Diet programs aimed at losing weight and detoxifying the body often use seasonal fruits. From mid-August to the end of September, nutritionists recommend consuming watermelon for weight loss. Despite the high glycemic index (about 75-80 units), its calorie content is low and amounts to 30 kcal per 100 g of pulp, which allows the active use of watermelon fruits in dietary nutrition.
In the article we will consider the following questions: the benefits and harms of fresh watermelon pulp for the body, calorie content, can those losing weight eat watermelon, menu options and duration of the diet, advantages and disadvantages of watermelon weight loss programs, contraindications.
Watermelon for weight loss
Watermelon lovers can not only enjoy their taste, but also lose excess weight. When dieting, watermelons are allowed to be included in the diet because they are low in calories and contain virtually no fat or harmful carbohydrates.
By the time of ripening, glucose and fructose predominate in the fruits , and only during storage of watermelon does sucrose accumulate, which is harmful to the figure. In addition, the fruits have a rich vitamin and mineral composition: B vitamins, beta-carotene, lycopene, potassium, calcium, copper, phosphorus, magnesium.
Watermelon stimulates digestion , improves intestinal function, activates metabolism, and removes toxins from the body. Plant fiber, which fruit pulp is so rich in, absorbs water well and creates additional volume in the stomach, which is necessary to suppress appetite.
In addition, fiber accelerates the process of fat breakdown , this prevents local accumulations of subcutaneous fat, increases endurance and performance, which leads to increased physical activity and additional calorie burning.
Composition and properties
The main component of watermelon pulp is water (90-92%) and contains minimal amounts of fats and carbohydrates. Watermelon fruits are also rich in dietary fiber. The composition does not contain starch and cholesterol, but high concentrations of vitamins and minerals are found. Mineral salts contain calcium, potassium, zinc, magnesium, sodium, fluorine, iron, copper, manganese.
Among the vitamins, there is a high content of B vitamins (choline, riboflavin, thiamine, pyridoxine, pantothenic acid, thiamine), in second place is vitamin A (includes beta-carotene and beta-cryptoxanthin), followed in descending order by ascorbic and nicotinic acids, betaine , vitamins E and K.
Watermelon has a wide range of therapeutic activity , allows you to improve the health of the body as a whole, helps in the treatment of many diseases, and serves as a good preventive measure for diseases of the cardiovascular, digestive, urinary and nervous systems.
The berry has a pronounced diuretic , carminative, antipyretic, antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory, laxative effect, participates in hematopoiesis processes, normalizes water-salt balance and metabolism, removes waste and toxins from the body, relieves muscle pain, strengthens the immune system.
Advice. To get the most out of watermelon, it is advisable to eat your own fruit, grown without the use of pesticides. Otherwise, when choosing berries at the market or in a store, pay attention to external quality indicators. These are size, shape, stalk, sound, pattern, yellow soil spot, as well as storage conditions. After cutting a watermelon using a nitrate meter or improvised means, it is recommended to check the pulp for nitrate content.
Calorie content and BZHU
Watermelon is classified as a low-calorie product - 30 kcal per 100 g of fresh pulp. The protein concentration is relatively low - 0.6 g per 100 g of edible part, and there are practically no fatty substances at all - 0.2 g.
Fruits contain easily digestible carbohydrates:
- glucose - 1.58 g;
- fructose - 3.36 g;
- sucrose - 1.21 g;
- maltose - 0.06 g.
Due to the presence of fast carbohydrates, watermelon has a high glycemic index - 75 units. Eating foods with a high GI is contrary to weight loss. So is it possible to eat watermelon during a diet in order to correct body weight and cleanse the body? The answer is unequivocal - yes. The fact is that the GI of watermelon itself is not very informative. The berry consists of 90-92% water, which is already beneficial for weight loss, helps cleanse the intestines of waste and toxins, and get rid of puffiness.
