Is it possible to eat too much fruit? (Runner, lifter)

[jordan221]

Hi all. I’m a vegetarian (32 F, 5’7, about 125 lbs) moving to veganism, but my question remains: as an ultra runner getting between 25-40 mpw, hitting 120g protein per day… is there such a thing as eating too much fruit?

I’m looking at Macrofactor and my carbs occasionally come from tortilla shells, sweet potato and veggies but I eat so so much fruit. Apples, strawberries, blueberries and apples especially, and maybe half a banana.

I run a little bit on the obsessive/ orthorexic side. My logic says nothing is wrong with this but my anxiety says these are not low on the glycemic index.

Can any seasoned vegans give me some commentary?

 

[dubschanging]

@jordan221 I'm sure there is such a thing as eating too much fruit.

But if you 1) feel good, 2) are hitting your fitness goals 3) have a well balanced diet in other regards, then you're probably fine.

I'm not sure why you are worried about the glycemic index.

 

[lilmissinformed]

@jordan221 Fruit is awesome.

As long as you're eating other things and hitting your macros... keep eating fruit

Joy, vitamins, anti-oxidants, etc.

 

[jamesalbright]

@jordan221 No...I have never heard of anyone having issues from eating too much fruit especially if you are eating a varied diet.

Much more so if you are very active the fruit would give you a good source of calories as well.

 

[pitterson]

@jamesalbright As far as your diet goes, no. But for your dental health, there have been studies showing people who are heavy fruit eaters have dental issues due to the high sugar and acidity of their diet. The fix may be as simple as brushing your teeth more often, I truly don’t know

 

[nowforever]

@jordan221 Absolutely nothing wrong with that

 

[solomonanderson]

@jordan221 I cannot tell you how much fruit I eat. Like… it’s ridiculous amounts. I think today I had 10-15 small nectarines, a banana, 3 apples, a cup of blueberries, cup of mango, cup of strawberries, and 5 large carrots. But I have so much energy and I’m a healthy weight soooo..

However, at 125 pounds and 5’7 (underweight) with disordered eating, I would really challenge yourself to get some help from a dietitian to balance things out.

 

[jordan221]

@solomonanderson I appreciate another person who is eating lots of fruit and feeling good about it! Especially during summer when watermelon and cantaloupe and peaches are in season. And tomatoes!!! Yum

I know I’m a little on the low side but my BMI is normal. I’m trying to eat a bit more calories to make sure I support my running and lift days.

 

[flowerbox12]

@jordan221 Yeah, a BMI of 19.5 is perfectly fine.

I'm sure you seem very thin compared to most people these days, but if you're healthy otherwise, and still eating a balanced, well-planned, vegan diet, then there's no problem.

I went from a BMI of 39.0 to 24.2 now , and no one would think of me as "thin" (I'm still working on it, although I judge myself more by the fat I'm still carrying and my bloodwork, and not so much by the weight and bmi numbers).

By the way, I eat A LOT of fruit 1719562500. At least compared to most people.

If you have a healthy gut microbiome, fruit is absolutely fine.

Like someone else replied, I don't know why you're concerned with the glycemic index here.

I'm glad you've decided to become vegan



[May I ask you what's holding you back from the full transition? Just curious.]

 

[jordan221]

@flowerbox12 Of course! Dairy was so tough but once I removed it to get a bad cold under control, my bloating and acne disappeared, and I felt so much better all the time. Eggs I hardly ate anyway.

What was holding me back was fish (I was pescatarian). One was a selfish reason - taste (only ate it once in a while). Fish don’t seem to have the same sort of sentience as terrestrial animals, at least in my brain they didn’t.

Another reason was more legitimate: I couldn’t figure out how to keep my iron deficiency at bay without heme iron. This was to the point where I would get short of breath and have heart palpitations, which as an athlete was especially devastating. I had to have several IV iron infusions, which those take hours, and they are EXPENSIVE. Being female and having running induced hemolysis didn’t help my levels, that’s for sure, and plant based iron unfortunately is harder to absorb.

I’ve been vegetarian for two years, and have finally figured out how to manage my iron with Spirulina (added it fruit smoothies!! Lol ) and a good capsule supplement , so I’m ready to kick out eating fish.

Thanks for reading!

 

[flowerbox12]

@jordan221 Hemolysis sucks. I'm sorry you've had to suffer with these medical issues.

