So much has been said of the virtues of fruits that it seems like one can hardly go wrong with them. In fact, many
people regard fruits as desserts or an after-meal snack. The notion that this
is the best way to consume fruits is further strengthened by the fact that many
restaurants do serve fruits or fruit desserts after the main course.
Unfortunately,
regarding fruits as an after-meal snack is not a great idea. The
nutrients from the fruits may not be absorbed properly. Ideally,
fruits should be consumed alone or with other fruits, with at least a half an
hour gap between the main meal and the fruit meal. The sugars, nutrients and
fibre in the fruit require time to be completely absorbed by the digestive
system. When fruits are consumed alone, all these goodness is easily processed
and absorbed into the body. Hence, you get the optimal benefits from the fruits
you eat.
On the
other hand, if you eat fruits close to a meal, especially after a huge meal,
the digestive system requires more time and effort to absorb the nutrients from
the fruits. When held in the stomach for too long with other foods, they will
rot and ferment in the gut. This can lead to symptoms of indigestion such as
heartburn, burping, feelings of nausea, diarrhea etc.
If you wish
to enjoy a fruit snack after your meal, do wait at least 30 minutes before
doing so. Those with diabetes and any other illnesses that are accompanied with
digestive problems should wait longer.
Ideally, one
should consume fruits either one hour before a meal or two hours after. A
recommended schedule would be to have some fruits between breakfast and lunch,
another round between lunch and dinner, and perhaps a last light fruit snack
after dinner, preferably before 9pm to avoid overworking the digestive system.
Heavy fruits like banana and avocado should be avoided at night, as well as
watermelon, which albeit having great hydrating and detoxifying properties,
would cause you to require more frequent toilet breaks.
Why not
consume fruits on an empty stomach in the morning? This would work if you
intend to have a fruit meal as breakfast. However, diabetic people would have
to take care to avoid fruits high in fructose (fruit sugars) like apples and
mangos. These can cause sugar levels to spike and failure to secrete sufficient
insulin to counter this.
Can one mix fruits with non-fruits then, such as yogurt and cereals? That is generally fine as long as the meal isn’t a very large one (which could hinder the digestive system’s efficiency), and if you don’t have existing digestion problems. The rule of the thumb is not to eat fruits with other food that will be hard to digest.
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