And most importantly, carbohydrates in ripe fruits are represented by fructose and glucose , and harmful sugar appears only during storage. To lose weight and improve the health of the body, you can use ripe and high-quality fruits, but green and overripe ones are strictly contraindicated.
About other ways to lose extra pounds:
Why is brown rice good for weight loss?
Cooking and drinking pumpkin juice for weight loss
Dill: a tasty and healthy way to combat excess weight
Is it possible to eat watermelon while losing weight?
Opinions among nutritionists vary regarding whether it is possible to eat watermelon while losing weight. Some believe that watermelon promotes weight loss, while others, without denying its beneficial properties, say that weight loss does not depend on the food. But both of them agree that there is no need to give up eating watermelon, but you need to use it correctly:
- To consume watermelon, you need to know whether you personally have any contraindications. Do you have any diseases in which eating watermelon will cause relapses?
- You can’t have a mono diet on watermelon, don’t give up other foods. Even with good health, the lack of fats, proteins, which are very low in watermelon, and other vitamins will lead to deterioration in health.
- Watermelon can be eaten daily, but not more than 400 grams. By the way, it's only 108 calories, so you can add watermelon to any meal or snack on it.
- Watermelon will not save you from extra pounds, but a large amount of it, on the contrary, can set the body up for the process of storing fat.
How watermelon can be useful for losing weight on a diet:
- Watermelon pulp perfectly fills the stomach, and therefore a feeling of fullness comes faster.
- Thanks to quick saturation and a small amount of calories, you can easily fit into your daily calorie requirement.
- Easily removes excess water from the body.
- Watermelon can only be beneficial for weight loss if you do not limit your diet to this berry. In any case, your diet should be varied, fit into your daily calorie intake and contain all the necessary proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and other nutrients. Watermelon should be only part of the diet, as well as cereals, fruits, meat, dairy and other products.
Judge for yourself: a kilogram of watermelon pulp contains only 1 gram of fat, 7 grams of proteins and 58 grams of carbohydrates, which are mainly represented by simple sugars. Such carbohydrates lead to increased insulin production; with frequent consumption of the berry, type 2 diabetes can occur. In addition, if you eat watermelon all day, you need about 1.5-2 kg, which is only 2 grams of fat, 14 grams of protein and 116 grams of carbohydrates. Such indicators are completely below the norm of macronutrients in the daily diet. Read more about macronutrient requirements here.
Is it possible to eat watermelon when losing weight in the evening, at night?
Before answering the question whether you can eat watermelon when losing weight in the evening or at night, you need to know the properties of watermelon:
- Watermelon is a diuretic berry; when consumed at night, it can disturb sleep with frequent trips to the toilet.
- The last meal should be at least 3 hours before bedtime, maximum 4 hours. This also applies to eating watermelon.
- A large amount of watermelon pulp consumed in the evening can provoke severe morning swelling.
- Watermelon is a carbohydrate, and the amount of carbohydrates should be reduced from morning to evening.
- Since watermelon satisfies well and has low calorie content, and if you did not go to bed on time and you feel hungry, then you can snack on watermelon.
- A large amount of watermelon pulp can cause an unpleasant feeling in the stomach, so it can negatively affect your sleep.
Is it possible for those losing weight to eat watermelon?
Many famous nutritionists advise using watermelon for weight loss . The diet is based on the fact that fruit pulp normalizes metabolism and improves digestion, and under the action of lipase, fats are broken down into fatty acids. The berry contains a lot of insoluble fiber, which absorbs and removes toxic substances and excess fluid from the body, provides quick and long-term saturation with one small portion, and allows you to avoid snacking.
Some experts believe that the watermelon diet, due to its low calorie content, has an adverse effect on health, because watermelon cannot contain a full range of vitamins and minerals.
To meet the body's needs for micro- and macroelements, you need to include a variety of foods in your menu.
