I was telling my friend about how I was eating much more fruits than I was before and she told me, "You shouldn't eat too much fruits. Fructose is bad for the body and will lead to high blood sugar."
Righhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhht. Eating apples and pears is going to make me unhealthy? I doubt so. While she definitely don't have any malicious intent (we've been friends for 8 years), comments like these are really silly.
Do you ladies get these silly advice from time to time too? Sometimes I'm just tired to clarify and I'll just nod, smile, and stay quiet to avoid a tedious argument. (Not the best way to deal with it, but the most energy-saving one...)
Your friend may be on to something...of course, you would have to be floating in fruit, but hey, weirder things have happened. In truth, fruit typically has 60-90 calories each. So, if you are consuming 1200 calories a day and then on top of that eating, say 20 apples and or bananas a day, yeah, you could gain weight, which *could* mess with your blood sugar (carbs are fairly high in some fruits, so that could have an issue with blood sugar, as we have learned with my mom.) But I doubt that is what you meant when you said you eat more. You probably meant, you eat the normal recommended amount of 2-4 servings a day whereas you usued to maybe eat 2-4 a week. I think she was slightly over acting Your biggest concern would be the acid from the fruits wearing your teeth down. But if you brush, even that isn't an issue.
My silly advice a friend gave me was to take a carb blocker before every meal. She swore that I could eat anything with carbs and my body would flush it right out. It was really hard not to bust out laughing, as she really believed this. And I am no small fry, but she makes me look rail thin when the two of us are compared side by side. Yeah, right...eat anything you want to with out consequence eh? Heh...no thanks.
Haha yup have to agree that if I'm eating 20 apples or bananas per day, my body will be all messed up. And my stomach will probably burst!! I'm now eating about 3-4 servings of fruit each day while in the past I would eat an apple.... maybe once in a week. Oh wells, I think she's overreacting too but nothing major, I just take it as a joke heh.
And taking carb blockers? Man I watch those advertisements thinking who will believe that sort of thing will actually work! even if it did have some effect, products like these are just not sustainable in the long run. I don't think a pill can block out a whole serving of baked rice... Sometimes we just get entertained for free
My grandma told me it was better to drink diet coke than fruit juice because "diet coke has no sugar, but fruit juice does". I agree that yes, fruit juice has sugar, but it is surely better for you than diet coke All in moderation, of course.
Oh, and of course from The Devil Wears Prada "I don't eat anything and then, when I'm about to pass out, I eat a cube of cheese!" :P
Most "silly advice" is based on a thread of truth, twisted (often beyond recognition).
People often don't take into consideration that "healthy" is dependent upon context. What is healthy for one person, can be unhealthy for another. A whopper would be "health food" to someone close to starvation (though starvation isn't the most prevalent health problem in North America, so we all think of fast food hamburgers as being unhealthy...).
For me, diet coke is healthier than fruit juice, because I'm insulin resistant, on the cusp of diabetes. Fruit juice has a much more adverse effect on my blood sugar than diet coke. Diet coke has zero nutrition, but fruit juice has a negative impact so in this case a "zero" is better than a "negative."
Fruit juices (except for some of those that are extremely high in antioxidants and other micronutrients) are virtually nutrient-empty - especially the clear ones like apple and pear. The best part of the fruit (the fiber) has been discarded, and most are also highly glycemic and highly caloric (only slightly better than KoolAid for many of us).
For similar reasons, I have to be very careful with fruit, because I can and have eaten enough fruit to drive my blood sugar wonky (and it takes surprisingly few servings. At least what I would consider few. Five or six pieces of fruit doesn't sound unreasonable to me, but my body disagrees. Although what else I'm eating has a huge influence. I can eat five or six pieces of fruit in a day, IF I'm not eating any other carbs.
I chose an exchange plan, because it helps me stay in a carb-target that I know is healthy for me (eating outside of my target not only increases my hunger and cravings, it also triggers pain and skin flares).
I can "trade" fruits and starches to some degree, but both fruits and starches have to be considered carefully because of their impact on (my) blood sugar and hunger.
My point is that a lot of "silly advice" is good advice that's been exagerated or taken out of context (or is being given to the wrong person). I try to remember that when giving and receiving advice. I will try to share my experience and opinion on the subject if the advice-giver seems receptive to hearing it. Or I'll at least take it with a grain of salt, realizing the advice may be good for someone even if it's not good for me.
I always think of fruit as natures candy - it tastes great! it's natural! but it still has lots of sugar - so I shouldn't go overboard. I'd die without fruit.
WHenever I tell someone I'm losing weight someone ALWAYS has advice... run on an empty stomach, run on a full stomach, don't drink anything but water, only eat yogurt smoothies for 3 days... etc etc etc. In the end you just need to do what works for you.
The only reason you would have to watch the fructose in fruit is if you're pre-diabetic or diabetic. If you are, I would consult with your doctor before following any of my advice.
I remember my mother-in-law saying, "All you have to do is walk and eat right and you'll be skinny." She was kind of chastising me for watching weight-loss shows. It was no biggie though cause she's mostly nice to me; I actually did a 5K with her this summer and it sparked my love of exercise, so it is kind of good advice too.
I think the whole low weight high rep business is kind of bunk. I had a friend who had never lifted in her life explain to me that high weights will make one bulky and gain weight. Yeah, if I had testosterone and ate a ton of protein laden calories. Muscle raises one's bmr=more calorie burn.
I also am not a fan of the six meal a day business. Intermittent fasting will not drop one's body into starvation mode. It takes 72 hours and to each, their own. Sorry, that last bit was a rant. Not everyone likes low frequency eating, just like not everyone likes to constantly be eating.
...My point is that a lot of "silly advice" is good advice that's been exagerated or taken out of context (or is being given to the wrong person)...
This is exactly what I was going to say; it may be "silly" advice for you but for some other folks it actually might be quite sound.
I do have to add however, that there is one thing I have heard time and time again that ABSOLUTELY is false; "As long as you workout you can eat whatever you want to."
No. Heck no. I can't even begin to list all the reasons why this is wrong.
I must say that I'm truly humbled by the perspectives offered here. It is ignorance on my part that I've failed to realise that her advice did have truth in it! I hadn't considered the health risks that a few pieces of fruits will pose to individuals who are having insulin issues so yes... time for me to grow!
I guess sound advice given to the wrong person is still laced with well intentions and it will be upon me to adopt an open mind and to learn to see things in different perspectives. (That said, I still hope that people will give suitable advice to the right target audience though. Oh wells) & Thank you all you lovely ladies for sharing!!
Silly advice
Your biggest concern would be the acid from the fruits wearing your teeth down. But if you brush, even that isn't an issue.
I'm now eating about 3-4 servings of fruit each day while in the past I would eat an apple.... maybe once in a week. Oh wells, I think she's overreacting too but nothing major, I just take it as a joke heh.
