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From:	I3C (67.82.225.134)
Subject:	Re: Fruit juice and other Q's
Date:	October 28, 2009 at 1:01 pm PST

In Reply to: Fruit juice and other Q's posted by Tanya on September 13, 2009 at 3:04 am:

Hello Tanya.

Answers to your questions:

#1. No fruit juice, unless you physically produced it from fresh fruit yourself. (Ie, squeezing an orange or lemon into a cup). Even then, realize you have concentrated the sugars and discarded the beneficial fiber, so even fresh home made juices should be limited (unless you are already very thin and physically active). Additional info of interest: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qerc7a_dL_I

#2. Unsweetened herbal teas that naturally contain no caffeine are typically fine, but you want to get in the habit of only drinking pure water, and only drinking it when your body is requesting it via thirst sensations. Absolutely do not drink it randomly through the day just because you've heard "Drink 8 Glasses". Let thirst be your guide...

#3. Beans are a crucial component of the diet. They provide lots of protein, fiber, antioxidants, and also provide lasting satisfaction after a meal which drastically curtails later cravings if you are prone to them. Dr. Fuhrman has stated that generally "Beans & Greens" should form the baseline of your diet, with lesser amounts of everything else. That said, no single food is critical and although you could formulate your diet to be very healthful even without beans, it is highly recommended that you include them daily. Ideal is 1 cup(or more) of beans/legumes per day, minimum 1/2 cup.

#4. There is not an explicit limit on fruits but there are some caveats. Many fruits are extremely high in beneficial antioxidants and phytochemicals which have anti-cancer, anti-aging and general health promoting properties. Some fruits are higher in these compounds than others. Fruits also contain sugars, some more so than others. As a general guideline, the more deeply pigmented and colored a fruit is, and the less sweet it is, the more of it you are free to consume. In other words, feel free to eat tons of blueberries (high in nutrients, low in sugars), but don't go crazy with bananas or raisins (lower in nutrients, higher in sugars). It's possible to get very scientific with this, but you can let your eyes and taste guide you. Opt for more visually appealing colors, and less intense sweet tastes. If you are trying to lose weight, you should probably limit the sweet fruits[Bananas, dates, grapes, raisins, figs, mangos, etc] to one piece with each meal. Low sugar, high nutrient fruits[apricots, all berries, kiwis, lemons, limes, etc] can be safely consumed in greater abundance.

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