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Fruits are glucose in the human body. The human brain uses only glucose to function.

Because neurons cannot store glucose, they depend on the bloodstream to deliver constant supply of glucose.

The level of glucose in our blood is very important as too much of it at a time can actually make our brain lose glucose. As the level of glucose in the blood stream increases, the brain depletes its energy supply, influencing our abilities to remember, learn and concentrate.

Is good to remember that mental activity requires a lot of energy as our brain cells need two times more energy than any other cells in our bodies.

Neurons are always in a state of metabolic activity thus have a high need of energy. Do not forget that neurons are always active, even during sleep.

Neurons main activities are related to repairing and rebuilding worn out structural components, manufacturing enzymes and neurotransmitters that have to be transported using nerve “channels” (some of them can be several inches or even several feet long).

Still, the upper mentioned activities are not the ones using most of neurons’ energy. The most demanding ones are the bioelectric signals, used for communicating throughout the nervous system. These transmissions are so demanding that use half all brain’s energy (almost 10% of all body’s energy).

In an important study, Dr. Carol Greenwood from the University of Toronto tested the effects of glucose on older adults. Two groups of old adults were tested. The first group received a bowl of cereal and milk, along with white grapes juice for breakfast, while the other group received only water.

When tested 20 minutes later, the first group had a better memory as they were able to remember 25% more facts as compared to the second group.

Additionally, Rondall J. Kaplan stated that “eating carbohydrate food can improve memory within an hour after ingestion in healthy elderly people with relatively poor memories. Individuals with seemingly minor deficits in glucose regulation appear to perform worse on cognitive (memory) tests and are most sensitive to the beneficial effects of carbohydrates”.

Additionally, Paul Gold, PhD, and Donna Karol, PhD, of Binghamton University, and Carol Manning, PhD, of the University of Virginia, stated in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that glucose particularly improves people’s adeptness at tasks involving memory and attention.

Popularity: 16% [?]

• Water in fruits

Water plays an important part in our lives. 70% of our planet is covered with water, resembling with the human body that consist of 80% of water. So, it seems that we should control our water intake in order to maintain the “volume” of water in our bodies.

Some might say that we could drink 2 bottles of water a day and have the intake covered. If you think that this is the proper solution, think again!

You don’t have to flood your body with water, you only have to consume food that is rich in water. So, the best sources of water for the human body are fruits and vegetables.

Fruits have the highest water content of any other food. Additionally, they contain all the vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, amino acids and fatty acids needed by the human body.

The results of a survey outlined that those who eat fruits at every meal tend to want to eat less food at the next meal, resulting in a very safe and healthy weight loss diet. The main factor influencing our appetite might be the sugar content (glucose) in fruits.

Some researchers also found that fruits contain a substance that can reduce the risks of heart attacks and heart diseases. The substances prevent the blood from becoming to thick and plugging up the arteries.

Water helps our bodies to integrate nutritious elements contained by food. A faster integration of nutritional elements means a faster digestion. By digesting food quicker our bodies can use their energy for other purposes that digestion (our bodies save energy).

For example, grilled meat is digested in approximately 8 hours, while a fruit salad digested in 30 minutes or less.

Additionally, fruits do not even digest in the stomach. Most of them (except dried fruits, dates and bananas) are pre-digested in 20-30 minutes. As they pass through the stomach, they break down and release their nutrients in the intestines.

• Glucose

The extraction of energy from fruits is a relatively difficult process. Everything we eat or drink has to be digested in order to obtain energy for our bodies. There are 2 different ways of extracting energy from food:
- BURNING WITH OXYGEN, for sugar and fat (fruits, etc.)
- BURNING WITHOUT OXYGEN, for proteins (meat, dairy, etc.)

This process is one of the most effective ones for the human body. The energy of fruits is concentrated in the form of sugars (glucose). The human body uses oxygen in order to transform glucose into energy. After transforming glucose into energy, the waste products remaining after this reaction are water and carbon-dioxide. Water is used by the human body, while carbon-dioxide is eliminated through the lungs by breathing.

When referring to extracting energy, this process is 3 times more effective as compared to a combustion engine. By transforming glucose in energy, the body extracts about 50% of the contained energy, while a combustion engine uses only 10-20% of the energy (the rest is lost through heat).

