Benefits of fruits
Benefits of fruits
Almost all fruits contain fructose, sucrose, pectin, mineral salts, starch, vitamins A, C, K, P. This is their benefit. Fruits are one of the main sources of organic fiber, which is necessary:
- To normalize fat metabolism
- Removing bad cholesterol from the body
- Normal functioning of the gastrointestinal tract
Most people are overweight. To get rid of unwanted body weight, you need to change your diet: reduce the number of calories you consume. 7 kg within a week . This type of nutrition is suitable for those who have set themselves the goal of quickly losing weight. But remember that you also need to drink at the same time. The daily drinking water intake is at least 2 liters.
Fruits should be used as the main source of nutrients. They are rich in vitamins and microelements. But eating such fruits alone is harmful. The daily diet should contain proteins, fats, carbohydrates, and fruits act as an addition to a complete diet. It is good to eat fruits with a low sugar level, they will speed up metabolic processes. The most useful include:
- Apple is a major source of fiber that helps strengthen the immune system. It is better to eat sour varieties, they contain less fructose. This fruit helps prevent colon cancer, strokes, and heart attacks.
- Grapefruit – removes excess fluid from the body, breaks down fats, improves metabolism.
- Orange is rich in beneficial vitamins and has a good effect on the body's metabolic processes. If you eat 3-4 fruits a day , the level of cholesterol and colds will decrease.
- Pomelo – relieves hunger and removes harmful substances from the body.
- Pear – maintains a feeling of satiety, removes waste and toxins, and reduces fever. This fruit contains twice as much ascorbic acid than citrus fruits, and is rich in potassium, magnesium, and fiber.
- Kiwi - dulls the feeling of hunger, normalizes digestion, and relieves hernia.
- Strawberry – protects against relapses after removal of tumors and cancers.
- Watermelon will quench your thirst, but also strengthen your immune system and prevent the formation of cancer. Contains potassium and vitamin C.
You need to be very careful with this type of diet. In small quantities, the fruits are beneficial, but in large quantities they can be very harmful. Many people have a question: at what time, after what period of time after a meal or before a meal, should they eat fruits so that they bring maximum benefit to the body? Find the answer below. Read on.
Oranges
Orange is rich in vitamins, fiber, potassium and antioxidants. It has a low glycemic index, so it is good for people with diabetes. One orange provides the daily requirement of vitamin C. This helps strengthen the immune system and prevent infectious diseases.
Essential oils contained in the peel of the fruit are used for aromatherapy and are included in creams.
- Afternoon snack
/ best time Slightly speed up metabolism and improve digestion due to the presence of pectin. They have a tonic effect and accelerate metabolism. Lots of vitamin C, A, E. - Morning
/ undesirable Consuming on an empty stomach can cause stomach irritation and cause allergies.
Should you eat fruit before or after meals?
Fruits need to be eaten correctly
People often ask nutritionists questions about the timing of fruit consumption. Should you eat fruit before or after meals?
- Properly consumed before meals - 30-40 minutes. During this period of time, fiber has time to be completely digested, and all useful components are absorbed by the body.
- It is not recommended to eat fruit immediately after a meal . The products will mix and begin to sour, turning into acid, and will become useless for the body.
If you eat the fruit immediately after eating, you will experience a feeling of a full stomach, bloating, and gas formation. This will cause a lot of inconvenience. Increased acidity in the body is very harmful for people with gastritis and gastrointestinal ulcers.
Is it possible for the night
Before answering whether it is possible to eat bananas at night when losing weight, you need to understand how much energy our body spends during sleep. It is estimated that on average the human body spends about 480 kcal on its vital functions in 8 hours of sleep.
At the same time, the digestive system significantly slows down its work, and some of the food that enters the body before bedtime most often simply does not have time to be digested. Therefore, it is better not to eat bananas before bed, otherwise the calories will not be spent on energy, but will be stored in fatty tissue.
How long after eating can you eat fruit?
Another popular question: how long after eating can you eat fruit? It all depends on what was eaten for lunch:
- Vegetables take 2 hours to digest
- Cereals and fish – 2 hours
- Meat – 3-4 hours
- Eggs – 4-5 hours
- Lighter food – 1-2 hours
After this time, you can safely eat the fruit. If you don’t want to wait that long, then you can enjoy a fruit dessert no earlier than 60 minutes after your main meal.
When is it better to eat fruit: morning or evening?
It is better to eat apples before lunch.
