Fruit Diet Specifics
Many Americans have little or no information on fruit nutrition facts because most nutrition ‘experts’ have little to no information on fruit or have bought into false or inaccurate information about fruit.
There is a common idea in nutrition today that ‘carbs’ make you fat. I find it hilarious, I always ask people if they complain about the carbohydrates on their hips or abdomens and they look at me as if I’ve lost my mind.
Do these nutrition guru’s really even know how carbohydrates are converted into fat?
No.
Let’s find out.
De Novo Lipogenesis is the process by which carbohydrates are converted into fat. A study was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition where the researchers hypothesis was that the conversion of carbohydrates into fat would be higher in obese women indicating that excess carbohydrate consumption leads to obesity. The results were rather interesting:
“De novo lipogenesis increases after over feeding with glucose and sucrose to the same extent in lean and obesewomen but does not contribute greatly to total fat balance.”
Another interesting quote from this study:
Most nutrition guru’s do not understand this point:
or in simple terms the body burns 30% of the carbohydrates in the process of conversion! Carbohydrates do not make you fat.
All sugars are NOT created equal!
Lets compare the nutrition profile of regular granulated sugar to the nutrition profile of common fruit.
3 Tb. of granulated sugar
Calories…………146
Protein…………….0
Fiber……………….0
Vit. B2…………….1%
That’s IT!
• 146 calories in 3 Tablespoons! That is the same as eating 1 and a half apples or 1 1/2 c. of cheerios!
• No protein, No fiber, No fat
• The second truth is that sugar ALWAYS accompanies fat in recipes.
Sugar and FAT
The combination of sugar and fat is a health disaster, blood sugar raises, insulin is released and fat goes directly into adipose stores. Fat is already fat. I know that sounds silly but it should be common sense that fat can easily be stored due to the fact that it is already in the form of fat, where carbohydrates cannot be stored as adipose tissue directly without de novo lipogenesis a very inefficient and energy expensive process.
I will use 1 1/2 apples because it is about the same calorie content as 3 Tb. of sugar.
Calories…………….151
Protein……………….1g
Fat…………………..1/2g
Fiber…………………7g or 28% daily value
Vit. A……………….7%
Folate……………….2%
B1…………………..5%
B2…………………..7%
B3…………………..2%
B5…………………..4%
B6…………………..9%
Vit. C………………18%
Vit. E……………….3%
Vit. K……………….7%
Calcium…………….2%
Copper……………..9%
Iron……………….2%
Magnesium…………..5%
Manganese…………..6%
Phosphorus………….5 %
Potassium…………..7%
Zinc……………….1%
Omega 3′s…………..2%
The apple contains 7g of fiber, this fiber regulates the absorption of sugars and provides bulk in the intestinal tract, where as the sugar has no fiber and immediately enters the bloodstream and then causes a subsequent fall in blood glucose levels.
Yes, fruit contains protein. It does not contain a high amount but every fruit contains protein. All whole foods contain a natural balance of carbohydrate, protein and fat the way NATURE designed for us to consume these macronutrients.Fruits are designed to be an easy to digest, cleansing, simple boost of energy food.
Antioxidants are extremely important in a healthy diet. Antioxidants are found in natures most healthy foods, fruit, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds.Antioxidants protect the body against free radical damage.
It is a cell that is missing a molecule, they will scavenge for the missing molecule and cause damage to another cell or destroy another cell to acquire the missing molecule. This may be interesting but it is important to understand that this can damage the DNA structure of the cell which causes it to function improperly, reproduce at a rapid, uncontrolled rate and this sets up a serious scenario for disease.
Free radical damage does not just stop at one cell, it is a continuous series of damaging events that can have serious consequences.
Antioxidants stop this free radical damage and protect the body from disease. Fruits and vegetables are the HIGHEST source of antioxidants!
This is a well known antioxidant that prevents free radical damage before it even begins.
Does not stop the damage in the beginning but it will stop the damage from continuing as it breaks the continuation of damage.
- most common and largest group of antioxidants, over 5,000 flavonoids have been identified in plant foods.
- Anthocyanins, apigenin, luteolin, proanthocyanidins, hesperidin, naringin, quercitin, myricetin, resveratrol and thousands of others….1
Studies have found that polyphenolic compounds have cancer preventing activities through many different effects. Polyphenolic compounds inhibited cancer cell growth, enhanced the cellular death, reduced invasiveness of cancer, and slowed the angiogenesis process in cancer.
