Apples and Exercise Promote Body Fat Loss After Weight Loss Surgery

We’ve all heard of marathon runners who ate heavy pasta the night before a 26-mile run in what is commonly called “carb loading.” It is an effort to supply the body with energy efficient carbohydrates that will be a ready fuel source for race time the following morning. But for the average person who engages in modest physical activity to lose or control weight, such a carbohydrate load is detrimental to our efforts. In fact, there are very few occasions when one requires the energy to perform physically that a carbohydrate-rich meal warrants.

Weight loss surgery (WLS) patients who follow their bariatric guidelines know that they must exercise every day to lose weight and maintain that weight loss. As you lose weight, endurance and intensity of physical activity will naturally increase. Often times, traditional physical activity enthusiasts will encourage WLS patients to eat high-carbohydrate, high-energy snack bars before exercising. These can negate the caloric benefits of exercise for the patient and lead to discouragement when weight loss stalls or weight gain occurs.

For many WLS patients, a better solution is to eat a nutrient-rich apple about 30 minutes before exercise. Apples are low-glycemic *, which means eating one instead of a high-glycemic energy bar will reduce the amount of insulin needed to digest it. That makes it easier for the body to burn fat, and when the low-glycemic snack is followed by exercise, the body will continue to burn fat for hours to come. Our goal in weight loss is to lose body fat, not muscle, so combining a low-glycemic snack with exercise is beneficial in reaching this goal.

Apples are available year-round and affordable. They are exceptionally rich in antioxidants, which can help offset the damage caused by free radicals, an unfortunate byproduct of daily exercise. They are also rich in vitamin C and potassium. A medium apple provides about 81 calories and almost 4 grams of fiber. Part of the fiber in apples is pectin, which can help lower blood cholesterol. Before exercising, try slicing an apple pie and brushing the slices with peanut or almond butter (2 teaspoons). This will add a perfect balance of protein and fat to your healthy low-glycemic snack before exercise.

In the market, look for apples that are hard and without bruises. Most of our best supermarkets now carry less common apples alongside the well-known Golden Delicious and Red Delicious varieties. Try Empire, Fuji, Jonagold, or Crispin apples. But don’t forget about the old favorites, including the tart and juicy Granny Smith.

* Foods with a low glycemic index have less effect on blood glucose than foods with a high glycemic index. High GI foods tend to cause spikes in glucose levels, while low GI foods tend to cause slight spikes. Different carbohydrate foods can behave very differently in the body. Some break down quickly during digestion and release glucose quickly into the bloodstream; others gradually break down and slowly leak glucose into the bloodstream.

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