But I'm glad you haven't used it as an excuse to continue to not go vegan like so many others do.

I find there's usually a way around these things with proper diet (maybe not ALWAYS, but usually).

Those who absolutely cannot resolve medical issues are still vegan if they limit animal products to the bare minimum that they absolutely need. [I would hate to have to do that though]

Did they ever find out what was causing your iron deficiency? There are so many causes for iron deficiency and/or hemolysis.

I'm glad you're managing it in a vegan way!!

Have you ever heard of moringa? I put spirulina AND moringa in my morning smoothie (along with some ayurvedics that I personally need).

Yeah, most people don't think of fishies as sentient as other animals. Hell, some people don't even realize they ARE animals.

But we also know that many people think that non-human land animals are not all that either.

Unless they're a cat or a dog.

I'm sure you know that if you add spinach, that it's best to cook it a little first.

I'm sure you also know which fruits are best for iron/vitamin C combo

And don't forget to supplement B12!!!!

Don't count on spirulina for your B12.

Good luck with it all, and enjoy those fruits

 

[jordan221]

@flowerbox12 Thanks for your kind words! I have figured out the puzzle so to speak and now I can move away from mussels oysters and fish for good I hope

I appreciate your advice and good wishes!!

Hemolysis was from my high level of running, combined with some consistent menstrual bleeding issues and just a baseline low ferritin. I corrected with an IUD and the diet puzzle with supplements and Spirulina - I’ll check out the moringa you mentioned! I’ve only seen it as a scent at The Body Shop much love

 

[flowerbox12]

@jordan221 I never would have thought of moringa as a scent

Interesting.

 

[jordan221]

@flowerbox12 https://www.thebodyshop.com/en-us/b...CitB4AwXlPsjwiCo4mJi5Ys5bl0vYdf4aAp_5EALw_wcB

Maybe it’s a different name? They have a whole category and it happens to be my favorite! Might be a flower

 

[flowerbox12]

@jordan221 Oh, ok.

I get it now.

Thanks.

They're using moringa seed oil.

What I use, and other people who ingest it for the nutrients vitamins and minerals use, is the moringa powder (mostly leaves from the same tree - not the seeds).

It's a strong green substance, not exactly the same as spirulina or matcha, but - maybe - kinda - sorta - in between (? ). I mean as a green powder, not the nutritional value. Although similar to spirulina in that realm (but some values are higher, like iron).

I don't buy it in capsules, but some people do (way too little that way for me). I buy the powder in bulk. Half to one tablespoon in my morning smoothie - and sometimes more later in the day. Some people use it at other times of the day, even at night.

Gotta play with it to find when it's best for the individual.

Start with just a teaspoon first.

Don't buy it from questionable places. And don't buy any blends or juice-type concoctions (I saw it in a bottle as some kind of liquid on one site).

I've bought it from 4-5 places and am still trying to figure out which one is best, or I'd recommend one.

Do you shop at Costco at all?

The first time I bought it, I got it there.

That one is fine.

I bought it at Natural Grocers once (don't know if you have those in your neck of the woods) - it's the same as The Vitamin Cottage.

Look up moringa powder. [I'll try to come back and add links here.]

Moringa oleifera

If I lived in a place where I could get it fresh, I'd eat it instead of using the powder.

 

[louy51]

@jordan221 Unless you're skipping out on other foods for fruit (like those idiotic fruitarians) you're fine.

 

[lisa66uk]

@jordan221 You can eat too much of anything.. but it's quite hard with fruit! I eat a lot too, actually the same ones you mention although I usually avoid more than one or two apples per day because it will start to give me gas.

Actually GI wise all of those are still low, lots of fiber and volume for the amount of fructose. If you're running/very active and not diabetic I wouldn't worry about that at all!

 

[runningwithfire]

@jordan221 Unless you experience digestive issues from your high fruit intake and/or it prevents you from eating enough calories, I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[linda_pow]

@jordan221 Fruits are low on calories and high on fibers, in general, so they can fill you up easily. So if you eat too much fruit, like if you ate nothing but fruit, and you exercise alot, then maybe you won't get enough calories intake.

That's really the only concern.

 

[jordan221]

@linda_pow Thank you - I have definitely experienced this, especially with things like watermelon and cantaloupe.