Am I cruel to write this? Maybe. But it has to be written.
I realize it’s the middle of summer and just about every fruit worth eating is in season. Peaches are perfectly ripe, apricots are plump, and berries are bursting with flavor.
Even if you’re not a year round fruit-i-vore, summer makes you want to be one.
In every client nutrition session, I hear about what people eat. At minimum, I have them recall what they’ve eaten in the past 24 hours. At most, I have 2 weeks of written record.
And one thing I see people overdoing time and time again is fruit. Especially in summer.
But, but, but…
“Fruit is healthy”
“Fruit is the perfect snack”
“Fruit has vitamin C and antioxidants”
Yes, yes, these things are true…-ish. It seems the past few decades of government sponsored nutrition messages to eat 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables per day have been lost in a game of telephone. Somewhere along the way, people forgot that vegetables were part of that sentence and many people took it as an excuse to go way overboard on fruits in the name of health.
But that “healthy habit” might not be doing you any favors.
Here Are 5 Signs You’re Eating Too Much Fruit
1. You’re Frequently Bloated
Fruit is a classic trigger for bloating and here’s why. Fruit is rich in a type of sugar called fructose. Unfortunately, many of us are not well equipped to digest and absorb large amounts of fructose. Researchers believe up to 40% of people suffer from a condition called fructose malabsorption in which fructose is inefficiently absorbed across the small intestine. So instead of nourishing us, sometimes fruit sits in the gut and ferments with the help of bacteria. And the result of those bacteria feasting on fructose is a lot of gas and bloating that makes us feel pretty icky.
Now, glucose (also present in fruit) does help facilitate absorption of fructose, which many use as an argument to suggest fruit is fine and only refined fructose is an issue. But, that’s only true to a certain extent. Most fruits have been bred to be larger and contain more fructose than their great grand parents (the original apple was about as large and sweet as a crab apple), so you can understand how the human body might not have the skills to handle it. If hefty portions of fruit leave your tummy in knots, chances are you have some level of fructose malabsorption and you probably should lay off the fruit.
“The most important carbohydrates that routinely cause clinical abdominal complaints are lactose, fructose, and the sugar alcohol sorbitol. Lactose has long been recognized as one of the most important nutrients, and fructose and sorbitol have become increasingly important following recommendations to increase fruit and vegetable consumption” – World J Gastroenterol. 2007.
Side note – In addition to fructose malabsorption, you can also have an inflammatory reaction to fructose. I tested reactive to fructose via the Mediator Release Test, which measures chemical and food sensitivities, so I have to be doubly careful with the amount of fruit I eat!
2. You Have Diarrhea or IBS
Along with the fructose absorption issues I described above, which does commonly lead to diarrhea, let me explain another possibility for why fruit messes up your digestion. Fruits are designed by nature to carry seeds and make a new plant, so when you think about it, it’s in their best interest to not be fully digested by humans. The plant is hoping that some of its seeds will survive transit and get, shall I say, “deposited” in a new location to grow a new fruit tree/plant. (I should have taken a photo of the massive bear poop from a recent Alaskan hike through berry-filled bear country, but you’ll have to take my word for it. It was solid berry seeds! And, no, I did not see a bear…. this time…)
“The clinical symptoms of carbohydrate malabsorption [including fructose malabsorption] include flatulence, abdominal cramps and pain, diarrhea, and sometimes even headache, usually after the ingestion of a product containing the incompletely absorbed sugar.” – World J Gastroenterol. 2007.
Many fruits (like apples) are also rich in pectin, a type of fiber that folks with IBS may have trouble fully breaking down. If you have IBS, it’s possible that an apple a day will NOT keep the doctor away.
“Faecal bacteria of IBS patients showed the lowest ability to degrade pectin.” – Acta Vet Brno. 2002.
3. You Can’t Lose Weight
You’ve already switched to a real food diet, you’ve cut out soda, candy, processed foods, etc… but there’s one problem: you’re still not losing weight. If you’re still battling the scale after adopting healthier habits, you might consider looking at your fruit intake.
I agree that fruit is a healthier alternative to many desserts and junk foods, but if fruit is a staple item at every meal and snack, you may simply be eating too many carbohydrates to allow your body to lose weight. In brief, any time we eat carbohydrates our blood sugar goes up. That triggers our body to release insulin to lower the blood sugar. How does it do that? By converting it to fat for storage!
It’s unfair to single out fruit, but if you’ve already overhauled your diet, this could be the stone left unturned. We’re quick to blame bread and sweets for our weight, but when you realize that a banana packs the same number of carbs as 2 slices of bread and more than some candy bars, you might have a different perspective. Also, be sure to read #4 and #5!
4. You Always Crave Sugar
Not only does eating fruit spike your blood sugar, as explained above, it also doesn’t sustain it for very long. If you have fruit by itself as a snack, you might notice that you’re satisfied for 30 minutes or so, but soon after your tummy starts growling. That’s because fruit doesn’t come packaged with much protein or fat to keep us sated. Yes, it has fiber, which helps a bit, but it’s not enough to prevent a crash in blood sugar after eating fruit.
What happens when our blood sugar tanks? We get hungry and we get cravings.
For what? For foods that will raise the blood sugar quickly; anything sweet or starchy. (I’m having de-ja-vu)
Aside from the blood sugar-hunger connection, the fructose in fruits has another seldom-discussed effect. Fructose does not trigger the release of leptin, a hormone that signals satiety, and instead triggers the release of ghrelin, a hunger stimulating hormone. No wonder eating fruit makes you want to eat more fruit!
So, do your body a favor and eat that apple with some peanut butter, those blueberries with some full-fat Greek yogurt (or homemade, unsweetened whipped cream!), and that peach with a handful of almonds. The fat and protein from those additions will help dampen the effects of fructose and you’ll be surprised what a difference it makes. This sort of food combining is especially helpful at breakfast.
5. You Love Smoothies and Juice
I’m already bracing for the hate mail, but again, this has to be said. Yes, your green juice is better than most drinks, but if it contains fruit, it’s likely packed with sugar.
When fruit is juiced and you remove the fiber, the remaining sugar is absorbed quite rapidly into your bloodstream leading to what I described in #3 and #4. A 12oz cup of fruit juice, even freshly squeezed organic OJ, has the same amount of sugar as a can of soda. Now the classic rebuttal is to just make a smoothie, and while I do believe this is a better option, I still don’t think it’s ideal.
Even when you chew fruit very well, it’s still not broken down as finely as when your Vitamix gets to work. By mechanically breaking up the cellular structure of fiber, our body has more immediate access to the sugars contained in the smoothie. So even though you didn’t take out the fiber like you would when juicing, you did impact the rate at which your body will absorb the sugar in your smoothie. And not in a good way.
Plus, when fruit is in a liquid form, we can eat a whole lot more of it. A 4oz glass of juice has the sugar of 1 apple, but that sure doesn’t feel like a full serving!
You might stop at 1 or 2 apples if you’re munching on them fresh, but 2 apples worth of juice is just a few gulps.
If you believe you should join Smoothie-aholics Anonymous and can’t go without your fix, you might try making your smoothie with a reasonable portion of low-sugar fruits, like berries, and combine it with nuts, coconut milk, and chia seeds to lessen the impact on your blood sugar. If green juice is your thing, juice only non-starchy vegetables.
So, now that all the fruit-lovers have mysteriously vanished from my life, you may be asking…
What’s a reasonable amount of fruit to eat in a day?
In general – and unless you’re following a very low carbohydrate diet – I suggest 2 portions of fruit daily, preferably in its fresh and whole form. If you really want bonus points, make one (or both) of those portions berries.
If you are very physically active, at a healthy weight, and/or thrive on a higher carbohydrate diet, by all means, eat more! I don’t pretend to create set-in-stone “rules” here.
How much is a portion?
A portion of fruit is defined as approximately a ½ cup (handful) or the size of a small apple. (Not half a watermelon or a jumbo bowl of fruit salad.)
Vegetables are far more nutrient-dense than fruits when it comes to vitamins and minerals. And the classic nutrients that people use to defend high consumption of fruit are readily available in low-carbohydrate vegetables.
Potassium is easily found in avocados, chard, mushrooms and kale, vitamin C in raw broccoli, bell peppers and tomatoes, and antioxidants are abundant in all vegetables, but especially the green and leafy variety.
I’m not saying don’t eat fruit.
I’m suggesting you be mindful of your portions, particularly if you identify with any of the 5 signs you’re eating too much fruit detailed above and opt for lower-sugar varieties when given the option.
Think of fruit like a dessert, not celery sticks. <– Tweet that!
Do your waistline and digestive system a favor and aim for a few servings of fruit per day, not 5-9.
And if you need help making your new best friends (aka vegetables) taste good, be sure to grab your copy of my FREE ebook: “VEGGIES: Eat Them Because You Want To, Not Because You Have To” via the box below.
Until next week,
Lily
PS – Before you go, I’d love to know: Do you think you’re eating too much fruit? Which of the above do you identify with?
I’ll see you in the comments!
Lily, this post really spoke to me. Even though I believe that there is no right way to eat for everyone (we are all different, after all), I’ve experienced with a lot of different types and quantities of foods and have now concluded that 1-3 servings of fruit per day is optimal for my body at this time.
As a kid, I loved to eat half a watermelon. And for some reason my mom always suggested I eat whole grain pumpernickel break with it (Russian tradition). Now I understand why – if I eat fruit with nothing else, I start to feel a little edgy and light-headed. So I usually eat some fruit, wait 5-10 minutes for eat to begin moving through digestion and right away follow up with some protein with veggies or protein carbs. You may look at me weird when at brunch I order an egg and veggie omelette with brown rice and a side of fruit and and eat my fruit first, chat with you for a bit and then eat the rest, but I know that my body will feel great before, during and after the meal if I do that.
