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When is it Better to Eat Berries: The Main Rules for Maximum Benefit in Summer

Berries and fruits are one of the most popular and healthy foods in summer and autumn. They are on the table almost every day. According to nutritionist Svetlana Fus, you shouldn’t get too carried away with berries and fruits. Otherwise, instead of benefiting the body, you can get the opposite effect.

She drew attention to the fact that berries and fruits, along with vegetables, are rich in many useful elements that are simply indispensable for a healthy body.

What is contained in berries and fruits?

  • vitamin
  • minerals
  • water
  • ascorbic acid
  • antioxidant;
  • dietary fiber.

Why you shouldn’t get carried away with berries and fruits

Everyone remembers the taste of their favorite berry or fruit. Most often it is sweet. This is explained by the fact that they contain simple carbohydrates – glucose, and fructose. However, this is where the main danger lies. The more we consume simple carbohydrates, the more the risks of their conversion to fat increase.

And as you know, excess fat has a negative impact on both health and appearance. Often, after eating fruits and berries, you get hungry very quickly. The answer is simple – they digest very quickly and are also rich in organic acids that increase the secretory function of the stomach and pancreas. All this can not only whet your appetite but also cause pain.

Juice from berries and fruits: what are the benefits and dangers

There is a misconception that juices are not so dangerous for this reason. By and large, replacing natural fruits and berries with juice can lead to a dangerous trap.

It is already well known that the number of simple carbohydrates (in the amount of the daily value) in a glass of berry or fruit juice is higher if you consumed these products in their natural form.

After all, only one apple when processed into juice gives about 50-70 milliliters of the drink. And to get a glass of juice, you will need to process at least 2 or even 3 apples. This means an increase in the number of carbohydrates consumed.

Another factor is that when an apple is processed into juice, an important element, dietary fiber, is not consumed. And as you know, all food components are good for the body.

When to eat berries and fruits

For this reason, in summer and autumn, it is more beneficial for the body to make smoothies from a mixture of vegetables and herbs. Adding fruits and berries will not be superfluous. However, this should be done in moderation. It is important to understand how many grams of berries you should eat per day.

The ratio of vegetables/fruits and berries:

  • for a balanced diet – 2 to 1;
  • the norm for vegetables is 400-500 grams per day / the norm for fruits and berries is 200-250 grams per day.

Often we wonder if we can eat fruit before meals. We would like to add that the answer to the question of what time of day is best to eat fruit is the period before the main meal. However, it is better to eat sweeter fruits in the daytime so that glucose and fructose are not stored as fat.

No less useful will be their combination with cereals and dairy products. They are also indispensable when added to vegetable salads.

What are the benefits of eating berries and fruits?

In addition to their pleasant taste, they are foods that are indispensable for quenching thirst. At the same time, natural fruits and berries are literally indispensable for maintaining the water balance of the human body.

Another plus in favor of berries and fruits is that they are our helpers, which help to remove metabolic products from the body, thanks to dietary fiber.

Fresh fruits and berries are more useful than those that have been heat-treated. But there is an easy way to extend the vitamin feast for almost a whole year. Vegetables, fruits, and berries can be frozen. Indeed, in winter, they will become an indispensable source of biological food value.

But do not forget about one of the main rules: do not overdo it with the consumption of fructose and glucose, which the body gets from other foods:

  • honey
  • dried fruits
  • confectionery products;
  • bakery products.

How not to harm your health

One of the key issues is the proper consumption of berries and fruits for people suffering from various diseases.

Here it is important to remember a simple rule – everyone can choose their own “fruit plate” based on their health status:

  • In case of gastritis with high acidity, you should not eat sour berries and fruits;
  • in case of obesity and diabetes mellitus, do not get carried away with sweet fruits;
  • the risk of developing gout is increased by the consumption of fruit juices, sweet competes, and large quantities of fruit;
  • kidney stones can form, among other things, due to excess fructose.

The main thing to add is that fruits and berries in the daily diet will diversify the diet and make it tasty and healthy.

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Written by Emma Miller

I am a registered dietitian nutritionist and own a private nutrition practice, where I provide one-on-one nutritional counseling to patients. I specialize in chronic disease prevention/ management, vegan/ vegetarian nutrition, pre-natal/ postpartum nutrition, wellness coaching, medical nutrition therapy, and weight management.

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