Discussion Board

Hello,

I have been following the McDougall program with wonderful results. It was a long time coming to this path, but it has been a great learning experience.

My question is regarding fruit. My heritage is about 50/50 German and Russian. I've never really liked fruit, but has noticed when I have it that I don't notice an issue right away (like an allergy) but I feel like I start getting sick (like a cold) when I do eat it. When I was following a paleo diet a couple of years ago, I remember eating a lot of raw fruit and actually having reactions like headaches, itchy, watery red eyes, nasal inflammation, etc.

Since I really dont like fruit, I am choosing to avoid it, and have been eating rice, potatoes, and veggies.

Am I really missing anything "vital" by not eating raw fruit?

Thanks for your help!
--Elizabeth

Probably the only way to find out is to take a blood test to check your nutrient levels. Fruit provides a wide variety of vitamins.

Is there not one fruit you can tolerate? How about dates?

This diet doesn't push much fruit so you are probably fine but some of the recipes use fruit and fruit is often used as a dessert.

Thanks for your quick input.

I never really was a "fruit person" and I remember growing up we had a very small "fruit bowl" my mom had on the counter and it probably had 4 fruits a week. Usually bananas, and those sat there until someone ate them, usually getting lots of spots. We ate a lot of frozen and canned veggies.

I cannot think of one fruit I really like, or tolerate. Most of my meals are potatoes or rice with lightly steamed veggies. I eat a ton of different ones. I did start putting my meals into fitday.com (which I have used in the past). I might try the Cronometer that many mention here, to see how my nutrients look. I also started a new job where there is a free lunch every day, which a huge nice raw salad bar with a ton of veggies I can eat, like tomatoes, spring greens, mushrooms, cauliflower, broccoli, beets, cucumber, etc.

I can look into getting checked for nutrients, but I have a high deductible health insurance, and only go to the doctor unless it's an emergency, or my yearly exam (which is covered outside my deductible).

I could try cooked fruit, like Dr. McDougall has on his elimination diet. But I would think that would negate any nutrients?

Thanks again, Elizabeth

I used to eat a high fruit diet, and I started feeling worse and worse on it. When I finally eliminated all fruit and just ate starches and veggies, I felt much better. Unlike you, I do love fruit, so I hope that I will be able to include some again. But I tried to add some back in a couple times during the past six months, and I experienced lots of gas and bloating, my face broke out, and I felt a little light-headed.

I enter my day's intake into cronometer sometimes, and I am confident that my intake of vitamins and minerals is more than adequate. So I would venture to guess that we are fine without fruit, as long as we eat enough vegetables.

Goldilocks, that is sad that you like fruit but do not tolerate it.

I have noticed actual allergic reactions immediately after eating some fruit (like honeydew, cantaloupe, strawberries, pineapple) which includes my tongue and stomach burning.

With bananas, I usually have gotten very painful heartburn. Though that might have been from it not being ripe enough.

Apples give me an immediate migraine.

But all fruit seems to just make me feel worse and worse. When I cut it out completely I feel wonderful.

I really appreciate your help.

Elizabeth

Technically (botanically?), tomatoes are a fruit, aren't they? If you're eating a variety of green and yellow vegetables, I wouldn't worry about it. If you eat some fruit occasionally, fine. If you don't, you don't. I'm not a huge fruit eater, but I have my moments. Dietary software is only good at tracking known elements of foods. There's a lot that's just not known. Nutrition science is still in its infancy. Just do the best you can.

AA, that's such a good point! There are so many things that we don't know about food, and that info in cronometer is just the tip of the iceberg. But it's reassuring to see that you are meeting 100% of your RDA's, even if it's not the whole story. Hopefully the things it does track are a marker for all the other unmeasured things as well.

When you give us all that info in your last post, bluefizzure, it's very clear that your body has a very negative reaction to fruit, so it seems to make the most sense for you to avoid it. No one knows better than your body what foods make you the healthiest, and your body is being pretty definite about this! At least there is plenty of delicious, healthy food for you to enjoy, right? I too feel best on starches and veggies, at least for now, and I'm not worried about not eating fruit. When and if my body can handle it again, I'll add it back in. Until then, bring on the brown rice and collard greens!

Goldilocks, thanks. And thank you to everyone. It has really helped to solidify that I have a problem with fruit. I have not eaten any for about 5 days I think. I gave what I had left to my boyfriend, he was quite happy to receive it.

I guess my problem is I know it causes me problems (or I "forget" when I don't have it for a long time) then it sounds good when someone else does, and I think I am missing out on nutrients. Then I have some and bam! It makes me ill. Same think with gluten.