We love green smoothies at our house and I usually add 1/3 banana, 1/3 c. berries, spinach/kale, a bit of coconut milk, chia seeds (or hemp seeds) and coconut oil (per serving) – yum!!!! The kids love helping me make them. If we wanna get fancy we’ll throw in raw cacao powder and add avocado to make them really creamy chocolate!
And I have to add that I love green juice with no fruit, instead using cucumbers and celery as a base, with greens (kale, chard, spinach, etc.) and lemon (for flavor).
Keep up the great work – LOVE your posts!
So interesting, Lana! I have the same aversion to eating fruit in the middle or after a meal, especially a protein-containing meal. Turns out it alters the pH and enzyme environment of the stomach, making digesting a large amount of protein quite difficult. For those with fructose malabsorption or sensitivity, that digestive upset can be quite uncomfortable! That may explain why most of my clients do best having fruit as a snack instead.
Love your healthy smoothies and green juice! Cucumbers make a great base for green juice in place of fruit.
I eat raspberries, blueberries and blackberries around ten in the morning.
5-6 of each.
I eat a combo of grapes, pineapple, and melon in mid afternoon…bought in a small container at an organic foods place etc. I don’t use sugar, just stevia once in a while.
I am of good weight, but am concerned about sugar content. Yogurt and milk have sugar. I put two heaping tbsps of yogurt on my granola cereal along with milk.
I am 86 and have no medical problems or prescriptions. I eat plenty of vegetables….but worry a little about the sugar factor.
Thanks for listening.
Feelin’ great, no medical problems, and no prescriptions at 86? You’re doing amazing!
I admire your health very much. I always wanted that no prescription and no medical problem at the age of 86.
I am 51 1/2years old and start perimenopause stages. It has been one year now , I eat lot of fruits in a day as 6 to 7 different kinds ( blueberries, figs ( in season), grapes , blackberry , pineapple, cantaloupe , persimmon or mango (depend for the season) , banana and avocado .
Every morning I extract collard green , spinach , kale, beet, cucumbers , carrots, small piece ginger , and small raw turmeric, cilantro, apple . I extract 40 ounces of juice. I drink this juice every day even on vacation I packed and well preserve fruits and juice extract to have them daily for one year now. I do not eat pork , beef for a year now. But I eat chicken one a month. egg one a day.
I can not drink milk or have yogurt. I never take any supplement of any kind. it made me sick and bloated. I go out to sun everyday ( when sunny day , one hour sun bath daily .
I do have multiple fibroids in uterus and cysts in ovaries, I just found out last year. My doctor did not recommend to do any thing yet because they all still small size. I will probably stop period soon. The hope that after menopause they will shrink if fibroids and cysts still small. These are the reason that I changed my diet 80% raw fruits and vegetable juice extract all organically grown or raise (meat, eggs).
But after I read this article , I think that I eat too much fruits and to big potion in a day for a year. I will probably change to good control potion and probably eat less fruits. I will have my physical check up soon so that I can see whether too many fruits could bring sugar problem for me or not. So far my sugar was very good number last year test, before I started a lot of fruit intake.
Thank you very much for the article The Sign That You Eat too Much Fruits. I will take this advise for control portion of fruit into my daily diet. It is good article !
I eat 5 apples a day. Why do I always feel so bad?
Lana, your comment spoke out to me! I remember that one year, I decided to fast for Ramadan. I think it was in August and the rules were that I couldn’t eat or drink from sun-rise to sun-set.
Because I didn’t feel like eating but wanted something juicy, I always started with a piece of fruit (usually peach), then I would move on to my real starter – soup. Then I’d have my mains and another bit of fruit for dessert.
I never felt happier or healthier in my life. I had always imagined it was the fasting but your comment finally made me realise what made me feel that way! It was limiting myself to only eating fruit with meals and not over-doing the fruit!
Thank you!
I know! My new doctor has sent me to an excellent nutritionist who, much to my amazement said “Fresh fruit organic or not, go light. I want you to concentrate on healthy proteins and go heavy on the greens”.
When I started the heart health diet I simply assumed that fruits in quantity were great – but guess what healthy proteins and a whole lotta leafy and green food did? I lost 23 pounds in 2 months, exercise every day with at least a two mile walk and am starting with a trainer this week at the gym.
My doctor casually told me the weight and when I squealed he said “This is not about losing weight, it’s about you not dying.” So of course I said “Yes, I know, but 23 POUNDS!!!”
By the way, I just turned 61. Happy birthday to me…
That’s fantastic, Donna. Congratulations! The best part about it is you’ve taken action and proven to yourself and your doctor that food and exercise does make a difference.
Greens are definitely something to “go heavy on”! Great advice.
*blink* So I guess it would’ve been helpful if I’d read this BEFORE purchasing the huge yellow watermelon that now sits in my fridge.
It just looks so refreshing on this 95-degree day!
Great stuff, as always. 🙂
Now you have the perfect excuse to invite friends over to share it with you! 🙂
Say, that’s a great idea! 🙂
Thanks for the information. Right on for me.;I hardly eat any fruit, but I decided to start eating right and bought a bunch of fruit and veggies. The first day (yesterday) I sat on the couch ate lots of grapes than later had an apple and then a protein bar for lunch. Avocado in a flour tortilla. Well my IBS has flare up with diarreah, bloaded and weakness. I had been constipated and now I can sit still for 5 minutes because the fountains of the deep keep flowing, it’s like a harsh cleanse!!!
Again thanks for the information and education. When should I start eating fruit again? I’m scared!
You should look into the low-FODMAP diet. It’s done wonders for my IBS. Among the things you mentioned, wheat, avocado, and apples are problematic. Wheat is high in fructans, avocados in moderation are fine (moderate polyol). Apples are high in polyols, so I avoid them. I live in NY state, and it’s really tough to not eat one of the only things I can get fresh around here, but my digestive tract thanks me.
Oh, Lily. You’ve got my number. I AM eating too much fruit. And you touched on why – I’ve recently started eating pretty clean and fruit feels like a “treat” that I can have. As often as I want. And guess what? My weight loss has stalled out … interesting. I love that you provided guidelines for how much is acceptable, and I think I will try some of those protein/fat combos to give my snacks more heft. But can I be sad for a minute? I heart fruit!
Interesting observation about your weight loss, Beth! Fear not, I don’t suggest you break up with fruit completely, just fine tune the types/amount a bit. 🙂
I heart fruit, too!
I am very think all my life. 72 years young walk 2 to 4 miles a day. Ear only fruit veggies nuts seeds. I love fruit do not like beg make myself eatveg. Only protein I get is in greens and nuts and seeds. Been veg for 42 years. Have a lot of candida problems. Fruit makes me nervous but happy. I was told by a physic to not eat any fruit or grains. She said I can not digest them. So been on fruit veggies nuts and seeds for dome time can’t digest beans or soy. Have to eat every 2 he’s. Blood sugar drops from many allergies. If I go off fruit I loose too much weight and am tired. Any suggestions. I put fruit with nuts or seed or avacado
.. Thanks for your help. Ann crystal
Hell everybody my name is Inna and am frutoholic and nuttoholic ((((( Last night scoffed 300g of blueberries and 300 g of strawberries and on the top of that 150 u of Brasil nuts (((( All this morning am not leaving my toilet
((( I know its time to stop but or cut dawn but I CA NOT MANAGE THAT (((( little snack packs of nuts and fruit is very expensive so i buy big ones and eat it at once ((( am 55 by the way …… thank you for reading
Inna – go easy on the Brasil nuts. They are delicious, I know, but just THREE of them cover the daily recommended dose of selenium. Too much selenium cannot be a good thing, no more than a deficiency would be.
I used to be addicted to fruit! And it felt like blasphemy when I first learned they were not that good for my health. Now I’m pretty used to eating more veggies instead, but it’s still soooooo difficult to reject a delicious pineapple or papaya when I’m in tropical places.
Tropical places always get me too, and that’s a great time to indulge a bit more. So great to hear you’ve embraced more veggies, Madeleine!
lol fruits “not that good for me” thats the funniest shit I’ve ever heard XD Ive seen plenty of young women worry about how much freaking fruit they’re eating because of articles like this, but then go and chow down on a burger with no thoughts. People enjoy the damn fruits, it grows from the earth.
Grows from the earth… so does deadly night shade & the dangerous herb monkshood . You need to use more reasoning in you reply.
Fruit is the most healing food on the planet. I eat a 75% fruit diet (counting tomatoes as a fruit) and 20% vegetables. I live in total euphoria. There is no way I could feel any better. People are so stopped up with fat and are not able to absorb good food correctly and it “disagrees “ with them. Lower the fats and keep introducing fruit particularly berries and melons.
I totally agree with you anonymous. I’m 44 years old, 5’9, and 141 lbs. I’m slim and toned because the majority of my daily food consumption has always been fruits, veggies, nuts, and beans. I’ve never dieted, and I don’t eat processed foods.
Eeek! I think I’m eating too much fruit! This really explains a LOT, I’m going to shoot for 1-2 servings a day and see if that helps with my weight loss goals. Thanks!!!
Report back and let me know how it goes, Carly!
Am eating alot of oranges n sugarcane.i don’t think am doing my body a service
I’m exactly the same all I eat is fruit(strawberries,grapes,apples,oranges,mango,peaches,plums,kiwi)and was thinking it was good for me instead of snacking on chocolate and sweets.I have chronic constipation and an under active thyroid so I’ve been blaming that on my rapid weight gain when now after reading your post I think it’s actually the fruit that’s causing it,Won’t be eating fruit now but what else am I going to snack on?
Thank you so much for this fantastic article! I was one of those people – who ate crazy amounts of fruits because I thought it was healthy to do so. I was wrong – in which I’ve experienced each of the points you’ve mentioned! I’ve lowered my fruit intake to 2 per day and always wait few hours after I finish my meals especially if I have meat or chicken. Again, thank you for the great read!
