Avoid fruit? page

[jpatrickclark]

I just read somewhere that it's better to avoid fruits because of the fructose that is converted to glycogen, building fat tissue. Could it be that my difficulty in burning off my stubborn belly and love handle fat might be attributed to the fruit I am eating each day? I have recently cut back on my workout routine in order to limit the excess stress I had been placing on my body by over-training which was I'm sure causing my cortisol levels to run very high. And now I just want to make sure I have my diet in order.

[Waskydiver]

Fruit is made up of fructose and glucose.

Both fructose and glucose is converted to glycogen.

However, glycogen converted from fructose can only be stored in the liver.

If the liver is full, it goes to fat.

Glycogen converted from glucose, on the other hand can be stored in the liver, muscles, or in fat.

Glycogen glucose first trys to go to the liver (liver is always the first destination). If liver is full, it goes to muscles. If muscles are full, THEN fat.

Complex carbs (e.g. starchy veggies) contain only glucose, so they can be used by the liver OR muscles.

So, fruit cannot work to replenish your muscles (at least not the fructose part).

If you are on a low carb diet, your liver stores will more likely be more empty, so fruit is more acceptable.

The higher the carbs, the fuller the liver, and the more fruit goes to fat... REGARDLESS of how much glycogen you deplete from your muscels through exercise.

[Hedonist]

Some fruit is fine. Berries are popular here. Just keep in mind what Waskydiver said.

[jhc]

Realistically if you have ditched grains and sugars you are already winning; but yes, you should try to choose vegetables over fruits when you can.

I try to remember that fruits tend to be very accessible as snacks, so it's best to make sure and get your veggies in your meals.

[Glamorama]

I have cut down, I only have 4 strawberries or a quarter of an apple daily if I feel like anything sweetish. I have a lot of fat to burn off but I think I can enjoy more fruit once I'm at goal-weight.

[tarek]

The higher the carbs, the fuller the liver, and the more fruit goes to fat... REGARDLESS of how much glycogen you deplete from your muscels through exercise.

If this is true, then why are fruitarians rail-thin? Some of them eat over 5,000 calories a day and never gain weight. They are not shining examples of health, but clearly there is more to the picture than this.

Eating large volumes of fruit alongside large volumes of animal foods is probably not the best idea, but I sincerely doubt three or four daily pieces of fruit is enough to keep you from losing weight.

OP -- are you eating dairy? If so, what kind (cheese, milk, cream, etc.), and is it raw? Do you eat nuts and seeds? Coffee? Alcohol? Do you sleep well and get sunshine? All of these can affect weight.

Also, how long has it been since you stopped over-training?

[RumbleRo]

avoid fruit in abundance, yes. timing of consumption also depends on the likelihood of adipose tissue build up.

to avoid fruit in its entirety when you have so many options to simply reduce an increase in fat storage is ludicrous when considering the benefits they have.

[Waskydiver]

If this is true, then why are fruitarians rail-thin? Some of them eat over 5,000 calories a day and never gain weight. They are not shining examples of health, but clearly there is more to the picture than this.

I've never heard of fruitarians. Interested, I offer this as an explaination from wikipedia... (Shrug):

In children, growth and development may be at risk. Some nutritionists state that children should not follow a fruitarian diet. Nutritional problems include severe protein energy malnutrition, anemia and deficiencies including proteins, iron, calcium, essential fatty acids raw fibre and a wide range of vitamins and minerals.[29] Several children have died as the result of being fed fruitarian diets.[30][31] As a result, children have been taken from parents feeding them fruitarian diets.[32]

But of course there is much more to the picture than this model. Like almost all nutritional advice, it is more metephorical than scientific. Kinda like breaking down the complex interactions of cholesterol in a body as "good" and "bad".

[Chaohinon]

More and more, I've found fruit to be pretty much useless. I'd rather save the carbs for a sweet potato, and satisfy my sweet tooth and my belly.

[dado]

Art DeVany points out that today's fruit is much sweeter than the fruit Grok ate, so enjoy fruit but enjoy it sparingly, and pick berries over fruits like bananas, always. I eat fruit every other day! Sometimes I go hard, sometimes a little softer, but fruit is so delicious, oH YEA!