Useful video
Watch this video about the watermelon diet:
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Watermelon diet: menu options and diet duration
The diet can consist of one watermelon (mono-diet) or include an extended list of products . The mono-diet is designed for 5 days. Due to the low calorie content and unbalanced diet, increased urination, and changes in stool consistency, such a weight loss program can be recommended for people who do not have health problems. The diet includes watermelon pulp at the rate of 1 kg per 10 kg of human body weight + 1.5-2.5 liters of purified still water. The entire volume of food is divided into 5-6 meals.
A gentle watermelon diet is eating watermelons for 10 days (1 kg per 10 kg of weight). Allowed products include rye, bran or whole grain bread. In this case, it is necessary to consume at least 1.5 liters of free liquid. This could be distilled water, herbal teas, green tea without sugar.
Advice. With any diet option, it is recommended to additionally take complex preparations containing an assortment of vitamins and minerals.
How many kg can you lose weight and over what period?
The maximum result is minus 10 kg in 10 days . This is possible if you add exercise to your diet. However, such rapid weight loss can harm your health and slow down your metabolism. Therefore, the best option would be a ten-day gentle diet, with which you can lose from 3 to 7 kg of excess weight.
How to lose 7 kg in five days on a watermelon diet
Quitting the diet
Exit from the watermelon diet should be gradual . To ensure that the efforts made are not in vain, and the lost kilograms are not returned with interest, nutritionists do not recommend abusing “junk foods.”
Habitual foods are introduced into the diet gradually and in small portions . At first it is low-calorie cottage cheese, cheese, fermented milk products, after a few days you can add lean salads, vegetable soups with water, then lean meat (chicken, veal) and fish. All this time, do not forget to eat fresh watermelon pulp daily at the rate of 1 kg per 30 kg of weight.
Advantages and disadvantages of the watermelon diet
pros | Minuses |
Guaranteed weight loss | The watermelon diet has contraindications, so before you start losing weight, you should consult your doctor. |
No need to cook or count calories | The diet is unbalanced, and in order not to harm the body, you need to follow a dietary regime for no more than 10 days in a row |
If you exit the diet correctly, you can maintain the results obtained for a long time. | Risk of allergic reactions and food allergies |
Cleanses the body well, relieves swelling | Frequent urination and changes in stool consistency may occur. |
The food is tasty, summery and healthy | Due to the increased content of fruit acids, watermelon pulp can irritate the mucous membranes in the presence of erosive and ulcerative pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract, acute liver and kidney diseases |
Provides quick and long-lasting satiety, making the diet easier to tolerate and the risk of failure is minimal | |
Availability. The seasonal market price for 1 kg of watermelon varies between 25-35 rubles, so on average 150-200 rubles are needed per day of the diet. |
The benefits and harms of watermelon for weight loss
Watermelon has many beneficial properties, only if you have no contraindications:
- If you have diabetes, you should not eat watermelon more than 3 times a week. At the same time, watermelon should not be consumed more than once a day (no more than 400 grams) and in no case on an empty stomach in the morning.
- If you have kidney stones or pyelonephritis, then it is better to avoid eating watermelon altogether, since the diuretic properties will provoke an exacerbation of the disease.
- In addition, it is necessary to choose the right watermelon; the berry must be ripe and not contain harmful nitrates, which can upset the gastrointestinal tract. Read on to learn how to choose a watermelon.
The benefits of watermelon when losing weight on a diet
Watermelon has a large number of useful substances, it is tasty, juicy, consists mainly of water, and has a low calorie content. No one will deny the benefits of watermelon:
- Large amounts of water quickly saturate the body, while you consume a small amount of calories.
- Watermelon quenches thirst, replacing various high-calorie juices and sodas.
- Perfectly eliminates the effects of dehydration.
- Satisfies the feeling of hunger, as there is a large amount of water.
- Watermelon contains very little protein and fat, making the berry lower in calories, so you can eat watermelon without harming your daily calorie intake.
- Watermelon is a substitute for other higher-calorie sweets.
- The content of a large amount of watermelon fiber helps remove harmful substances from the body, such as salts, as well as excess fluid.