I love how you listened to your body when it gave you the signs that you were having too much fruit. Your solution is rationale, healthy, and most of all, feels good for your body. Bravo, Sara!
Love it! I learned something today. I have to share this with my mama and husband. I am a fruit fanatic. However, it sounds like moderation is best with everything you intake. Definitely noted. Thanks for sharing Lily. 😀
Glad you found it useful, Siedah! Share away! This is an oft-ignored message.
Whoa! This was super informative! I’ve been eating a real food diet for a few years now and never really thought about these tips. I did cut out any kind of juice in the morning finally because of the sugar content, so that really rings true with me. I will keep this in mind from now on, especially when trying to eat at least 50% raw!
Thanks so much for sharing!
Oh yes, fruit can easily become a staple on a raw foods diet unless you’re really careful and many people suffer the digestive consequences of too much fructose. Glad you found some pearls in here, Trista!
Wow i realy lean something today,befor i eat tomuch of fruit but now realizing tomuch of fruit is a problem to me i will change.
Wow, I never realized there was such a thing as eating TOO MUCH FRUIT! My “diets” in the past have consisted of eating mostly fruit… now I know to change that. Thanks for the insight!
Right Lauren?! Yeah the fruit-only diets can be a metabolism nightmare. All that sugar leads to high blood sugar and high insulin, both of which signal the body NOT to burn fat.
I highly suggest folks consider their adjusting their breakfast when attempting to lose weight or stabilize their energy.
Hi Lilly.
I started reading your post thinking: “What? No way. Fruit is good for you. It’s not as caloric as a candy bar and even if you have a lot of it, it’s still healthier than having a stack of pancakes! Lilly is really out of line this time”
I went on reading and quickly checking and scoffing at the list of items: “Nope, no bloating! No sensitivities. I digest it really well. Sorry. No problems at all after eating fruit.”
When I was ready to declare my unconditional love for fruits and to declare that fruit and my body were a match made in heaven… I stopped cold at the “not loosing weight” suggestion. I ran to the bathroom, climbed on the scale and… there it was: no weight loss whatsoever. Nothing. After a whole week of heroically and completely avoiding all kinds of processed foods. No more pasta for me. So long cookies. Goodbye bread. A whole week of meat, fruits and vegetables. And some yogurt too. But still… no weight loss. Ok Lilly. You got me there. I hear you loud and clear. 2 apples a day from now on then. Well… let’s make it peaches. I like them a lot better. 🙂 .
I recommend doing some research on the glycemic index of foods. Candy bars have far more calories than fruit does, but some fruits like bananas and watermelons (and potatoes on the veggie side) will spike your blood sugar and insulin much faster and higher than chocolate will. This is also why berries are recommended. Their fiber content reduces their glycemic index lower than most friuits. Peaches are awesome, but variety and moderation are better. I hope that helps!
Wrong. Bananas are low on the GI with 51.
It’s the high fat yoghurt and meat that are preventing weight loss, not the fruit. Possibly also the salt in the meat causing water weight retention.
Please show me a fat fruitarian.
thank god someone on here has some common sense
Oh and I forgot to add that fats and carbs together?? A HUGE NO NO!!!
Too many fats prevent the absorption of carbs into your body’s cells. If you’re going to eat high carbs lower your fat intake and vice versa. Carbs for the win for energy and sustainable weight.
I enjoy eating oranges after meals and now I know that’s the cause of anxiety and belly bloating. Eating fruit compared to junk food helps a lot but I think to take it to the next level we need to keep the portions in check, like you have advised.
I eat way too much fruit! I follow Weight Watchers but I haven’t lost a signal lb all year despite following the rules strictly. My gut is constantly doing somersaults recently, it is NOT happy with me! On an average day at the moment I eat an apple (a pretty sizeable one), 6 or 7 strawberries, 2 bananas (pretty large ones, I love my bananas!) and a pretty sizeable bowl of grapes. I relate to so many points in this article, I’m going to give 2 pieces of fruit a day a go and see how I get on. I might have to snack on things that contain points but I’m not losing weight as it is so it can’t hurt to try
In Weight Watchers (I’m there too), a banana equates to 2 fruits!
Hurray, I may have just found the answer. Same here and loving 4-5 serves a day…. Hmmm will have to ease up
I too am a weight watcher. Fruit is currently 0 points so i load my shopping cart each week and use it as filler. Way too much. I’m gassy and family complains about that. I also worry about too much fructose and overworking my pancreas. My weight has plateaued as well. Gonna try to cut down fruit and use more veggies and protein as filler. With me it’s all about feeling full.
wow this is very informative, maybe it helps my addictions of eating too much papaya, I love papaya since I was a kid, but since I have a two kids my weight increase so much and it’s double my size. But after 2 yrs my weight is reducing from 78 kilos to 52 with the help of my daily exercise routine. I run 4 kilometers 5 times a week. but I also eat too much papaya and drink lots of lemon. Now I think too much eating papaya can harm my liver because of papaya have large amount of fructose , since I read your article I feel that it’s time for me to reduce my papaya big bite habit. thns for sharing this wonderful content.
I too have been eating way too much fruit. I thought it was okay until I started listening to a friend who is dieting- (she isnt eating any fruit at all) she spoke about the carbs. I have had a bloated stomach and have not lost any weight even though I have stopped drinking wine as well. On an average day I will eat one pound of blueberries (yes I said one pound) or one pint of blueberries, one pint of rasberries, some grapes, some watermelon and not sure what else.
I am going to cut down to 2 pieces of fruit a day and try for more veggies.
Food for thought!
HI,
I actually just started a whole foods diet and have been using fruit as a crutch the past 2 days to help me with my hunger and cravings between meals. I have been way bloated, gassy, and always pooping. I thought this was just a transition phase from processed foods to whole foods. Now, I think it’s because I’ve been consuming fruit like candy the past 2 days to fill myself up between meals so I don’t reach for something completely off track. I’ll try to keep it in check and eat more vegetables. Thanks.
I’m frequently bloated, always crave sugar and I LOVE smoothies and juice + I know I eat too much fruits because that’s basically what I eat whole day and my doctor told me to stop eat only fruits because I was only 55 pounds on the age of 16 So now i only eat fruits on breakfast.
Avocadoes and tomatoes are technically fruit but you listed them as alternatives. Any other fruits that should be counted as a vegetable? Also what about the fiber content? Is a fig or a prune a better option then say an apple?
Botanically speaking, a lot of foods we don’t think of as fruit are actually fruit (like the ones you mention, but also zucchini, peppers, cucumbers, etc.). For the purpose of this article, I am referring to the usual fruit – those that are sweet and therefore naturally high in sugar. Yes, fiber content helps lower the glycemic impact, which is one reason berries are so fantastic.
I have just started drinking veg and fruit filled smoothies instead of porridge for breakfast and wondered why I put on weight!!! Now I know. can you tell me which berries are good as in your article you sound a bit negative on blueberries or are they ok in with my leafy veg smoothie
Any type of berries would be a great addition to your veggie smoothie, blueberries included. 🙂
Similar to most of the posts. I to thought I was doing the ‘right thing’ and eating copious amounts of fruit, all berries, primarily blueberries (love um) and strawberries (love these too). I exercise everyday, that is walking to/from work, and walking at lunchtime, and gyming for at least 1.5 hours 4 times a week, and yet.. I have piled on the pounds. After reading the information, I would definitely say the information is not cruely written, I am so glad I found it, I now have to reduce my fruit intake, it is the only explanation I have for the way I feel. Gassy and bloated (constantly).
I am not going to remove my beloved blueberries completely just reduce the amount I eat in the morning to a handful and not 150g a day (yeah I know probably was too much).
It was very comforting to read your advice as I have definitely been consuming too much fruit, thinking it was the best way to lose weight. 2-3 pieces at lunch and two at dinner equal too many pieces. Can also relate to the feeling of bloating so I will revise my diet and put in more greens and monitor the results. The fruit was intended to help to stay ‘regular’, having had colon cancer. Thanks heaps for your comments and here’s hoping for some positive,results on the scales!
Hi thank u for this , I did actually ask someone the other day if u can overdose on fruit ! Iv recently had blood test back and have a foliate deficiency. My doctor said it was due to my diet. Iv started eating fruit and a lot of it. I use one of those bullet things and a normal smoothie consists of banana, apple, pear, kiwi, strawberrys , natural yoghurt , almond milk and porridge oats. Is this too much fruit ? I have been getting pains in my stomach.
I participated in a study where patients were required to eat 40+ servings of fruit a day. No adverse side effects from the study were found and people lost weight during the study. The only negative side effect was some bloating from eating some of the same fruits (such as only apples) to meet the requirements of the number of servings. I feel like this is come sense though… Unless this article was written by the CEO of Taco Bell
Please link to that study, Jon.
Strange, he didn’t come back with a link!
Hi,
I’m mother of 4 children and after kids being last 2 months bringing from school one thing or the other I decided seriously be strict on their diet (Iactually never thought I fed kids with unhealthy foods as always cooked from scratch but seems like it wasn’t healthy enough =)))) and work on boosting their immune system. While my 3 older ones eat the most of fruit with no problem ( I always give them as a dessert after meals), I have my fussy youngest 3 year old who refuses to eat anything apart apples and bananas. So in order to be able to give him wider variety of fruit I started to make smoothies in the morning and evening after meals. The last shocking news were to discover that one of the children’s had pinworms/threadworms (the beauty of the motherhood!!!). The whole family was treated as reccomended but while I was researching about natural treatments along with traditional Mebendazole which is not good for any of us I came across to smothie with papayas, pineapples, coconuts, coconut oil and papaya seeds. I have been since making that smoothie almost every day for whole family every morning. I also give them anti-flamatory smothies with carrot, pinapple, turmeric, ginger etc or berry smoothies after evening meals. We are not worried about loosing weight for none of us as we are petite sizes =))) but I have notice obviously more bloating and gases for myself and hubby with colitis sometimes gets bad reactions so he takes it easy on smoothies those days. I rather give them fruit smoothies than chocolates or cookies as a treat as I have taken that complitely out of their diet and out our of shopping list for good=))))Your article is intresting but I have to choose lesser evil which is variety of fruit to compare other sugary things. I can see what are you trying to say and might explain all the bloating and gases but I grew up myself eating all day fruit as my Dad grew them in our huge back garden and never harmed me in any way.
