If you’re limiting your fruit intake in the hopes that it will help you lose weight, you’re doing just the opposite of what you should be doing.
Yes, all the trendy diets say things like “Keep fruit portions small” or “Fruits make you gain weight,” but we should always be skeptical of trends because all trends come to an end.
As a holistic nutritionist with 20 years of experience in the wellness industry, I have watched my clients easily lose weight after adding more fruit (way more fruit) into their diets while on their weight-loss journeys. And that’s because we are biologically designed to thrive on fruit every day.
The Raw Truth is there’s no such thing as too much fruit. Removing fruit from your diet can even be a disservice to your overall health and weight loss goals.
Fruit Sugar Vs. Refined Sugar
Refined sugar and fruit sugar are two very different things, yet they are treated the same and both villainized.
You hear time and time again that “sugar is bad,” but that there is a HUGE difference between sugar that naturally occurs in fruit versus refined table sugar that is chemically processed in a lab.
Let me explain...
Fruit Sugar
Fruit sugars are the natural sugars present in fresh fruits and offer a ton of health benefits.
Drinking raw juice is the best source of real sugar, which is the best source of natural energy. Fruit sugar metabolizes in the body much differently than table sugar because it has a lower glycemic index. Fruit is also a natural carbohydrate that takes longer to digest, giving you energy without glucose spikes—go carbs!
Whole fruits contain essential nutrients, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and dietary fiber, all of which are needed to support overall health and well-being. When you eat a slice of cake, you are not getting any of those nutrients the way you would from eating a slice of watermelon or a pear.
Refined Sugars
Refined sugar, commonly known as table sugar or high fructose corn syrup, is the real villain here. These sugars are present in processed sugary foods, like cake, cookies, cereal, and yogurt. It can even be found in “healthy” yogurts, granola, or salad dressings.
These sugars are made from sugar cane, sugar beets, or corn. And while all are plants—the process of making sugar is anything but healthy. Table sugar undergoes a harsh chemical process, which involves being harvested, boiled to high temperatures, and further processed with chemical solvents, like bleach. Is there any scenario where you would willingly consume bleach?
The biggest issue with these refined added sugars is that they contain no nutritional value, causing constant fluctuation in blood sugar levels. They are essentially empty calories that lead to sugar addiction, obesity, weight gain, type 2 diabetes, and other health problems.
No need for artificial sweeteners or processed sugars when you consume raw nutrition. At raw Generation. We use fruit sweetened by nature to create tasty and healthy weight-loss options. And with Build-a-Box, you can customize your favorites while flooding your system with 100% real fruit.
Flood Your System With Your Favorite Raw Fruit Juices
How Can I Eat Fruit and Lose Weight?
You don’t have to give up melon or bananas to lose weight, nor do you have to focus on the fruits with “fewer calories” like blueberries or green apples. Don’t be afraid of any sweet fruit. Fruit should be an integral part of your weight loss diet.
Here’s the science behind why fruit works for weight loss:
Fiber - Fruits are high fiber. Because of these dietary fibers present in fruit, you will feel a sense of satiety, which will keep you from giving in to those cravings. Plus, fruit is naturally sweet so that it will satisfy any sweet tooth you may have [1]. Check out some of the flavors in our Higher Fiber* Gut Reset Pack for 2x the grams of fiber compared to other fiber drinks on the market.
Nutrients - Eating or drinking cold-pressed fruit juice is one of the most accessible ways to get in your daily dose of vitamins and minerals. Deficiencies in essential micronutrients, like vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin E, are directly correlated with obesity and other health issues [2].
Gut Microbiome - Your gut microbiome is where all the bacteria in your gut live. They either live happily or in total chaos (for most Americans, it's the latter), causing many issues like bloating, weight gain, bathroom irregularities, food intolerances, and more. Fruit helps provide diversity in the gut, helping to balance good gut bacteria. This promotes gut health[3]. When your gut is functioning optimally, losing stubborn belly fat becomes easy.
