Fruit: The Good, the Bad, and the Mushy

The best and worst choices in the produce section

Dear Beautyqueen,

I have heard that some fruits are bad for your diet. Is this true?

Thanks,
Wendy

Dear Wendy,

OK, my first thought was there’s no such thing as a bad fruit but then I realized that’s like saying there’s no such thing as a bad boyfriend. And just like boyfriends, there are great fruits, not so great fruits, and fruits that need an extra washing.

That said, what often matters even more than the kind of fruit is the way that you’re eating it — particularly when you are talking about weight loss. Of course you have to remember that whatever fruit you reach for will always be infinitely better than a king size Twix, but check out my fave and not-so-fave fruits below.

Best: Apple
A fab sweet snack on the go, an average apple contains only about 80 calories. Make sure to eat your apple with the skin on — you’ll get 5 grams of fiber that can help reduce your risk of heart disease and cancer.

Worst: Dried Fruit
Although dried fruits are super portable, the water has been taken out, concentrating the sugar and calories. For example, a half cup of fresh grapes contains 30 calories while the same serving of raisins contains about 250 calories.

Best: Grapefruit and other Citrus
Loaded with Vitamin C and tons of other nutrients, citrus fruits are said to help reduce cholesterol and blood pressure. And a half of a grapefruit contains less than 50 calories!

Worst: Coconut
Often covered in chocolate, this high-cal fruit contains 283 calories and 24g of saturated fat per cup. Instead of the caloric fruit itself, why not go for a low-cal but still delicious glass of coconut water instead! (Bonus: it doubles as ahangover cure!)

Best: Melons
Honeydew, cantaloupe, watermelon…they are all healthy and delicious. Melons are low in calories, high in flavor, and are known to prevent kidney disorders, high blood pressure, cataracts, and diabetes.

Worst: Fruit Juice
It seems harmless but many fruit juices are made from concentrate with added refined sugar and calories. Not to mention that you don’t get as much fiber from the juice, which means you don’t get the same kind of fullness that you do with a piece of fruit.


Best: Berries
Berries are amazing! Blueberries are potent health helpers, chock full of antioxidants. Strawberries are high in Vitamin C and folic acid, raspberries are full of fiber, and cranberries can do wonders for a urinary tract infection.

Worst: Canned Fruit
OK, this one seems obvious. Drowning your fruits in sugary syrup isn’t doing anyone’s diet any good! Not to mention, fruit tastes better fresh!

Best: Papaya
Exotic and tasty, papayas are a great choice! Full of vitamins C, B, folate, and fiber, papayas promote cardiovascular health and protect against colon cancer.

Worst: Tomato Sauce and Ketchup
Don’t laugh. In case you didn’t hear, the Department of Agriculture was trying to justify pizza- and French fry-filled school cafeterias by saying tomato sauce is a vegetable (a throwback to the Reagan era, it seems). Crazy, but what’s even crazier…tomato is a fruit!

Let’s Talk About How Lindsay Lohan And Alexa Chung Looked At Last Night’s amFar Event Gala

It’s still relatively surprising when you see that Lindsay Lohan has not only shown up to an event, but has actually been invited. How many times have we heard that she’s either been snubbed by a fellow “celebrity” or kicked out of something because she’s a hot mess? A lot. However, somehow she got an invite to the amFar Benefit Gala last night, so let’s discuss.

Rocking a white Tom Ford dress and Prada shoes, from faraway, Lohan could almost look good, but as you get closer, that hot mess that is the LiLo is clearly still there. Look at the bags under the eyes, the skin that has been overcooked in tanning beds, and the fact that she is absolutely looking just like her mom, Dina — they could pass as twins! It’s hard to believe she’s only 25 years old. I wonder how she thinks she looks in this photo.

Also at the event was Alexa Chung in a Louis Vuitton silk shit from the spring/summer 2012 dress. I don’t know if it’s just a bad angle, but she looks not only unrecognizable, but as though she’s lost about 20 pounds. Models shouldn’t lose 20 pounds. Granted, she’s probably been hard at work on her new reality series, 24 Hour Catwalk, but the girl is looking almost as old as Ms. Lohan. No one wants to be put in the Lohan category.

Sarah Jessica Parker, who is about 20 years old than these two, looked pretty damn good.

Thoughts?

(photos: Vogue UK)

You can reach this post's author, Megan Blackmon, on twitter.

Reuse, Restyle, Revamp

Get a wardrobe makeover without spending a dime

For those of us without Carrie Bradshaw’s closets full of never-ending designer goodies, it’s up to us to wear, wash, and re-wear our clothes without getting sick of them. Short of finding a Mr. Big or a career in whatever Mr. Big does (what exactly does he do?), the best way to jazz up your wardrobe is to ditch the conventional attitude. As Confucius wisely said — a scarf isn’t always a scarf! Here are six ways to reinterpret your wardrobe with an innovative spin.

Hike up Your Skirt

OK, not like that. Hike up a long skirt to the chest, and voilà, you have a nifty tube dress. If you feel like you’re drowning in your new gown, try adding a belt at your natural waist.

Scarf it Down

Take advantage of a pashmina’s versatility. There are literally hundreds of ways to tie scarves. I like to wear my scarves as belts, but they can be a top, skirt, head wrap, headband, and more.

No More Plain White Tees

You can pair your classic, solid-colored tops with huge or long necklaces, and the more the merrier! That boring tee just became embellished. Booyah!

Mix and Match

Who says that dress has to be a dress? For example, by wearing a flowy skirt on top of short dress, suddenly, you’re wearing a two-piece outfit: dress as a top, flowy skirt as bottom, and sexy you underneath! It’s perfect for cooler temps!

Think Backwards

Redefine what the “front” of your outfit is. Take your cropped, slim-fitting cardigan, button it up completely, turn it around, and wear it as a top.

xx, Beautyqueen