- The berry has a laxative effect, which is very useful for constipation.
- Due to the pectin content, fats are absorbed more slowly.
- Thanks to the content of a large number of vitamins, you can strengthen your immune system.
- Using watermelon, you can cleanse the liver, which is a preventive method of combating gallstone disease.
- Eating watermelon has an effect on blood pressure, reducing it.
- Watermelon juice can help relieve heartburn.
The harm of watermelon when losing weight on a diet
Watermelon can bring not only benefits, but also harm. Harm of watermelon:
- Smoked and salty foods should not be consumed with watermelon, as this will cause severe swelling.
- You should not eat watermelon if you are allergic to pollen or other allergens. This can threaten an allergic reaction, which can manifest itself in the form of peeling skin, rashes, itching, and swelling.
- Watermelon easily accumulates nitrates in the pulp; in large quantities they are dangerous to the body. If nitrates or other chemicals are present, vomiting, diarrhea, respiratory failure and other health problems may occur.
- People who suffer from irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn's disease, or are sensitive to FOODMAPs (fermentable foods) should not consume watermelon. May cause bloating or diarrhea.
- Watermelon is contraindicated for people with urinary outflow disorders; in this case, it is necessary to severely limit the consumption of the berry.
- If you have kidney stones, there can be painful consequences. Since when consuming a large amount of watermelon pulp, the stones may begin to move.
- In the presence of pyelonephritis, the kidneys cannot cope with such an amount of fluid; it can simply accumulate in the form of severe edema.
Advice. It is better not to buy watermelons in the cold season. The berries are grown in greenhouses; for rapid ripening, various growth accelerators - nitrates - are added. Watermelon is a seasonal berry; it ripens on its own in August, so it can only be consumed in August and September.
Fasting day on watermelon
Using watermelon you can detoxify your body . Since fruit pulp has a pronounced absorbent effect, it cleanses the liver, kidneys, blood and intestines well. For those who want to get rid of a couple of extra pounds, a one- or two-day fasting day is ideal.
During the day, you can only eat fresh fruit pulp and drink plenty of water . Despite the fact that watermelon itself is 90% water, free liquid is necessary to speed up the process of eliminating waste and toxins.
Important! Due to its low calorie content, this diet is considered strict, so it can be used no more than once every 10-14 days.
Watermelon benefits. What is watermelon?
What is watermelon, the benefits and harm to human health, what medicinal properties does it have? All this is of great interest to those who lead a healthy lifestyle, monitor their health and are interested in traditional methods of treatment, including those using fruits and berries. So we will try to answer these questions in the following article.
So:
Common watermelon (lat. Citrúllus lanátus) is an annual herbaceous plant, a species of the genus Watermelon (Citrullus) of the Pumpkin family (Cucurbitaceae).
There are three known types of it: wild, table, or ordinary, and fodder. Through selection, hundreds of new varieties have been obtained that have good taste and commercial qualities.
The best varieties of table species: early - Stokes, Pobeditel, Donskoy, Ogonyok; mid- and late-ripening - Melitopol, Bykovsky, Kubinets; feed - Diskhim, Pectinny, Rhodesian, Brodsky.
There are two main parts of this berry: the bark and the pulp. The structure of the cortex and its strength depend on the scleraid layer. The thicker it is, the stronger the bark and the higher the resistance of watermelons to diseases, the better it is stored and transported. The bark of table varieties is inferior in strength to fodder varieties.
Its pulp is juicy, tasty, sweet, and its color ranges from pink to red. Occasionally there are varieties with white and lemon-yellow flesh. It consists of loosely arranged cells, and the smaller and denser they are, the more tender the pulp. It also contains conductive bundles, the quantity of which determines the quality of the pulp. In dry years they develop more strongly and the flesh becomes coarser.
The seeds of this berry are numerous, large, with a hard skin and a variety of colors - white, cream, yellow, brown, red and black.
