Fruit, Weight Loss, and Menopause
- Doc Mac
- Mar 24
- 9 min read
Updated: Mar 27
WEIGHT OPTIMIZATION COURSE
TESTING FRUIT
The Food Sensitivity Testing Order
I've divided the twelve food groups into four categories. When setting your weight, you begin with Food Group Two and work your way down methodically, one food group per week.
I have tested this protocol on thousands of clients and found it essential to slowly rebuild the microbiome from the least sensitive food group to the most sensitive.
"Each food group methodically strengthens your microbiome by increasing the variety of microbiota."
The Group One Food Group comprises the foods we test while we journey to achieve our bottom, healthy, happy, ideal weight. The Meso Menu. The foods in Group One are part of The Meso Meso but are not used until you reach the second half of your weight loss journey.
GROUP ONE (The Meso Menu)
Fats
Proteins
High Fiber Vegetables
The first food group we will add is low-glycemic fruit.
GROUP TWO - LOW GLYCEMIC FRUIT
"Doc, what do you mean by low glycemic?"
The Glycemic Index (GI) ranks foods on a scale of 0 to 100 based on how quickly they raise blood sugar levels. Here's the breakdown:
Low GI = 55 or less
Medium GI = 56–69
High GI = 70 or more
Fruit is considered low glycemic when it causes a slow, gradual rise in blood glucose, which is excellent for insulin sensitivity, hunger control, and hormone harmony.
Factors that influence a fruit's GI:
Fiber content – More fiber = slower digestion
Sugar type – Fructose has a lower GI than glucose
Ripeness – Riper fruit = higher GI
Acidity – More acidic = lower GI (lemon juice is your friend!)
Processing – Whole > Juiced > Dried (generally)
THE MESO FRUIT
INTRODUCTION
You can add fruit in the second half of your weight loss journey. For example, if you need to lose 30 pounds, you can begin testing fruit once you've lost 15.
"Fruit may not work as a weight-loss food, so you must test it."
You must test one low-glycemic fruit at a time. While still losing weight, only test one low-glycemic fruit per week.
There are several ways to test the Meso-Fruit.
Replace the vegetable serving with one serving of Meso-Fruit from the list below.
If you suffer from the four o'clock hunger pang, add a serving of Meso-Fruit there.
If you don’t sleep as well as you would like, end your day with a serving of Meso-Fruit from the list below.
GLYCEMIC LOAD
There are two glycemic values:
The Glycemic index
The Glycemic Load
We will be testing fruit that have both a low glycemic index and load.
"Glycemic load (GL) measures how quickly a food raises blood sugar."
MESO-MENU TESTING
Developing your permanent Meso-Menu is all about experimentation.
As you have probably learned, not all vegetables on The Meso-Vegetable List work.
What I mean by “work” is that a vegetable on the list might have stalled your weight loss and, in some cases, even caused weight gain.
Recall that the primary purpose of Meso-Menu is to switch you from a fat-storing to a fat-burning state by keeping insulin levels low and glucagon levels high.
“If your food elevates blood sugar, insulin will be released. Elevated insulin places you into a fat-storing state. If we keep insulin from being released, glucagon will be released, and you will release fat that can be used as fuel.”
The Meso-Meso comprise three food groups that, up to this point:
Build muscle (protein)
Improve our microbiomes (vegetables).
Induce ketosis (fat-burning)
We have been eating clean animal protein, high-fiber vegetables, and God-made fats to become better and better, slenderer and slenderer, healthier and healthier.
Clean animal proteins have a zero glycemic load.
God-made fats have zero glycemic load.
High-fiber vegetables have low glycemic loads.
MESO FRUIT
“I define a meso-fruit as a fruit with a low Glycemic Load Value, therefore, not causing a blood sugar spike.”
GLYCEMIC LOAD
Here are some general guidelines for GL:
Low: 10 or less
Medium: 11 to 19
High: 20 or higher
For example, a large ripe banana has a GL of 22.
MESO-FRUIT TESTING
If you test one of the meso-fruits and your weight loss stalls or you gain weight,
Insulin was released
You have a sensitivity to that particular fruit.
