A day doesn't go by on Instagram without someone posting a picture of a smoothie bowl. Here's my question to you: since when did we start putting fruit smoothies in bowls and then add more fruit on top? I never understood this! Sure, it looks really pretty and photographs as good as Kendall Jenner in high-waisted skinny jeans, but, in my non-professional opinion, it's not all that healthy.
Here's the thing: fruit, although high in fiber and vitamins, is extremely high in carbs and sugar too. In fact, 1 banana has 14 grams of sugar and nearly 30 grams of carbohydrates! I googled the photo above, but a regular acai bowl (the most famous of bowls) is typically blended with 1 banana and then decorated with another on top. That means you're exceeding your sugar balance for the day in one meal... or snack, even. But the banana is just scrapping the surface because then you're throwing strawberries, blueberries, kiwi, mango, and granola on there, all of which are chock full of carbs.
I'm no nutritionist, health aficionado, or dietitian, but I do know that I can only allow myself 1 fruit a day. Usually I'll choose a banana or apple (sometimes accompanied by soy nut butter) around 4pm, a few hours before dinner. The reason I choose one fruit (as opposed to 6) a day is because I know my body can't metabolize high doses of sugar and carbs. But, as we all know too well, everyone's bodies are different.
It seems there's this cult of raw-vegan girls on the internet that thrive off heavy doses of fruit all day long and have glowing skin and a toned bodies because of it. I, on the other hand, need protein and vegetables in every meal otherwise I feel unsatisfied and deprived. That's the beauty of life: we're all different.
The first photo is a basic salad I made the other day for lunch. Not pictured is a side of mayonnaise-free tuna that I featured in a post over here. I eat a salad every day for lunch with fresh vegetables and some version of protein (chicken, fish, meat, egg, etc). For me and my body, it's the perfect choice.
Figuring out what works for you and what doesn't takes time. What works for me is minimal sugar and no wheat or dairy. It sounds extreme but it's far from it. The truth is, when I add those foods back into my diet, my body doesn't respond well.
Look out for more nutrition and food posts in the future. I have a lot to say about it all.
No comments:
Post a Comment