We have always been advised to increase our fruit intake whether to cure skin problems, elevate our hair growth, minimize the risk of diseases, during pregnancy, or even when we feel little feverish.
Fruits are rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and micro-nutrients. They detoxify the system and can also be included in most of the desserts as a natural sweetener. Including three servings of fruits daily, cleanses toxins from the body and also promotes better functioning of the digestive system.
Hence, it is beneficial to eat fruits regularly as it plays a major role in maintaining optimum health.
But most of us are not aware of what's the right or wrong way, whether to eat fruits before a meal or after a meal, etc. which might be hindering the improvements in your health.
So what is the ideal time and correct way to eat fruits?
People keen on losing weight, eat fruits before a meal as it keeps you feeling full. Its high fiber content facilitates maximum absorption of nutrients present in the fruit.
People with gastrointestinal disorders like gastritis or ulcers should eat fruits after having food to avoid any kind of acidity.
Here are a few instructions to guide you through the right way to eat fruits to reap maximum benefits.
- After you eat a fruit, give a gap of thirty minutes and then switch to other foods.
- If you have the habit of eating fruits after food, then give a gap of three hours to ensure that food you've had is digested and the maximum benefits of fruits are reaped.
- Avoid eating fruits with other foods because the pace of digestion for fruits differs from other eatables hence mixing them together doesn't sound like a good idea.
- Don't eat fruits as desserts, fruit eaten as sweet or a dessert will not give you its best result for the body.
- Wash fruits properly before use and store them in appropriate conditions.
- Avoid any kind of processed fruits as they contain a lot of sugar and preservatives in them and they would have lost their nutritional content as well. So, a fresh fruit is always a better and a healthier choice to make over a processed fruit product.
Bottom line
Now that you have your facts right, what about a fruit-break?? Make sure you get the most out of each fruit by getting rid of the ‘incorrect habits’.
If you wish to improve your nutrition intake and reap varied health benefits of including the right fruits in your diet, consult a certified dietitian on The Wellness Corner.
We all get distracted from the healthy path when it comes to our eating habits. Not sure what’s good for you and what’s not? Measure your macro-nutrient breakdown on The Wellness Corner app to know whether your intake was too high or low and if you need to exercise or change diet to achieve your wellness goals.