As regards the other burning process, without oxygen, the energy is extracted from proteins. Products like meat, milk, dairy, etc. contain energy in the form of proteins and fat. The process of transforming proteins into energy is more difficult and time-consuming. Additionally, the body uses more energy to transform proteins as compared to glucose.

The waste products of this burning process is ammonia which is connected to carbon-dioxide and forms the less toxic ureum which is excreted by kidneys.

Our bodies always burn a mix of glucose and fat. The ratio of the fat and the glucose in the burning process depends of the intensity of the activity carried out by a person.

Low intensity activities tend to burn more fat than glucose, while high intensity or duration activities tend to burn more glucose.

Let’s take for example two of the most common exercises: walking and running.

Walking for 30 minutes will force your body to burn about 110 kcal of fat and about 60 kcal of glucose.
A major difference occurs if we change the intensity of the exercise. So, running for 30 minutes will force your body to consume about 120 kcal of fat (10 kcal more as compared to walking – not a major difference) and about 250 kcal of glucose (4 times more as compared to walking – a major difference).

Additionally, some believe that more muscles means less fat. With a higher muscle to fat ratio you must burn extra energy, some of it resulting from stored fat.

Here are some interesting examples that might help you when deciding on a fruit (in terms of provided energy):

1. Dates: 300 kcal and 20% water
2. Olives: 142 kcal and 75% water
3. Avocados: 126 kcal and 81%
4. Bananas: 88 kcal and 76%
5. Pomegranates: 81 kcal and 82% water
6. Figs: 80 kcal and 80% water
7. Persimmons: 76 kcal and 81% water
8. Lychees: 76 kcal and 82% water
9. Guavas: 72 kcal and 81% water
10. Kumquats: 68 kcal and 82% water

Here is a brief description of main 3 fruits in terms of provided energy:

1. Dates

The Date Palm is native to the desert oases of northern Africa. The Date Palm tree has a very old history, evidence of its cultivation suggesting it could be found in ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt and Arabia. Today, the palm is often cultivated for its fruit.

Dates are believed to have many traditional medicinal uses. They can be used as a detersive (due to its high content of tiannin) and as an astringent. Also, dates can help against sore throat, fever, colds and other problems. Also, some believe that dates can help against alcohol intoxication.

Dates can be eaten in four stages from unripe to sun-dried. It is very helpful to eat dates unripe because they provide a large amount of vitamin C. Dates contain a small quantity of water, so by drying them you won’t concentrate them very much, although the fruit will lose vitamin C.

Nevertheless, 100g of dried dates provides you with about 300 Kcal and almost none of them come from fat.

2. Olives

The olive fruit is very popular among countries near Mediterranean Sea. References of olive are made in old literature like Iliad and Odyssey, were olive oil is viewed as a luxury, accessible only to the wealthy. Today, olives still play an important part in the economy and culture of these countries.

Olives have many uses in cuisine: in cocktails (as an adjunct to martini), bread, sausages, etc. Olives are rich in vitamin E, minerals, monounsaturated fats, and anti-oxidants. 100 grams of canned olives contain about 142 kcal, approximately 100 of them coming from fat.

3. Avocados

The avocado tree originates from Mexico and Central America. The word “avocado” comes from the Spanish “aguacate”, witch derivates from the Aztec “ahuacatl”, meaning “testicle”. The fruit was named this way because of its shape.

The avocado leaves contain a toxic fatty acid derivate named persin. This causes some animals to be harmed or killed if they eat them. The fruit is also poisonous to birds; however, there are no negative effects on humans, besides those who are allergic to it.

Avocado provides nearly 20 vitamins including vitamin E, vitamin C, folate, fiber, iron, potassium, lutein and beta-carotene. 100 grams of avocado can provide about 126 calories, of which 110 kcal are from fat.

Popularity: 23% [?]

A diet is defined as the sum of food consumed by a person or other organism. Dietary habits are habitual decisions an individual or culture makes when choosing what food to eat.
Many individuals choose the type of food by certain criteria, like:

1. Desired state of health;
2. Morality;
3. Religion;
4. Effectiveness.

It seems that in the last few years more and more people are concerned with their health, when speaking of diets.

The imbalance of consumed products results in either starvation or excessive reserves of adipose tissue (body fat) .

Vitamins and minerals are very important (poor intake can cause dramatic effects on someone’s health):

Popularity: 13% [?]

The name “calorie” derives from the Latin word “calor” which means HEAT. The calorie is generally used as an energy measurement unit and specifically for the amount of food energy.

