Fruit can and will make you FAT! Yes fruit is one of the most fattening sources that we consume. Yes it is full of of vitamins, minerals, fiber but it is unfortunately high in FRUCTOSE.

Sugar (sucrose) fructose and high fructose corn syrup both supply a significant portion of the total calories in a standard western diet. They both consist of two simple sugars : glucose and fructose.

Glucose also comes from starches like potatoes, rice and pasta and our bodies produce it and every cell. Glucose is a molecule absolutely vital to life. Fructose however is not. Humans do not produce fructose and throughout evolutionary history have never consumed it, except seasonally when fruit were ripe and it helped to FATTEN US UP in readiness for the winter months.

Glucose and fructose are metabolised very differently by the body. The key thing to realise, is that while every cell in the body can use glucose, the liver is the only organ that can metabolise fructose in significant amounts. When people eat a diet that is high in calories and high in fructose, the liver gets overloaded and starts turning the fructose into fat. Many scientists believe that excess fructose consumption may be a key driver of many obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Fruit & Fat Loss . . .

For your body to lose fat, your body must use its fat as as fuel; there is no other way. And the only way your body will use its stored fat as a fuel is if you force it to. That means depriving it of it’s present supply of glucose (carbohydrates) so that it has no choice but to burn fat. If your goal is fat loss, and you consume fruit you are ultimately telling your body to stop burning fat, exactly the opposite of what you want. There is a great book, that explains this concept in more detail called the Fat Switch.

In other words if your looking to shift body fat switching to a low carb diet (not low calories!) is the best way to tap into your fat stores as your body has no choice but to use fat as fuel (once your currently stored carbohydrates have been used up).

How Can We Replace Fruit?

So how can I get adequate vitamins, minerals and fibre without consuming fruit?

According to the experts you can do this by stocking up and consuming plenty of vegetables, especially leafy greens like spinach, broccoli and asparagus. Aim to consume at least 3 portions of vegetables every day, a handful of leafy greens with each meal. You can also purchase supplements such as multivitamins, omega 3 and probiotics.

Should I EVER Eat Fruit? 

Let me get one thing straight Fruit is not the enemy, far from it. Fruit can be very beneficial to the body, but lets look at things from a different angle . . .

If you have bad knees and go running, you are improving your fitness right? that is great. But if the trade of means you end up being crippled or chronically injured due to having bad knees would this be a form of optimal training? Far from it.

You would be best to get the same benefits from a different/low impact type of exercise. Just like you would be best to obtain your minerals and vitamins from vegetables instead of fruits . . . IF your goal is fat loss.

We are inherently brought up to believe fruit is healthy, which it is, however we are not taught about the detrimental effects it can have on our body, especially if we are trying to lose body fat.

If your going to consume fruit, when your goal is to lose body fat I would recommend consuming fruit after a workout and 1-2x per week. If your goal is optimal fat loss I would recommended sticking to a ketogenic style diet, which is a diet high in protein and fat.

If you have any questions or opinions please leave your comments below, I would love to hear from you. If you would like some more information or a customised Ketogenic meal plan designed to suit your goals and satisfy your taste buds please click here

Nick