A friend posed this question, this is my answer:
First let's assume you are not insulin resistant, achieved easily by consuming a low fat nutritionally dense diet.
As an aside, paleos assert they are not insulin resistant, but this is incorrect, they simply have stopped eating carbs to any degree, and remain insulin resistant, which is subsequently triggered by the consumption of carbs.
The paleo argument that carbs should not be consumed at levels that provide significant energy (calories) is pretty silly. Consider:
The body can only run on glucose and/or fat. The biologically preferred fuel is glucose, which we know because the body automatically switches to burning glucose if/when it becomes available again.
And: when athletes "bonk" (run out of glucose) they don't squeeze a tube of fat into their mouth, they squeeze a tube of glucose into it (or better, eat some whole fruit).
And: the brain, which incidentally uses a lot of calories, runs exclusively on glucose. "While the brain represents just 2% of a person's total body weight, it accounts for 20% of the body's energy use".
And: people who are running on fat energy (ketosis) will automatically convert proteins and fat to glucose for brain function, a process called neoglucogenesis.
So, assuming you are not insulin resistant, yes snacking on apples is great. Snacking on fruit (any kind of "eating" actually, from snacking to whole meals) is very beneficial for many reasons. Here's a few of them:
1) fruit is possibly the best combination of energy (calories) and nutrient density (vitamins and minerals) of any food "type".
2) fruit is the easiest to digest of any food type, and since digestion requires a lot of calories, fruit is an energy efficient fuel.
3) the best way to get essential nutrients is in the consumption of whole foods, and fruits are very high in vitamins (and vegetables are very high in minerals...it's called "fruits and vegetables" for a reason).
4) fruits are, in my opinion, by far the most delicious uncooked whole food (we have a "sweet tooth" for a reason).
5) fruit (and vegetable) consumption creates the healthiest microbiome and the strongest immune function...which is more resistant to viruses!
My own preference is to eat within a 6 hour "window" everyday, and have a fruit based meal first and a vegetable based meal about 2 hours later. I find 6 hours plenty of time for two meals and to cover my daily fuel requirements.
I thought the brain needed fat to function properly.
ReplyDeleteThat's correct Diana, but it's a complex mix that the brain needs for good functioning. You might find this article interesting:
ReplyDeletehttps://wexnermedical.osu.edu/blog/boost-your-brain-power-with-the-right-nutrition