Hi,
Looking at some less dangerous ketchup.
I was looking at the Happy Pear ketchup —> https://thehappypear.ie/tomato-ketchup/
Then I compared it to the supervalue one:
https://shop.supervalu.ie/sm/pickup/rsid/76/product/supervalu-tomato-ketchup-470-g-id-1077096001
Slightly higher saturated fat, slightly lower sugar. So thinking what's the deal? Would have thought it would have better? Now if we go to Aldi we can see this for a third the price and has a lot less sugar: https://groceries.aldi.ie/en-GB/p-tomato-ketchup50-less-salt-sugar-535g-bramwells/4061459300239
So if you are not going to make your own ketchup what's the best to buy?
dropping the crisps, chocolate and bread alone should have a significant effect on your weight loss provided you don’t replace them with other junk like icecream, fizzy drinks and greasy takeaways.
What's that?
I actually wasn't joking on the teeth bit, the longer the sugar is in your mouth the more decay as there will be more residual sugar left behind. Chewing is also more likely to result in "bits" of food getting stuck in teeth.
Straws are good as they pretty much bypass all your teeth apart from a few molars.
Drinking it "straight" will involve most teeth getting a coating.
Agreed a bowl of just fruit isn't ideal and will lead to sugar spikes, I don't think I would ever have just fruit in anything I would make myself (there would be yogurt, peanut butter, seeds, etc.)
As I said, I assumed you were joking. But if not… a straw is good as it means you swallow quickly. Drinking normally is quick too, does it even touch your top teeth? Chewing exposes all the teeth for longer to more concentrated juice. (smoothies are diluted). But less juice too. But it's the residual sugar that causes decay.
A smoothie is maybe ~5% sugar, milk is the same. Fruit is ~10% (and you don't extract all the juice). I wouldn't be worried about sugar decay in any of those. The issue is sweets that are close to 100% sugar, chewed for ages, getting stuck in the teeth. And soft drinks that are are combo of sugar and acids.
A bowl of fruit is not a very balanced breakfast imo. An all fruit puree smoothie isn't either. The types of smoothies that you'll see recommended will be some blend of protein, fruit, milk (or alternative "milk"), maybe seeds and nuts (if it fits your macros). If I was to have a smoothie, it might be 300 cal, 30g protein, <10g sugar (2.5%). I wouldn't stress about the sugar content, or the calories. It's just a really simple meal.
Well, to be fair what I said was
The fibre within smoothies is already broken down for you by the act of blending, sure its still there, but its liquidised so it changes how it will be absorbed into your blood stream
and I have since clarified that I was talking about how the sugar was absorbed.
Being digested 5-10 minutes later potentially means 5-10 minutes more consumption and consumption of a liquid is easier and faster than a solid.
I'm not going to continue this tit for tat so will leave it there.
I'm pretty sure your teeth will get far more exposure to rot from a smoothie than chewing fruit, a liquid is always going to cover more surface area than chunks of fruit.
Using a straw significantly reduces the issue, so ideally you should always use a straw for all drinks containing sugar.
/edit to add, or just don't drink sugary drinks!
Have you seen a transparent ketchup??
I know this is tongue in cheek. But as @Tim Robbins is genuinely asking for information.
Chewing fruit will probably expose your teeth directly to more sugar. As the teeth have to macerate the food vrs being bypassed (even though blended will have more cells "opened").
I don't believe it'll significantly impact teeth rot. But if we're scaremongering, might as well be accurate.
I believe you initially said that smoothies had lots of sugar with no fibre involved, in comparison to whole fruit. But has we’ve now acknowledged, that’s not the case. I think your mixed up juice and smoothies. You said blending affects the absorption of fibre. Which was also incorrect. Sugar may be absorbed slightly faster. But it all gets absorbed. Being digested 5-10 mins faster is unlikely to be significant. The same calories get absorbed.
The argument seams to have shifted slightly to easier to consume more, less satisfying. Which I've never disputed. But I’ve also never accidentally put 4 bananas into a smoothie. I bet it would be pretty heavy and filling. To eat more, would really be a conscious effort. A bowl of yogurt and fruit for breakfast is probably as satiating as the same food in smoothie. Calorific intake is not different. Fruits are basically fully digested whether blended or not. Or any difference is so infinitesimally, that it's really not going to be the problem for anyone's diet imo.
The sweetcorn example isn't relevant. It's not a fruit. People don't put it in smoothies afaik. Sweetcorn is actually a seed. Seeds have a outer layer (pericarp) whose purpose is to prevent it from being digested, so they pass through the gut (to be "planted"). You really can't apply the same mechanic to chewed apple.
Apologies, I didn't mean to imply that fibre was absorbed into the blood stream, I meant how the food would be absorbed differently if its already broken down by blending vs eaten whole.
I dont believe that I said sugar was higher or fibre lower for smoothies? I said that how the fruit is absorbed by the body is different. Of course blending doesnt change the content of the food, but it does change how your body reacts to it.