While losing weight, test only one fruit a week. However, if you have reached your bottom weight room without testing any fruit, which many of my clients do, you can test three fruits a week, one every 48 hours.
The first time you test a fruit, only eat three bites. If you continue to lose weight or if you are at your bottom weight and don't gain weight the next day, you can eat your typical amount of fruit, but don't eat too much because too much of any food will cause an insulin spike.
FOOD SENSITIVITIES
"I define sensitivity to a food as a food that causes an inflammatory response."
An inflammatory response, or inflammation, is the body's defense mechanism against harmful substances. The body releases chemicals that trigger an immune response to destroy and rid the body of the toxic substance.
"When I write about your gut, I am writing about the bacteria in your gut and the permeability of your gut’s lining."
You'll bloat if you don’t have the proper bacteria to digest your fruit. Bloating can stall weight loss or even cause weight gain. Consuming a little fruit and letting the bacteria flourish before you add more can improve your gut and ability to eat fruit without causing an inflammatory response.
I have found that some women struggle with fruit and weight loss. Most men do not have any problem with fruit.
“Whereas premenopausal women can store excess energy from fructose as subcutaneous fat stores (i.e., hips and thighs), postmenopausal women can't -- ending with more fatty acids in the bloodstream and metabolic issues [like high triglyceride levels and insulin resistance] as a result.”
“...women are more likely to be affected by fructose intolerance than men. One study found that women are more likely to experience symptoms and have more fructose malabsorption than men.”
“Eventually, people who consume too much fructose can develop nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, a condition in which too much fat is stored in the liver cells.”
Fructose, also known as "fruit sugar," is a monosaccharide sugar that occurs naturally in fruits, vegetables, honey, and fruit juices. It's the sweetest naturally occurring carbohydrate, 1.2–1.8 times sweeter than sucrose (table sugar), and provides four calories per gram.
THE FIRST FRUIT TO TEST: AVOCADO
“The avocado's glycemic load (GL) is 0.9, classifying it as a very low-GL fruit.”
The first fruit we will test is avocado. Yes! Avocados are fruits. I will not get into the definition of a fruit too profoundly because that will only confuse you, but the basic definition is that it is an ovary from a flowering plant.
You see, you're confused?
Avocados contain some of the healthiest God-made fats of any food. If avocados were indeed a superfood, they would be first on my list. Their fat is unsaturated, which helps lower cholesterol. There are primarily two types of avocado at the local grocery store.
The Haas avocado is dark green and has nubby skin. It grows year-round in California.
The Florida avocado has smooth, bright green skin. It contains about half the fat and a third fewer calories than Haas avocados.
“Remember, healthy, God-made fats don’t make you fat. They can acutally cause you to lose weight more quickly.”
Avocados and their oil can help you lose weight faster, but limit the quantity to about a third of an avocado.
Avocados begin to ripen immediately after they have been harvested. Avocados are ready to eat when the stem comes out easily. Eat slices of avocado; they are calorically dense.
"Avocado Hack: To speed up the ripening process, place an avocado in a paper bag with an apple or banana for two to three days."
One serving (about one-third of a medium Haas avocado) provides about 80 calories and nearly 20 different nutrients, many of which are considered heart-healthy, including unsaturated fat, fiber, vitamin K, vitamin E, and potassium.
Mac Recipe: Scoop the flesh of an avocado into a bowl and mash with a fork; add a teaspoon of fresh lime or lemon juice and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. I like to place one-third of this smashed avocado on my scrambled eggs or any food enhanced by its flavor.
THE SECOND FRUIT TO TEST: OLIVES
“Olives have a glycemic load (GL) of 0.9, making them a low-GL fruit.”
"Olives are very high in vitamin E and other powerful antioxidants. Studies show that they are good for the heart and may protect against osteoporosis and cancer. The healthy fats in olives are extracted to produce olive oil, one of the key components of the incredibly healthy Mediterranean diet."
THE THIRD FRUIT TO TEST: APPLES
“A medium-sized raw apple has a GL of around 5, so it's unlikely to cause a significant spike in blood sugar levels for most people.”
