Grapefruit is an ideal fruit for weight loss. It's no joke, it contains approximately 32 kcal per 100 g of pulp, has a bright fresh taste, goes well with protein dishes and can even serve as a salad dressing. However, this is not why the general public is concerned about this citrus - in the eighties of the last century, scientists discovered the bioflavonoid narginine, which, according to some experts, speeds up metabolism. It was then that numerous grapefruit diets appeared, and the juice of this fruit began to be considered almost a natural calorie blocker. Let's say right away that this fruit is really very healthy and can help in the process of weight loss. The main thing is to reduce expectations of a “miracle” and use it correctly.
Calorie content
Having carefully studied the composition and discovered an important element - a flavonoid, doctors proposed packaging the substance in diet pills and selling it in pharmacies. Subsequent studies found that to experience the full power of this type of diet, you need to drink about 6 cups of juice a day. This is approximately 780 calories.
Based on this, it follows that such a representative of citrus fruits is a very high-calorie product, but the effect for weight loss is nevertheless present. The product contains carbohydrates, proteins, fats, phytoncides, and natural sugar. As for the vitamin composition, it includes vitamins A, E, C, PP and all those included in group B. This is a unique treasury of minerals - potassium, magnesium, iodine, phosphorus, zinc, fluorine, manganese. Moreover, it contains concentrated pectins and essential oils, which have a beneficial effect on human health in general. It is worth noting that the amount of vitamin C in this citrus is equal to the percentage of its content in tangerines or oranges, and the shelf life is longer than in the mentioned citrus fruits.
An exception
If before our article you were tormented as to whether it is possible to eat grapefruit while losing weight, now you know that it is not only possible, but also necessary. The only exceptions are a few contraindications.
For example, if a person with kidney disease asks us whether citrus fruit is good for him, we will answer in the negative. Read below about other contraindications for consuming citrus fruits:
- Often an obstacle to using grapefruit for weight loss is taking medications or dietary supplements;
- You should limit your intake of fruit for gastritis and stomach ulcers;
- it is prohibited for liver diseases;
- The grapefruit nutrition system is not suitable for women expecting a baby.
Apart from these contraindications, grapefruit is an excellent product for weight control. It’s not for nothing that so many effective diets and weight loss products have been created on its basis.
Beneficial features
Such a rich composition of nutrients provides no fewer properties that have a beneficial effect on the body. In particular he:
- reduces the risk of cancer. The composition contains a significant amount of lycopene, known in medicine for its antioxidant properties. Once inside, it prevents the spread of cancer cells and kills harmful estrogens;
- lowers cholesterol levels. The pulp contains pectin - the worst enemy of this harmful substance. Its regular use reduces the risk of atherosclerosis;
- stabilizes the immune system. The increased content of vitamin C helps strengthen the immune system. It becomes easier to endure attacks from bacteria, microbes and viruses. Daily consumption increases the immune system by 80%;
- stabilizes the digestive tract. The high fiber content normalizes intestinal function, so food does not stagnate in the organs and does not produce toxins harmful to the body;
— it is recommended for people suffering from constipation;
- struggles with insomnia. A glass of juice before bed is enough and the mechanism of suppressing insomnia will be launched. The presence of vitamin C helps the body relax, overcome depression and relieve fatigue;
- reduces body weight. It has a lot of sodium, which gives you a feeling of fullness. One part of it eaten on an empty stomach saturates the digestive system for several hours.
Thus, citrus is characterized by a sufficient amount of vitamins and minerals important for humans. Constant moderate consumption will put the form in order and normalize the activity of organs, in particular the intestines.
Fruit composition
The fruit is rich in elements such as:
- antioxidants. Remove waste and toxins from the liver;
- B vitamins. Strengthen bone and muscle tissue, prevent the development of atherosclerosis and osteoporosis;
- vitamin C. Increases immunity, fights frequent colds and viruses;
- microelements. Allows you to maintain the normal condition of skin, hair and nails;
- organic acids. Improve the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, normalize the acid-base balance;
- essential oils. Struggling with a bad mood.
Citrus fruit is useful for diabetes, kidney and liver pathologies, and stomach diseases.
