Among people following a diet to lose weight, there is a widespread belief that fruits, in particular apples and pears, are highly beneficial. Traditionally, it is based on the fact that the foods in question are low in calories.
In such a question, people often forget about naturally occurring sugars, which are concentrated in large quantities in fruits.
When deciding to include fruit in your diet or follow an apple and pear diet, it is important to carefully study the issue in terms of benefits and potential harm to the human body.
In this case, it is advisable to get acquainted with the opinion of experts about whether you can eat apples and pears while losing weight or not, whether you should eat them at night, as well as about the norms for consuming the fruits in question for those losing weight.
Are fruits good for weight loss?
Important! A diet aimed at getting rid of extra pounds should not only be low-calorie, but also balanced, and also consisting of a variety of foods.
This fact is due to the importance of psychological comfort of the person losing weight and the feeling of the absence of strict restrictions in the process of achieving the figure of their dreams.
Fruits contain an increased amount of vitamins, minerals and fiber, which help normalize digestion processes, strengthen the immune system, and improve the functioning of the nervous and endocrine systems.
Expert opinion
Evgeniy Kislitsa
Practicing surgeon. Certified massage master. Two-time vice-champion and heavyweight champion of regional kettlebell lifting competitions.
Due to the significant fiber content in fruits, digestion in the intestines is normalized. This is due to the fact that it is difficult to digest and passes through the intestines in a slightly changed form, which stimulates peristalsis (rhythmic contractions of the muscular layer of the intestinal wall), which is responsible for the passage of food masses through the intestines and their normal absorption. In addition, fiber allows you to naturally remove unnecessary microorganisms from the body, which prevents their accumulation and the development of intoxication, inflammatory and/or infectious diseases. Fiber also activates cells of the immune system located in the intestines, which strengthens the body’s overall defense response.
However, due to the large amount of sugar, and therefore calories, albeit of natural origin, not all representatives of this type of product can be useful in the fight against extra pounds. But carbohydrates from fruits are quickly absorbed and broken down, making the risk of gaining extra pounds from such foods much less than from others.
Pears and apples, especially green ones, are the least “dangerous” in this regard, compared to other fruits, and are recommended by nutritionists for their use in a person’s diet aimed at weight loss. The number of calories contained in 100 g of green apples and pears does not exceed 40.
In addition to the insignificant concentration of calories in the fruits in question, they also have a minimal glycemic index. Pears and apples contain a moderate amount of fructose, which cannot harm the figure of someone losing weight.
Important! Fruits, and especially pears and apples, can be considered not just desirable, but rather an essential component of a diet for weight loss.
Be sure to check out:
Is it possible to eat corn while on a diet: benefits and harms? Get a complete set of proteins, fats and carbohydrates from Doshirak dietary products on a diet: is it possible to eat fast food products? Is it possible to eat soy sauce while on a diet: all the myths and truth
What is more in pears – benefits or taste?
There was a period in the biography of these fruits when people ate them only boiled, as they believed that fresh ones could cause poisoning. Then there was some daredevil who decided to try the pears raw. Since then, they have become firmly established in the human diet.
Read also: How to identify a rabbit or a female rabbit
Armed with modern advances in science, nutritionists examined the benefits of pears for the human body and reached a verdict: such a garden product should be consumed every day so that the body does not experience a deficiency of vitamins and microelements.
The number of their varieties reaches 3000, but any pear contains vitamins C, E, P, K, B-group. It contains antioxidants. Its pulp is rich in fructose. The peel contains dietary fiber. Pears also contain pectins. They remove toxins, making life easier for our liver.
Pear is a record holder in many respects. It contains a unique component - phytosterol, which has the property of replacing dangerous cholesterol. There is more folic acid in pears than in currants. Its mineral reserves include calcium, potassium, iron, sodium, magnesium and much, much more.
Apple and pear diets: pros and cons
Among people who adhere to various types of diets to get rid of extra pounds as quickly as possible, the most common are pear and apple diets. They are based on eating large quantities of apples and pears.
When analyzing the feasibility and effectiveness of choosing one of the above diet options, a person losing weight should evaluate their disadvantages. A reason to doubt the use of these methods in the struggle for an ideal figure may be:
- the presence of a number of common diseases that are considered contraindications to consuming these fruits in large quantities, in particular gastrointestinal dysfunction. It is forbidden to eat pears and apples raw for those who have acute diseases of the digestive tract. Such rough food irritates the walls of the gastrointestinal tract, which aggravates the course of the disease and in especially severe cases can cause gastrointestinal bleeding ;
- in some cases, with increased stomach acidity, apples and pears can provoke increased appetite, which will inevitably lead to excess weight gain;
- lack of the proper amount of fats, proteins and carbohydrates necessary for the normal functioning of all body systems;
- a high probability of bloating due to the breakdown of carbohydrates from pears and apples by yeast located in the large intestine when they are excessively concentrated.