Well that sure answers my current question.
I have really cleaned up my diet after struggling for many years with food cravings.
I gave up all processed foods, junk foods, snacks, lollies and chocolates.
I eat plenty of vegetables nuts whole grains eggs chicken fish small amounts of dairy beef and drink plenty of water.
And now I am absolutely bloated and always in pain…..maybe its the 5-6 pieces of fruit I eat a day. Owww and I thought this was better than the junk.
Hmmm maybe I will try 2-3 fruits and see if it helps.
Thank you so much ! Althought , I knew that information it nice reminder..:)
I think sugar, glucose is so addictive that people will come up with any reason to believe it healthy..
I have hit a weight plateau this summer. I wish I would have read this article in June and not in August. I probably would have been more successful with my weight loss. I am definitely guilty of everything written and was confused why I stopped seeing results. Thanks for the advice. I’m on my new healthy and more balanced diet path.
My weight have not dropped at all. I make fruit smoothie everyday for breakfast. I have an apple and orange for my work snack. After reading this, I’m going to have fruit smoothie with greens for breakfast only. And veggies for both snacks and suppers. Will reply back in a month if weight finally dropps
I am so pleased I have stumbled across your article. I have been baffled by my Son’s weight gain – given that he eats healthy foods only drinks water and is very active. The weight is mostly around his belly and has bowel issues as well. He eats a lot of fruit (instead of processed foods) so this all makes sense to me now; I’ve been allowing him to eat too much fruit thinking I was doing the right thing giving him healthy food.. I will now cut right back on fruit and hopefully that will make a difference to both his weight and bowel problems. Thank you so much for this article!
Ohhhh! I have been eating WAY too much fruit! My diet was so bad and I have been eating healthily for the past 10 months but in the last two months my fruit intake has gone sky high. I was thinking it was healthy snacking but the fact my stomach has started bloating lately gave me cause for concern and an internet search led me here. I would think nothing of eating 6 apricots, 4 peaches and a couple of apples in a day…. along with a bit of fruit in my (mainly) green veg juice. I now realise i was craving the sugar in fruit and eating more made me eat more!! I will be much more mindful and hopefully the bloating and binge eating of fruit will stop and my weight loss will start again.
Well, it seems I identify with all of those signs, unfortunately. I’ll tell you something that happened this summer that really drove it home. I went on vacation with family for 8 days, and most of what we did was drive around and look at sites. Very little physical activity and NO working out. And we ate candy while we drove around. We ate three square meals a day, which I never do, so I ate more than I usually do. But the only fruit I really had was prunes and orange juice. When I came back, I had lost six pounds, which I haven’t been able to do in years! So I see a message in there……
Just when you thought it was safe to dip into the fruit bowl. Jeez Louise i’m currently finishing a one pound bag of red seedless. seriously I’m NOT over weight reasonably healthy though could lose ten pounds i thought my fruit intake was one of the better aspects of my diet evidently not I’ll try to transpose at least a vegetable portion for a fruit one. Sigh?!!! What’s next. Sex. it is then i draw the proverbial line and boycott self help articles. But seriously very interesting reading thanks
I had to comment because your article resonated so clearly with my experience. I would describe myself as a fruit junkie (6 servings easily in a day). I knew in the back of my mind that this was problematic but told myself it was better than processed “carbs”. I have been dealing with signicant issues of bloating and other unpleasantness. I had recently eliminated gluten to evaluate if that was the culprit but the problem persists. Your article makes me think I cannot tolerate fructose in large quantities. Thank you! I will immediately make this change and look forward to feeling better.
I still wonder about the high fructose content in most processed foods? Is it the same? Given the reliance on these factory foods, I would think more people would be experiencing reactions?
Too much of anything is unhealthy, we all know that, but if you’re going to claim that you’re eating too much fruit simply because “you love juice” then I’m sorry but you’re just not being serious. Please write your articles in a slightly less ridiculous manner. Also, you suggest only 2 small portions of fruit a day while nearly all respected health organization, WHO included, suggest more. I guess they have much more authority for me.
Reading this while sipping my second fruit and veggie smoothie for the day, oops!
Hey this has been a very interesting blog and I am very grateful for your potential guidance.
Today I am eliminating all fruit from my diet for 2 weeks to see what happens.
I was diagnosed with many food intolerances in October and have been avoiding foods like dairy, gluten wheat, avocado, nuts, soya potatoes and many more. However I have also been formally diagnosed with coeliac disease as confirmed through a gastroscopy and biopsy.
But due to the inflammation and poor gut I have put on weight 10kgs from May to Aug. I have now stayed around the same but since adjusting my diet, of eliminating everything, eating only fresh cooked foods no processed foods including gluten free products and breads I have not lost a lb!
I have increased my fruit intake and use it for snacks and when I’m hungry. But as you say this does not curb my hunger!!!!
I have reintroduced milk (to add to tea only) as of yesterday and this seem ok so I am hoping I could so introduce eggs etc into my diet.
I really hope that fruit has been my problem and I can lose some of this excess weight I have gained which makes me feel dreadful!
Thank you and ill try to keep you posted 😉
Good luck on your journey, Georgina. Remember, everyone has an individual tolerance for fruit, so I don’t necessarily recommend eliminating it completely.
You may want to read this article about the top 10 elimination diet mistakes.
Thank you. Much appreciated!
I relate to eating too much fruit. Prob having about 6 serves a day. Weight loss difficult and I look like I’m bloated! Thanks for your information.
Hi Lily:
One year ago I was diagnosed with C-diff and it was horrible. My digestive system is still not normal. I don’t know what to eat anymore. Before that I had a lactose problem now they tell me it may get worse. I was also told that I now have IBS. So I have been trying to eat lighter and smaller meals. I have been eating a lot of fruit and I have a very bloated stomach by the end of the day. I told my husband maybe I am eating too much fruit. I have four servings a day. I have even almost eliminated gluten too. It has been very challenging and painful. I have discomfort almost every day in my digestive system. I am going to cut back on the fruit to see if the bloated stomach goes away. Thank you for the information.
This article was really interesting for me.
I gave up refined sugar and grains last year and then decided this year (ie two weeks ago) that I would only eat one portion of fruit a day for January. I used to eat about 6, plus 8 or so veggies.
I managed the ‘one a day’ (usually blueberries, plus the other veggies) until today when I caved, and have eaten 1 1/2 apples, cup of blueberries, lots of mango, 2 nectarines, some kiwi and some melon. I have been craving fruit almost hourly for the 2 weeks, which I didn’t expect as I had been off refined sugar, honey, maple syrup and sweeteners for at least 2 months at this point. But then today, after eating lots of fruit, my body and mind have gone HAYWIRE. I have had a constant “brain-fart”, not able to concentrate, feeling exhausted, lazy, lethargic and constantly trying to work out if I felt like this before January 1st when it was my usual daily dosage of fruit.
Definitely going back to my usual (for January) meals tomorrow – measuring my 80g of berries and not having any other fruits. I do NOT want to feel like this again!
…I probably am eating too much fruit! I wondered if I was because a few months ago I radically changed my lifestyle eating habits and whilst I feel as though my middle is a bit slimmer, I thought I would have lost more weight by now. So I googled it and saw your article.
I eat fruit for breakfast every morning with nuts, thing is though I eat a lot! Then when I come home in the evening I usually eat another 2-3 pieces of fruit….I am definately going to reduce my fruit intake…thank you
I think I’m eating too much fruit because even though I don’t do any processed foods and i workout 4-5 times a week my weight won’t budge and the belly fat is there. And, I have digestive issues anyway and have seemed more bloated. So, I think you answered my questions. Obviously I was thinking it or I wouldn’t have found your site?
OMG.!,, thank you Lily. After two to three weeks binging on loads of fruit,, i felt more bloated than ever and kept putting on weight i decided the only thing i was doing differently was eating lots of fruit and that had to be the reason. I only just realised that fruit has loads of natural sugars that could not have been doing me any favours. Everything you said proved true for me. The more fruit i ate the more i wanted to eat. !! Crazy..
i just googled the subject of side affects of too much fruit and after reading your article was extremely pleased to have my suspicions confirmed. It was tho you wrote the article just for me. Thank you and as of this morning, no more fruit for a while for me!!!
I have been eating a big bowl of fruit salad for breakfast every day for the last 3 months, thinking it would be good for my health and help me to lose weight. Well my weight hasn’t budged and this week I have felt really unwell with awful stomach pain and bloating. I stumbled across an article about fructose intolerance and malabsorption and recognised the symptoms immediately. Paid a visit to my GP as the pain felt like period pain ( coming from my ovary) (went through the menopause 12 years ago) but she said I was probably suffering from IBS. So I will definately be laying off fruit for a while until things return to normal!!
I eat a minimum of 3 servings of fruit a day! I will eat an apple at break and lunch, sometimes a banana with breakfast, and then grapes at lunch, and an apple after dinner! I have eaten a lot more fruit the last few months, about 4 a day and I have noticed I have put on weight on my lower stomach area. As well I have had bad stomach pains too and bloating. Will this be permanent ?
Wow. I just found this and everything I can agree with.
I am ,in fact, eating too much fruit. The sugar cravings, the bloating, the not losing weight, all of what you said, I’m like “are they like reading my mind???!!!”
I am going to cut back on fruits. I would have NEVER guessed that a healthy food can be “bad.”
Hopefully decreasing to two portions daily will help me to lose weight. Something I’ve been struggling with FOR YEARS.
