Coach Steph swears by eating fruit on an empty stomach- and there is some research behind it…

We all think eating fruit means just buying fruit, cutting it and just popping it into our mouths. It’s not as easy as you think. It’s important to know how and when to eat.

Fruit should be eaten on empty stomach. If eaten before your meal, it will play a major role in detoxifying your digestive system and supply you with more energy. I’ll use an example to help understand the theory. Let’s say you eat two slices of bread and then a slice of fruit. The slice of fruit is ready to go straight through the stomach into the intestines, but it is prevented from doing so but the bread. As a result it will begin to rot & ferment in your digestive system whilst the bread is digested. This causes excess acid, bloating & gas = discomfort!

Greying hair, balding, nervous outbursts and dark circles under the eyes have all been prevented by encouraging people to eat fruit on an empty stomach. Avoid fruit juices, especially from cans as much of the fibre has been removed & often extra sugar or other ingredients have been added. Cooking also destroys many of the essential vitamins found in fruit, only leaving the taste.

Some of my favourite fruits have many nutritious benefits:

KIWIFRUIT: Tiny but mighty. This is a good source of potassium, magnesium, vitamin E & fiber. Its vitamin C content is twice that of an orange.

APPLE: An apple a day keeps the doctor away? Although an apple has a low vitamin C content, it has antioxidants & flavonoids which enhances the activity of vitamin C thereby helping to lower the risks of colon cancer, heart attack & stroke.

STRAWBERRY: Protective Fruit. Strawberries have the highest total antioxidant power among major fruits & protect the body from cancer-causing, blood vessel-clogging free radicals.

ORANGE : Sweetest medicine. Taking 2-4 oranges a day may help keep colds away, lower cholesterol, prevent & dissolve kidney stones as well as lessens the risk of colon cancer.

WATERMELON: Coolest thirst quencher. Composed of 92% water, it is also packed with a giant dose of glutathione, which helps boost our immune system. They are also a key source of lycopene — the cancer fighting oxidant. Other nutrients found in watermelon are vitamin C & Potassium.

GUAVA & PAPAYA: Top awards for vitamin C. They are the clear winners for their high vitamin C content. Guava is also rich in fiber, which helps prevent constipation. Papaya is rich in carotene; this is good for your eyes.