Have you ever thought of the best time of day to eat fruit? Obviously Not! Most of us not much aware of the exact time. But we must take care of this & this article will definitely help you.
Some Juicy Facts About Fruits
- Did you know, a strawberry actually isn’t a strawberry, but a banana!
- Raspberries, peaches and apples come from a single family, the rose family.
- When it comes to Vitamin C from fruits, Orange doesn’t list it in top ten.
- Popularly known as beans, coffee beans are actually fruit pits.
- Bananas come with slight radioactive particles.
- There are square watermelons available in the Japanese market.
- Cucumber is a fruit, misunderstood as a vegetable.
- There exists a tree known as fruit salad tree that gives nearly 3-7 different fruits on the same tree.
Fruits – A Small Introduction
When it comes to fruits, they have been quite beneficial for the human beings in various ways. Depending on the nutrients provided by the fruit you are having, you would get different health benefits with the help of the vitamins, antioxidants, minerals and other phytonutrients it contains. They also hold an important role when someone is looking for dieting to reduce some weight.
So, how do you have fruits? Not only you, but normally everyone having fruits means purchasing from the market, cutting them into slices and simply eating them. Just think over, is this the right way to have fruits? Yes, the fruits also have an appropriate time of consumption. Having them at the proper time would help in the detoxification process, boost you with energy, lose weight and much more. The nutrients in the fruits are also necessary for the protection against various diseases, lowering the risks of heart disorders, hypertension, strokes, etc. It is also the secret box of happiness, health, beauty and long life.
Best Time Of Day To Eat Fruit
Whether it is an apple, banana, pineapple, or any other fruit, there is always the best time of day to eat fruit, which helps the body in gaining more and more benefits from it. Here is a list of the best time of day to eat fruit:
1. Have Some Fruits On An Empty Stomach
This might surprise you, but having fruits on an empty stomach serves you with various advantages. Fruits when taken on an empty stomach, get digested quickly. Some of the fruits require different enzymes for digestion, which are quite effectively used by the body, when fruits are consumed when your tummy is empty. The fruits contain specific sugar levels, that take time in absorption by the body. When you consume fruits with an empty tummy, all the nutrients obtained from the fruits, fiber and sugars get properly processed by the body.
2. Pre-Workout Or Post-Workout
Another best time of day to eat fruit is right before your workout sessions, or immediately after your workout sessions. When you go for workouts, your body eliminates the energy you have in your body. Having fruits prior or post workouts would help you in regaining the energy you would have lost in exercising. Hence, it is advisable to have fruits before you move for exercises or immediately after completing your workout.
3. Have Fruits For Breakfasts
Wake up and start your day with fruits. Yes, the fruits would be the best healthy breakfast for anyone. It serves as a healthy and heavy breakfast, that supplies all the required nutrients to clean the body internally and gift you with bulk of energy also. The fruits contain fructose energy that helps you in various ways to complete your daily tasks. The doctors highly recommend having 5 – 9 portions of fruits in a day, mostly in the breakfast to make a perfect diet. When it comes to fruit juices, they are not recommended for breakfast as they would lower down the fiber elements from your body and only intake vitamins and fructose. In this way, your tummy would be left half-filled and you would crave to have high-calorie food.
4. Fruits Between Meals
Yes, if your tummy is demanding something nutritious, you can have some fruits in between meals. The digestive process of your body works best during this time, and hence, the sugars in the fruits would be easily absorbed. However, it is advisable to have fruits with a gap of nearly 30 minutes after or before meals. For diabetic patients, it is advisable to have fruits after 2 hours of meal or 1-hour prior meals. If you are facing acidity problems or any digestion related problems, follow the same pattern as compared to diabetic patients.
Hence, not only having fruits are important, but having fruits on the right time is also equally important.
Fruits – Worst Time To Have Them
Just as there is the best time of day to eat fruit, similarly, there are some worst times too when fruits should be ignored. Let’s check out when you should eliminate fruits from your diet list:
1. Before Moving To Bed
Do you have a habit having fruits prior moving to bed! Change it at once. Having fruits when you are moving towards your bed is definitely not a good idea. This would lead to a rush of blood sugar levels and the insulin levels, which would make it difficult for the body to sleep. If you still want to carry your routine to have fruits, have them 3 hours prior to your sleeping time.