Wish me luck!
Whoops, I have been eating about 3 portions a day.
I think I will stick to 2.
I would much rather eat a bowl of grapes than a packet of potato chips though.
But I hear you on the vegetables… I think I should probably focus on getting more of that in my eating habits.
Pt 1 and 2 resonate
This might be a bit off topic but I personally am not trying to lose weight but rather I gym everyday and I eat fruit (strictly) for lunch. The reason being is its easy to throw some fruit into a lunchbox and cheap (where I stay). Its healthy and Im allergic to nuts so something like muesli and yogurt wont work for me.
I probably have like 2 bananas and two handfulls of grapes (as an example) per day.
Now, if i get to gym everyday surely the sugar isnt an issue as it wont be in my system long enough to be converted into and stored as carbs and should be used up when I work out right?
Basically I want to know if this is a good idea or if im countering my workout due to the sugar intake?
I’ve been having liver problems that started not long after I began eating a fruit packed smoothie every morning. After I eat the smoothie, about 30 minutes, I’m starving for lunch. I’ve been struggling to figure out what is upsetting off my liver and why I’m so darn hungry. I think I’ll cut down on the fruit and see if things resolve.
This article is false
I don’t think it is entirely false. People with certain digestive disorders, or diabetes, etc., probably should not eat massive amounts of fruit. Let’s face it, most fruit smoothies are largely sugar highs for people telling themselves they are being super healthy–hey, it’s probably better than consuming lots of milkshakes. But this article goes beyond that by basically stating that anything more than a miniscule amount of fruit per day for everyone will cause digestion problems. I have IBS with diarrhea, did the whole FoodMOP thing, and worked with nutritionist. Milk will give you lots of gas and is hard to digest. That’s more likely the digestion problem with smoothies. Fruit is a very healthy thing for most people. Use some common sense here. If bananas give you gas, stop eating so many. And by the way, when I’m having problems, I absolutely have to stop all raw vegetables. I am in no way implying or stating anybody should avoid or limit vegetables.
I’ve been counting calories since November and have lost 25lbs. But with every lb. lost my daily kcal budget decreased so I started eating lots of fruit and trying to eat clean believing that I was eating healthy. I got addicted to fruit smoothies and was having about 2 a day. (1/2 CUP BLUEBERRIES 2 SLICES PINEAPPLE AND 1/4 banana and chia seeds or protein. Powder) After about 2 weeks ,I awoke feeling like I needed to throw up and my stomach felt out of sorts for about a week. This is reason I looked up this topic.
I found this article on a google search. I am a recent smoothie convert and was concerned about my new Ultra High dose of fruits per day. My concerns were backed up … great article… I’ll be using more green leafy and avocado etc and a little less fruit. Thanks!
I have diarrhea wgen I eat avocado. What causes it?
I eat a lot fruit thinking it would help me lose weight. I’ve actually gained weight & im having a problem losing it!
just learnt that eating the same fruits in a day is not good like having maybe 2 apples in a day is not advisible..how true is that?? and if is true why is not advisible, what is the happening when i have 2 or more fruits of the same kind in a day.
Sometimes I eat so much blueberries that my excrement smells like blueberries am I eating too many blueberries?
I am currently in severe stomach distress so I consulted my favorite physician — Google — for a diagnosis. Last night, I mindlessly snacked on a rather large portion (2 cups, perhaps) of leftover fruit salad that I had made two days prior. I had trouble falling asleep (4 hours of tossing and turning) and awoke just an hour later with bloating, gas pain and colic, bowel noises, nausea and diarrhea. An hour later, I am full on vomitting with runny bloody diarrhea. Well, not only did I have WAAAY TOO much fruit, but I also learned that I could have easily misprepared the fruit salad by not washing the rind of the cantaloupe and using the same knife to cut the rind off as I did to cut it up, without so much as washing in between. Google taught me that this alone could introduce bacteria including the dreaded e-Coli!
I am particularly sensitive to e-Coli having been terribly affected (and hospitalized) by it six years ago. I nearly lost my life then when the bacteria attacked my pancreas and threw me into a (sudden onset) diabetic coma. I was warned then that the littlest bit of e-Coli could cause an e-Coli storm in my intestines — and I thought that meant I must avoid undercooked red meats, not my beloved fruits!
Your article was very informative. Thank you.
Sorry to hear that, Ellen. Most people don’t know that produce accounts for 42% of all food poisoning cases. Might be helpful to read this article: 10 Food Safety Mistakes You Didn’t Even Know You Were Making Feel better soon!
I recently decided to keep track of the fruit I eat and discovered I can eat over 800g in 1 day! Definitely need to reign in my portion control. The amount of sugar I must be getting is crazy. Hopefully I will finally start to loose some weight as well.
I eat way too much fruit. Probably about 7 portions per day. Will this be the cause of my current skin issues?
Hi,
I make smoothie with one Apple, fresh aloe Vera, cucumber and about 60 grms of blueberry,
I hope am not taking too high fructose levels doing that, I have been doing this for more than six months now, and being a athematic I must say my immunity has never been better,
Though I think I have felt bloating issue many number of times, I recently have started taking two slices of full grain breads along with it, to give my smoothie some solidity, thanks for giving me idea of combining it with nuts,
Would you like to suggest some tweek in my breakfast scheme? It will be highly appreciable
Sure thing. For more info on breakfast, check out this post: http://pilatesnutritionist.com/the-healthy-breakfast-mistake/
If you eat to much fruit will it also make your blood pressure stay up if you off of salt?
Not only is this article complete BS, I can’t believe this person identifies herself as a nutritionist when there is a statement in here about fruit “spiking blood sugar” (completely untrue and proven so by SCIENCE). Please DO NOT listen to this person. Fruit is an amazing source of nutrition and there are NO adverse health effects of adding fruit to your diet and, actually, not really an adverse effects of adding fruit to your diet in regards to your weight. Listen to science, not some person who is literally sabotaging you by telling you to simply starve yourself when you’re hungry so you can be thin. Also, I have maintained my weight after losing 20 pounds with eating pretty much unlimited fruit when I am hungry. I only eat until I feel satisfied…but some days I eat as many as 4- 6 bananas… and that is just bananas.
Side note: Fruit actually helps regulate blood sugar for diabetics when added to meals despite that fact it has (god forbid) natural fructose (the devil, right?!).
This is a very unfair way to characterise the article. You are not considering relativity. Certainly the spike in blood sugar from an ice cream cone is not the same that of a banana – but the banana will cause a spike nonetheless. It stands to reason that if the banana is a stand-out on the glycemic index for a person (higher than the rest of her diet), that spike will have a greater effect than on someone who eats poorly.
Also, nowhere in the article does the author suggest starving oneself to be thin. It seems to me the author is trying to help people, not sabatoge anyone.
Having read the studies you refer to, a very small amount of fructose in a meal results in lower blood sugars if it replaces an isocaloric amount of glucose.
However, if you just eat less glucose instead the effect is likely to be superior; and fructose in these small amounts is also supplied by carrot, beetroot, parsnip, sweet potato, and so on – there is nothing special about fruit. Replacing a potato with a sweet potato will give you the “catalytic” dose of fructose AND a lower carbohydrate load overall.
I never comment but your comment is just beyond ridiculous that I couldn’t help it..you sure do have a friend in healthy but not apparently happy Mr. Anonymous! And sorry I’m being rude as well! Lily knew she would get some haters but she’s only trying to help Unlike You!! EVERY body is unique and it’s great that you handle abundance amounts of fruit..others simply CANNOT. I cannot!! I can tolerate some berries after a gym workout but otherwise get heartburn, bloating and fatigue. Her article is 100% accurate.. Now please stop being a bully..why are you even here..you clearly haven’t read ALL the comments regarding certain digestive systems that simply cannot tolerate a lot of fruit in a day. She clearly did not say that fruit is bad!
I almost did not read your article but I’m glad I did because I recently added more fruit to my diet and became very gassy and it was killing me. I laid off the fruit for a couple of days and I was good. Well last night I had 2 fresh pears and now my stomach is cutting up again. I am already lactose intolerant so when my stomach reacts like this my first thought is “Did I gave dairy”? I want to continue to have the fresh fruit and now I know what to eat and what not to eat. I believe I am fructose intolerant as well so this article was very helpful.
I never thought about eating too much fruit before reading this article. The reason I searched for “can fruit give you gas pains” was because I was getting very bad gas pains in my lower abdomen. I constantly have smoothies with TONS of fruit. Also I put TONS of fruit in my oatmeal while thinking this was very healthy. Thank you for this article as it was really eye opening! And no, I’m not mad at you for saying the truth.. and my stomach thanks you. Hmmm I am thin but now wondering if all my fruits are keeping my belly fat?? I eat healthy but love my sugar and I am a bit outside the normal sugar range which is 108. Thank you so very much!!!!! WOW!
Great article! I make a smoothie about 3-4 times a week as a meal supplement – water, frozen fruit variety, Greek yogurt, little honey, protein powder & green powder (green veggies). I thought that was a great idea but now I’m reconsidering! Any thoughts?
I’m suffering certainly with Feeling bloatd & stomach pain, my weight loss has also come to a standstill so I do feel from reading your comments that I’m eating far too much fruit.
I agree with some of your posts/disagree.you have to think about each individual different situation. Such as smedication(they’re prescribed) how it has to be taken w/or w/out FD. There age. Wt. How much they eat or drink or get enough in a day. I mmyself have health iissues. & One minute were told all the time ieat your fruit and vegetables this many times a day. No one is really saying stay away from Apples red or green. Stay away from bananas. All I here are lies. And people contradicting there stories. From fitness trainers to movie stars. Saying what they don’t eat. But then caught w/ something they don’t eat. I’m saying I think fruit/vegetables are gd for you. & All the stores I go to spouts.whole foods. Trader Joe’s. People have a basket full of everything. Like I was stating….I health problems. A turkeytearian .been since 95. I also have COPD diagnosed in 07 never ever smoked a day in my life 49.102 lbs. Been on steroids( pill form 20mg it changes. & Always in the hospital. So you see. No judgement from me. Good look to everyone and their goals.O & my potassium is always low. My Dr recommend a banana 2times a day.
very nice information
I eat WAAAAY too much fruit! I can put away 3 pounds of blueberries every day… way too expensive and I have not been able to lose weight!
