Peela ~ And Anyone Else Who May Know

[Negin]

I've often heard variations of what my parents have been going on about lately - about when to eat fruit. They received an email that has been circulating - about how fruit should be eaten on an empty stomach and not after meals.

 

Peela, you know how much I always trust and respect what you have to say :grouphug:. Please share if you have time. Is there truth to this?

Snopes says it's false. But with Snopes, what else is new? I don't always trust snopes either. I'm far too much into alternative approaches for their liking ;). To me, Snopes says pretty much everything except mainstream med is false ...

So who's right? :confused:

 

I do know that dh was eating far too much fruit and late at night. A herbalist naturopath Rastafarian here gave him the best advice ever to relieve his GERD - to not eat too much fruit (he used to have far too much) and to only eat fruit between 11 AM and 5 PM. That, believe it or not, really helped dh more than most of the advice that's out there. Although sometimes (more recently), eating 2 bananas right before bed helps him also ...

 

Peela, finally, I wish, wish, wish you had a blog or were on FB. I would so love to just immerse myself in your wisdom and knowledge. When are you going to write your book? :D

[Laura Corin]

Not Peela, but I had a look at the email, as quoted by Snopes. It suggests that fruit with other foods 'rots and ferments and turns to acid' in the stomach. It's a while since I studied biology, but I seem to remember that the lining of the stomach produces acid which bathes all the food which passes through it, whether a single fruit or a mixture of foods. The food itself does not produce the acid.

 

Best wishes

 

Laura

[Peela]

I think you place way too much faith in me, Negin :) Really!

But I do have an opinion on this one :)

 

 

Fruit is a food that digests very quickly. It will leave your stomach in 15 minutes if eaten alone. I am talking stomach- not intestines.

 

Meat and other heavier foods can be in there for an hour or more.

 

So it makes sense that fruit eaten with meat, for example, will be "held up" in its fast transition through the stomach. During that time when it is in the stomach along with the other foods, its hard to say what happens exactly..and I think it does vary from person to person. I am not sure "ferments" is quite the correct word, but it may perhaps begin the process of fermentation- and in that case, the sweeter the fruit, the more likely that would happen. And the food that is eaten with it, will also matter.

 

Many many people find that eating fruit with meals gives them indigestion. I do think there is something significant to it. However...many people have poor digestion, too. ANd many peopel so take their poor digestion for granted that they are not really aware of how what they are eating is affecting them. SO they may not realise its the fruit.

 

There is a whole study- you could call it a science- of food combining. Melons are the worst for causing digestive issues when eaten with anything else, and so should always be eaten alone, or 15 minutes before anything else (within 15 minutes they will be out of the stomach. Most other fruit can be eaten with leafy greens- but not starchy vegetables or protein. So fruit with a salad is usually ok. Starches and proteins should not be eaten together- so there goes your typical meat and potatoes meal.

 

Having said all that- some people have cast iron stomachs and I tend to be one of them. I have been doing the No S diet for a good 3 weeks or so now and it really went against my grain to eat my fruit at the end of my meal rather than between meals. However, I wanted to give it a try (partly because I love to experiment with myself) and the truth is, the only fruit I have found in the last 3 weeks of eating summer fruits, that gives me gas if I eat it with other foods, is grapes, which is the sweetest fruit I eat. So I think that that is too much sugar somehow. But the rest seem fine.

 

The email I saw actually said eating fruit with meals gives you cancer. That is just nonsense- however, I would say that not paying attention to what you eat, including what affects your particular system, might contribute to cancer. Many people are way out of touch with themselves.

 

The French eat fruit with cheese. Thats a classic no no as far as food combining goes, but if a culture does it traditionally, I take notice, because traditions dont survive generations without having something to them. They may just have strong digestion.

 

SO...its one of those things...many people's digestion is definitely sub par and they should really take better care of themselves and trying the whoel food combining thing can really help- such as eating fruit between meals . Especially don't eat melons with meals.Try it and see. Its not religion. I think a really healthy digestive system can handle a lot of things that a not healthy one cant. Mine seems to. But its worth a try if you have any digestive issues at all.

[5KidzRUs]

I read a book years ago, Fit for Life, written by the Diamonds. They wrote that breakfast should be all fruits - for natural energy.

I was reading a review on a book reference I got here (Dr. Bernstein's Diabetics Solution) on a different book about diabetes, and that author says NO FRUITS at all!

I tend to believe that any foods are good stuff to eat - of course all things in moderation ... even water, right?

[Negin]

Thanks so much, everyone. :)

 

the lining of the stomach produces acid which bathes all the food which passes through it, whether a single fruit or a mixture of foods. The food itself does not produce the acid.

Thanks, Laura.

 

I think you place way too much faith in me, Negin.

