Reputation vs. Reality of Bananas and Grapes

I often get the question "Should I avoid eating bananas and grapes? I hear they are bad for me." Grapes and bananas have gotten a bad reputation because they are among the highest calorie fruits, which equates to the most carbohydrate or fructose (the type of sugar found in fruit) per serving. Why is this considered bad? Because low carbohydrate diets are gaining popularity among the many fad diets today. Sugar is also a buzz word in the world of fad diets, but not all sugar is bad. Fructose, when eaten in whole fresh fruit, turns into blood sugar slowly giving us the energy we need to not only get through our day, but also to power our workouts. Both bananas and grapes are also rich in potassium, an electrolyte that is vital to muscle contraction, helps regulate blood pressure, and protects our bones, vitamin C that helps heal cuts and wounds and is an immune booster protecting us from getting sick, and fiber that regulates the digestive tract which improves vitamin and mineral absorption as well as helps us feel full longer. What all fresh fruits and vegetables contain, including bananas and grapes, are compounds called phytonutrients, including antioxidants. Antioxidants appear to prevent cell damage as well as repair damage to the cells, which has been found to reduce the risk of heart disease and many cancers. The full power of phytonutrients is still being discovered, so when a fad diet is encouraging we eliminate these natural defenders, I have to question if the diet is looking out for your whole health. When in doubt, eat food that is grown, not processed.