I found this article very interesting. Since much of the info out there is focused on those just starting to make changes for health, it’s nice to find advice for those of us looking to further improve an already healthy diet and lifestyle. I identify with several of the issues you called out – by the standards you outline I typically eat 3 servings of fruit a day, so I am cutting my allotment by 1/3 to see how it effects me. I do have a question tho. You suggest some smoothie combinations to lessen blood sugar impact – why do you single out coconut milk as opposed to other dairy-free options? (I usually switch between soy and almond.) I’m curious what about coconut milk makes it the best choice. Thanks. I just found your site through this article and look forward to coming back.
I think that rather than hate you, fruit lovers like me are going to love you. I decided to googled this topic cause I recently started to work out and with that comes new better eating habits. I thought that eating fruit was good but now a days I sincerely do not know what good is. I thought that I was eating too much fruit and you just confirmed it. I have been pretty much snacking on mostly fruits and I cannot go without my smoothies. You make excellent suggestions. I think that my lesson from reading your post is that everything should be taken in moderation. This is my first time leaving a comment but what you wrote is so informative that I had to honestly thank you.
This is so useful. Thank you.
I dont normally eat much fruit, am a veg person normally. But lately have been craving fruit. I ate 6 portions in one sitting.!. The next morning woke with tummy ache and trots. Feal very bloated, and even put on wieght.. Now your piece has enlightened me I’l go back to 2 times a day. Thankyou.
I eat on average a banana a orange a apple handful blueberries 4 strawberries couple small pieces of watermelon every single day I went from 217 to 158 I eat no meat eat handful raw broccoli spinach cauliflower mushrooms 4 baby carrots everyday eat walnuts sunflower seeds almonds pumpkin seeds along with way to many cashews and peanuts everyday eat Greek yogurt eggs fish whole grain bread 3- 4 times a week MY OPINION ONLY eat the hell out of fruits it’s gods version of cupcakes candy bars and birthday cake
You say you don’t eat meat, but then say you eat fish? It’s only or the other–not both. And just because eating a lot of fruit works for you, doesn’t mean it works for everyone. If I ate as much fruit as you everyday, I would be spending most of my time on the toilet with diarrhea.
There is a lot of evidence that large amounts of fructose can cause harm when consumed in excess. However, this depends on the dosage and context and does not apply to fruit. You can’t fit in the amount of whole fruits into your stomach, for the fructose to cause harm. It’s like saying Coke can give you cancer, yes studies have shown that, but you leave out that it only applies if you drink 80 litres of coke everyday for 60 years. It’s selective information I guess.
Okay, well you try explaining that to my digestive system then. Besides lactose, the only other thing to give me extreme digestive issues is fruit. No other high fiber foods cause as much trouble.
Thank you so much for this enlightening article. I started to make a google search on “eating fruit and digestion” because I am just back from a trip when I ate pretty much no fruits for ten days. I was craving for it but guess what? The “junk food” I was eating (bread, meat, cheese, salads, that kind of things) magically stopped the diarrhea I was suffering from for months while I was feeding myself pretty much on fruits. It also sure rings a bell about the impossibility to lose weight… will try it out! 🙂
I just recently started making smoothies. With fruit, unsweetened almond milk, and protein powder. I have one for breakfast and one for lunch and then eat a reasonable dinner. I was a fast food 3x a day person and never ate fruit. I cannot handle textures.. pretty picky with veggies too, so I have began to supplement with a shot of wheatgrass in the morning. (Made from organic powder in my home). I’m still not losing weight.
– feeling defeated.
I did a search on eating fruit and upset stomach and ended up here. What a great bit of reading, I don’t have a sweet tooth so craving sugar is not an issue BUT. last week I decided to add more fruit to my diet, what a disaster! I had a train journey to make last Friday and had consumed a punnet (small one) of blue berries a few hours before. I ended up having to stand outside of the train loo for the last hour of the journey, feeling bloated, sick, hot, cold and really quite unwell. I thought I had picked up a 12 hour bug. It took me until Saturday before I felt properly well again, I didn’t link the blueberries at all. Today I bought a pint of mixed fruit and eat the lot after a salad lunch and my god I am feeling it again now. Not as bad as Friday but still enough that I am sitting at my desk feeling bloated, sore and know I’m going to need a loo close by. Not nice! I need to lose some weight so I’m going to take a leaf out of this blog and cut myself down to two pieces of fruit a day maximum and see how I go.
I have been trying to figure out the culprit of my bloating.. I originally thought it was the beans, lentils and brown rice I was consuming. Although I don’t eat as many servings of that as I do fruit. After reading this article, I’m thinking that I’ve been consuming too much fruit, YIKES!!!!! and not enough leafy veggies. I have to asses my diet, reduce the fruit and add more veggies … Boy, I hope this helps with my digestion.
I decided to eat cleaner, and I love fruit! I ate fruit in the morning, afternoon, evening and in between. I love fruit and figured its fresh, nutritious, unprocessed etc! It’s so easy to grab some fruit out of the big bowl of cut up pineapples, melons, strawberries for a snack or an alternate to pop corn or chips and cookies! Well, I began experiencing bloating, indigestion, burning sensation in abdominal area. This went in for a couple weeks. My husband just lost his job, so I had no insurance. I was on web-md diagnosing myself with everthing from ulcers to cancer! Then at work I was feeling nauseated, and miserable! I tried to eat a chicen ceasar salad, but was just too sick. I ate two minuscule pieces of lettuce, sipped on some club soda and just could not eat. ( I found the club soda to be soothing)The burning, bloating and nausea had gotten the best of me. I didnt eat all day and the discomfort began to subside. Never did it enter my mind it could be my fresh healthy fruit. After all, I could live on fresh fruit and some protein. Later that evening feeling some hunger pangs, but afraid to eat only sipping perrier. I finally threw caution to the wind and got a plain hot dog from 7-11 as I was starving. I waited for the dreaded burning, bloating and nausea. It didnt happen. I drank club soda and later had some brown rice and garlic shrimp and a thai ice tea. No pain or discomfort. I later had some cheese and crackers, no problem. I finally started to realize maybe it was all the fruit! I began searching google and found this thread! What a relief to find it probably isn’t cancer. This morning not a bite of fruit and my stomach is 90 improved. I will now be incorporating more veggies and easing up on the fruit to see how things go.
I have been going to weight watchers and slimming world in the past which fruit is no points/sins. I love fruit and I consume at least 7 portions a day but not shifting weight like I feel I should. Which is annoying because I do everything by the book. Then I get told I eat to much fruit. Reading this makes me realise why. I do get bloated but not always. I will try cutting it down to 2 portions and maybe snack add some vegetables as I usually only have 1-2 a day. Thank you for this article it defiantly makes me realise why I may not be losing the weight.
Thank you very much for your very informative article. I am one of the many readers who binged on fruit and never thought it to be an issue as I am quite lean, very active and have no problems with my sugar levels. But now, I know better and will try to cut back on the fruit. The difficulty is what else to eat between meals as I am a vegetarian, eats loads of vegetables including green juice and I try to eat processed food like rice crackers sparingly.
thanks again,
I’d say you should carry on eating your fruit as you have a healthy lifestyle and the fruit isn’t giving any problems, in fact they’ll be doing you the world of good. The people on here are obsessing with sugars and weight gain, but no one is looking honestly at the rest of their diet. Humans were ‘designed’ to eat fruit and veg, not hotdogs and burgers.
After reading your very informative article, I fall under #1. I noticed that after eating a couple of peaches a day, I was very bloated and my sugar readings were slightly higher. Also noticed weight gain, I guess from the bloating and I am pretty fit, but with the peaches I noticed a difference. I will be cutting out peaches!
Denying holocaust is a sin but denying fruit is the most optimal food for human kind isn’t. How funny is that. I’m sorry Lily, I swear I don’t want to pick you or anything but you even have an apple in your logo on your site, that tells me something.
I was raised a meat eater and became a massive fruit eater some months ago but I still don’t suffer from any of the points you described. Even my blood test is perfect.
My cravings disappeared for sugar when I started to eat so many fruits and comes back everytime I don’t have the access to fresh, juicy goods.
I’m truly sad that you have eggs and meat promoted on your site yet you don’t write a post about “5 signs you are eating too much fat and protein”. The 5 points would be:
1. You are obese
2. You generally experience heart attacks
3. You have sweet tooth after each meal
4. Your conscience is telling you to stop killing innocent beings
5. You tend to become ill more often
Of course these points are a bit edgy but so your points are. All of them are real concerns about consuming mostly fat and protein instead of carbohydrates, which fuels our body naturally. You even know that well if you have a degree of nutrition.
Well good for you. You may not experience any of these problems, but many people do.
I take a sandwich bag full of grapes and cherries. I also have one smoothie a day made with 1 cup of blackberries, strawberries 1 bananak and vanilla yogurt. Also one scoop of greens. Is this to much fruit.
It’s only too much if it negatively affects your health.
Hi Lily, I came across your post after I googled, “Will I have painful moments if I switch to eating only fresh fruits and vegetables? ” Very informitive. I googled this coz I have had an increase in headaches, bad ones! And yesterday, I thought I’d eat a bowl chicken chili. I got very sick, and vomited many times, and I got so weak I could barely walk. Anyway, I am male, 54 yrs old and thought I was losing weight.The bloating thing really hit true for me. My stomach looks twice it’s normal size. HELP!
