INSPIRE Magazine - Fresh Fruit, The Naturally Sweet Treat

Fresh Fruit, The Naturally Sweet Treat

These colorful choices are full of vitamins and minerals. This means that fruit helps with the maintenance of our bodies. But there’s a problem…

All year round we have apples, bananas and oranges. There are several reasons these refreshing snacks are good for you. From a general health to a fitness professional health perspective. These colorful choices are full of vitamins and minerals. They can also help reduce the risk of many diseases and help lower blood pressure. This means that fruit helps with the maintenance of our bodies. But there’s a problem…

Sugar, sugar, sugar and with natural aging, metabolism slows. Fruit can be a diabetic’s enemy. Yes, fruit has sugar. Yes, natural sugar, but sugar is sugar in that body of yours. Fructose (another name for sugar) is harmful for your metabolism. When it comes to sugar in fruits it’s really about the amount you are consuming. For example, an apple has about 12 grams of sugar compared to 40 grams of sugar in one soda. So, it would take 3 apples to have the same amount of sugar as one soda. The more informed you are the better, so let’s talk about fruits with the highest amounts of sugar.

Here are the fruits with the most sugar:

Mangos: 1 mango = 45 grams
Grapes: 1 cup = 23 grams (good to consider for wine consumers)
Cherries: 1 cup = 18 grams
Pears: 1 medium = 17 grams
Watermelon: medium slice = 17 grams
Figs: 2 medium sized = 16 grams
Bananas: 1 medium = 14 grams

Here are fruit choices that have less sugar:

Avocado (yes, it’s a fruit): 1 whole avocado = only ½ grams sugar
Guava: 1 = 5 grams
Raspberries: 1 cup = 5 grams
Cantaloupe: 1 wedge = 5 grams
Papaya: ½ of one = 6 grams
Strawberries: 1 cup = 7 grams

We have to “pick” our options.

The sugar in fruit makes us want more and more. Portion control waivers when a bowl of watermelon or a bag of grapes is staring at us. Yes, fruit is healthy. But at some point the excess sugar would be like having candy. That would not be conducive to any fitness goal, even if it were to gain healthy weight or build muscle.

A little in your oatmeal, the flavored yogurt, the orange with lunch, and the apple on the salad for dinner…well sugar is adding up and up. Fruit literally tastes too good to be true. You might want to re-think that morning smoothie that starts the day with a sugar rush. Again, even if all natural.

Sometimes there’s a false perception of healthy to many of the items we love. Yes, fruit is packed with vitamins and minerals, but make sure you don’t pack them on your waistline by eating them in excess. Now, when you “pick” your fruits, keep in mind the high and low sugar options.

About the Author:

By Dr. Megan Johnson Mccullough

Megan is a 15X IPL Pro Champion. Her competition titles include the following divisions: Athletic, Sports Model, Fitness Angels & Swimsuit. She received her M.A. in Physical Education and Health Science and her doctorate in Health & Human Performance. She is an author of six books and has been personal training for 13 years and coaching since 2007. Her mission is to help everyBODY become the best versions of themselves. Learn more about Megan by visiting her website below.

WEBSITE

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