2. Avoid Fruits When Looking For Weight Loss
People generally follow strict diets with fruits to lose weight. However, the fact is that if you really want to lose some weight, avoid having fruits after lunch. Having fruits after heavy lunch would bring a deficiency of calories in your body, and your body would utilize the stored fats in the form of energy. You can include other ingredients to your diet for reducing weight.
3. Fruits In The Evening
When it comes to the evening, fruits can be both good and bad. When your tummy is craving for food in the evening, it is good to have some portion of the fruits. However, it is also not advisable to have in a good quantity as your digestive system would find it hard to process as it comes with a high amount of fiber. Again, fruits come with the fructose that provide you with glucose that gets converted to energy. Nevertheless, the body doesn’t require that much energy during the night, and hence, all these energy gets transformed to fat. Thus, having fruits in the evening before dinner is definitely a bad idea. If you are still willing to have it in the form of a light snack, have some pineapple, blackberries, strawberries, avocado and lime that are low in fructose.
Hence, one should have fruits at the perfect time to avoid any kind of adverse health effects.
Some Treasured Tips For Eating Fruits
The time is not only important when it comes to having fruits. There are some other precautions also which need to be taken for obtaining the nutrients in the perfect way. Here is a general guide to understand when fruits should be taken and on which form.
1. Consuming Only Fruits
When it comes to consuming only fruits, the better way to have fruits is consuming a single fruit at a time. For an individual, nearly 3-4 fruit serving in a day is advisable. This means you either have 2 cups of fruits in the form of fruit salad, or have 2 apples at a time. This would lead to accurate digestion and your body would be able to absorb all the nutrients from the fruit with ease. Some fruits which can be included in your fruit salad are:
- Apples – Apples help in lowering the possibilities of facing heart attack, and other heart-related disorders. It is also good for protection against colon cancer as it supplies antioxidants and flavonoids along with Vitamin C.
- Kiwi – Kiwi contains twice the amount of Vitamin C than what orange contains. It also serves you with magnesium, Vitamin E, potassium and fiber.
- Strawberry – This juicy red fruit is a rich source of antioxidants, which help the body to fight against free radicals causing cancer and blood clog vessels.
- Orange – Oranges are famous for the amount of Vitamin C it contains. This fruit helps in reducing the effects of cold, cholesterol levels, prevention of kidney stones, colon cancer, etc.
- Guava or Papaya – Both the fruits have an equal level of nutrient in them. Along with Vitamin C, Guava also provides you with fiber that is beneficial in constipation. Papaya is also rich in carotene that is beneficial for the eyes.
- Watermelon – Watermelon contains 92% of water in it along with glutathione that is an amazing immune booster. It also gives you with lycopene that helps in the fight against cancer.
Apart from all these fruits, you can also add pineapples, melons, pomegranate, nuts, cereals, etc. to the fruit salad for making it healthier.
2. Fruits In The Form Of Smoothie
Not only fruits, but smoothies are also equally beneficial for your health. Fruits are combined with either coconut milk or nut milk in a small portion to make a smoothie. To make the smoothie easily digestible for your stomach, you can use fruits along with butter obtained from nuts, yogurt, nut milk, etc. that come low in fats. You can also add a fruit that is low in fructose for making a smoothie that gets digested quickly. However, having the smoothie after heavy meals is definitely a bad idea.
3. Seasonal Fruits
This is a traditional way to consume fruits. Consuming fruits according to the changes in the season would provide you with all required nutrients. For an example, the best time to have mangoes is during the summers. In this way, you would be able to consume fruits that are naturally grown, eliminating all the artificial preservatives that damage the nutrients it contains. Hence, having seasonal fruits during the season they are available naturally is highly advisable for a healthy routine.
Fruits are natural nutrients and hence, if a proper method if followed to consume them, you would be able to obtain nearly each positive benefit is carried. However, if you are looking for a completely fruit based diet, it is better to check out with your dietician or nutritionist to know the list of fruits that would be better for your health. You can also look for tips for combining fruits with other ingredients to make it more advantageous for your body.
So, are you ready to enjoy the feast of fruits! Make a proper selection of both the time and the fruit to obtain more nutrients from the fruit for a healthy day.