Watermelons are native to dry steppes and tolerate atmospheric drought well. The known dryness of the air increases the quality of watermelons - their sugar content, tenderness and aroma. In the humid climate of Primorye they grow thick-skinned and have poor taste.
A ripe watermelon has a special surface shine, a well-defined pattern, elastic bark, shrunken tendrils closest to the fruit and a dried out stalk. When you tap it with your fingers, a dull sound occurs, and when you squeeze it with your hands, it produces a cracking sound. Prematurely harvested fruits have low sugar content, underdeveloped seeds and pale pink flesh. When tapped, they make a ringing sound and do not ripen during storage.
Contraindications
Despite the effectiveness and usefulness of watermelons for weight loss, such a diet has contraindications . The consumption of watermelons is limited by such diseases and pathological conditions as:
- urolithiasis and other problems with the urinary system;
- allergy to watermelon;
- diseases of the digestive system of an erosive and ulcerative nature, especially in the acute stage: gastritis, peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum;
- diabetes mellitus type 2 and 3;
- diarrhea.
Women during pregnancy and breastfeeding , children and adolescents, and the elderly should eat watermelons with caution.
Composition of watermelon
Due to its composition, it is considered the best cleanser of the human body from heavy metals, salts and toxins. This berry contains:
- microelements;
- vitamin B;
- vitamin P;
- lycopene;
- starch;
- acids of organic origin;
- pectin;
- cellulose;
- small amounts of proteins, fats and carbohydrates;
- water.
Its calorie content is low - about 30 calories per 100 grams of product.
Tips and tricks
Observing certain rules for consuming fresh pulp as part of fasting days and dietary programs will help you get the maximum benefit from watermelon:
- Do not buy fruits before August; most likely, they contain nitrates, which accelerate the growth and ripening of melons.
- Choose large, but not heavy watermelons. Ideally, the fetus should weigh 6-11 kg.
- Pay attention to appearance. A ripe berry of appropriate quality will have a dry stalk, a shiny top layer without a matte coating, and a small yellow earthen spot on the side.
- Do not take limp fruits; the content of vitamins and minerals in them has decreased as a result of long-term storage.
- For dinner when losing weight, eat a small portion of watermelon - 200-250 g.
- It is mandatory to adhere to the drinking regime - from 1.5 to 3 liters of clean water per day. You can have several cups of green unsweetened tea.
- Exit from the diet should be gradual.
- The last meal should not be later than 18.00.
- After completing the diet, it is important to limit harmful carbohydrates, unhealthy foods, and not consume sugar, if possible replacing it with a small portion of natural honey.
And most importantly, to speed up the process of losing weight and consolidate the result, be sure to go in for sports . Physical activity helps avoid the feeling of bloating, excessive gas formation, and improves skin condition.
Choosing the right watermelon
It is very important to eat quality fruits to avoid many health problems. Unfortunately, quite often watermelons contain large amounts of chemicals and other harmful substances that can cause poisoning or allergic reactions. To find out whether chemical compounds are included in the composition, you can do a simple test. Immerse a piece of pulp in plain water for 15 minutes. After the specified time, clean pulp will continue to hold its shape, but a slice pumped with chemicals will blur.
Choose only ripe berries during the ripening season. What to look for when choosing watermelons:
- The weight of the fetus should not be too large;
- When squeezing, a cracking sound should be heard;
- The fruits should not have cracks, rotten areas, or dents;
- Buy fruits from trusted retail outlets. Sellers must have all the necessary documents for the goods.
Read more about how to choose a tasty and sweet watermelon.
Reviews of those losing weight
The watermelon diet has many reviews. Those who have experienced this diet for themselves say that positive results are noticeable after just a few days of this diet . After 2-3 days, you feel light, bowel function normalizes, and upon completion of the course, a weight loss of several kilograms is noted.
Olga, 32 years old : “I always look forward to summer and watermelons. Eat delicious sweet fruits and lose weight. It’s probably impossible to think of an easier way to get rid of extra pounds. As a bonus, you get well-groomed, healthy skin and a good mood.”
