I have simple protocols for people to follow when it comes to fruit and starches. I use the phrase "unlimited vegetables" interchangeable with "200 calories from vegetables" because I believe 200 calories is about the most people will eat in a day when consuming raw above-ground vegetables. You need to eat a couple of big bowls of green vegetables to get 200 calories and I rarely see a person eating this way.
If you are sedentary and trying to lose bodyfat, no fruit and no starch! If you get all of your carbohydrates from above-ground vegetables you will lose bodyfat quickly. This is how a person who does not exercise can still lose bodyfat. It is definitely a skill getting all of your carbohydrates from vegetables alone but it can be done!
A person trying to lose bodyfat who strength trains regularly will do well on 200 calories a day of starch. If you add the carbs you are eating from vegetables this will put you at about 400 calories a day of carbohydrate, about the maximum a person could eat and still expect to lose bodyfat. You are trying to lose bodyfat so no fruit yet again!
A person who strength trains and is not trying to lose bodyfat (or fix insulin related health issues) , can eat up to 400 calories of starch/fruit. 400 calories from starch/fruit + 200 calories from above-ground vegetables is plenty of carbohydrate intake for anybody who is not an endurance athlete.
An endurance athlete can get away with eating a little more carbs but most of them get carried away with their starches and sugars. An endurance athlete who is trying to lose bodyfat can eat up to 400 calories of starch + 200 calories above-ground vegetables. Still no fruit if you are trying to lose bodyfat but you get a little more starchy carbs that your body will use to replace the glycogen you burned while training. You will notice there is no difference between either type of athletes (strength vs. endurance) fruit intake if they are trying to lose bodyfat, still no fruit!
An endurance athlete who is not trying to lose bodyfat can eat up to 600 calories a day in starch/fruit +200 calories a day from above-ground vegetables and not gain bodyfat or cause insulin related health issues. You can chose the source of carbs (fruit or starch) but be aware that fruit causes more sugar cravings than starch so chose wisely or you may find yourself needing to lose bodyfat one day.
Eat your starches/sugars in the evening when insulin sensitivity is lowest. Low insulin sensitivity means the body will more readily store the sugars in the muscles instead of pouring into the bloodstream. Excess sugar in the blood = bad = diabetic health issues = headaches, poor sleep, low energy. The food you eat today is fuel for tomorrows training.
All of this is predicated on controlling your fruit intake based on the total number of carb-calories allowed! If you are eating just a few hundred calories of starch in the proper form and add 2-3-4 pieces of fruit all of a sudden you could be eating 800-1000 calories a day in carbohydrate a day. Just a small amount of extra carbohydrate eaten each day can easily cause a person to gain bodyfat, even if they are very active.
Fruit is all sugar with some fiber and a small amount of vitamins and minerals. If we are eating the proper amount of fresh vegetables we will have all of our micronutrients covered, there is nothing in fruit that can not be found in vegetables.
Summary
Sedentary person trying to lose bodyfat = no fruit, , no starch, all carbs from unlimited amounts of above-ground vegetables.
Sedentary person not trying to lose bodyfat (or fix insulin related health issues) up to 600 calories a day in fruit/starch, whatever combination they prefer.
A person who strength trains trying to lose bodyfat = no fruit, 200 calories a day in starch, unlimited above-ground vegetables.
A person who strength trains but is not trying to lose bodyfat (or fix insulin related health issues) up to 600 calories a day in fruit/starch, whatever combination they prefer.
An endurance athlete trying to lose bodyfat (or fix health issues) can eat up to 400 calories of starch a day + 200 from above-ground vegetables.
An endurance athlete not trying to lose bodyfat (or fix insulin related health issues) can eat up to 800 calories a day in carbohydrate from either form, fruit or starch.
No bread! There is simply no bread (or any other refined/processed food) on these nutritional programs. There are some people who eat bread (and pasta/crackers/bagels etc) and do well on them but if you are trying to lose bodyfat or fix health issues you are not one of these people.
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