JKCI nutritionist sees dangers in eating randomly mixed fruits

DAR ES SALAAM: A nutritionist from the Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute (JKCI), Husna Faraji, has cautioned Tanzanians not to eat randomly mixed fruits, saying it is very dangerous to the body.

Ms Faraji has identified the dangers of eating more than two mixed fruits, including weight gain that leads to heart disease and high blood pressure.

Speaking to the Daily News Digital in Dar es Salaam, Husna said that a person is advised to eat one or two fruits per meal to avoid the effects of a large increase in blood sugar levels.

She said that each fruit has its own nutrients and its importance in the body, so in areas where fruits are common, they should use those available in that area.

“For residents of urban areas, we advise them not to eat more than two types of fruits at a time because of the type of activity we are doing, and if you eat a lot of fruit at one time, you increase the amount of sugar and gain weight.

Adding, she said, “We advise that two types of fruits in one meal can be separated by four or six hours, for example, in the morning at one o’clock you eat a piece of banana and avocado, in the afternoon at seven o’clock you eat a piece of orange and cucumber and in the evening you eat grapes or cucumber rather than one meal and put orange, banana, avocado.

She also explained that it is not right to grind fruit and use juice as a substitute for fruit because when fruit is ground, important nutrients that are needed are removed.

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“It is not right to drink a glass of juice instead of fruit, a fruit should be eaten as it is because if you grind it, you will lose fiber that is beneficial for digestion and provides you with nutrients and also if you use juice, you are using a lot of fruit at one time and we know that fruits are sugary and if the amount is too high, it can cause non-communicable diseases,” she emphasized.

Speaking about the right time to eat, she said there are dietary rules that they advise people, including considering the time to eat, preparing meals, and exercising.

“When you eat a lot of food in the evening, you are at risk of gaining weight because food digestion is slow since a person has been sleeping for six to eight hours, so if you eat late, you are at greater risk of gaining weight.

She advised that dinner should be eaten early and that you reduce the amount of carbohydrates and sugar at night and increase the intake of leafy vegetables.

“As we say, we should consider time, foods should not be stored for a long time because as the days go by, they reduce the strength of heart patients, the use of fat is very low, and the intake of vegetables and fruits increases,” she said.