In the continuing war on carbs, fruit too often becomes a casualty. Some people see fruit as mainly a source of sugar, and every day we seem to see another headline screaming that eating too much of the sweet stuff is bad news for our health and waistlines. But most nutrition experts are quick to point out that fruit is something that most of us, especially runners, should eat more—not less.
“It’s important to remember that the sugar in fruit is also bundled with fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, so it’s not nearly the same as the sugar added to processed foods,” says sports dietitian and ultramarathoner Alex Borsuk.
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Research backs this up. One systematic review and meta-analysis examined 155 previous studies related to the effects of certain foods on blood sugar levels. The analysis found that foods naturally containing fructose sugars, like fruits, generally do not have a detrimental effect on blood sugar control.
However, foods with added sugar, such as soft drinks, candy, and breakfast cereals, do have harmful effects—a sign that the natural sugars in an apple are processed in the body a bit differently than the sugar in a can of Coke. “And the sugars in fruit can serve as a quick energy source for your working muscles,” Borsuk adds.
For these reasons, you’d be hard pressed to find any studies linking fruit intake among active individuals with unwelcome weight gain. In fact, research shows that the inverse is true: People who typically eat more fruit tend to have healthier weights. What’s more, a study in the journal Circulation found a link between those with higher fruit (and vegetable) intakes and lower mortality.
Despite the positives of fruit consumption, evidence shows that few people are actually reaping the health-improving and performance-boosting benefits that come along with these foods. Only about 15 percent of adults in the U.S. are eating enough fruit—about two servings per day—according to information from the USDA.
Buck the trend by putting more fruit on your grocery list. To help you get started, here’s a list of seven healthy fruits you can grab before or after a run, along with exactly why—and how—you should add them to your daily diet.
Related StoryFor Gut Health: Raspberries
Among the fruit you’re most likely to come across at any supermarket, raspberries lead the way with respect to dietary fiber. A one-cup serving of the fruit delivers a whopping 8 grams of fiber, and that is good news for your microbiome. A systematic review and meta-analysis published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows that higher intakes of fiber can bolster levels of beneficial bacteria in our guts.
“The fiber in fruits like raspberries are a prebiotic, meaning that it acts as ‘food’ for the healthy bacteria to eat which encourages their growth,” Borsuk says.
Beyond keeping your digestive system running smoothly—yes, that can mean less midrace port-a-potty stops—it’s worth noting that the make-up of the bacteria within our digestive tracts are increasingly being linked to everything from brain health to weight loss.
Add Raspberries to Your Diet
Add a handful of raspberries to oatmeal, yogurt, or a salad; blend frozen berries into smoothies; or mix them into pancake batter.
Related StoryFor Recovery: Tart Cherry Juice
For the most part, it’s better to focus your efforts on eating whole fruit instead of juice. If you are going to drink juice, consider shelving the O.J. in favor of a cherry variety like Montmorency, the most common type of tart cherries grown in the U.S., as an effective recovery aid.
Research found active females who sipped Montmorency tart cherry juice twice a day (once before breakfast and again prior to dinner) for eight days reported less muscle soreness and exhibited certain signs of improved recovery of muscle function, like jump height, in response to training compared to those who drank only a placebo beverage.
Additionally, a meta-analysis of 10 separate studies (totaling 147 athletes) linked the consumption of tart cherry juice to improved endurance performance thanks to its anti-inflammatory effects and enhancing blood flow.
Add Tart Cherry Juice to Your Diet
During periods of hard training, sip on 100 percent tart cherry juice with your morning toast (just keep an eye on added sugars). After a run, consider using it as a liquid base for your postworkout smoothies.
For Brain Power: Blueberries
Research suggests that frequent blueberry consumption can help the brain fire up when faced with certain cognitive tasks and improve memory function. It’s believed that the flavonoid antioxidants in blueberries work to improve blood flow to the brain to help keep you sharp as a whip.
Because a big chunk of the antioxidants in blueberries are found in their skin, smaller wild blueberries, which have a higher skin-to-flesh ratio are especially rich in these brain-benefiting compounds. Look for bags of frozen wild blueberries at your grocery store.
Add Blueberries to Your Diet
Blend blueberries into smoothies, add to breakfast oatmeal, use as a sweet addition to grilled cheese, or turn blueberries into a sauce for grilled meats and grain bowls.
Related StoryFor Hydration: Cantaloupe
Dehydration can drive up hunger, deplete your energy, and trip up your runs. Research published in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise found that certain aspects of brain functioning, such as motor skills and hand-eye coordination, are impaired when your body weight is reduced by just 2 percent through dehydration.
Cantaloupe can help you sidestep dehydration thanks to its high water content. It also provides vitamin C to support your immune system and packs antioxidants shown to decrease inflammation, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Add Cantaloupe to Your Diet
Stuff cantaloupe halves with yogurt and granola for an ultra refreshing breakfast, wrap slices in prosciutto for a quick snack, or add chunks to green salads.
For Weight Loss: Pears
No doubt you’ve heard the saying, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” It turns out, a different cold-loving fruit may be what you need to keep excess weight at bay. A study in the Journal of Nutrition and Food Sciences discovered that people who eat pears are less likely to be overweight.
Using nearly a decade of data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which involved 24,808 adult participants, the researchers found that pear eaters were 35 percent less likely to be obese than people who did not include the fruit in their diets. People who regularly included pears in their diet were shown to consume fewer added sugars and were found to have higher intakes of important nutrients like fiber, vitamin C, potassium, and magnesium.
Add Pears to Your Diet
Pears make for a perfect out-of-hand snack, but you can also add slices to oatmeal, yogurt, waffles, toast (try placing slices on top of a slick of almond butter), or salads. They can also star in desserts like cobblers and pies.
Related StoryFor Bone Strength: Dried Figs
Consuming dairy isn’t the only way to help build strong bones. Figs also provide two important nutrients involved in bone power—calcium and vitamin K. “We need vitamin K since it helps our bones hold onto calcium so it can continue to contribute to bone strength,” explains Borsuk.
Add Dried Figs to Your Diet
Add sliced figs to salads, pasta, or pizza; use dried figs in homemade energy bars and balls; or pop a couple in your mouth as a prerun energy booster.
For Better Sleep: Kiwi
Sleep is a major part of exercise performance. It’s hard to nail a PR when you’ve been counting sheep all night long, so it’s a good idea to seek out lifestyle choices that can promote high-quality sleep.
Evidently, eating this fuzzy fruit is a solid dietary choice to punch your ticket to dreamland. A study lead by scientists in Taiwan found that adults prone to tossing and turning who snacked on two kiwi fruit one hour before bedtime for a month fell asleep 45 minutes faster and were able to stay asleep for longer than those who went without the fruit. One possible explanation: Kiwis may boost levels of serotonin, a brain compound that regulates the sleep cycle.
Need more proof that eating fruit like kiwi can help you sleep tight? A report in the journal BMJ Open found that people who ate the most servings of fruits and vegetables daily—and, in turn, had higher blood levels of certain antioxidants like carotenoids (which you’ll find in kiwis among other fruits)—were more likely to get the recommended seven to eight hours of sleep than those who ate less.
Add Kiwi to Your Diet
If you’re feeling peckish at night, try topping plain Greek yogurt or cottage cheese with chopped kiwi and nuts. To make a fresh-tasting salsa for your dinner fish or chicken, toss together chopped kiwi with avocado, red bell pepper, jalapeno, cilantro, and lime juice. The sweet-tart fruit is also a good addition to green smoothies.
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