http://www.care2.com/greenliving/life-force-diet-supercharge-your-digestion.html
Life Force Diet: Supercharge Your Digestion
Many people have told me that they can’t eat fruit. They blame carbs, difficulty digesting, bloating or flatulence as the reason. But most fruits are packed with phytonutrients and enzymes that help prevent disease, boost energy, and maintain great health.
If you’ve been avoiding fruit lately, I urge you to give it another try. You simply need to know a few fruit digestion basics and you’ll be maximizing the health benefits and minimizing the digestive troubles often associated with fruit.
• Eat fruit on an empty stomach at least half an hour before meals or one hour after meals (longer if the meal was heavy). I usually eat fruit first thing in the morning, get ready for my day, and then eat other foods for breakfast.
• It is fine to use small amounts of fruit on green salads or as part of a salad dressing.
• It’s fine to mix fruit and vegetables if you’re ingesting them in the form of juices because with the fiber removed they are both readily absorbed. Whenever you’re drinking juices fruit or vegetable or a combination of both it’s best to dilute them with equal parts of water to juice. One of my favorite juice combinations is carrot, apple, and ginger. I also love lemon, carrot, and apple juice. When I make green juices full of green veggies, I often add an apple to sweeten them slightly and make them more palatable.
• Chew fruit well. Fruit’s healthy and complete digestion depends partly on being chewed well, since chewing helps to break down the fiber, release the fruit’s own enzymes, and mix it with the body’s digestive juices. When all of these things happen, fruit will be almost completely digested in the upper chamber of the stomach within the first half hour of eating it. If you’re not chewing fruit well, you are missing an important stage of digestion that and will likely suffer indigestion, the problem is not usually the fruit but the lack of chewing.
• Use moderation when consuming fruit. Choose fruit over other types of sweets, but if you have a tendency to overeat sweets, do not replace one addiction with another.
Want to eat more fruit? Post your health intentand find community support and content to help you achieve it!
Michelle Schoffro Cook, DNM, DAc, CNC, is a six-time and best-selling book author whose works include: The Life Force Diet, The Ultimate pH Solution, and The 4-Week Ultimate Body Detox Plan. She is a doctor of natural medicine, holistic nutritionist, and holistic life coach. Visit www.TheLifeForceDiet.com to learn more.
Intent.com provides content and community for who you aspire to be–personally, socially and globally.
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I never thought fruit could cause bloating problems. I have always had digestion issues so I got on a kick, eating much more fruit for the fiber content. I became very frustrated because in this time, I bloated up like a cow! I didn't know what was happening to me. One friend asked me if I was expecting, which I'm not! Thank you for posting this, I will now try your recommendations.
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i love veggies, fruits, lettuces... cant leave a day w/out any one of them... its very refreshing...
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Anytime I have tried to eat a significant amount of fruit or raw vegetables, I get horrible bloating, and gas. So do several people I know. I do it for awhile, but then I always have to stop.
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Cynthia, fresh juice should never be combined with a cooked meal. You will get major bloating and gas since it will be trying to push past your heavier food. A little war in the gut!
Juice should be used on an empty stomach. Some people mix their fresh juice with smoothies though and that works fine too provided there's no protein powder or dairy in the smoothie. I'm talking about a green smoothie: blended greens and fruit.
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I've never heard of fruit causing bloating. Certain vegetables, carbs and proteins yes, but not fruits. As an IBS sufferer I am always on the lookout for ways to ease my symptoms so I'll try your suggestions. Thanks for the information!
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Than you for this article. I am a vegan and when I first started eating this way it took my digestive system about 1 month to get going. I did notice the bloating at first but after a while the body adjusts to all this great fiber which helps prevent diseases. I try to eat many different types of fruit to get all the antioxidant from each. It is truth not fiction that an apple a day keeps the doctor away!
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since it's easier to digest fruit in juice form is it alright to have it with a meal as vitamin C helps asorb iron, aka meat...
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Thanks for this article! I've been asked by a health-care professional to eat only fruit from the time I get up in the morning until about lunchtime and not to combine fruits with my heavier proteins (which he's asked me to eat later in the day). I've noticed that if I mix the fruits in my Vita-Mix I have a lot less bloating and discomfort than if I try to just eat them in hand (yes, I do chew, but I just don't seem to be able to get those enzymes released as well as the Vita-Mix can). This article gives me some insight as to what's going on. I'll be able to make better decisions regarding timing, etc. in the future and make this thing work!
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