Despite the above disadvantages, pear and apple diets also have a number of advantages for a person striving for an ideal body. Such advantages include:
- a significant reduction in cholesterol levels and normalization of the normal functioning of body cells due to the high concentration of chlorogenic acid;
- cleansing the body of pathogens and toxins produced by them, and with the help of pectin contained in the products in question;
- normalization of the gastrointestinal tract, especially in the case of frequent constipation or irregular bowel movements in a thin person;
- dulling the feeling of dependence on bad habits, for example, smoking or drinking alcohol.
Apple and pear diets can not only help in getting rid of extra pounds, but also in cleansing the body, as well as normalizing the functioning of vital organs. However, before making a choice in its favor, it is advisable to make sure that there are no contraindications and that the person losing weight is in absolutely good health.
Read here how to spend a delicious fasting day on apples.
How to put these fruits at the service of health?
Pear has been used not only in cooking, but also in folk medicine, because it has a diuretic, disinfectant, antitussive, and antipyretic effect. It is recommended for dizziness, tachycardia, decreased performance, and inflammation of the urinary tract.
Pear gives an amazing healing effect for prostatitis. But to take advantage of such abilities, it is not enough to simply eat pears; you must use them in a special way.
Folk recipes with pear:
- For anemia - peel 2 fruits, mash their pulp well, add 2 tsp. honey
- For prostate adenoma, cut the fruit and steam in a thermos overnight. Over the next day, drink the infusion ¼ tbsp. 4 rub. per day.
- For heartburn – after 30 minutes. After breakfast, eat a couple of fruits.
- For colorectal cancer, eat pear and ginger.
- Contains a lot of fiber
, which actively works in both the stomach and intestines. Provides a long-lasting feeling of satiety, cleanses the intestines, and prevents the development of constipation. - There are many vitamins
. They have a beneficial effect on performance and are involved in the process of transforming fats into energy. Deficiency leads to weakness, disturbance of the psycho-emotional background, apathy, deterioration of the condition of hair, nails and skin of the face and body. - It is a source of mineral compounds
- iodine, phosphorus, iron, potassium, etc. They are necessary for the functioning of the thyroid gland and adrenal glands, which are “responsible” for the production of hormones. If the balance is imbalanced, weight loss will not occur. - Contains sugar
, is considered much sweeter than apples,
but when consumed does not provoke a sudden release of large amounts of insulin
. This allows you to keep your blood sugar levels within normal limits, which eliminates gastronomic breakdowns. - With
regular and moderate consumption of pears,
toxins and “bad cholesterol” are removed from the body and the immune system is strengthened
.
Nutritionists recommend eating pears to speed up metabolism.
. This fruit contains not only a large “set” of vitamins, but also invaluable folic acid, which reduces the level of lipids (fats) in the body and has a beneficial effect on carbohydrate-lipid metabolism.
Another important property of pears is their weak diuretic effect.
. Thereby:
When losing weight, pear
should be consumed
in the first half of the day due to its high sugar content. But there is an opinion that this fruit can replace a full dinner or a late snack.
Eating pears at any time of the day is generally acceptable, but with the following caveats:
Fasting day.
It is carried out no more than once a week. During the day you need to eat a maximum of one and a half kilograms of pears, drink 2 - 2.5 liters of clean water and teas without sugar. To carry out such unloading, it is better to choose soft, fully ripe fruits; some of them can be processed into juice and then drunk. Such unloading can cause diarrhea (diarrhea), intestinal colic and unpleasant belching.
Diet on pears.
Designed for 7 days, the course can be repeated no earlier than after 1 month. Every morning, 60 minutes before breakfast, you need to drink 300 ml of fresh pear juice.
Example of a pear diet | ||
Monday and Tuesday | Morning | 2 slices of bran bread + 100 ml of any fermented milk drink + 2 pears |
Dinner | 100 g boiled chicken + 2 tablespoons rice (it’s better to take brown rice) | |
Dinner | 2 pears | |
Wednesday and Thursday | Morning | 2-3 pears + 2-3 slices of black or whole grain bread |
Dinner | 100 g low-fat cheese + 50 g bread + a cup of tea without sugar | |
Dinner | 3 pears | |
Friday, Saturday and Sunday | Morning | 150 g porridge with water and without oil + 3 pears |
Dinner | 100 g of boiled dietary meat + boiled carrots (1 piece) + 2 pears | |
Dinner | 2 boiled eggs + 3 pears |
Tea without sugar, decoctions of rose hips and barberry can be drunk throughout the day without any restrictions on volume. You need to exit the diet gradually; it is not advisable to immediately pounce on food.
Pears do not have to be consumed exclusively fresh.
.
They can be baked with beaten egg whites, used to make mousses, added as a puree to natural yogurt or low-fat kefir, or consumed dried. All the beneficial properties of the fruit are preserved even after heat treatment
.
It is imperative to supplement the pear diet with physical activity.
.
Contraindications:
gastrointestinal diseases, with caution in case of urolithiasis.
Read more in our article about pears for weight loss.