There are 2 definitions related to calories:

The small calorie (gram calorie) – represents the energy needed to increase the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1 degree Celsius (about 4.184 Joules). The symbol of this unit is “cal”.
The large calorie (kg calorie) – represents the energy needed to increase the temperature of 1 kg of water by 1 degree Celsius (about 4.184 Kj). The symbol of this unit is Kcal and is often referred to as a Calorie (with a capital “C”).

However, there are a lot of other definitions for calories. For example, the thermochemical calorie (4.184 joules exactly), which is almost the same thing as the small calorie, is used to define the power of TNT. The equivalent of one tone of TNT is 1 billion thermochemical calories.

In order to reduce body weight, dieticians recommend to reduce the intake of calories. So, in a lot of countries, producers of food products are obliged to label the nutritional value (including calories) of their products. The energy obtained from a certain food product is expressed in both Kilocalories (Kcal) and Kilojoules (Kj). In this way, everyone can calculate the daily intake of Kilocalories and can balance it with the needed quantity of Kilocalories for their life style.

In order to estimate the energy value of a product, the first step is to estimate product’s digestible constituents (fat, protein, carbohydrates, etc.). The result of this analysis is then converted into an equivalent energy value based on a standardized table of energy densities:
FOOD COMPONENT Kcal/g

1. fat 9
2. ethanol (alcohol) 7
3. proteins 4
4. carbohydrates 4
5. organic acids 3
6. polyols (sugar-free sweeteners) 2.4

Vitamins, minerals and water do not contribute in any way to the energy value of food products.

The recommended daily energy intake values for young adults are: 2,500 Kcal per day for men and 2,000 Kcal per day for women. However, the lifestyle is very important when establishing the daily needed energy intake. Children and old people require less energy, while active persons require more energy than the recommended value.

It is very important to remember that the human fat tissue contains approximately 87% lipids. This means that 1 kg of body-fat tissue has the caloric energy of 870 g of pure fat, representing about 7,800 Kcal. So, in order to lose 1 kg of body fat, you have to create an energy deficit (consume more than assimilate) of 7,800 Kcal.

Still, this can work in the other way too. If your energy intake exceeds your energy use with 7,800 Kcal, you will gain 1 kg of body fat.

These approximates assume that there is no gain or lose in muscles (muscles are built using food energy too) and that there is a direct relationship between calories provided by food and calories stores in the body as fat.

So, in order to lose weight quicker you have to burn more calories. The best solution for this is to increase your metabolic rate.

The metabolic rate represents the rate at which your body burns up calories. There are multiple solutions for speeding up the metabolic rate. The most important thing is to know what solution is more effective for your body, what determinates your metabolic rate and how can you influence it.

Usually, the energy provided by burned calories is used for three main functions:

BASAL METABOLIC RATE (BMR) – represents the amount of calories a person burns in order to stay alive, even when standing still. BMR uses approximately 60% of the energy provided by calories burned for an average person.
BURNING CALORIES FOR ACTIVITY – represents the energy used during movement. This function uses approximately 30% of the amount of energy provided by burned calories.
DIETARY THERMOGENESIS – represents meal-induced heat production (calories burned in the process of eating, digesting, absorbing and using food).

These functions can be influenced in order to speed up your rate of burning calories. Some of the best solutions for this are:

1. Exercises
2. Move more
3. Eat spicy food
4. Eat less and often

1. EXERCISES

The muscles in the human body are very important when it comes to burning calories. It is known that for every extra pound of muscles you put on, your body will burn an extra quantity of 50 Kcal a day. Also, a lot of exercises boost basal metabolic rate, allowing your body to burn calories at a more accelerated rate (for example: regular weight lifting training can increase the basal metabolic rate by about 15%). The main explanation for this is that muscles are metabolically active and can burn more calories that any other tissue in the human body, even when standing still.

Generally speaking, there are 2 types of exercises:

The low intensity exercises are usually of a long duration (45 minutes or more), burn mainly fats and not carbohydrates, preserve joints, etc.

The high intensity exercises are usually of a short duration (20 - 30 minutes the most), burn a lot of calories and increase the metabolic rate throughout the day, etc.