The same calorific intake can be treated differently by the body, depending on how its ingested. Try eating blended sweetcorn vs whole raw sweetcorn.
Fibre doesn’t get absorbed by the blood stream. whether blended or not. Our bodies are very good at getting all the energy (ie the sugar) from fruit. It’s also absorbed quickly - relative to other foods.
None of those articles back up what you claimed. That sugar is higher and fibre lower. Some may have read that way as they generalised smoothies and juices (which do remove the fibre and concentrate the sugar). Others mentioned how adding a smoothie on top of a meal is additional calories.. But having the whole fruit would also be additional cals.
Another pointed out that a smoothie doesn’t cancel out eating rubbish. These are not high level nutritional articles. It’s simply saying they’re not magic for those that might be under that illusion.
It’s easy to eat food fast when blended. That’s clear, obviously. But drinking some strawberries, an apple and a kiwi blended is the same calories, sugar and fibre as eating them whole.
Your teeth will rot more
Your brain freeze will last longer
Your smoothie will be warmer
Part of the issue is that its WAY easier to drink more than you could eat, couple that with feeling less satiated from a smoothie vs solid fruit and you end up with more calories going in and being absorbed.
Agreed, no argument on the incoming nutritional value, but there is a difference in how your body reacts to those nutrients, depend on the form, which could have an impact on the calorific impact, even if its only tied to satiety.
Not disputing that smoothies are easier to digest, as it’s essentially pre chewed food. This makes it easier to consume more calories than in its solid form as you simply don’t get full as easily.
The nutritional value of solid and liquid fruit is the same though.
What happens if you drink a smoothie slowly?
Hmmm interesting to know. I personally would not be putting more fruit in than I would eat in a single sitting. The most recent smoothie I would have made had a single banana, a couple cubes of frozen spinach, a few cubes of frozen pineapple, and a stick of celery. And it certainly leaves me feeling full to the point I happily skip breakfast and lunch. I can't imagine being able to stomach an over abundance of fruit or force that much down my gullet :)
If some people are putting much larger quantities in and are drinking more fruit than they might be capable of eating straight - then you guys certainly have more of a point than I initially gave credit for. I just haven't seen anyone do that myself and any smoothies I have seen created had a more than moderate portion control in play.
Funny we got to this from a discussion of Ketchup! But anyway one recent smoothie I made just to give an example was:
Which I drank over an hour from 12pm to 1pm as my first meal of the day and I had nothing else until a full carnivore evening meal.
Whatever else one might say about my smoothie I do not think an inordinate amount of fruit or calories was involved :) Though someone on a recent podcast made it clear they would take strong exception to the use of flaxseed. But I do moderate my use of that so I doubt it's an issue.
Smoothies > juice, for sure, but a lot of dietitians would make the argument that if you wouldn't eat that much fruit in one sitting - and let's face it, most people wouldn't - then you shouldn't be drinking it either.
The length of time it takes to eat something (and also whether it requires chewing or not) has a huge impact on satiety. If you had to peel, chew and swallow the amount of fruit and yoghurt that's in an average smoothie, your body would be telling you you're full long, long before you've finished. That generally just doesn't happen with a smoothie, and therefore it's much easier to then go ahead and eat another pile of calories that you don't actually need because you don't feel full.
They're not the demon drink some people make out by any means, but I do think they can probably be a bit tricky for people who haven't quite learned the basics of nutrition, bioavailability of calories, understanding true hunger etc. yet.
The fibre within smoothies is already broken down for you by the act of blending, sure its still there, but its liquidised so it changes how it will be absorbed into your blood stream. If you eat raw/whole fruit not all of the sugar will be released/absorbed and it will be done more slowly.
Thats the theory anyway!
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/317388#risks
https://www.diabetes.org.uk/guide-to-diabetes/enjoy-food/what-to-drink-with-diabetes/fruit-juices-and-smoothies#avoid
https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/heart-matters-magazine/nutrition/5-a-day/smoothies
https://www.independent.ie/life/health-wellbeing/healthy-eating/you-cant-ignore-the-sugar-content-this-is-how-your-body-digests-juices-smoothies-and-fruit/35622955.html
I think you are making a very small mistake but one that is quite common. You are mixing up "smoothies" with "juices". So what you say above is entirely correct - but you are saying it about the wrong thing.
With smoothies you are still getting the entire fruit. Fibre and all. Sometimes more fibre in fact because many people like myself having a smoothie would throw in something like a stick of celery to the mix. Or you would put in things you otherwise would throw away if you were eating the fruit straight. You know for example when you peel a banana and between the skin and the banana is those long "strings" that people pull off and throw away? They go in my smoothies happily. As does the skin from kiwis for example which many people do not eat.
What I suspect you are thinking of - quite rightly - is juicing. There you are taking out the juice and removing much of the "Flesh" of the fruit. Which means you are getting less fibre and also means you need more fruit to satiate yourself. I have rarely seen someone sit down and eat 5 oranges straight. Usually 1 is enough. But juice them and you can bang back 5 or 10 oranges in a single sitting and still be wondering how long it is until lunch.