Whenever you have a sweet craving or if you hit that mid-afternoon hunger pang, my go-to hunger reliever is an apple.
As you probably read in an earlier course, snacking is one of the reasons Americans are overweight. I do not endorse snacking. But many of us feel tired and hungry around 4 PM. If we don’t satiate this hunger, our work suffers, and we have a greater chance of overeating dinner.
Remember to test with three bites of an apple the first time you test.
A grass-fed beef stick best quells this mid-afternoon hunger strike, but apples work very well for most of us. I currently have two clients who are very sensitive to apples and will bloat if they eat one, so as you can see, apples do not work for everyone.
THE FOURTH FRUIT TO TEST: BERRIES
The glycemic load of strawberries is 1.9
The glycemic load of blueberries is 2.0.
The glycemic load of blackberries is 2.5
The glycemic load of raspberries is 2.7.
.As you can see, berries have a very low glycemic load.
"Berries are considered one of the healthiest foods you can eat. They are high in fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, potassium, magnesium, and prebiotics. Berries are also low in sugar and can help reduce the risk of many age-related conditions."
When it comes to berries, pay attention to portion size. Less than a cup works well.
THE FIFTH FRUIT TO TEST: CITRUS
The glycemic load of a lemon is 0.6
The glycemic load of a grapefruit is 1.2.
The glycemic load of a tangerine is 3.9
The glycemic load of an orange is 4.1
Yes, citrus fruits are healthy and can have many benefits. Citrus fruits contain large amounts of vitamin C, an essential antioxidant that helps protect against free radical damage.
Vitamin C is also essential for collagen synthesis, which helps keep bones, ligaments, tendons, skin, blood vessels, and teeth strong.
Citrus fruits have a decent amount of fiber. Soluble fiber can help reduce LDL, or "bad" cholesterol levels, lowering the risk of heart disease.
Citrus fruits have a large amount of flavonoids (God's Medicine). Flavonoids protect against oxidative stress, inflammation, diabetes, dyslipidemia, endothelial dysfunction, and atherosclerosis.
Citrus fruits also have a decent amount of Minerals. Oranges are high in iron and copper, which can benefit people with hemoglobin production disorders and other conditions caused by mineral deficiencies.
Citrus fruits help us stay hydrated. Citrus fruits are mostly water, which can help keep you hydrated.
OTHER MESO FRUITS
Apricot 3.8 GL
Quince 3.8 GL
Cherry Plum 0.0 GL
Cherry 4.0 GL
Pear 4.7 GL
Nectarine 4.1 GL
Prickly Pear 3.4 GL
Peach 4.0 GL
Passion Fruit 4.0 GL
Plum 3.9 GL
Currants 1.9 GL
When it comes to fruit, chew it longer than you usually would. Decreasing the quantity and increasing the time you take to eat it is essential when adding it to your Meso-Menu.
And remember,
IT'S ALL ABOUT OUR HORMONES!
"We are nothing more than reflections of our hormones."
Lose weight! Feel great!
I offer a free introductory coaching program to help participants achieve sustainable weight optimization. This program includes:
Daily Accountability.
24/7 Personalized Support.
Step-by-step guidance via the HOPE Email Course.
Pre- and Post-Program Consultations.
How to Participate
Click the link below and learn everything you'll need to know top lose weight and feel great.
Final Thoughts:
Weight optimization is a lifelong journey, but with the right tools and support, you can achieve and maintain your ideal weight. Remember to consult with a licensed healthcare professional before starting any program, especially if you have underlying medical conditions.
If you would like to comment on this blog, visit us at:
This Week's Testimonial
Hormone and Weight Optimization
THAT'S WHAT WE DO!
Have the body you wish to Have
THIS WEEK'S US-IE
We've been traveling for the last two weeks. We are in the Sierra Foothills, where wineries flourish, and Vicky is in her realm.
🍷 Doc Mac
Below are links if you missed the first three courses in this series.
© 2025 | Doc Mac Coaching
Disclaimer:
The statements in this course have not been evaluated by the FDA and should not be considered medical advice. Always consult a healthcare professional before beginning any new diet or exercise program.
Comments