Referring to the effectiveness of exercises when it comes to burning calories, the main 10 most effective exercises are:

1. step aerobics
2. swimming
3. bicycling
4. rock climbing
5. racquetball
6. cross-country skiing
7. running
8. elliptical trainer
9. rowing
10. brisk walking

The upper mentioned 10 general exercises can help you burn from 150 to 400 Kcal in 30 minutes time. Still, there are other more effective exercises but of a much higher intensity, like:

2. MOVE MORE

Most people burn around 30% of the calorie intake through daily activities. For sedentary people, this rate might drop to even 10%, leading to a considerable calorie surplus.

In order to maintain the usual rate of burning calories through daily activities, or even improve it, you have to keep moving. Small daily activities, that usually are not considered as a solution for weight loss, can help you a lot. You should make use of every opportunity to move, like:

3. EAT SPICY FOOD

Not many people know that chiles are the second most common spices in the word, after salt. The heat of chiles and peppers is caused by a substance called CAPSAICIN, a flavourless and odourless substance.

Capsaicin has a lot of positive effects on the human body, like:

Some even believe that capsaicin can even help prevent cancer. Researchers say that capsaicin attacks mitochondria of cancer cells, triggering them death.

Referring to these aspects, Dr. Timothy Bates (a lead researcher in the field) stated: “as these compounds attach the very heart of the tumour cell, we believe that we have in effect discovered a fundamental ‘Achilles heel’ for all cancers”.

4. EAT LESS AND OFTEN

There are proven evidence that eating smaller and regular meals will keep your metabolism going faster than larger and less frequent meals.

There are two main reasons why your metabolism rate is increased by small meals:
Hours after eating a meal, thyroid hormones begin to drop, slowing down metabolism. So, by eating more often, the thyroid hormones will remain active, maintaining your metabolism rate at a high level.

The thermogenic effect of eating smaller meals is slightly higher than eating the same amount of calories all at once. This means that calories are burned faster and better (the body has the ability and time to burn more calories) when eating little and often.

In order to help you estimate the daily intake of calories, here are some products that can provide 100 Kcal each:

Popularity: 21% [?]

Number three - Brussels sprouts
The Brussels sprout is part of the cabbage family and it is cultivated for its small leafy green heads, much like miniature cabbages.

The name of the Brussels sprout comes from the capital of Belgium: Brussels, as it was first cultivated in this country. Today, this vegetable is cultivated mainly throughout Europe and the United States.

Brussels sprouts are the most hated vegetable in the UK (according to a survey conducted in the UK in 2002). The main reason for this dissatisfaction with Brussels sprouts is that, when overcooked, the vegetable releases sulphurous compounds that give it an unpleasant smell. Thus, Brussels sprout has become a symbol for all vegetables hated by children.

Brussels sprouts are a very good source of vitamin A, vitamin C and folic acid. Also, this vegetable contains high amounts of fiber, potassium and folacin. Brussels sprout is also high in protein, very uncommon for a green vegetable.

According to USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, 100 grams of raw Brussels sprout contains 43 kcal and 0.30 g of fat. The most important nutrients found in this amount of raw Brussels sprout are:

The phytochemicals in Brussels sprout, like beta Carotene, Lutein and Zeaxanthin help the natural defense system of the body.

Brussels sprouts are particularly good for pregnant women, due to its high amount of folic acid. This nutrient is a B-vitamin needed during the cellular division, as it is essential in DNA synthesis.

It is known that Brussels sprouts’ glucosinolates help prevent colon cancer. In a study, animals were given water supplemented with Brussels sprouts. As a result the development of pre-cancerous cells was reduced by 41-52% in the colon and 27-67% in the liver. Also, the pre-cancerous lesions in the liver were reduced by 85-91%.

There are many ways to cook Brussels sprouts, but it is best to quickly steam or boil it in order to preserve its nutritional value. The main problem when cooking Brussels sprouts is to avoid overcooking in order to prevent the release of bad smells (caused by sulphurous compounds) and loss of nutritious elements.

When cooking Brussels sprouts, there might be an unbalance caused by the fact that leaves cook faster than the core. Many believe that by cutting the base of the stem in a cross shape will result in a more even cooking. However, there are some people who think that this leaches the flavors and breaks the leaves and the Brussels sprouts.

Usually, this vegetable should not be cooked for more than 10 minutes, when steaming, braising or boiling.

Number four - Lima beans
Very popular in the United States, Lima beans are part of the fabaceae family. Their place of origin is uncertain, but it is believed that they came from the South American country of Peru (the capital of Peru is Lima, from witch this vegetable gets its name) or Guatemala.