I am someone who occasionally likes to take a good smoothie. Mostly because I like the taste frankly rather than it being a specific dietry choice. And often I have one when I want to take some supplments that I do not particularly enjoy taking straight. So if I am having a smoothie you would likely find me adding my creatine, premethylated vitamins, liquid d3/k2, and a few other things into it. Just takes the hassel out of taking them any other way.
But as you say I would tend to do things that make the smoothie feel more "filling" so that it becomes a meal in itself and not a supplementary intake to other meals. So the full flesh of every fruit would go in. Sometimes a raw egg. Sometimes a small quantity of flax or other seeds, spirulina seaweed, Chia and so on. Frozen Spinach is common for me. Often a good smoothie for me would entirely replace the breakfast AND lunch I would otherwise have had on that day.
So really it comes down to what you put in them. You use them for weight gain. They can just as easily be used for weight loss. And when I am looking to lose weight for a Jujitsu competition or something - a combination of smoothies and an otherwise full on carnivore only diet for the rest of the day - is what I have found works for me and my individual body systems both in terms of the fastest weight loss and my feeling powerful, flexible, alive, focused, satiated and optimised.
In fact were it not for the fact I miss all the other foods out there - I sometimes wonder why I am not on that diet 100% of the year :) It's the diet that makes me feel the best by literally every measure. I just love all the other food life has to offer too much to stick to that diet full time. So I use that diet for competition or for a "cleanse" when I feel my well being is slipping. But I know other atheletes and fighters who would diet and bloat if they used my diet.
So its defnitely a YMMV thing.
Why would raw fruit be any better for you? Same sugar content. Same fibre content.
I doubt the difference in digestion time is significant. 25mins vrs 30mins type of thing.
There's a massive amount BS out there. It's all tied up in trends, optics and marketing. It's why I mentioned glossy mags and tabloids, as they are the biggest peddlers of that stuff.
Sausages get associated with the dirty big fry. But if get with ones decent protein content, with two eggs and a piece of bread. It's a pretty balanced low cal breakfast. Avocado on toast is prob similar cals. Low protein and much higher fat than the "fry" above. A bowl of muesli, again similar. All carbs/sugar. No protein or fat.
The one that is most likely to be demonised is likely the most balanced. I'm not suggest it everyday, but I am suggesting its better than the other two options that tick the "healthy" box.
Smoothies are a great way to get a complete meal in 60 seconds. But you have to remember it is a full meal, not a health drink. I do smoothies if I'm rushing out the door. If you are not rushing, I don't see the point. And certain don't add one to your regular breakfast increase you're 5-a-day. As you're also increased your calories. Again, if you are going to use them in a rush, keep the carbs vrs protein in balance.
Given that you need to lose weight, your doctor could be recommending to avoid the smoothies as a form of calorie control.
Minimising liquid calories is generally a good approach for weight loss. While the ingredients in smoothies are healthy, they allow you to take in a lot of calories long before you'd start to feel full. I recommend them to clients who are trying to gain weight for this very reason.
Fiber does not magically disappear from fruit just because it has been blended. All blending does is turn fruit from solid to liquid. The nutrients are the same.
Smoothies get lots of sugar (fructose) into your blood stream quickly with little to no fibre involved, "free sugar"
Raw fruit is much better for you.
I don't have a clue, I admit it and happy to learn. There's a huge amount of BS out there, incredible. One thing that is confusing me. The Dr said ok pull back on the smoothies, the carbs etc.
I'm thinking if you have a smoothie with just greek yogurt and some fruit, how could that be that bad? ice - cream yes. Get that.
Maybe a day midweek if I WFH or on Saturday. Maybe not at all some weeks. It’s not an issue if you are buying decent quality, and pay attention to nutritional data.
Based on your posts above, seems your impression of nutrition is very much on tabloid or glossy magazine type advice. Demonising saturated fat, overfocused on sugar instead of energy, healthy or unhealthy based on optics (red meat bad, brown bread good).
Using the sausage as an example. Why do you think that sounds not great? Does avocado on brown bread sound “healthier”? The nutritional data might surprise you.
How often do you put the suasage in the air fryer? That doesn't sound great in my humble opinion
Personally I tend to be in the go so grab a protein shake and a coffee. Maybe an oat/protein bar if I’ve a intense gym day planned.
But if I’m having breakfast. I’ll have eggs often. Poached, scrambled, fried. All the sane really. On some thin toast, maybe with a sausage or two in the air fryer. And maybe some ketchup 😉.
You are confusing salt and sodium. RDA is 2g of sodium, which is 5g of salt. 250mg is 1/20 or 5%, not 1/8.
I don’t think I’d consider ketchup to be problematical high in salt. much lower than say soy sauce, teriyaki, oyster/fish sauce.
It’s critical to have some salt. 2g of salt is about the minimum intake we need, not a limit. There wouldn’t be much in the above. So would worry too much about a little ketchup with a sausage or on a sandwich.