Christina, 25 years old : “Every year I follow a watermelon diet. The effect is great. It takes 5-6 kg in 10 days, and if you combine it with summer active recreation, you can achieve better results. My personal record is minus 8.5 kg. In addition, the diet is not expensive and is easily tolerated.”
Claudia, 42 years old : “I found for myself the best way to use watermelon for weight loss - these are fasting days. I tried a mono-diet designed for 10 days, but it was difficult to eat only fruit pulp, water and a few slices of rye bread. Due to the reduced calorie content, I experienced only a short-term feeling of satiety; after 1-1.5 hours I was tormented by hunger. And fasting days are easily tolerated, give a feeling of lightness in the stomach, and improve overall well-being. During the watermelon season, every 10 days I arrange a one-day fasting day. Very pleased with the results and appearance.”
Useful properties of watermelons
No one will deny the beneficial properties of watermelons and melons. They perfectly restore the balance of electrolytes in the body and eliminate the effects of dehydration. Therefore, doctors recommend eating half a kilo of pulp after active exercise in the gym or in the garden during the hot season. It has a diuretic effect, and therefore it is recommended for people with high blood pressure, but it will not be possible to rid a person of kidney stones and sand without appropriate drug therapy using watermelon.
Watermelon is an alternative substitute for sweets without consuming empty calories. The fructose contained in this berry is absorbed very quickly, while providing energy to both the muscles and the brain.
But for all its useful qualities, it may not be at all useful to people who have:
- Kidney diseases, since it will be difficult for their body to cope with such an amount of fluid, and this will lead to the formation of internal edema.
- Stones in the kidneys or bladder, especially if their size exceeds 5 mm.
- Problems with stool – sugary fruit can cause diarrhea.
In addition, we must not forget that such a healthy berry as watermelon can be saturated with nitrates, which can cause poisoning.
What's inside?
Watermelons contain a whole range of useful substances, such as vitamin C, B9, beta-carotene, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, sodium, riboflavin, pyrodoxin. This means that the berry has an excellent effect on the immune system, helps improve vision, and also protects us from the formation of cancer cells due to the presence of lipokine, a substance that gives it its red color.
Despite such an abundance of useful components, 100 g of the product contains only 38 kcal, which means that watermelon is a dietary product and is very well suited for weight loss. You can eat the pulp of the delicious fruit and watch the transformation of your figure.
What to eat watermelon with. How to eat watermelon correctly - instructions
Watermelon is tasty, round, with red flesh. Exactly? There are many options here: cubic, heart-shaped, yellow, and blue. There are also many options for eating watermelons: with a spoon, fork, slices. Together with the artist Anastasia Myasnikova, we will show you all the possible options.
1 way. Aristocrat, fork, little finger
The best way to eat watermelon with company is indoors. You won’t get dirty, you won’t get everything around. You can easily put on your tailcoat, throw back your little finger and turn on Mozart. What to do with watermelon? Take a slice, separate the pulp and cut into pieces.
Method 2. Slice, seeds, drip-drip
The best way without any hassles. You take a slice and eat it. Whether to eat the seeds, spit them out, or pick them out in advance is a matter of taste. As well as the type of lobules. You can divide the watermelon in half and cut off the slices on top. You can cut out slices according to the green pattern. Or you can cut out watermelon disks and divide them into triangles, like pizza. The only problem you may encounter is watermelon juice flowing down your hands, cheeks, clothes, table, throughout the universe.
3 way. Hardcore, spoon, swimsuit
The best way if you want to thoroughly enjoy watermelon, but don't care much about the flowing juice. You take a watermelon, chop it in half and eat it with a spoon. We recommend wearing a swimsuit to avoid getting dirty. Ideal for eating on the river.