The seeds of Lima beans usually have a green or cream color, with a sweet potato-like taste and a grainy, but creamy texture. Among the many varieties of Lima beans, the most common is the Fordhok, also known as butter-beans. Lima beans are very high in molybdenum, tryptophan, dietary fiber and manganese. Also, this vegetable is a good source of folate, potassium, and iron. As we can see in the following list, Lima beans contain a series of nutrients, very helpful to the body. For example, in 100 g of lima beans you can find the followings:

The source of the data is the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference.

Like any other beans, Lima beans are very rich in dietary fiber. Due to this nutrient, this vegetable lowers the cholesterol and prevents blood glucose (blood sugar) from rising to high. This is very useful for diabetics or people suffering of hypoglycemia.

The trace mineral, molybdenum, found in Lima beans is a component of the sulfite oxidase. This substance is an enzyme that detoxifies sulfites. Sulfites are preservatives used in salads that may cause rapid heartbeats, headaches or disorientation. People may have sensitivity to sulfites because of insufficient sulfite oxidase. 86.5% of the daily requirement of molybdenum can be provided by a cup of Lima beans.

According to the Archives of Internal Medicine, foods that are high in fiber, such as Lima beans can prevent heart disease. A study performed in America (for 19 years) concluded that eating 21 grams of fiber daily, lowers the risk of coronary heart disease by 12% and cardiovascular disease by 11% as compared to eating only 5 grams of fiber every day.

The folate in Lima beans also has cardiovascular benefits by reducing the levels of amino acid called homocysteine. High quantities of homocysteine in blood can cause heart attacks, strokes or peripheral vascular diseases. It is known that eating the total daily requirement of folate lowers the risk of heart attacks by 10%.

Besides fiber and folate, Lima beans have another nutrient that helps the heart: magnesium. This keeps the veins and arteries relaxed and smoothens the flow of blood through the body. Deficiency of magnesium is often associated with heart attacks. A cup of lima beans can offer 20.2% of the daily value of required magnesium.

Combined with whole grain, like brown rice or whole wheat pasta, Lima beans offer about the same quantity of protein as meat or other foods high in calories or fat that could increase your cholesterol level. In fact, a cup of Lima beans has 29.3% of the daily requirement of protein (14.7 grams).

Number five - Peas

Like Lima beans, peas are part of the fabaceae family. Peas come in many forms, each one having a delicious sweaty flavor, a smooth texture and lots of vitamins and minerals. The most common variety of Peas, are the Green Peas (also known as Garden Peas).

Peas have a very old and interesting history. It seems that Chinese were the first ones to taste this delicious vegetable in year 2000 BC. Through time, peas spread in Asia and Europe. Also, there are mentions of peas in the Bible and evidence that proves that this vegetable was worshipped in Egypt, Greece and Rome. The great producers of today’s peas are the United States, Great Britain, China, Hungary and India.

Peas are quite famous in the genetics community. In the year 1866, the monk and biologist Gregor Mendel published his ideas on heredity. By a selective cross-breeding on common pea plants, Mendel came to conclude his observations in two principles: the principle of segregation and the principle of independent assortment. These two principles of inheritance are today’s modern science of genetics.

Green peas are rich in vitamin C, vitamin K, magnese, dietary fiber, vitamin B1 and folate. Here is the nutritional profile of 100 grams of raw green peas provided by USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference:

The high amount of vitamin K1 from green peas makes them very important for your bone health. This vitamin activates a protein called osteocalcin. Without this protein, the absorption of calcium in the bone would not be possible.

In addition to the upper mentioned effects of green peas on calcium absorption, this vegetable is rich in folic acid and vitamin B6 that work together to reduce the levels of homocysteine. Besides affecting the cardiovascular health, this amino acid can conduct to poor bones and osteoporosis by obstructing collagen cross-linking.

Green peas are an excellent way to increase your energy. The vitamins B1, B2, B3 and B6 from green peas are necessary for the metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins and lipids. The iron is necessary for blood cells. Deficiency of iron can result in anemia, fatigue or a week immune system.

Peas are at their best when eaten raw or barely steamed. The classic way to cook green peas is with lettuce leaves. You can also add some fresh peas in green salads. A delicious mixture is green peas with chicken, onions and almonds for an extraordinary chicken salad.

Popularity: 21% [?]