Peela, this is only time that I have disagreed with you so far. :lol: I LOVE your posts, your wisdom, and knowledge. :grouphug:

 

There is a whole study- you could call it a science- of food combining. Melons are the worst for causing digestive issues when eaten with anything else, and so should always be eaten alone, or 15 minutes before anything else (within 15 minutes they will be out of the stomach. Most other fruit can be eaten with leafy greens- but not starchy vegetables or protein. So fruit with a salad is usually ok. Starches and proteins should not be eaten together- so there goes your typical meat and potatoes meal.

Having said all that- some people have cast iron stomachs and I tend to be one of them. I have been doing the No S diet for a good 3 weeks or so now and it really went against my grain to eat my fruit at the end of my meal rather than between meals. However, I wanted to give it a try (partly because I love to experiment with myself) and the truth is, the only fruit I have found in the last 3 weeks of eating summer fruits, that gives me gas if I eat it with other foods, is grapes, which is the sweetest fruit I eat. So I think that that is too much sugar somehow. But the rest seem fine.

The email I saw actually said eating fruit with meals gives you cancer. That is just nonsense- however, I would say that not paying attention to what you eat, including what affects your particular system, might contribute to cancer. Many people are way out of touch with themselves.

The French eat fruit with cheese. Thats a classic no no as far as food combining goes, but if a culture does it traditionally, I take notice, because traditions dont survive generations without having something to them. They may just have strong digestion.

SO...its one of those things...many people's digestion is definitely sub par and they should really take better care of themselves and trying the whoel food combining thing can really help- such as eating fruit between meals . Especially don't eat melons with meals.Try it and see. Its not religion. I think a really healthy digestive system can handle a lot of things that a not healthy one cant. Mine seems to. But its worth a try if you have any digestive issues at all.

You are so right. It does vary from person to person. I'm like you. I have a stomach of steel and can pretty much handle anything. I don't get digestive problems. Just certain foods give me headaches or make me feel lethargic. Deep-fried onions, for example, make me feel awful. That's about it ... Other than that, no food really does much to me at all .... except lead to weight gain :lol:.

Dh, my dad, and others are not that way at all.

Dh seems more sensitive to sweeter fruits. Many do.

Watermelon exacerbates his GERD and he cannot eat that much at all anymore, whether eaten alone or not. His herbalist here told him to try watermelon alone. But it was still not good.

He also told him - the same advice as you - not to combine foods - no meat and potatoes, no chicken and rice - and that really helped him.

I love what you say about this not being religion. Every one has to try for themselves and see what works.

Right now, dh is trying to fight candida (probably from some awful antibiotics he took a few months ago). Peela, if you have any time or any advice on this ... I'm so embarrassed to keep bugging you, do please share. It doesn't help that he's such a picky eater.

 

Patty, you're right about all things in moderation.

[MelanieM]

Not that you need the back-up ;), but what I've heard/read is completely in line with what Peela has posted.

 

As for the candida... I would say the best course of action is going sugar-free so you're not continuing to feed it, and taking a good probiotics to help regain a good bacteria balance in the gut. Probiotics is always a good idea after a course of antibiotics; I've heard it can take a year to get things back to normal after taking them.

[Peela]

I agree with Melanie- no sugar, and probiotics.

However, if its really an issue, I really recommend the strict candida diet for a while. (you can google that).

Around here though dh is a sugar addict and if he gets a flare up of something like candida he just backs right off on his rather excessive sugar intake for a while and it usually does the trick (enough for him to be happy).

So if your dh is addicted to soda or something obvious like that- lots of coffee with sugar, bread, whatever, even fruit- just cutting that out may be enough to bring his system into balance. In other words- first, stop doing what is causing the problem in the first place (or in his case, feeding the problem). If thats not enough..well, the system needs more help and a more thorough protocol for a while.

[Parrothead]

While you are answering questions, Peela... I think I'm ready for the next part of my healthy eating journey. Would you recommend some books about nutrition and food? I've tried to research good ones but there is always a group of someones contradicting the author(s). I don't have enough knowledge to sort out truth from fact on my own.

[ThatCyndiGirl]

I read a book years ago, Fit for Life, written by the Diamonds. They wrote that breakfast should be all fruits - for natural energy.

I was reading a review on a book reference I got here (Dr. Bernstein's Diabetics Solution) on a different book about diabetes, and that author says NO FRUITS at all!

I tend to believe that any foods are good stuff to eat - of course all things in moderation ... even water, right?

 

 

I read Fit For Life, too......in the 80's. It was refuted years ago.

[Negin]

While you are answering questions, Peela... I think I'm ready for the next part of my healthy eating journey. Would you recommend some books about nutrition and food? I've tried to research good ones but there is always a group of someones contradicting the author(s). I don't have enough knowledge to sort out truth from fact on my own.

I know that Peela and I love "Food Rules" by Michael Pollan. Great, easy-to-read book. Very practical and do-able.

 

I read Fit For Life, too......in the 80's. It was refuted years ago.

I remember hearing that also.