Most nutritionists prefer eating such food in the first half of the day. Fruits consist of 80% juice. When consumed correctly, fiber remains in the stomach for 30 minutes , and is then broken down in the intestines. In the morning, the body needs energy; it can be obtained by eating citrus fruits. Also, with their help, you can speed up metabolism and lower blood cholesterol levels. If you eat a mango before lunch, you can remain full of energy for the rest of the day.
Figs and apricots are best eaten before lunch
But remember: In the morning, immediately after waking up, and especially on an empty stomach, you should not eat fruit. It is better to do this after breakfast - 1-2 hours after eating.
After a hearty dinner, it is better to eat kiwi, figs or any berries. These fruits will relieve belching, heartburn, and heaviness in the stomach. It is good to eat berries in the evening. They are low in calories, nutritious and easy to digest.
For a light snack:
- Green apple
- Pear
- Grape
- Banana
Bananas are best eaten at lunch.
Bananas contain a large amount of magnesium. This fruit is also high in calories, making it suitable for people leading an active lifestyle. Grapes contain a lot of glucose. This fruit is very refreshing and its consumption helps keep the body in good shape. Pear has a diuretic effect and helps remove excess fluid from the body.
Tomatoes
Tomatoes are a low-calorie product, so they are useful for those who want to lose weight. The antioxidant lycopene, which is part of tomatoes, has a positive effect on well-being. Surprisingly, the amount of lycopene increases sharply if tomatoes are subjected to heat treatment - boiled, stewed, steamed. Therefore, they are used to prevent cancer.
- Lunch
/ best time Improves digestion and activates the pancreas. - Evening
/ undesirable Tomatoes, due to the large amount of oxalic acid, affect the water-salt balance. When consumed in the evening, they cause swelling.
How much fruit do you have?
The World Health Organization recommends that adults consume 300-400 grams of fruit daily, approximately two servings. If you have problems with blood vessels or blood pressure, it is recommended to eat a larger amount - at least 500 grams of fruit or 5 servings during the day.
A single serving includes:
- small apple
- Medium pear
- Large orange or banana
- 90 g blueberries
- 32 medium sized grapes
- Half a medium pineapple
- Cup of chopped mango
This quantity allows you to get all the important elements. 3-4 servings during the day . It is advisable to eat fresh fruits grown in your region, and not brought, for example, from other countries.
What form do fruits come in?
Fruits are best eaten raw
We are all accustomed to eating fruits raw. But still the question is: “In what form are fruits eaten?” , occurs frequently. You can eat the fruits:
- In one piece
- Frozen
- Dried
- In the form of juices, smoothies, salads
- After baking, fermentation
However, it is most beneficial if eaten fresh, whole, without heat treatment. After boiling, baking, drying, etc., fruits lose most of their nutrients.
Therefore, there will be very little benefit for the body if you eat jams and preserves. In addition, such a roll contains a large amount of sugar, and this is additional harm. The raw fruit retains all vitamins and also contains many useful microelements, unlike dried, stewed and candied fruits.
How to properly combine fruits with other foods while losing weight?
To lose weight, eat fat-burning fruits as a separate meal.
Naturally, fruits cannot be combined with all foods. After all, they contain a lot of acids and fiber, which can affect the absorption of other foods. How to properly combine fruits with other foods while losing weight?
First you need to figure out what foods you shouldn’t combine fruit with. To do this, we will divide them into several groups:
- Sweet
These are dried fruits, almost all varieties of grapes, figs, bananas, dates, persimmons . Not compatible with fish and meat products. You can chop it and add it to curd mass, ice cream, or combine it in a fruit salad. But it is advisable to eat it as a separate food.
- Sweet and sour
These are peach, apple, nectarine, apricot, sweet varieties of pears, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, watermelon, melon . You need to remember that watermelon and melon cannot be combined, they do not go together. It is forbidden to mix with dairy products, also for combining with vegetables, sour fruits - not suitable. It is better to eat separately or in the form of salads, for example, peach with apple, apricot with raspberries and strawberries, etc. And watermelon and melon should be eaten in separate portions 1-2 hours after the main meal.
- Sour
These are pomegranate, cranberries, cherries, citrus fruits, kiwi, green apples, sour varieties of pears, grapes . They are in harmony with each other, but they can be supplemented with fermented milk products. Combine with nuts and cottage cheese, you can prepare a light cottage cheese dessert with cherries.
Tip: To lose weight, give preference to fat-burning fruits. You will find a list of them in the picture above.