Phytochemicals - This one sounds scarier than it is. Phytochemicals simply means plant compounds. Phytochemicals have been proven to decrease the risk of cancers, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and obesity [2].
Polyphenols - Polyphenols are another type of compound naturally present in plants, like fruits and vegetables. A study conducted showed that over a 5-year period, a diet rich in polyphenols contributed to weight loss and protection from other chronic diseases [4].
Best Fruits for Weight Loss
So, what IS the best fruit for weight loss? The simplest answer is all of them.
When it comes to fruit, there’s no need to discriminate. Whether you love tropical fruit, citrus fruit, or stone fruits... You should eat all the fruit you want without limit.
Fruit should be an integral part of any healthy diet. And even more so if you’re trying to shed body fat. Say goodbye to eating low-calorie fruit and downright bad dieting advice.
Which Fruit Has the Most Calories?
When it comes to calorie intake, there are a lot of habits you need to unlearn. I cannot say this enough, but STOP COUNTING CALORIES, especially if you want to lose weight healthfully.
Despite what many conventional dietitians say, when you eat nutrient-rich foods like fruit, you should never count calories. Here’s why:
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1 serving of a popular processed cake brand = 200 calories
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2 bananas = 200 calories
Do you see the discrepancy here? The processed cake is 200 calories full of the following ingredients:
Enriched Bleached Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate [Vitamin B1], Riboflavin [Vitamin B2], Folic Acid), Corn Syrup, Water, Sugar, Palm And Soybean Oils With Tbhq And Citric Acid To Protect Flavor, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Dextrose, Contains 2% Or Less Of Each Of The Following: Cocoa Processed With Alkali, Leavening (Baking Soda, Sodium Aluminum Phosphate), Soybean Oil, Whey (Milk), Modified Wheat Starch, Salt, Dried Egg Whites, Natural And Artificial Flavors, Corn Starch, Dried Eggs, Sorbic Acid (To Preserve Freshness), Sorbitan Monostearate, Mono- And Diglycerides, Polysorbate 60, Soy Lecithin, Red 40, Soy Flour, Citric Acid
While the bananas are also 200 calories, but are full of healthy vitamins and minerals like vitamin C, potassium, and magnesium, with no laundry list of ingredients on the side.
So, PSA: Always eat the whole banana. Heck, have 2 or 3 if you like...
Health Benefits of Consuming Fruit
Aside from being a convenient and delicious source of fat-burning nutrition, consuming fruit daily has a ton of benefits.
Fruits, like citrus fruits, kiwi, and raspberries, contain high amounts of vitamin C, which is great for your immune system. Who doesn’t love a little immune support?
If you want to slow the aging process, then you should be drinking the potion of youth, a.k.a. cold-pressed juices. Fruits like strawberries and blueberries contain high levels of antioxidants, which remove free radicals from your body and promote cell regeneration, keeping you young and beautiful. (Nutritionist Tip: You may want to look into our Strawberry Greens flavor for its anti-aging properties).
Hydration is another key benefit. 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated [5]. Luckily, fruit contains high water content, which means you’ll be getting supreme hydration when you opt for cold-pressed fruit juices and smoothies.
Drinking juice is the best source of healthy sugar, which is the best source of natural energy. Using fruit and fresh juice as a mainstay of daily calories helps to reduce cravings and lessen your intake of calories from other unhealthy sources, making them the perfect addition to any weight management arsenal.
Eat Your Fruit, And Drink It Too
You should be eating a balanced diet full of fruits. This should be an integral part of any weight loss plan—You know the old saying, “An apple a day keeps the weight gain away...
Don’t limit yourself to apples. Eat plums, melons, papaya, berries, grapefruit, oranges, kiwi, watermelon, and all of the fruits your heart desires.
But if you don’t have time to cut fruit or run to the grocery store, check out our ready-to-go juices and smoothies. Grab your favorite juice to take for a snack or a delicious smoothie to have for lunch. Say yes to this convenient and delicious source of fruit with our customizable Build-a-Box option.
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