Just an insight to my day – half a watermelon, 3 kiwis, 3 pears, 2 apples, 2 oranges, berries, a whole box of strawberries. !!!!! and i wonder why im not loosing weight! thankyou for sharing this
this article is so wrong. i had IBS but that was from consuming too much foods with refined white table sugar not fruit. I no longer drink sugared beverages and cut down drastically foods with table sugar but i now eat a lot fruit. The results are no more IBS and i have lost weight!!!
Wow…just because it doesn’t match your own experiences doesn’t mean it’s wrong. You should consider getting off of that high horse while you’re at it.
Tania – I love your comments 🙂 xx
Tania..I love your comments as well!
I love your comments as well Tania!
My smoothie for three days 8 oz day drink consist of 2 med bananas, 1 lg cucumber,1 cup or more mixed organic spinach, kale, arugula, 1/3-1/2 cup, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, 2 small cups Activia yogurt, 1/2 cup brewed green tea, 2 tablespoons organic Bragg’s apple cider vinegar, 1 tsp turmeric. No bloating, diarrhea, exercise 3 days week, walk 2-5 miles 4-5 days week, but cannot lose desired 10 lbs midsection weight. Should I cut some of the fruit?
I like fruit so much .
Hi Lilly
Can you please explain how fructose raises blood sugar. I haven’t managed to understand that myself.
Best wishes
Jillian
I just want to say that I would never unfollow you because of my love for fruit.
I tried removing all common food allergens to see if my digestive problems would go away. Between the diet change itself and all that healthy food I was eating, everything got way worse.
Why?? This elimination diet didn’t accommodate for IBS-inducing (high-fodmap) foods, and I was actually eating more of them (including at least all that fruit!) as I avoided other foods.
I still have problems 1, 2, 4, and 5 in your list, and it’s because I’m a non-discriminatory food lover with a discriminatory digestive system.
As I eat loads of plums and peaches that my coworkers brought in from their trees, your post is a great reminder that natural does not mean unconditionally healthy, and it all comes down to moderation. I want to put “moderation” in all caps, because it’s that important, but I don’t want it to look rude. I’m going to go for that happy place of no more than two servings a day and see how I feel.
Thanks!
I just finished a MS in Nutrition and am surprised we didn’t talk about fructose sensitivity. Ironically enough I’ve been having digestive issues and I’m starting to make connections to the large amounts of fruit I’ve been eating. I understand how blood sugar can be impacted but I am not aware of I what you mentioned in a comment about having difficulty digesting a protein-containing meal with fruit. You said, “turns out it alters the pH and enzyme environment of the stomach, making digesting a large amount of protein quite difficult.” Do you have some evidence based research you can refer me to so I can understand this more?
(I thought fructose was converted into fat by the liver and does not become glucose)
Yep. Fruit contains glucose in addition to fructose.
Right with you Lily. Fruit is advertised to us both in nature and marketing as being better for us than it really is.
I think of this post every time I purchase fruit. It is so true. Veggies can be just as yummy. Add some legumes or beans to a salad for a healthy dinner. I also love egg salad on a bed on fresh spinach for a quick and easy lunch. I live in FLA so am fortunate to have fresh fruit and veggies year round.
Hi Lily!
Welcome to the PNW! Rob and I loved it there and we are hoping to be back next summer. I know you will enjoy all the wonderful things the area has to offer!
When adjusting my diet, I realized I was eating too much fruit through my sugar intake. I had to remember (and still need to remind myself) that even though it’s not processed sugar, it’s still sugar and a little goes a long way. I also realized that I wasn’t eating enough whole grains. So I actually switched out a high-sugar fruit (which I was eating with the thought of getting vitamins and fiber), with a low-sugar, low-glycemic granola bar as my mid-morning snack. I had way more energy and my digestion got back on track surprisingly quickly.
Though, that being said, the northwest cherries are amazing.
As always, thank you for your food advice!
-Jill
lol.. you are all bloated and gassy from eating flesh of dead bodies and the coagulated bodily fluids of other beings.. not from eating fruit as nature intended humans who are frugivores to eat.
True
…Hi!! I eat 2 or 3 fruits every morning but not half cups of each. Usually rasp./straw./blueb./blackb. or a part of a banana…maybe oj. but small servings. Is that over doing? I don’t seem to ever have any bm problems. Sandee lee
yessssssssssss! at last, someone who agrees with me. a few years ago my new boss (at a health centre) suggested we go on a detox weekend. I chose fruit – oh wow!! never again,. I bloated, cramped, burped and all the other ghastly results of over-fruiting. luckily salads and veggies are my favourite, so to cut out fruit was not an issue. sometimes I have half an apple, or some berries or a kiwi with plain yoghurt, almonds and flaxseeds. but usually only weekly. I am dead against juicing and smoothies owing to the amount of sugar consumed in one portion. when I see someone drinking fresh orange juice, I ask them to guess how many oranges went into it. when I see parents loading up with commercial fruit juices I remind them of the amount of sugar and tell them its the same as giving their kids a soda. usually they don’t want to know, they look so virtuous! and most kids get a small carton of fruit juice in their lunch boxes. why not just give them a small coke?
its going to take a while to re-educate but I am looking after my 3 grandsons at the moment, and they are getting the message! the younger two only drink milk(after breakfast) and water, they don’t like sodas or fruit juice. success!
Good morning Lily it has been mentioned to us that we eat far too much fruit. I must emphasise that I am extremely health conscious most of the time, but occasionally binge. Every second day we have a smoothie consisting of 1 stick celery, 1 carrot. 1 avo but not always, 1 piece pineapple, 1 piece paw paw, 1 banana, 1 guava, 5 strawberries and sometimes approximately a few slices of root ginger, This we put into our blender with 1 cup double thick plain yoghurt and 1 cup full cream milk. To this we add 1 tablespoon raw honey. Let’s hear what you have to say about this haha.
I eat as a very large breakfast daily – in my nutra bullet raspberries,blueberries,blackberries,ground almonds,chia seeds,pumpkin seeds,sunflower seeds,flax seeds,q 10,walnuts,Brazil nuts,sesame seeds,full fat Greek yogurt,agave syrup,dates and almond milk..result = NO Sugar cravings, I am FULL for the ENTIRE day until evening, my skin shines, loads of energy SUSTAINED. Having suffered from gallstones from a diet high in cheese years ago I find that on the rare occasions I have had an attack after being tempted with a cheese dish (the only food my body will willingly accept and feel good on is the above mix of nutrients.
I forgot to mention that in my daily nutrabullet drink I also add raw coconut oil, hemp ground.
I eat in one day 2 granny apples, 2 nectarines or peaches, a good handfull of strawberries and oikos yogurt with a ton of fresh blueberries added to it. Feel very bloated and agitated afterwards so now i know why, thank you for this insight and please know that i try to be very healthy with my food choices, i used to weigh 243 pounds and now i am 123 pounds and have kept it off with diet and exercise for 10 years but in the last year have become addicted to fruit but have severe bloating so any advice would be appreciated, i am 41 years old and female if this means anything
I get the sugar crash thing happening to me. Then I want donuts. Like right now.
Hi all
I got prove that eating too much fruit is harmless. Even for diabetic type 2 patients.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23497350
Thanks for sharing, Tim. I read that study.
The “low fruit group” ate 51g of fruit, while the “high fruit group” ate 125g of fruit daily. For reference, a small apple weighs about 150g. Sorry, your study does not “prove that eating too much fruit is harmless.”
In this study, the “high fruit group” wasn’t even eating an entire apple daily!
OH! So glad I found this!!
I’ve been eating more fruit – mostly as a way to stay hydrated and maybe lose weight. But I can’t lose any!! I’ve way reduced carbs, no carbonated drinks, very little processed food…. And, I’ve developed horrible bloating and ‘bathroom issues’ —– I’m going to take a look at my fruit intake, I think I may be having to much. I’ve even substituted fruit for a meal……. It’s at least somethin to look at and analyze!!
In total shock that you can eat too much fruit!
Yes I have been extra amounts since I got my new blender. It’s just to easy too do.
I will be cutting back as from today, learning I suffer the side affects.
Thank for the tip!
Thank for the tip.
I definitely suffer fruit side affects.
Will be cutting back as from today.
I am so glad I’ve read your article. I have all the five symptoms mentioned. I joined Slimming World and eat huge amounts of fruit. I cannot begin to tell you the pain and bloating I’ve been suffering. I told the leader about this and she laughed it off. I’ve lost five stone and have struggled with my last four pound. I feel now I’m not going mad. Can’t wait to share this with some fellow sufferers. Thank you so much. X
I run 70-80 miles per week and eat unlimited fruit. I’m talking 8-10 lbs of grapes per day, along with some mango and watermelon. It really is disgusting. I wonder as I get older my body cannot handle all the fruit, as I do seem to be a bit more bloated, but I am so hooked. If I don’t get my grapes, I am extremely grumpy.
I found this really helpful! I’m currently half marathon training and have increased my fruit intake. I also absolutely love smoothies and usually have a glass of OJ mid morning. Immediately after eating, I was getting stomach aches and had to go, I was worried for my training and your article has reassured to me that there is such a thing as having too much, balance is key!
Fortunately, I now know this.
Unfortunately, I just ate 8 apricots (and that was definitely not even half of the fruit I ate all day…). Gonna have to work on it.
I have stage 4 cancer (liver) I’m eating probably 6 bowls of fresh fruit a fay. I don’t understand why in craving it so badly. Is it good or bad for my liver?
I joined Weight Watchers Dec 30. I am down 30 pounds, and thank fruit for that. Most fruits are 0 points, so I have been eating lots of fruit, so I can eat dinner with my hubby. I have a few of the symptoms you mentioned, and no idea where they may have come from! Now I know, and thank you! Look out veggies, my new love!!
