A mango a day !!!

Mangoes are in season and they make a tasty and nutritious meal. The “king of fruits”, as mango is sometimes called, is one of the most popular nutritionally rich fruits with unique flavour, taste and health-promoting qualities. They taste so good that you can’t believe they are healthy, but are they!

A common question i am asked about this fruit “Is it true that mangoes are loaded with calories and contribute to weight gain?  I exercise intensely at least five days per week”, will i gain weight with mangoes?

In contrast to our ancestors, we are now eating mangoes with the fear of getting fat and of driving up our blood sugar levels too high. It is true that mangoes are high in natural sugars containing about 31 grams per mango, however, mangoes do not affect your sugar level like many other fruits with high natural sugar content.

The truth is Mangoes are very low in calories, as they possess an average of 110 calories each. The sweetness of mangoes also helps in curbing the appetite for other sweet stuff like biscuits. This is because the high fiber content of mangoes will help to keep you feeling full, so the need to snack is less.

It is safe to say that mangoes are not fattening fruits by themselves. Let’s say you need 2000 calories per day to keep you at a particular weight. Any other food in excess of 2000 calories can let you put on weight, even a bottle of coconut water. The secret is to incorporate mangoes as a part of the calories you need daily. So instead of eating the regular breakfast or dinner, then eat two to three mangoes for breakfast or dinner. Most importantly, eat the fruit rather than having the juice, since juices may provide too many calories.

Health Benefits

  • Mango has high level of vitamin C, pectin and fibers that help to lower serum cholesterol levels. Fresh mango is a rich source of potassium, which is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps to control heart rate and blood pressure.
  • Mangoes help you unclog your pores and add freshness to the face. Mangoes are applicable to any skin type. They help clear clogged pores that cause acne. Just slice a mango into thin pieces and keep them on your face for 10 to 15 minutes and then take bath or wash your face and see the results.
  • Mango is rich in tartaric acid, malic acid and traces of citric acid that primarily help in maintaining the alkali reserve of the body.
  • Not only the fruit but the leaves of mangoes are healthy too. For people suffering from diabetes, just boil 5-6 mango leaves in a vessel, soak it through night and drink the filtered decoction in the morning. This is helps in regulating your insulin levels.
  • Antioxidants like quercetin, isoquercitrin, astragalin, fisetin, gallic acid and methyl gallat present in mango protect the body against colon, breast, leukemia and prostate cancers.
  • Instead of snacking on unhealthy chips and cookies, why not feast on slices of mangoes instead. They are perhaps one of the tastiest dehydrated fruits of all. Of course not the sugar coated ones.

Gastro intestinal Heat with Mangoes

One important reason that mangoes generate a lot of heat is due to the fact that they are artificially ripened using calcium carbide and also the plant is influenced with growth regulators like paclobutrazol. Paclobutrazol is very effective at growing shorter, bushier plants and triggering earlier fruit sets with more pronounced flowering. Calcium carbide,On ingestion, it causes digestive, respiratory and gastrointestinal tract burns, nausea, vomiting, bloating and headache.

Trivia

  • Eat mangoes with the skin to help better weight loss.
  • Mango has a low glycemic index (41-60) so going a little overboard will not increase your sugar levels.
  • Mangoes are called the ‘love fruit’. Mangoes increase the virility in men. Vitamin E, which is abundantly present in mangoes, helps to regulate sex hormones and boosts sex drive.
  • Mango is rich in iron, hence it is a great natural solution for people suffering from anemia. Menopausal and pregnant women can indulge in mangoes as this will increase their iron levels and calcium at the same time.
  • Mangoes are sodium free, cholesterol free and fat free.

If you wish to lose weight, the basics apply. Eat smaller portions. Eat cleaner foods, like fresh fruits and vegetables, eat fewer refined carbohydrates (white flour, sugar, corn syrup)
and stay away from fried foods. Walk a few miles every day. Take your weight reduction seriously.

You didn’t get heavy in a week and you will not lose a lot of weight quickly.

Bewell,
Vivek