<text>I OFTEN get asked why I tell clients to restrict fruit consumption to 1-2 small pieces per day, surely fruit is good for you? While we’re at it what about smoothies, is it true they are really high in sugar? So in the words of Julie Andrews, “let’s start at the very beginning”. Firstly, don’t confuse fructose (which are the sugars naturally found in fruit) with high fructose corn syrup, which is the ingredient added to many processed foods as a sweetener. As I’ve mentioned before, low fat products have the fat and therefore flavour content removed. Then they’re pumped full of corn syrup to replace some sort of taste. No wonder we’re a nation addicted to sugar. So at the risk of sounding like a broken down record, just don’t eat these products and stick to real, single ingredient foods. It’s also found in chocolate and fizzy drinks, if you want to know how well eating those foods worked out, take a look at America. Next up, fruit smoothies etc. Yes they are high in natural fructose and why is that a bad thing? Well, smoothies contain lots of fruit in one go, far more than we actually need. In addition, during the manufacturing process the skins are removed and only the sweet pulp of the fruit is used. The problem here is that the skins contain most of the fibre as well as many of the antioxidants, both of which aid in the digestion of the fruit as well as lowering the sugar hit that we get from it. Simply eat 1-2 pieces of whole fruit and you’ll eliminate the problem. Ideally opt for low G.I. choices in order to limit the sugar spike. Good options would be: strawberries, blueberries, cherries, plums, peaches and apples. Save the bananas, mangos and papaya for after your workouts. On that note, eat locally and seasonally where possible. Last time I checked mangos aren’t indigenous to Clydebank or in season all year round. As ever, use a common sense approach. If your choice is a banana or a banana muffin, opt for the former and don’t try to convince yourself that the banana is just as bad because it contains some sugar. On and the “five portions of fruit and veg a day” thing, feel free to eat five portions of veg everyday. Yeah, yeah, you’re welcome. You can get involved by Tweeting your diet and fitness questions @GM_Fit, following GM FIT Personal Training Glasgow on Facebook or picking up a copy of Average Joe’s Old School Strength & Fat Loss on Amazon. Eat. Sleep. Exercise. </text> <text>I OFTEN get asked why I tell clients to restrict fruit consumption to 1-2 small pieces per day, surely fruit is good for you? While we’re at it what about smoothies, is it true they are really high in sugar? So in the words of Julie Andrews, “let’s start at the very beginning”. Firstly, don’t confuse fructose (which are the sugars naturally found in fruit) with high fructose corn syrup, which is the ingredient added to many processed foods as a sweetener. As I’ve mentioned before, low fat products have the fat and therefore flavour content removed. Then they’re pumped full of corn syrup to replace some sort of taste. No wonder we’re a nation addicted to sugar. So at the risk of sounding like a broken down record, just don’t eat these products and stick to real, single ingredient foods. It’s also found in chocolate and fizzy drinks, if you want to know how well eating those foods worked out, take a look at America. Next up, fruit smoothies etc. Yes they are high in natural fructose and why is that a bad thing? Well, smoothies contain lots of fruit in one go, far more than we actually need. In addition, during the manufacturing process the skins are removed and only the sweet pulp of the fruit is used. The problem here is that the skins contain most of the fibre as well as many of the antioxidants, both of which aid in the digestion of the fruit as well as lowering the sugar hit that we get from it. Simply eat 1-2 pieces of whole fruit and you’ll eliminate the problem. Ideally opt for low G.I. choices in order to limit the sugar spike. Good options would be: strawberries, blueberries, cherries, plums, peaches and apples. Save the bananas, mangos and papaya for after your workouts. On that note, eat locally and seasonally where possible. Last time I checked mangos aren’t indigenous to Clydebank or in season all year round. As ever, use a common sense approach. If your choice is a banana or a banana muffin, opt for the former and don’t try to convince yourself that the banana is just as bad because it contains some sugar. On and the “five portions of fruit and veg a day” thing, feel free to eat five portions of veg everyday. Yeah, yeah, you’re welcome. You can get involved by Tweeting your diet and fitness questions @GM_Fit, following GM FIT Personal Training Glasgow on Facebook or picking up a copy of Average Joe’s Old School Strength & Fat Loss on Amazon. Eat. Sleep. Exercise. </text>