The best and worst times to eat fruit

I love, love, love a bounty of beautiful fresh fruits. They are Mother Nature’s ultimate multivitamin and a powerhouse of antioxidants and enzymes, but did you know that there are optimum strategies and times to eat fruit?

Fruit is a carbohydrate which means that it is converted to simple sugars for immediate energy. Essentially, when these sugars are not used they are converted and stored as fat. To fully utilize this energy, eat fruit around these times:

Breakfast
 

When you are breaking your night’s “starvation” cycle and the stomach is fully empty. This is especially important because your body will be able to fully absorb all of the vitamins, fiber and healthy carbohydrates that it needs to function in good health.
 

Pre-/Post- Workout
 

Another fantastic time to eat fruit is either right before, right after, or both pre- and post- working out. Our bodies will use fruit sugars for immediate energy and for refilling depleted energy stores.

 

When NOT to consume FRUIT

 

Like previously stated, when energy from fruits is not used, it leads to weight gain. For people striving for weight loss it may be best to avoid this possible side effect by not eating fruit during these sedentary times:
 

Before Bed
 

Obviously you will not need quick energy while you are sleeping. Some people find that they have restless sleep if they eat fruits and carbohydrates too close to bed. A good rule of thumb is not less than 3 hours prior to lights-out.
 

During Weight Loss Plateaus
 

If you are really struggling overcoming weight loss issues it may be a good strategy to employ a “no fruit after lunch” rule. This might just give your body the edge and caloric deficit it needs to utilize fat stores as energy.  With this being said, look for other weight loss inhibitors within your diet and don’t necessarily blame fruit right away.

Five fruits to avoid if you want to reduce belly fat are bananas, pineapples, mangoes, dates and grapes. These fruits top the chart for highest sugar content. Excess sugar in the diet is stored as fat in the body and tends to show in the abdominal region