Eat fruits, the right way!


Most of us love to have fruits; particularly the seasonal ones and it is good to have them because nature has provided us with plenty of nutrients in this form to load our body’s immune system and to prepare it for the next season. Fruits are the most natural and nutritious food available because they contain good amounts of fruit sugars like sucrose, fructose, and glucose. Our body uses these sugars to energise different body cells. Seasonal fruits also help us build a stronger immunity while also keeping the body alkaline.

The correct way to eat any fruit is in its whole form. We have seen many people bragging about drinking fruit juices daily but we need to understand that when we juice a fruit we remove most of it fibre and the blending or juicing process also destroys most of the vitamins, minerals, and enzymes. Also, the fruit in its juiced form reaches our stomach too quickly, because we often gulp it down. 

When we eat a whole fruit it mixes with our saliva that contains digestive enzymes which further helps us break down fruit sugars in the right way. Whereas, if we just have a glass of juice, the saliva doesn’t have enough time to break down the sugars. 

Fruits have antioxidants, alkaline, and detoxifying effects on the body, and that can only be felt if it is had on an empty stomach. The alkaline dose of fruits helps keeps our pH balance in check. But when it is mixed with food, it becomes highly acidic and putrefies in the stomach. This is why many people bloat up if they follow a meal immediately with a fruit.

The best time to eat fruits is first thing in the morning after a glass of water. Eating fruits right after a meal is not a great idea, as it may not be digested properly. The nutrients may not be absorbed properly either.

You need to leave a gap of at least 30 minutes between a meal and a fruit snack. Ideally, one should eat fruits an hour before the meal or two hours after, if they have diabetes or any other digestive problem like acidity. This is because, sometimes, diabetes is accompanied with digestive problems.

Shelf-life of common fruits

Banana : Three-four days

Apple : Up to a week

Pears : Five-six days

Papayas : Two-three days (depends on how ripe the papayas are to begin with)

Chickoos : Two days (depends on the ripeness)