The first advice a doctor will suggest for obese people who wish to reduce their weight is to reduce the carbohydrate content of their diet. A great number of people follow this advice and reduce their consumption of starchy foods like rice and pasta and start eating large quantities of fruits. They practice this for months and they do not see any change in their weight and sometimes they may even gain weight. This is because they are unaware of the fact that certain fruits are rich in carbohydrate content and should be avoided to lose weight. The question is, which fruits to consume when on a low carbohydrate diet?

When you are on a low carbohydrate diet, each every gram of carbohydrate you consume counts. For this, your entire diet should be planned appropriately including the consumption of fruits in such a way all the essential nutrient requirements of the body are met. Fruits supply most of the essential nutrients. You should also have to consume the protein and essential fat requirement which you cannot have if you’ll only eat fruits. So, select foods that are rich in essential fats and at the same time low in carbohydrate. Consume foods such as olive oil, avocado and nuts, they are rich in monounsaturated fats. Thus, by planning appropriately, you can make low carbohydrate fruits as a part of your diet. You can consume about 2-3 servings of low carbohydrate fruits without any harm. However, diabetics should restrict their number of servings based on their blood sugar levels. Following is the list of fruits based on their carbohydrate content.

• List of fruits that are low in carbohydrates: lemon – rich in vitamin C content. Berries – raspberries, black berries and cranberries.

• List of fruits that contain medium to low carbohydrate content: Strawberries, blueberries, cantaloupes, apples, guava, apricot, grapefruit, watermelon, papaya and peaches.

• Fruits that have medium to high carbohydrate content: oranges, kiwifruit, plums, pears and pineapple.

• Fruits that have very high carbohydrate content: bananas, cherries, grapes, pomegranate, fits and mangoes and dry fruits such as dates, raisins, dried apricots and prunes.

Do not worry that you are avoiding some fruits as they are rich in carbohydrate content. A great number of fruits that are low in carbohydrate have all the essential nutrients and are also rich in the most essential antioxidants. Consequently, you can quit the carbohydrate rich fruits and maintain perfect health by consuming low carbohydrate containing fruits.

An added advantage of including good amount of fruits in your diet is that they are rich in fiber that helps to relieve a great number of health problems such as constipation, indigestion and also helps to gain control over eating habits that is essential to lose weight. The fiber content of fruits slows the movement of food through the stomach that gives the feeling of satiety very fast and thereby reduces your overall food consumption.

Jason Ladock

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