Fruit Friday: Friend or Foe?

Hello lovely weekend!

'You should eat more fruits and vegetables'

How often did I hear this when I was a little girl? If I had been given 1€ each time someone mentioned this,well then I would be rich now!

Everyone knows that fruits are healthy, some people even call them nature's fast food as they are fast to prepare and can easily be carried around. However many people think that fruits aren't that good for us as they are high in sugar, compared to other whole foods. 

What about the sugar in fruits?

Everyone knows that added sugar is the devil itself. This includes table sugar and high fructose corn syrup which is 50% glucose and 50% fructose. If you wanna learn more about sugar, check out this article of mine HERE.

Now that you may have read this article, you know that sugar is bad for you! The problem is that people think that the same must apply to fruits, because they also contain fructose,right?

However, this is completely bull****. Fructose is only harmful in large amounts and it's almost impossible to overeat fructose by eating fruits! It all depends on the dosage!

Why are fruits good for you? 

While eating whole fruits, as already said, it is impossible to over-consume fructose. Fruits are loaded with fiber, water and have significant chewing resistance. For this reason, fruits , like apples, take a while to eat and therefore also take a while to digest, which means that the fructose hits the liver slowly.

Plus, eating an apple makes you feel full and satisfied. And this one apple only contains 23 grams of sugar , of which 13grams are fructose. (Compared to a 400ml Coke: 52 grams of sugar of which 30 grams are fructose) 

What happens when fructose hits your liver? 

When you drink sodas and eat candies, fructose hits the liver faster and in a larger amount. But if you eat an apple, it hits the liver slowly and in a small amount, meaning that your body can easily take care of the fructose. 

Your body can easily tolerate the small amounts of fructose found in fruits. 

Can I eat fruits while trying to lose weight? 

YES, you can!(Sorry Obama for twisting your phrase)

What most people forget when discussing the sugar and carb-content of fruits is that they are also incredibly filling.

Due to the high fiber content, the water and all the chewing, fruits can make you feel pretty full, calorie for calorie!

Fruits like apples and oranges are among the highest scoring foods tested in the satiety index, they even beat beef and eggs!

Which means, if you increase your intake of apples or oranges, chances are that you will feel so full that you automatically want to eat less other foods. 

 

What about fruit juices?

Even though whole fruits are healthy, don't fool yourself by buying fruit juices at a store, as they are not ''real'' fruit juices. Many of them only contain water, some kind of concentrate and a whole bunch of sugars. 

Even if you buy a 100% real fruit juice, it's still a bad idea. 

If you drink your juice, you no longer have fibers nor chewing-resistance to slow down consumption, meaning that it makes it easier to consume a large amount of sugar in a short period of time.

Dried fruits like raisins can be a problem too as they are high in sugar and it is to easy to consume a large amount at a time. 

If you still don't want to eat whole fruits but want to avoid juices, smoothies should be the best way out! 
In this article I shared some smoothie ideas and if you need a good, but cheap, blender for you smoothies click HERE! 

Conclusion: 

Unless you have a fructose-intolerance or are on a ketogenic or low-carb diet, I think that you should go on eating fruits! They are tasty, juicy and healthy! And they make life more colorful!

I wish you all a nice weekend! 

Training when sick?

Hey there!

Just guess what... I caught a cold 2 days ago and I am feeling so damn miserable since then.Usually I don't care if I am sick or not, especially when it is ONLY a cold. But since I can hardly breath and I have to cough all the time, I think it's best for me if I take a little break. So no gym for me for the rest of the week. I know a lot of people, just like me too, that workout even though they are sick. But is it really OK to hit the gym when you're sick?

I would say that moderate physical activity is OK if you only have a cold and no fever. Exercise can actually help you to feel better by opening your nasal passages and relieving nasal congestion. But if you can hardly breath, like me, or if you have to cough all the time, I think it's still best to stay at home for at least 1 or 2 days until it gets better.

Like already said, exercising is OK if you only have a common cold, a runny nose , nasal congestion , sneezing or a minor sore throat. But you have to reduce the intensity and the length of your workout. For example instead of going for a run, take a walk.

I don't recommend to workout if you have something like chest congestion, hacking cough or upset stomach. And I highly advise NOT to workout if you have a fever, fatigue or widespread muscle aches.

But just let your body be your guide! If you have a common cold but still feel so miserable, just like me, stay at home and take a hot bath! It's better for you and your body to recover. If you are about to feel better you can resume your normal workout routine again. But to be 100% sure, go and see a doctor.

