Of the many popular diets on the market, some eschew fruit consumption, labeling fruit high in sugar and a contributor to weight gain. Other diets encourage followers to enjoy fruit, none more so than the "Fit for Life" diet. Its authors, Harvey and Marilyn Diamond, recommend unlimited quantities of fruit, but certain qualifications exist. Before starting a new diet, talk to your health-care specialist.
About the Diet
The "Fit for Life" diet is a plant-based diet that conforms to your body's natural cycles. Between the hours of noon and 8 p.m., the authors argue, your body's energy is devoted to digesting food. Recommended foods are those high in water, fiber and other nutrients. Specifically, the authors recommend that for lunch and dinner, you consume mostly fruits and vegetables, with lesser amounts of concentrated foods. Concentrated foods contain less water and include grains, meat, eggs and dairy. Which brings us to breakfast. Before noon on this diet, you should either abstain from eating altogether, or have fruit.
High-water Foods
Your body is 70 percent water, as is the planet Earth, note the Diamonds, and the majority of your food should be water-based foods such as fruits and vegetables. Because fruit is more rapidly absorbed than other foods, it is best eaten alone, lest it ferment in the stomach and cause indigestion. For this reason, if you have fruit for breakfast, you can have as much as you want, provided you eat only fruit.
Fruit Until Noon
During the morning hours, the authors advise followers to consume as much or as little fruit as desired. They suggest starting with juicy fruits such as melons and citrus fruits, which have the highest water content and are therefore most effective at rehydrating your body. If your appetite is not satisfied with a few pieces of fresh juicy fruit, you should eat starchier fruits such as bananas, which remain in the stomach longer and thus more thoroughly satisfy hunger.
What's for Lunch?
Fruit has the highest water content of any food, and the authors also note that it contains all the vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that your body requires. In fact, as a tool for weight loss, the benefits of fruit consumption are unparalleled. Followers may wish to have fruit for lunch, provided they do not combine it with other foods. Even eating vegetables with fruit can cause gastrointestinal trouble and delay digestion. Other experts aren't so harsh. Dr. Joel Fuhrman, author of "Eat to Live," also endorses unlimited fruit consumption, but says it's OK to eat fruit with other foods.
References
- "Fit for Life"; Harvey and Marilyn Diamond; 1987
- "Eat to Live"; Joel Fuhrman; 2005
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