Is it better to eat it after a meal or away from lunch and dinner? What is the quantity to consume? Which varieties to choose? Here are the nutritionist's answers
There fruit it is one of the foods that should never be missing from daily menus. It is a real treasure trove of beneficial substances. It has a high content of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, which are useful for the proper functioning of the body. But which one to choose if you are on a diet or need to get rid of a few extra pounds?
"Fruit also contains simple sugars (glucose and fructose) that are easily assimilated by the body. Excessive consumption of rapidly absorbed sugars favors an exaggerated production of insulin, a hormone that stimulates hunger and promotes weight gain and the onset of various diseases such as type 2 diabetes. Fructose, although not involved in production of insulin, if in excess it favors the onset of fatty liver disease (fatty liver) ", explains the nutritionist Nicoletta Bocchino. «Some varieties such as grapes, figs, bananas, melons contain it in high quantities. So the advice is to give priority to the less sugary fruit such as strawberries, berries, peaches at the table and instead limit the consumption of the particularly sweet one . It must also be consumed correctly. "To keep blood sugar levels stable, the suggestion is to eat it away from lunch and dinner in combination with good proteins and fats that increase its satiating effect". Then pay attention to the quantities. "The ideal is to consume 3 servings a day, of 100-150 grams each," says nutritionist Nicoletta Bocchino who here gives a series of suggestions on how to eat it so as not to risk gaining weight.
Give priority to whole fruit
A whole fruit than a fruit salad has a better impact on blood sugar. "After maceration, the sugars present in the fruit become gradually more easily assimilated by the body". Even the fruit in the "juice" version is more "sweet". «In fact, it has a higher glycemic index because it lacks fiber, which is instead present in the pulp. Then pay attention to the degree of ripeness. "The ideal is to prefer unripe fruit over more ripe fruit: it has a lower sugar content".
Prefer seasonal and zero-kilometer ones
«The freshly picked seasonal fruit, compared to the exotic fruit that comes from distant countries, ensures a higher content in terms of antioxidants, which are excellent allies of the line. These substances favor the elimination of toxins and waste substances, responsible for retention, swelling and other imperfections ". But there is more. «Many exotic varieties should be consumed in moderation because they are also the most caloric. One hundred grams of coconut, for example, provide more than 350 calories ", the expert warns us.
Pair it with yogurt for breakfast
Fruit is rich in soluble fibers that have a prebiotic action such as pectin found in apples and pears. "Combined with the probiotics of yogurt (or fermented milk or kefir) within the same meal, it fights constipation and increases the beneficial intestinal bacteria that help keep you fit and healthy. The proteins of which milk derivatives are rich also reduce the absorption of sugars of which it is rich ".
For a snack eat it together with dried fruit
To increase the satiating effect of fruit, the ideal is to eat it as a snack along with some walnuts, almonds, pistachios or hazelnuts. "The fiber and beneficial fats found in dried fruit modulate the absorption of sugars from fresh fruit and keep insulin under control. They also increase satiety, give constant energy and help keep away from hunger attacks .
Do not consume it as a meal replacement
Fruit is not a complete food. «It lacks proteins, good fats and complex carbohydrates, essential for making a balanced meal and for the metabolism to function efficiently. In addition, it is rich in rapidly absorbed sugars that ensure reduced and short-lasting satiety .
In the gallery which are the varieties of seasonal fruit in this period most allied to the line
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