron absorption.” According to the USDA, a medium-sized orange has 69.7 mg of vitamin C, 77 percent of your DV.

Mangoes

Another super-fruit that you can find in Guyana, perhaps right in your yard, is mango. This delicious fruit offer that no-sugar fix you want, and they can even help improve your metabolism and lower inflammation. Everyday Health also said that a small, short-term study published in April 2017 found that mango lowered blood pressure and helped with blood sugar regulation, both of which play a role in metabolism. It also improved inflammation markers, the research noted.

And of course, they offer a nice helping of weight-supportive fibre. In one mango, you get 3.31 g of fibre, which is about 12 percent of the DV, per the USDA. You may peel and cut into slices and enjoy with salt and pepper for that Guyanese taste, or simply use without.

Avocadoes

Avocadoes or what we call pear in Guyana, is a great fruit that helps keep you feeling full longer. Half of an avocado provides 4.55 grams of fibre, or nearly 16 percent of the DV, notes the USDA.

A study published in April 2019 in Nutrients showed that overweight and obese participants who ate avocados as part of a meal felt less hungry after six hours compared with those who’d eaten a low-fat, high-carb meal.

After cutting a ripe fruit carefully, you may throw the pieces into a blender for a green smoothie to enjoy. The texture of the avocado creates a creamy, thicker drink, like a milkshake, and you can add in all sorts of nutritious standouts, like banana and Greek yogurt to enjoy a tastier treat.

Bananas

“Bananas often get badmouthed for being ‘too high’ in carbs,” says Saginaw, Michigan–based dietitian Kelsey Lorencz, RDN. Because fruit is full of natural sugar, which translates into carbs, it’s a common myth that it can contribute to weight gain, she adds. People on a low-carb diet like keto are often advised to avoid fruits like bananas.

“In reality, part of the carbohydrates from bananas are in the form of the fibres pectin and resistant starch. Both of these can actually help regulate blood sugars, not spike it,” says Lorencz. This type of starch earns that label because it is resistant to digestion, previous research notes, and that’s a good thing, because it functions like fibre and slows digestion — which keeps you full for longer, and also keeps blood sugar steady so you maintain energy. That can keep you from a blood sugar slump that has you reaching for a sweet treat to perk back up.

Everyday Health says there’s a reason these are a such a go-to ingredient for smoothies, and I completely agree! They blend well and add that tropical flavour to any mix. For added weight loss, throw in a small handful of nuts to your blender. Research has found that nuts can aid in weight loss, mainly because they help keep you full for longer, thanks to their healthy fat and protein content.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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