Negative sides
Recent studies have revealed that excessive consumption of these citrus fruits is considered dangerous to humans and causes serious disruption of the functioning of internal organs. In addition to useful elements, they also contain various acids, for example, malic, citric, ascorbic, which in large quantities negatively affect the functioning of all systems and the general physical condition.
Even though the amount of acids in it is less than in other types of citrus fruits, doctors do not welcome its excessive inclusion in the diet of people suffering from high acidity. Fanatical passion causes undesirable consequences and exacerbation of the disease.
When resorting to such methods, one should not forget that all citrus fruits are allergenic products. It is prohibited to pamper your body with vitamin C while taking medications. By the way, harmless drugs for lowering cholesterol levels are not combined with the acids of citrus fruits.
The birthplace of this method of losing weight - the USA - shared its sad experience: people suffering from high acidity were on a strict grapefruit diet, and as a result, some of them had to be hospitalized for 4 - 5 months.
Are there any contraindications?
Despite its significant health benefits, grapefruit is prohibited for use by certain categories of people. These include:
- those taking potent medications. For example, oral contraceptives, antihistamines or heart pills;
- Citizens with chronic stomach pathologies. It is forbidden to include citrus juices and fruits in the diet for chronic ulcers, gastritis, colitis. If you neglect the rule, you can end up with serious complications;
- Pregnant women should not lose weight with grapefruits. It can cause allergic reactions and complicate the development of the fetus.
If you have chronic pathologies, before losing weight in your liver or kidneys, it is recommended to consult with your doctor.
How to properly consume grapefruit?
Studies have shown that to enhance the weight loss effect during the working day, drinking plenty of fruit juice (about 8 glasses per day) enhances the weight loss effect. It is useful for coffee lovers to know that the fruit neutralizes caffeine and turns it into an element harmless to the body.
As for the frequency of use, citrus can be eaten relatively often without harm to your health. For example, it is useful to eat one whole grapefruit once a day, even without dieting. Otherwise, the amount of fruit consumed doubles.
Nutritionists say that to get maximum benefit, it is enough to eat 1/4 of the fruit before meals. This will allow you to start all the necessary processes for losing weight.
They also agree that consumption half an hour before meals will suppress appetite, thereby reducing the number of calories eaten at a time.
The best option would be a quarter of the fruit eaten before breakfast. This will give the body all the necessary nutrients and microelements, as well as a feeling of fullness for the next 4-5 hours. For those who are not big fans of these fruits, it is recommended to periodically add a little pulp to various dishes. Well, adherents of grapefruit diets should remember that the maximum permissible period of this method of losing weight should not exceed three weeks so as not to harm the body.
Dishes with grapefruit
In the West, the practice of eating the fruit in salad has become widespread. It goes well with basil, romaine lettuce and silantrum. This means that those who find it quite difficult to maintain a long-term diet have the opportunity to eat salads with the addition of citrus pulp. Plus, its sour taste will help you save money on extra dressings and seasonings, which will remove an extra 100 calories from your diet.
In addition to the usual method, a small amount of fruit oil is added to dishes. It is not very suitable for use in food due to its pronounced bitter taste, but this oil is very rich in volatile esters, which improve blood circulation when applied to the skin.
The fruit also goes well with fatty foods. It is not just an additional ingredient to it, but an obligatory component in such dishes. Its special enzymes make fatty foods easily digestible and beneficial for the body. In addition, nutritionists advise adding a little pulp to fried foods to neutralize the effects of cholesterol.
Reviews of those losing weight
1. You know, I went on a diet for the first time. I had never had such an experience before, but now I really needed to lose a few kilos. Unfortunately, the grapefruit option did not bring me any results in the first four days; I not only did not lose anything, but, on the contrary, gained two kilograms. In desperation, I thought about giving it all up and doing intensive training, but still decided to go all the way. After a week of torment, I stepped on the scale and was very surprised to find that I had lost 5 kilograms. It turned out that the diet works!! A friend also tried to lose weight this way and had about the same result, only it became noticeable on the third day. In principle, everyone’s metabolism is different, apparently it just happens with a delay for me. In the end, I am very pleased with the result. I recommend it.