Into my second week of a four week stay on the island of Malta. Nice and hot and eating plenty of fresh fruit thinking it’s the right thing to do. Only to find myself in the early hours with a painful stomach and running to the loo. Thinking back I’ve concluded after looking online it is to many prickly pears. However, coming upon this sight has lead me to a whole new way of looking at fruit and of how they should be consumed. You have possibly saved me from having more of upset stomach in the future. Thanks.
Such an interesting read, I am a google-holic and after googling ‘eating too much fruit’ your page appeared!
I currently follow the ‘slimming world’ diet, however the last few weeks I have been wobbling – as it doesn’t feel ‘natural’ but with a weight increase and my own test at eating healthily causing this gain I decided I had no option but to revert back to the plan.
BUT
I find myself eating 5-7 fruits a day, because they are ‘free’ ‘unlimited’ my weight loss is improved if I avoid bananas – and I knew about the carbohydrates.
But seeing it all in black and white, wow!
Thank you for an altered perspective
Thank you for this article, I did a search because of bloating, tummy cramps and very sore ‘ waste exit area’ yes I’m on diet where fruit is ‘free’, tho I do love fruit but definitely overdoing it, this article is very sensible and balanced, and an eye opener for me, so I’m going to cut back on fruit and consentrate on more veg and a more balanced approach to diet . Thank you !!
I definitely do think I’m eating too much fruit, I generally have a whole banana, 1/2 cup blueberries in a smoothie after the gym with my protein powder, chai seeds and peanut butter and a few other goodies, then I have an apple and an orange and sometimes watermelon and other fruit too!! I’m way over the fruit scale and find no matter how hard I train I struggle to lose weight!! I love the quote “treat fruit as a dessert not celery sticks” it really has me re-thinking how much fruit I’m eating, I will definitely reduce the amount and try to mainly have berries from now on!! Thanks so much ?
Hi there. In the past 7-8 weeks I’ve been eating raw foods and a hot meal at night. I’m vegan previously.
I have found I’ve gained weight. I’m bloated, I have gas all the time, loose bowels… I’ve eaten mainly fruit. I starting following fruitians in a Facebook page. Everyone said the weight drops off, wellness and energy on a fruit raw diet 24/7.
No one else have posted the symptoms I have… in the past 2 weeks I’ve had a sharp headache that comes on after my fruit lunch. I found your post from looking online, ” is too much fruit bad for you?”
I’m definitely going to stop the fruit island! It’s not living when your life is based around a toilet….
I absolutely relate to the factor of bloating! I consume a great deal of fruit. Thanks for the tips.
Wow, thank you for this information!! I’ve been living by the at least 5 fruits or veggies/day rule for the last couple years but recently been eating more fruit. A couple months ago I had to take some antibiotics. Ever since then I’ve had a ton of diarrhea. I read that lactose can cause diarrhea for 6 weeks after antibiotics, so I thought it must be my morning yogurt causing the problem. Then one day I had the yogurt without any fruit and I had no diarrhea! So I’ve been experimenting since then. I was eating a lot of fruit before my morning yogurt, like 1 apple + 1 plum + 1 kiwi + 1 banana + 1 avocado. I thought I was really being nice to my body by eating so much fruit. After reading your article I am guessing that the real cause of my diarrhea is the fruit!! It’s going to be hard to eat a lot less fruit, but I think it’s worth a try. Is it possible to develop fructose intolerance later in one’s life and all the sudden? I was doing fine until 2 months ago. I am in my mid-50s, athletic, thin, vegequarian (vegetarian plus a little bit of fish). Thanks again! This article was very helpful!
A pescatarian eats fish but not no meat.
False post…….I’m going to keep it simple…..eat fruits before any food or eat fruit as food, above mentioned problems or solved! and one more thing, eat fruit as much as you want it won’t hurt you, but keep in mind organic is real!
This is some really great information. It was easy to understand. Recently I have been eating too much fruit and this information really helped me understand about how much ftuit to eat. Thank you so much this information really helped and I am now going to share this website with my friends.??
Thank you! Finally someone saying it out-loud!!
Man, this kinda bums me out. I have been trying to eat better and have substituted fruit for snacks. Guess I need to work on balancing with more veggies.
….I’ve been addicted to fruit all my life, and have grown up in a family with super healthy eating habits, where my fruit craze was frowned upon. I was always told to keep it down to 2 a day, which felt like a cruel and unusual punishment. Even today (i’m in my 40’s), after years and kids, I still cannot bring myself to eat less than 4 servings each day, and enjoy my morning smoothies like the smokers enjoy their first cigarette of the day. I’ve noticed though that it really doesn’t help the weight loss efforts, and it also doesn’t help my sugar cravings. If left to my own devices, my diet would be 80% fruit and the rest raw or steamed veggies, nuts, grains, the occasional soft-boiled egg and dairy (mostly yoghurt and kefir). One of the side-effects that has always bothered me the most is the bloating and the stomach aches, most prominent after eating tropical fruits (that I adore) like papaya and pineapple, or oranges; also, apples always make me soooo hungry! I wish you all good luck in your attempts to keep fruit from taking over your life :).
I’ve heard that people often crave foods containing nutrients their bodies can’t digest properly. In other words, their bodies are trying to get the nutrients by binging on the foods that contain them. Is that true? For instance, since childhood, I’ve always eaten tons of grapes. I wonder if it’s due to fructose malabsorption?
For the past few months or so I’ve been having a brunch of around 4-6 serves of sub-acidic and acidic fruit every day. Also over the past few months I’ve needed more sleep than before, and if I sit down to meditate I often start feeling sleepy or even going into micro-sleeps soon after! This is not ideal, disruption to meditation and requiring more sleep is undesirable. A week or so ago I was lying down for a while, and when I got up I started feeling faint and almost collapsed to the floor, getting a blackout. My zinc was low several months ago, but since I started taking zinc tablets it has been good. I got a blood test in early August, and my iron, vitamin B12, and vitamin D levels were low. I’ve been taking supplements since then. Recently I tested the acidity of my saliva—it was 6.4. I was also having a banana, six dates, and a handful of sultanas every morning. Now I’ve cut back and instead of having that for breakfast I have porridge with six dates, and occasionally a banana. I may still adjust to reduce my fruit intake and see how that goes.
I haven’t been experiencing any of the signs above, but the oversleeping and faintness is a big concern.
“Potassium is easily found in avocados, chard, mushrooms and kale, vitamin C in raw broccoli, bell peppers and tomatoes, and antioxidants are abundant in all vegetables, but especially the green and leafy variety.”
Avocados, bell peppers, and tomatoes are all fruits, not vegetables. We tend to eat them more like a vegetable than a fruit because they are not as sweet, and the latter two are only mildly acidic.
I get plenty of exercise and am slightly underweight, so fruit intake is not a concern for me in terms of weight.
What a great article, my weight was coming off slowly couldn’t understand why, very healthy walk for 12 hours a week my diet contains no fat and little carbohydrate or at least so I thought. It was my mum that said and may I quote this just rolled off her tongue your fruit intake is way to much its just pure sugar, my reply rubbish fruit is good for you and low fat. How wrong was I , mums know best. I have since stopped my fruit just to see what happens. Not only have I lost 3lb in two weeks but my stomach doesn’t hurt anymore.
Great article.
Hi Lily, just came across your website. I’m literally fascinated with this article. I have eaten (now I think) too much fruit for the last few years. Since the birth of my 2 children I decided it was time I lost some weight. I reduced my portions and carb intake dramatically but carried on eating the same amount of fruit as before. No wonder I have hardly lost weight. It’s been very frustrating. I am so glad I came across this article. I think now I have a plan! thank you
Firstly I craved any kind of olives I ate them by the catering tin, each day, and not a lot else, for months and months. Suddenly I stopped. Instead I ate 5 X 4 pun nets if necturines a day. Plus strawberries.
At this time I became anemic breathless, pale skin, white in bottom of eyes. I spoke to pharmacist and asked what he could give me as didn’t want to visit doctors. He recommended iron tablets and said you need to take a vitamin supplement C so the iron absorbed into your system. I explained I was craving necturines he said you don’t need the Vit Suppl. then. I took a B supplement instead.
After 24hours I was I was no longer breathless. I am not taking the iron anymore but do crave necturines cold hard one after another. I feel very bloated and cannot loose weight as you suggested in you write up, thank you for writing the facts I am now going to cut them out or reduce to just 2 a day.
I have been operated for cancer in 2014, and I and not able to swollow whole foods. I have to make smoothies. I am taking around 3000 calories a day so I don’t lose more weight. I weight 182lbs before my operation now I weigh 145lbs and I am not able to gain weight. There is no vegi in my smoothies and I use 3 bananas, 2avocados, kiwis,walnuts, chia, milk and use ”RAW MEAL” from (garden of life)and UDO’s oil 3-6-9. each day. Can you help me organize my meals so they can be best for me?
thank you 🙂
Pierre
You mention to eat more vegetables like avocado, bell peppers and tomatoes, but those are all fruit. Are we supposed to treat them like vegetables like most people assume them to be? And if yes, is that because they are not particularity sweet?
Yes, for the purpose of this article, I’m referring to the types of fruit that are rich in natural sugars (rather than the botanical definition).
Hi Lily,
Very insightful article. I began eating one bowl or fruits(mixed bowl) everyday for breakfast assuming that fruits are super healthy and best breakfast to eat and was bloated all the time. For a really long time I couldn’t figure out if it was my tummy which was spoilt or if it was some other reason. Eventually on thinking hard, I realized that the one thing common for 2 months that I was super bloated was that I was having fruits on empty stomach for breakfast. That’s when I started exploring some articles and found this. Thanks for the explaination and I am disappointed in these tasty fruits and my ability to digest them.:(
Hi Lily, interesting article and I am going to act on it! I have been attending a well known slimming group for longer than I car to remember and had moderate success. Just a stone and a half from target ….I am maintaining week after week. I feel very patronised when people question whether I have at least 1/3 of a certain type of food etc. Yes I do….in fact more like 2/3 but much