The most suitable way to consume it for weight loss is to mix fruits with fermented milk products. Combined, you get a healthy smoothie. Mix the fruits you can as described above. But eat no more than 300-500 grams per day . You can prepare, for example, a fruit salad from various fruits and berries. Various vitamins and microelements will enter the body. But you should not mix the fruits with fresh milk, otherwise there will be gastrointestinal upset and diarrhea.
Recipes
Some recipes containing fruit can reduce the calorie content of dishes and achieve weight loss.
Banana Carrot Salad Recipe
Mix 1 grated carrot, sliced fruit, pour low-fat yogurt over the mixture, adding ground black pepper is allowed.
Oatmeal recipe with banana and apples
Grind 50 g of peeled apple into pieces, cut 1 fruit into slices, boil 50 g of oatmeal. Place the porridge on a plate, sprinkle the previously chopped products on top, add cinnamon and honey.
When to eat fruits - pears, apples, kiwis, grapes, bananas and others: tips
30% of their breakfast and make a full dinner from fruits. If you have low stomach acid, you can eat the fruits before your main meal. Fiber, juice and fruit acid will help start the process of digesting food.
- During the cold period, it is better to consume citrus fruits, kiwi, and persimmon . They help strengthen the immune system and replenish vitamin deficiencies. Bananas, pomegranate and quince will fill the body with essential microelements: magnesium, iron, calcium. Persimmon will produce the hormone of happiness, improve vision and skin condition.
- On warm days, it is better to give preference to seasonal fruits. They contain a large amount of vitamins.
So, when should you eat fruit? Here are the tips
- Pears – eat 2 pieces throughout the day. This fruit is very heavy on the stomach, so you shouldn’t eat it at night.
- Apples - before lunch, sweet varieties are better - "Golden", "Red Chief", "Red Prince", "Gloucester" . Such apples will not cause excessive secretion of gastric juice and heartburn.
- Bananas - you can use them as a snack - 1-2 hours before meals , but no later than 18:00 . They are high in calories and are difficult to digest in the body.
- Kiwi - in the morning for energy. After eating - if you feel heavy.
- Grapes – it’s better not to eat them at night. It causes a feeling of hunger due to increased production of gastric juice. Has a high glycemic index. Include it in your diet in the afternoon.
- Watermelon is a diuretic and after 19:00 . It is better to eat it in the morning; it contains polysaccharides that increase brain performance.
- Plums – before eating them you need to drink some water. They have a laxative effect and are served 50 minutes before meals . The best time is from 12 to 18:00 .
The consumption of each fruit must be considered individually. For specific pathologies, especially gastrointestinal diseases, the use of certain types is often prohibited. For example, for obesity - bananas, for ulcers - pomegranate, apples and citrus fruits, etc.
Remember: With minimal activity, any fruit is transformed into sugar and fat. Therefore, if you lead a sedentary lifestyle, then you need to eat a minimum amount of fruits, especially sweet ones - no more than 200 grams per day .
When eating fruits, there is no need to rush; you need to chew each piece thoroughly. Portions should be moderate. As mentioned above, when consuming food, you need to pay attention to the energy consumption of a particular person. Excessive consumption of fruits leads to excess weight gain. Remember this. But in general, fruits are very healthy. These are your “dietary supplements”, only instead of capsules and tablets, you will eat delicious fruits.
All the most interesting things about banana
Many people incorrectly believe that banana is a tree. No, this is a grass with a powerful root system. The roots of the plant can grow underground up to five meters wide. The diameter of the stem can reach 40 cm, and its height can be about 20 meters. This herbaceous plant usually has 6-20 large leaves.
Bananas bloom after 8-10 months of active growth. A huge bud breaks out from under the ground through the entire stem, at the base of which flowers bloom. Animals pollinate these plants.
Banana can be awarded the title of the tallest herbaceous plant after bamboo. Its fruit is nothing more than a berry. On one plant there are both female, asexual and male flowers at the same time. One inflorescence can grow up to 300 berries.
There are more than 500 varieties of this tropical plant.
Banana berries, depending on the variety, can be very diverse in:
- shape (oblong, cylindrical, triangular);
- peel color (green, yellow, red, with a silvery tint);
- pulp color (cream, white, orange, yellow).
Is there a banana palm? It's time to dispel this myth too. It originated in the ancient world, when the banana was called the “wonderful Indian fruit tree.” Palm trees grow in India, so the banana was mistakenly called the “banana palm.” But this plant has nothing to do with the palm tree.
The banana is not a tree or a palm tree, but a tall grass with fruits and berries.