[ThatCyndiGirl]

This is coming as the opinion of a person who 'may or may not have' just recently polished of an entire bag of Chocolate Twizzlers all by herself. (Hey, Weight Watchers is looming!),.....so take this for what it's worth:

 

I think that so many people want to be THE new face of nutrition, the person who has discovered some great new key to nutrition, but ya know what? I think that, for the most part, it really IS common sense: eat food that remembers where it came from.

 

.....not that those Twizzlers can even SEE their cacao plant from here! :tongue_smilie:

[Parrothead]

I know that Peela and I love "Food Rules" by Michael Pollan. Great, easy-to-read book. Very practical and do-able.

 

 

I remember hearing that also.

Thank you.

[Peela]

I know that Peela and I love "Food Rules" by Michael Pollan. Great, easy-to-read book. Very practical and do-able.

.

 

Yes, really I think that is my favourite go to book about what and how to eat right now.

 

The mass of information out there is incredible- so much of it conflicting, badly researched, some of it making its authors very rich. What I have found is that on the internet, people take information they find somewhere else that sounds authoritative and they just take it as fact and it spreads all over the place (such as soy is evil)- but no one is really checking the sources, the studies, for themselves, or trying the approaches for long enough. If they lose a few pounds in a few months they say it works...but I prefer to look at whether an approach is sustainable and healthy over a lifetime and I dont think most are.

The way I handle that is to read widely and follow my interests. So for the last year I have had an interest in raw foods- and I believe that is really a cutting edge of nutritional research right now (in a very alive sense rather than clinical sense). I was into the whole Nourishing Traditions thing before that- which I now see big holes in but still think it has some good concepts and I love playing with fermented foods.

I recently read The China Study and that is fascinating and even had my dh give up a lot of his dairy and lose some weight- just form me sharing some of the information with him.

But a lot of the information is conflicting even in the best works- I do think Food Rules is the best, simplest, life long ,common sense healthy approach to eating. The author has been researching this stuff for a long time now.

But if you want to keep reading, you can read- Michael Pollan's other books, (which I havent read but will get around to one day), The China Study by Colin and Thomas Campbell, Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon, and The Sunfood Diet Success System by David Wolfe.

These books all have conflicting information but I think all also have valuable information. I like to go online and find conflicting reviews after reading a book. But I dont mind holding all the conflicting information in my head and just letting it conflict :) If you just want one approach- my favourite is Food Rules.

[Negin]

As for the candida... I would say the best course of action is going sugar-free so you're not continuing to feed it, and taking a good probiotics to help regain a good bacteria balance in the gut. Probiotics is always a good idea after a course of antibiotics; I've heard it can take a year to get things back to normal after taking them.

Melanie, thank you. He's doing all that. Gosh, a whole year ... how awful. :confused:

 

I agree with Melanie- no sugar, and probiotics.

However, if its really an issue, I really recommend the strict candida diet for a while. (you can google that).

Around here though dh is a sugar addict and if he gets a flare up of something like candida he just backs right off on his rather excessive sugar intake for a while and it usually does the trick (enough for him to be happy).

So if your dh is addicted to soda or something obvious like that- lots of coffee with sugar, bread, whatever, even fruit- just cutting that out may be enough to bring his system into balance. In other words- first, stop doing what is causing the problem in the first place (or in his case, feeding the problem). If thats not enough..well, the system needs more help and a more thorough protocol for a while.

Thanks, Peela. Off to google it. Dh is barely eating anything as it is and is getting skinnier and skinnier by the day. This is not good. He's so picky. Me, I could gain pounds on eating lettuce alone. But he's a food-elitist snob and if it doesn't taste good, he won't eat it. For 2 1/2 weeks, he's been taking very strong probiotics, no fruit, no sugar, no bread, no rice, really not much at all. Started him on coconut oil yesterday because of the caprylic acid which is anti-fungal. I keep nagging him to start taking aloe juice again. Our garden is full of aloe. But he's been a bit neglectful of that. Aloe is very good for candida.

 

I think that so many people want to be THE new face of nutrition, the person who has discovered some great new key to nutrition, but ya know what? I think that, for the most part, it really IS common sense: eat food that remembers where it came from.

:iagree:

Yes, that's the gist of "Food Rules" also. Very common sense.

Although I can't say I blame you for the Chocolate Twizzlers. But quite frankly, I would prefer Nutella ... :lol: :grouphug:

I wish we were doing WW together. I have an hcg crisis - major crisis - Cyndi, I may ask for your help if needed. Will let you know.

 

I prefer to look at whether an approach is sustainable and healthy over a lifetime and I dont think most are.

:iagree: :iagree: :iagree:

[Hedgehog]

Ooh this is a wonderful post! I am :bigear: - and off to see whether I can get hold of "Food Rules".

[Negin]

Ooh this is a wonderful post! I am :bigear: - and off to see whether I can get hold of "Food Rules".

It's such a great book. I'm thinking of adding one rule to read each day. I love "daily readings" for many books. Just give it to me short and quick. :)

It's like a quick booster shot and reminder on a daily basis.