My wife came home all excited the other day after watching some talk show at her mother’s house. Someone was proclaiming the benefits of pineapple as a weight-loss device. It seemed to me I’d heard something about this before, but couldn’t quite place it: maybe it was Dick Gregory…or the rotund weatherman on the Today Show? I’m not sure. But there are worse things in life than eating pineapple. As a matter of fact, I really enjoy pineapple. I’m not too thrilled with cutting off the husk, but that’s nothing compared to the benefits of shedding a few pounds. Eternal skeptic that I am — I decided to do some digging around first.
O-k…so a pineapple is one of those fruits that you can enjoy all year round. But what’s the real deal on the fruit’s nutritional value? Can eating pineapple really help you lose weight? Let’s check out a few facts:
First the bad news: there’s no one food item that can magically shed off the pounds. Now the good news: a slice of pineapple contains abut 40 calories and no fat — that’s according to www.sciencepolicy.colorado.edu – and is rich in water (nearly 186%) and that will certainly stimulate you to go to the bathroom. The good thing about pineapple is that it contains the enzyme Bromolina – which not only is a natural anti-inflammatory agent that is good for your skin and muscles. So in that respect – pineapple may be considered a natural defense against cellulite.
Coupled with that, according to a study conducted at Oregon State University (www.food.oregonstate.edu) – if you eat a serving of pineapple and apples after your meal it helps keep your stomach from being bloated. Thanks to presence of vitamin C and pectin, the digestion of your meal goes a lot smoother – especially when whatever it is you ate is passing through your intestines.
Something to watch out for: most dieticians suggest that if you are going to eat pineapple it is better to eat fresh pineapple. Not the pineapple you get in a can that is pre-cut, sliced and stuck in syrup. By that point, there really IS no point: most of the good things in a pineapple have been flushed out.
Also — when it comes to including pineapple in your diet, it means eat the raw, fresh pineapple. You don’t include pineapple in cake, or on a pizza or in a milk shake or whatever and then wonder why you’re not shedding any pounds.
Some pros and cons:
Fresh Pineapple: Pro: Quick energy, easily digested and encourages regularity.
Con: A pain in the butt to prepare. You may find that after you cut off the husk and eliminate the center (which many times is too tough or fibrous to eat) there’s just not much pineapple left to enjoy. And you have to know if the pineapple is ripe (here’s a hint: if the pineapple is a bit soft to the touch then that’s good).
Conservation: Pro: Bite-size chunks fit in tupperware
Con: If pineapple is left in the light it can lose its Vitamin C content, and if not consumed between 24 and 48 hours at the most it will start to go bad.
Pineapple Juice: Pro: Fresh pineapple juice is a great alternative to water when it comes to re-hydrating and flushing your system. Quickly assimilated and provides quick energy. Low calorie and no fat.
Con: Sweetened pineapple juice is full of sugar and the sugar outweighs any healthy benefits the juice may have had. Namely the sugar jacks up the calorie content. Also, processed pineapple juice loses its fiber content and a lot of its vitamin C.
Canned Pineapple: Pro: Easily accessible – once you open the can. Pre-cut.
Con: Too much sugar, little or no fiber, little of no vitamin content. Go fresh, baby, it’s the only way to go with pineapple.
So there you go. I didn’t see the program that got my wife all worked up. But from I’ve learned you can’t live by pineapple alone. I am convinced that pineapple is a great addition to any meal. A great substitute for desserts and better to drink than water in many respects (and certainly better than anything carbonated).
A healthy diet is just part of any effort to lose weight and limiting yourself to any one food item — whether its pineapple or ice cream or beer — will do you more harm than good in the long run.
