A committed dieter shared her experience of how her body reacted to a month-long fruit-only diet.
Typically, people adjust their eating habits to align with specific health and wellness goals. This might involve cutting out certain foods or consuming more of others to achieve benefits like weight loss, improved sleep, better concentration, or other health advantages.
But how many have considered consuming solely fruit?
Shade Martin, a 36-year-old from New York, decided to test this unconventional diet and has opened up about the pros and cons she faced.
Before embarking on the diet, Martin was dealing with shoulder pain that wasn’t responding well to physical therapy and medication.
She discovered that alkaline fruits such as berries, bananas, pineapple, and mangos could have anti-inflammatory effects and hoped they would assist in her recovery.
In a Q&A session with wellness influencer Gillian Berry, Martin detailed her dietary journey. She began by consuming only watermelon for the initial week, followed by six days of eating only grapes. Subsequently, she incorporated a broader array of fruits into her diet.
Discussing the benefits, Martin noted she experienced increased energy levels due to the gradual release of natural sugars and improved mental clarity.
She also mentioned experiencing minimal menstrual cramps and losing 10 pounds.
Despite the potential advantages of the fruit diet, Martin candidly discussed the adverse effects it had on her.
She reported expelling large amounts of phlegm while on the grape-only phase and noted the high fiber content of fruits led to more frequent bathroom visits, which she expected.
Dr. Tracey Brigman, a registered dietitian and professor at the University of Georgia, commented on Martin’s diet, advising against it due to its extreme nature.
Speaking to the Mail Online, she stated: “While fruit is an excellent source of some nutrients, it does not contain all the nutrients needed for health.
“This can result in a variety of health implications. Eating only fruit can lead to deficiencies in protein, healthy fats and some vitamins and minerals found in other food groups.
“Additionally, most fruits are low calorie, which can lead to lack of calorie intake and fatigue as it may be difficult to eat enough fruit to reach required calorie intake.
“For this reason, this diet can lead to malnutrition.”