A Big, Fat, Deadly Lie About Produce by Joan Kent, PhD

Fruits and vegetables. The phrase sounds innocent enough, and we hear it all the time.

 

But here’s the problem. It makes them seem as if they’re equal, and they’re not. In fact, fruits always get top billing, which reinforces their healthful status. A status they don’t necessarily deserve.

 

Here’s another phrase that has become a big, fat, deadly lie in its own right: “5 a day.”

 

That one comes directly from the superseded Food Guide Pyramid, which called for 3 to 5 servings of vegetables per day and 2 to 4 servings of fruit a day. To simplify, the low values were added together, yielding 5 a day.

 

It made it easy to remember, but the problem is what people did with it. And still do. My clients include many sugar addicts and other people who simply don’t like vegetables. These folks are more than happy to get their 5 a day from fruit and leave those pesky veggies behind.

 

I submit that’s not a good idea – even if I’m the only one saying that.

 

The problem with fruits is the sugar they contain – fructose. Arguably the most unhealthful sugar around, fructose can cause a variety of health problems. Including, but not limited to, insulin resistance.

 

This brings us into ‘detail territory’, so I’ll save those details for a future post on the effects of fructose on our health. Be sure not to miss it! You may never say “fruits and vegetables” again!

 

In the meantime, eat lots of vegetables – but only 2 servings of fruit a day.

 

For more quick tips on food and your health, just visit LastResortNutrition.com and grab your free Transform My Health Now consult. Discover how easy it is to make small changes that produce big results. You got this!

 

Brought to you by Dr. Joan Kent, best-selling author of Stronger Than Sugar.