2. I discovered an amazing thing - no matter how low-calorie your diet is, you can only lose extra pounds when you exercise. All this diet food brought me absolutely nothing personally, I stayed on citrus for two weeks and remained at 57 kg. I only feel sorry for the wasted nerves and energy, since I can’t stand this fruit. And I spent the money just like that and didn’t even get a drop of pleasure.
3. At first I thought that there would be no result and often made fun of my wife when she followed all these rules with amazing zeal. But then I discovered that she had lost as much as 7 kilograms and decided to resort to this method himself. This is the third day now that my wife is laughing at me. I have come across reviews that this method is very harmful and can provoke various health problems, but so far I feel normal, there are no contraindications, I am satisfied. My wife also didn’t seem to complain about her health.
4. Losing weight is incredibly difficult for me. That’s the way my body is—prone to overweight and doesn’t want to lose those extra pounds. Therefore, when, after 10 days of strictly following the grapefruit reduction recommendations, I discovered that I had lost 3 kilograms, my joy knew no bounds. I don’t know, maybe someone will say that this is too little, but for me this figure is simply a miracle. From my 72, I dropped my weight to 69 kilos.
5. My sister cannot live without diets. Health problems have repeatedly arisen, but she stubbornly continues to lose weight using all possible methods. This time she was overly carried away by the citrus method and is now in the hospital due to complications with high acidity, but the weight has not changed. I won’t say that this method doesn’t help, because I’ve heard a lot of good reviews, but I can’t recommend it either. At the very least, before resorting to such radical methods, you must be thoroughly examined by a doctor, otherwise the result may turn out like your sister’s.
6. Amazing diet! I didn't expect that the weight loss would be noticeable on the second day. I have so much energy that I don’t know what to do with it. In a word, not nutrition, but shine! And the most important thing is that I absolutely love grapefruits and not only lose weight, but also eat deliciously.
Weight loss with grapefruit from celebrities
The famous bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger once admitted to the press that before his performances he was on a diet of this “fat burner.” He said that in the off-season his weight was about 130 kg, so before the competition he needed to lose almost 20 kilograms of weight in two months. The task seemed prohibitively difficult, but in practice everything turned out to be much simpler. He claims that he received 7 Mr. Olympia titles solely because he dried correctly, unlike his opponents.
“The Terminator” shared with reporters his recipe for losing weight, or as he calls it, “the recipe for cutting.” Every day he ate two grapefruits. In the morning I drank a glass of juice and ate it all with salad and chicken breast. I had a snack with two glasses of kefir. His lunch consisted of fatty food, which included fruit pulp. I had dinner, as always, with a large amount of protein food, and before going to bed I drank a glass of juice.
As a result, his fat layer melted before our eyes. Arnold noted that for unprepared people, eating in this way for two months can be harmful, because the body gets used to the product and stops burning fat. Therefore, to maintain this process, Mr. Olympia trained regularly three times a day to trigger catabolism.
The former mayor of Washington encourages those who are overweight to exercise and lead an active lifestyle, not forgetting to supplement their diet with the juice and pulp of this wonderful fruit.
Menu for the grapefruit diet for 3 days
First day:
- breakfast - half a grapefruit or freshly squeezed grapefruit juice, 50 grams of lean ham and a cup of tea or coffee;
- lunch - half a grapefruit, a salad of any fresh vegetables (except starchy ones), seasoned with lemon juice, a cup of tea or coffee;
- dinner - half a grapefruit, 150 grams of boiled or grilled meat, green vegetable salad dressed with lemon juice, a cup of tea.
Second day:
- breakfast - half a grapefruit or a glass of freshly squeezed grapefruit juice, two soft-boiled or hard-boiled eggs, a cup of tea or coffee;
- lunch - half a grapefruit, 50 grams of hard cheese;
- dinner - half a grapefruit, 200 grams of boiled or grilled low-fat fish, a green vegetable salad dressed with lemon juice, a slice of black bread, a cup of tea or coffee.
The third day:
- breakfast - half a grapefruit, oatmeal with raisins or muesli, several nuts (except peanuts) with 4 tbsp. l. natural low-fat yogurt;
- lunch - half a grapefruit, vegetable soup or low-fat broth, two crackers;
- dinner - half a grapefruit, 200 grams of boiled chicken fillet, two baked tomatoes and a cup of tea.
