The topic of weight loss has been relevant for many years, especially recently, when the cult of a slim and toned body is becoming more common. But not everyone knows how to properly lose weight without causing physical and moral harm to the body.
Many in their attempts to become slimmer harass themselves with various diets, often denying themselves their favorite foods. However, there is a simple and much more delicious diet option - fruit.
Basic principles of nutrition on a fruit diet
A fruit diet, like any other, has several important rules, the observance of which will help to achieve the best result, without causing harm to the body.
1. It is important to remember that a sharp transition from a daily diet to a diet is stressful for the body, so in the first two to three days you should not endure hunger, and eat as much fruit as is necessary to saturate.
2. For breakfast, fruits such as bananas, grapes, mangoes, or any other fruit that are high in calories are best. This will help improve metabolism and provide the body with the necessary energy until the next meal.
3. If you follow this diet, like any other, it is important not to overeat. The optimal size of one serving should not exceed 200-300g.
4. The last meal should be no later than two hours.
5. Every day you need to consume a sufficient amount of drinking still water. You can also drink teas without sugar (the advantage should be given to green and herbal teas). The use of fruit and berry juices is allowed, but they should not contain sugar, it is advisable to drink freshly squeezed juices.
6. The duration of the fruit diet should not exceed 7-10 days. Continuing to follow a diet can lead to a lack of protein, which will negatively affect your health.
7. A fruit diet lasting more than three days is less strict. In this case, in addition to fruits, it is allowed to add vegetables with a low starch content, light vegetable soups, dairy products with a low percentage of fat to the daily diet. The daily diet on such a diet consists of four meals.
8. The fruit diet is quite strict, so it is necessary, if possible, not to abuse mental and physical stress, but instead take longer walks in the fresh air.
Contraindications for a fruit diet
Despite the apparent ease of such a diet, it is forbidden to use it if at least one of the following factors is present:
• diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, of any severity, for example, gastritis, duodenal ulcer;
• diabetes;
• tendency to allergies;
• pregnancy and lactation;
• adolescence up to 16 years;
• the presence of chronic diseases;
• depression;
• anorexia;
• postoperative period.
Even with minor health problems, it is best to consult a specialist before starting such a diet to choose the best menu option.
Sample menu for a fruit diet for three days
Day 1.
Breakfast: a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice, 1 small apple.
Lunch: fruit salad (apple, orange, pear, kiwi, 1 tsp. Low-fat sour cream or unsweetened yogurt).
Dinner: any fruit except banana, a glass of unsweetened green tea.
Day 2
Breakfast: pear and orange, a glass of still water.
Lunch: carrot and fruit salad seasoned with low-fat sour cream, green tea.
Dinner: vegetable salad (cabbage, cucumber, tomato, season with a little olive oil).
Day 3
Breakfast: grapefruit, a glass of unsweetened green tea.
Lunch: vegetable soup (cabbage, onions, carrots, tomato, greens)
Dinner: fruit salad (apple, orange, pear, kiwi, 1 tsp. Low-fat sour cream or unsweetened yogurt).
Varieties of Fruit Diet
In the event that the diet lasts more than three days, the fruit menu needs to be made more balanced and nutritious. Therefore, this diet has many varieties, examples of which are given below.
Mixed Fruit Diet
Breakfast: fruit salad with 1 tsp. low-fat sour cream, green tea or freshly squeezed juice.
Lunch: vegetable puree soup, 150-200 g of lean meat, boiled without salt, any fruit.
Snack: apple and carrot salad seasoned with 1 tsp. nonfat sour cream or yogurt.
Dinner: a salad of any fruit (except bananas and mangoes), a glass of juice or low-fat kefir.
Protein and fruit diet
In this option, the menu can be diversified by adding cottage cheese, feta cheese, low-fat varieties of meat and fish.
Breakfast: 2 boiled eggs and 1 grapefruit.
Lunch: 200-300g of lean meat (beef, turkey, chicken).
Snack: 2 medium apples.
Dinner: 150g of baked fish, 1 orange.
Fruit and milk diet
This type of diet is considered quite strict, but tolerated quite easily.
Breakfast: green tea without sugar.
The following meals should be taken every two hours. The following products alternate:
• 200g fat-free cottage cheese;
• 150-200g of fruit, except bananas;
• 350ml fat-free kefir;
• 200g of any fruit except bananas.
The daily diet with this approach should be accompanied by heavy drinking.
Fruit oat diet
In this type of diet, there are three main meals, consisting of oatmeal, in between which you should eat fruit. Each serving should not exceed 250-300g. In order to diversify the diet, you can add a small amount of nuts and dried fruits to it.
Way out of diet
A fruit diet is effective enough, but in order for the weight not to return, you need to exit the diet correctly.
1. Exit from the diet should take as much time as the diet itself lasted, or a little more.
2. It is impossible to sharply introduce into the diet those products that were excluded during the diet, new products should be added to the menu gradually.
3. After the end of the diet, you should reduce the consumption of sweet, flour and fried. It is not necessary to refuse such food at all, but it is desirable to minimize its amount. You should still drink at least two liters of water per day.
4. Since, with limited nutrition, the volume of the stomach decreases, then after it should be eaten fractionally: in small portions 5-6 times a day.
Compliance with these simple rules will help to consolidate the result of the diet and will not allow excess weight to return again.
Advantages and disadvantages of a fruit diet
The undoubted advantages of a fruit diet include the following:
• this type of diet is ideal for sweet tooth, because fruits, thanks to the sweet taste, help drown the craving for sweets;
• fruits are rich in fiber, so the feeling of fullness comes much faster, which helps not to overeat;
• Due to the high content of vitamins and useful microelements, in particular calcium in fruits and berries, this diet, if observed for a short time, can improve the condition of nails, skin and hair. The iron content helps to normalize blood pressure and regulate blood cholesterol;
• a large number of fruits and berries in the diet helps to speed up the metabolism;
• one of the main advantages is that you don’t need to spend a lot of time cooking, because if you follow a fruit diet, almost all products are eaten raw.
However, like any other diet, fruit has its drawbacks:
• following this type of diet helps to eliminate toxins from the body, and this in turn can be accompanied by such unpleasant manifestations as the appearance of plaque on the tongue or halitosis;
• prolonged dietary restrictions can lead to muscle weakness and, as a result, inability to exercise;
• abuse of this type of diet can lead to protein starvation, and with prolonged exclusion of dairy products, vitamin B2 deficiency may occur.
A fruit diet is one of the most delicious and effective diets, but do not forget that any restriction of nutrition over a long time can harm your health. If you have any ailments or worsen, you must immediately stop the diet and consult a doctor.