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Am J Clin Nutr. 2005 Jan;81(1 Suppl):284S-291S.
…..Tomato
…..carrots, sweet potato, squash, pumpkin and red
or orange bell peppers
………spinach, kiwi, bell peppers
avocado, broccoli, parsley, cauliflower, spinach, peanuts, almonds
yellow corn and kiwi
tangerines and citrus 2
found in leaves, celery, green pepper, oregano, thyme
grapefruit, broccoli, apples
This list is short but demonstrates the potent cancer fighting, disease fighting components of fruits and vegetables.
Let’s review the most commonly consumed fruits and see the specific nutrition facts in each fruit.
Calories……………..121
Protein……………….1.5g
Fat …………………. .4g
Vit. A…………………..4%
Folate………………….7%
B1……………………..4%
B2……………………..9%
B3……………………..6%
B5……………………..9%
B6…………………….38%
Vit. C…………………16%
Vit. E…………………..1%
Vit. K…………………..1%
Calcium……………….1%
Copper………………12%
Iron…………………..2%
Magnesium…………11%
Manganese…………20%
Phosphorus………….4%
Potassium………….10%
Selenium…………….2%
Zinc…………………..3%
Omega 3′s…………..3%
Calories………….68
Protein………….1.5
Fat……………. .2g
Vit. A…………….15%
Folate……………12%
B1…………………9%
B2…………………6%
B3…………………4%
B5…………………7%
B6…………………9%
Vit. C…………..110%
Vit. E……………..1%
Vit. K……………..0%
Calcium…………..6%
Copper……………6%
Iron……………….1%
Magnesium………5%
Manganese………2%
Phosphorus………5%
Potassium………..5%
Selenium…………0%
Zinc……………….1%
Omega 3′s………10%
Calories…………..46
Protein…………….1g
Fat……………… .4g
Vit. A……………….1%
Folate………………9%
B1…………………..3%
B2…………………..3%
B3…………………..4%
B5…………………..4%
B6…………………..5%
Vit. C…………….113%
Vit. E………………..3%
Vit. K………………..4%
Calcium……………..2%
Copper………………8%
Iron………………….3%
Magnesium…………6%
Manganese………..31%
Phosphorus…………5%
Potassium…………..5%
Selenium……………1%
Zinc………………….3%
Omega 3′s………….9%
Calories……………..84
Protein……………..1.1
Fat……………….. .5
Vit. A……………….3%
Folate……………….2%
B1……………………5%
B2……………………6%
B3……………………4%
B5……………………4%
B6……………………6%
Vit. C………………19%
Vit. E………………..6%
Vit. K……………….32%
Calcium……………..1%
Copper………………9%
Iron………………….2%
Magnesium…………3%
Manganese………..28%
Phosphorus………….3%
Potassium……………2%
Selenium…………….0%
Zinc…………………..3%
Omega 3′s…………..8%
Calories…………….134
Protein……………..1.1g
Fat……………….. .6g
Vit. A………………..68%
Folate…………………7%
B1……………………11%
B2……………………11%
B3……………………..9%
B5……………………..7%
B6…………………….21%
Vit. C…………………76%
Vit. E…………………15%
Vit. K…………………10%
Calcium……………….2%
Copper………………25%
Iron……………………1%
Magnesium…………..6%
Manganese…………..3%
Phosphorus…………..3%
Potassium…………….7%
Selenium……………..2%
Zinc……………………1%
Omega 3′s……………7%
Calories…………….82
Protein……………….1g
Fat………………… .2g
Vit. A………………….4%
Folate…………………7%
B1……………………12%
B2……………………..5%
B3……………………..6%
B5……………………..7%
B6……………………14%
Vit. C……………….105%
Vit. E…………………..0%
Vit. K…………………..1%
Calcium………………..2%
Copper………………..20%
Iron……………………..3%
Magnesium…………….6%
Manganese…………..85%
Phosphorus…………….2%
Potassium………………4%
Selenium………………..0%
Zinc………………………2%
Omega 3′s………………3%
2 apricots
Calories……………33
Protein………………1g
Fat…………………. .3g
Vit. A……………….58%
Folate………………..2%
B1…………………….2%
B2…………………….3%
B3…………………….3%
B5…………………….3%
B6…………………….3%
Vit. C…………………9%
Vit. E…………………4%
Vit. K…………………3%
Calcium……………..1%
Copper………………6%
Iron………………….2%
Magnesium…………2%
Manganese…………3%
Phosphorus…………2%
Potassium…………..4%
Selenium……………0%
Zinc………………….2%
Omega 3′s………….0
Calories…………………63
Protein…………………1.5g
Fat………………….. .8g
Vit. A……………………..2%
Folate…………………….6%
B1…………………………4%
B2…………………………4%
B3…………………………5%
B5…………………………8%
B6…………………………5%
Vit. C…………………….43%
Vit. E………………………7%
Vit. K…………………….11%
Calcium………………….3%
Copper………………….12%
Iron……………………….5%
Magnesium………………8%
Manganese……………..46%
Phosphorus………………5%
Potassium………………..4%
Selenium………………….0
Zinc………………………..6%
Omega 3′s……………….14%
There is a common theme in nutrition today…….
