Did the Hartwigs consider making fruit 'inadmissable'

[lexes42]

I have seen other 'quit sugar' and anti-inflammation protocols that tow a harder line on fruit during the elimination phase (and even beyond).

 

I have loved my 2 servings of fruit and I believe it made the whole30 doable for me, but admittedly this is the 'rule' that I go off track with the most... sometimes fruit and nuts are a sanity snack or rescue me when my meals were not to template and I'm hungry too soon.  Since it's peak fruit season here in the mid-atlantic, i've not been too hard on myself.  But I'm on day 35ish and I'm wondering if I should try and drop fruit for a few weeks.

 

Understanding fructose - naturally occuring or not - is something I'm struggling with.  I have metabolic syndrome, but no real diabetic markers.  I am, however, deeply concerned about warding off Alzheimers / Parkinsons as they run rampant in my family.

 

I guess my question is, what went into the decision to allow fruit versus saying 'in cooking only' or disallowing altogether for the whole30?  

[Renee Lee]

Absolutely not.

 

I obviously wasn't there during the decision making process when they created the program, but completely eliminating fruit goes against most of their positions on nutrition and harboring a healthy relationship with food. On the "does this food make me more or less healthy?" spectrum, fruit makes you healthier.

 

The Whole30 guidelines is broad and flexible enough to include a vast number of different people with different contexts, so you need to approach it with that in mind. Yes, there are some people that should be on the lower end of the fruit spectrum and some that could eat more, but the guidelines don't want to get that narrow and alienate the other side. The number of Crossfitters that do fruit-elimination protocols because they think that's the One True Way make me want to cry.

 

The guidelines say "limit" fruit because veggies have so many more micronutrients than fruit does and are far more nutrient dense (which is really our goal), and eating fruit can push those veggies off your plate.

 

Could you do the Whole30 with zero fruit? Sure, but I wouldn't want to, especially during peach/apple season.

[Melissa Urban]

Lexes42, Renee really covered this topic well, but I'll add the "official Hartwig opinion" here.

 

There are very few reasons I can think of to give up fruit entirely, or purposefully limit intake. For one, let's not confuse fruit with fructose. Fruit isn't sugar - fruit is a whole food, with a whole host of vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, fiber, water. And yes, it contains some sugar, but that's not the same as sugar.

 

We believe eating whole, unprocessed, nutrient-dense foods in their natural state makes you more healthy. Fruit falls into that category, and we encourage consumption on the program. Now, we prioritize veggies because, as Renee said, they are more nutrient-dense as a whole. But nobody ever hurt themselves eating a few (3, 4, 6!) servings of fruit a day, in the context of a nutrient-dense, anti-inflammatory, whole-foods based diet like ours. This is especially true when consumption follows a general seasonality - eat more fruit in the summer, when it's fresh and delicious, and less in the winter, when it's less available and not biologically "normal."

 

Reasons to limit fruit consumption may include fructose malabsorption (for those folks who don't tolerate fructose well and experience digestive distress when eating too much fruit at once), or for those who find they use fruit to prop up sugar cravings. In those instances, we don't recommend you eliminate fruit, only change how, when, and how much you consume it.

 

The idea of a "detox" program that limits fruit but promotes "sugar-free" pancakes, muffins, and donuts baffles me, to be honest. That's all I'm going to say on that subject.

 

I hope that helps. As for your consumption, don't be afraid of a few pieces of fruit! Enjoy them, especially while they are in season, as part of your healthy Whole30/Whole9 varied diet.

 

Best,

Melissa

[Megonius]

This was really helpful for me to gauge the whole Fruit Situation, thanks!  I love me some green smoothies, which really helps me get a  "whole" lot more kale, spinach, and everything else down, but the fruit makes it more enjoyable  

[GFChris]

This was really helpful for me to gauge the whole Fruit Situation, thanks!  I love me some green smoothies, which really helps me get a  "whole" lot more kale, spinach, and everything else down, but the fruit makes it more enjoyable  

Just a quick FYI, smoothies are discouraged on a Whole30. The idea is to chew your food, vs. drink it, as it's more satiating.