4 way. Oddities, sandwiches, bread
The best way if you want not only to get drunk with watermelon, but also to eat. You take a piece (see method 1) and bread, make a sandwich, and off you go. Or another option - take a slice (see method 2) and bread, and let's go. Tasty, satisfying, harsh. The downside is that people will cross themselves when they see this.
5 way. Teeth, watermelon, power
If you’ve been waiting for watermelons for a long time, if you can’t bear it, if you don’t want to, don’t know how, won’t cut it, take a watermelon and bite it. Like an apple. Contraindications: weak teeth, small mouth, adequacy.
Admit it - are your mouth watering? It’s clear that it doesn’t matter how you eat a watermelon. It is important that it be Astrakhan. What methods have we not indicated? Write in the comments.
The author of the illustrations is Anastasia Myasnikova.
Weight loss techniques
- Fasting days. These days you can’t eat anything other than watermelon. We take it 5 times a day, like regular food, the total should be the daily norm, which we calculate using the above formula. You can carry out 2 fasting days in a row, no more, with a frequency of 5-6 days. However, be prepared for pangs of hunger.
- Watermelon diet. This nutrition system refers to a mono-diet, as it involves eating only watermelon, a maximum of 2-3 pieces of rye bread per day, and nothing more. Some weight loss lovers recommend following it for 5 days, and some – 7. However, be careful, the benefits and harms of this method of body correction may be incommensurable, since long-term abstinence from food is fraught with serious health problems, in particular with the gastrointestinal tract.
Is it possible to eat watermelon while dieting? Indications, basic rules, daily calorie content
Diet number 5 was developed by nutritionist and therapist M.I. Pevzner. as part of other types of therapeutic diets for pathologies of other organs (there are 15 in total).
Following the dietary recommendations of the table is indicated for several major diseases of the digestive system (for example, gastritis, in which you need to follow a special diet), which include:
- Chronic hepatitis is an inflammatory disease of the liver of various etiologies (hepatotropic viruses, toxins, alcohol). In the case of an acute process (the duration of the inflammatory reaction is up to six months), this diet is used during the period of convalescence (clinical and laboratory recovery with normalization of the main indicators of liver function).
- Cirrhosis is the gradual death of hepatocytes (liver cells) with their replacement by fibrous (connective) tissue, while the liver does not perform its functions. For this disease, it is recommended to adhere to a special diet.
- Cholecystitis is an inflammation of the gallbladder, in which diet 5 is indicated during the period of remission (decrease in the severity of inflammation) and during a chronic, long-term course, with a slight intensity of symptoms and dysfunction.
- Gallstone disease (calculous cholecystitis) is a metabolic pathology with a chronic course, characterized by the formation of stones in the gallbladder and its ducts.
For these diseases, diet table 5 is used in the absence of concomitant intestinal pathology (enteritis, duodenitis, enterocolitis).
The basic rules for using this diet are simple and include:
1. Frequent eating in small portions - usually you need to eat 4-5 times a day.
2. Avoid foods that increase acid formation in the stomach - coffee, alcohol, canned food, marinades, fatty foods, spicy dishes.
3. With regard to cooking, preference is given to boiling or steaming it (stewing, cooking casseroles are allowed), and it is advisable to grind the food.
4. The diet should be dominated by food with a sufficient amount of protein, a decrease in the amount of fat (especially animal fat) and easily digestible carbohydrates.
5. Daily calorie content should be about 2400-2800 kcal. In this case, the volumetric part of the protein is about 80 g (half of it should be of plant origin), fats are also about 80 g (a third of them are of plant origin), carbohydrates - up to 400 g.
Remember! The daily fluid intake should be at least 1.5 liters, salt is limited to 10 g.
Thanks to this, the fifth table, with mandatory compliance with the recommendations and daily caloric intake for each day, allows you to provide the body with all nutrients and vitamins, while limiting the load on the liver, hepatobiliary system, and pancreas. Also, diet table number 5, the menu of which contains a variety of dishes, does not limit the variety of tastes, which allows it to be used without psychological harm to a person.