Eat dairy products for calcium
fish or flax for omega 3′s
meat for protein
Oranges for Vitamin C
This reductionist idea has absolutely nothing to do with optimal health or supplying adequate nutrients in the body. In fact, some of these foods have little else to offer us and may not even provide a healthy amount of the nutrients we value them for.
ALL foods contain protein, nearly all foods contain calcium, nearly all plant foods contain omega 3′s.
You probably look at the omega 3 content of these fruits and first, are surprised they have omega 3′s.
Because the media and most nutrition ‘experts’ only tell you about foods that contain A LOT of omega 3′s. We don’t need a lot of omega 3′s. Notice that the cup of raspberries only contains .8g of fat and yet has 14% of your daily value of omega 3′s. We do not need much!
The common diet myth is that fat is good and we need a lot of it to get enough essential fatty acids…..not true.
Most people think of fruit as a little snack, and may eat an 1 piece of fruit or rarely more than 2 in a day. But what if you made fruit a meal?
Could you get enough nutritional value?
1 banana
1- 5″ round cantaloupe
1/2 c. blueberries
1/2 c. strawberries
You may be thinking that this can’t possibly provide you with adequate nutrition, but here is the nutrition breakdown.
Calories………. 361
Protein…………..7g [15% of daily value for average woman]
Fat ……………1.9g
Fiber……………… 11.5g or 46%Omega 3′s …….35%
Vit. A…………….806%
Folate……………41%
B1……………….28%
B2………………..22%
B3………………..39%
B5………………..23%
B6………………..70%
Vit. C ……………358%
Vit. E……………..7%
Vit. K ……………..34%
Calcium…………..7%
Copper…………..44%
Iron………………11%
Magnesium ……..35%
Manganese……….62%
Phosphorus ………20%
Potassium…………44%
Selenium…………..7%
Zinc…………………18%
As you can see, fruit is PACKED with nutrients! If you consume fruit as an actual meal and not just a small apple for a snack you can actually obtain all the nutrition you need. After evaluating fruit nutrition facts I hope you can see that fruit is an extremely important part of a healthy diet.Fruit contains more nutritional value than you probably even realized.
Fruit nutrition fact lists are hard to come by, I rarely see a nutrition ‘expert’ who really understands the health benefits of fruit consumption or who actually knows the fruit nutrition facts at all. Even worse, some nutrition gurus have false and inaccurate information on fruit nutrition facts.
Many people believe that fruit has little nutritional value and should not be eaten regularly because of the ‘sugars’ or ‘carbs’ in fruit. Fruit has is viewed in a negative light due mostly to a lack of understanding of fruit nutrition facts and the difference between natural occurring sugars in natural foods that contain a myriad of nutrients, protein, and a lot of fiber vs. refined flour and sugar.
The reality is that fruit is an excellent food and contains a variety of nutrients, including protein.
Fruit is often over looked, and condemned because of the much feared ‘carb’ or sugar. All of the benefits of fruit, including the antioxidants are over looked and this is a fatal mistake, literally!
Berries are high in antioxidants, low in sugar, contain significant omega 3 fatty acids and are high in vitamin C. Berries are fruit super foods and should be a regular part of the diet, especially in the summer months. A parfait made with fresh berries and some cashew cream is an excellent way to cool off in the summer.
“Antioxidants, especially those from food sources, have important roles in preventing pathogenic processes related to cancer, cardiovascular disease, macular degeneration, cataracts, and asthma, and may enhance immune function.”
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