The Hauser Diet, in general, focuses on vegetables more than fruits. The USDA will lump fruits and vegetables together and tell the American public to make sure to consume “Five A Day.” Because fruits contain more calories and natural sugars, they are not considered equal in our minds. The Otter Diet, high in protein and fat, only allows one serving per day of fruit, but adds in vegetables.
All fruits contain sugars, but some have more than others. We recommend you become familiar with the fruits that have the lowest amount of sugar per serving. A general rule is that it is best to rotate the fruits you are eating. If you are trying to lose weight or have trouble with blood sugar swings, then watching the sugar content of fruit is an especially good idea for you. This list is not based on any other nutrients besides sugar.
Lowest Sugar Content
- Apples
- Apricots
- Berries
- Grapefruit
- Oranges
- Papaya
- Pears
- Kiwi
Moderate Sugar Content
- Cherries
- Mangos
- Pineapple
Highest Sugar Content
- Bananas
- Dates
- Figs
- Fruit Juice
- Grapes
- Guava
- Pomegranate
If you eat bananas for their potassium content, realize that other fruits such as kiwi, apricot, and blackberries contain almost as much potassium with a lot less sugar.
Wheat bran, milk, tomatoes, lentils, beets, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, or spinach contain as much or more potassium than bananas and significantly less sugar.
If you are concerned about other health issues, so you have been jumping on the Pomegranate bandwagon, know that berries also contain a hefty amount of antioxidants and contain a good amount of fiber. Therefore, Otters would be better off munching on blueberries than breaking open a Pomegranate. Figs, dates, and other dried fruits are typically calorically dense, as well as sugar heavy! These should be used sparingly for all Hauser Diets as a sprinkle on top of a salad, but not something that you sit and eat handfuls of. Be very careful with these!
The Hauser Diet encourages you to move from sweet to sour tastes. In other words, this society is over-addicted to sweetness, which leads to over consumption of sugar and sugary foods, including fruits, leading to all sorts of lifestyle related diseases, such as Syndrome X, obesity, diabetes, and high cholesterol. Fruit is a good thing to eat – in moderation – for some people. If you want to find out more about what you should be eating – give us a call or make an appointment online!
ADDED NOTE
Although the Otter is allowed to have a limited amount of fruit, when you have the fruit can make a big difference. Of course every person is different, but a lot of times we see Otters that are hypoglycemic. Because of this, we usually recommend that Otters not eat their servings of fruit for breakfast, before bed, or by itself.
Try to include a protein or fat source with the fruit. For example have an apple with peanut butter for a snack or if using your fruit in a smoothie mix some protein powder or nut butter in with it!