When I got a cold I take a cozy hot bath with a magical fairy combination of these two. Awesome!

But remember!

If you are sick but still want to workout, make sure to reduce the length and the intensity of your workout as your body is already affected. You could risk to catch a more serious injury or illness!

If you are sick too, get well soon and have a nice 'recovery-weekend' !

Smoothie's benefits

Hello everyone!

As you may have noticed, Spring is coming slowly but surely, and Summer isn't far behind. And what is the best way to enjoy a warm spring or summer breeze? Exactly with a delicious and yummy smoothie!
I prefer to make them myself,  it is the best way to know the exact ingredients of your smoothie. If you buy them in a shop , I mean in a bottle, they are mostly full of sugar and other things you don't even know or have never heard before. Maybe not even 50% of the smoothie are fruits, who knows…?
Making smoothies yourself also prevents fruit from going to waste and it is the most delicious way to nourish your body with essential nutrients. The only thing you need is a blender, fruits you like and a base like any kind of milk, water or yogurt.

For example two smoothies I did myself:

A very easy-to-make strawberry-smoothie

What you need:

• Oranges
• Strawberries

Directions:

1. Press some orange juice
2. Blend the strawberries and mix with the orange juice
3. done!

Another easy-to-make berry-smoothie:

What you need:

• Greek Yogurt
• Strawberries
• Raspberries
• Blueberries
• 1 Banana

Directions:

1. Blend your berries and you banana
2. Mix with the greek yogurt until smooth
3. done!

This one is called a traffic-light-smoothie because it has the colors of a traffic light, green, orange/yellow and red 

What you need:

• 3 Kiwis
• 2 Mangos
• 4 to 6 Strawberries
• 1 Handful of raspberries

Directions:

1. Blend the ingredients separately, except the strawberries and the raspberries
2. Fill in the kiwi-smoothie in your glass
3. Fill in the juicy mangos
4. And last but not least the red berry-smoothie

If you want your smoothie to look like a rainbow try this one:

What you need:

• Oranges
• Blood oranges
• 1/2 Pineapple
• 1 Mango
• Strawberries
• Raspberries
• Blueberries

Directions:

1. Press some Orange juice and some Blood orange juice
2. Blend the pineapple and fill in your glass
3. Blend the Mango and mix with your orange juice and add to your glass
4. Blend the Strawberries and mix with orange juice , fill in your glass
5. Blend the Raspberries and mix with the blood orange juice, add to your glass
6. Blend the Blueberries and mix with blood orange juice, finish your glass by adding it
7. Make sure that the different fruit layers are thick enough so that they don't mix with each other!

• Benefits:

1. Vitamins and Minerals:

- Citrus, berries, tropical, drupes, pomes and melons contain a lot of minerals an vitamins. 

- Citrus fruits ( grapefruits, oranges, limes, lemons and soon) ,Tropical fruits (papaya, kiwi, pineapple, avocado, coconut, bananas and mangoes) and Pomes fruits (apples & pears) contain a lot of Vitamin C, which helps your immune system, a lot of potassium which is important for a good heart function and a normal blood pressure, and folate that promotes healthy cells. 

- Berries, like blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, cranberries and grape, contain a lot of antioxidants which help decreasing inflammations and diseases.

- To help your visions and immune system function properly you need beta carotene which you will find in cherries, apricots, peaches and plums.

-Watermelons, cantaloupe, honey dew and casaba contain a variety of vitamin C too.

2. Fiber:

-If you want to reach the recommended intake of fiber (25 gram for women and 38 gram for men), drinking fruit smoothies is a good source. One serving of fruit normally contains 2 to 4 grams of fiber. Blackberries, pears and apples have the highest concentration of 5 to 7 grams per serving. This fiber found in fruit helps slow digestion and may also control blood sugar and lower cholesterol.

• Smoothie Base:

If you create your own smoothie you are free to choose your base. You can add water, any type of milk (almond milk, hazelnut milk, coconut milk, soy milk) , yogurt or even juice, I prefer fresh pressed orange or blood orange juice. If you want a low-calorie smoothie than I recommend you to choose water or low-fat milk or yogurt for your base. For hot spring or summer days you may also add some crushed ice or simple ice cubes. 

• Smoothie Tips:

If you are trying to lose weight I recommend you to use a smoothie as a meal replacements, not an addition. For example drink a dairy-based smoothie for breakfast or a water-based smoothie as a mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack. Fruit smoothies can be a very healthy additional to your mean plan as long as you maintain portion control.