"Ask the Coach" is the column in which Wolfgang Unsöld answers your questions. The book of the same name was published by Riva Verlag and is available directly here on Amazon.
Question: Fruit also contains carbohydrates in the form of fructose. Are you then not allowed to eat fruit if you want to lose weight or what is your opinion on this?
WU: Whether or not someone should eat carbohydrates depends on several factors, which I go into in detail in my book "Ask the Coach" on pages 104-105. In addition to the three main factors that determine how carb-tolerant someone is, I use the YPSI skinfold measurement as an accounting tool to optimally adjust carb counts month-to-month based on development, progression, and need. Basically, I don't see a serving of berries as carbohydrates and I allow my clients to eat them even if their carbohydrate intake is otherwise limited to one meal per week. Berries contain antioxidants, vitamins and are raw material for the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which is important for speed and muscle contraction. As a rule of thumb for fruit, the thicker the peel and the lighter the fruit (example: banana), the less you should eat. The thinner the skin and the darker the fruit (example: blueberries), the more of it you can eat. That's because the thin skin prompts the fruit to produce more antioxidants to protect itself from the sun. Dark fruits also contain less fructose than light fruits. A blueberry contains about 7g of carbohydrates per 100g - of which about 5g is fiber - and has a glycemic index (GI) of about 25 and a glycemic load (GL) of about 1.5. A banana contains about 22g of carbohydrates per 100g - of which about 2g is fiber - and has a GI of about 60 and a GL of about 13. Dried fruit contains significantly more sugar than fresh fruit.
The best choice is therefore all sorts of berries, fresh or frozen and in organic quality. I recommend a handful of berries as a breakfast supplement or as part of the post-workout shake , as detailed in this article .
Good luck with berries!
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Image: raspberries, blueberries and blackberries.