Sunday, July 24, 2011

What is the Grapefruit Diet?

By Pramod Kumar


The grapefruit diet, popularly known as the Hollywood Diet, is a short-term fad diet that has generally existed in the United States since at least the 1930s. Specifics of the diet may vary broadly, but it frequently involves eating half a grapefruit or drinking grapefruit juice with each meal and essentially lowering caloric intake, often to below 800 calories per day. This type of diet is based on the justification that grapefruit has a fat-burning enzyme or identical property. The variations of the grapefruit diet that are too low in calories (below 1200 calories a day), carbs or essential micronutrients are considered unhealthy and possibly dangerous. While eating half a grapefruit with every meal may be a considerable way to include more fruit in the diet of a healthy person. But grapefruit and grapefruit juice is harmful if the dieter is taking medications that can interact with grapefruit juice or is allergic to citruses.

The grapefruit diet is a low-carb diet. It suggests that grapefruit helps burn body fat when eaten with foods high in dietary fat, which is why the grapefruit diet encourages taking of meat, eggs and other foods that are rich in fat and protein. An usual breakfast menu usually includes bacon and eggs. The grapefruit diet prohibits taking of carbohydrates by eliminating sugar, sweet fruits and vegetables, grains and cereals. The grapefruit diet lasts for 10 to 12 days followed by 2 days off. Obviously we all know that this diet is going to involve eating grapefruit. But 'when and how much?' is the first question that springs to mind.

How the Grapefruit Diet Works The central properties of the grapefruit that are suggested to be the underlying reason why people lose weight so fast on this diet are actually unknown. No scientific studies have executed why the grapefruit permits such rapid weight loss. For this reason, many people speculate that only reason why weight loss is so rapid is because of the extremely low number of calories that are being consumed on this diet - between 800 to 1000 calories per day. Some can lose weight with this low number of calories, with or without the grapefruit.

Some studies have suggested that it is accessible that the grapefruit actually reduced insulin levels in the dieters, resulting in some weight loss. One study showed that the participants lost more than 3 pounds in 12 weeks just by simply including a half grapefruit with their healthy meals. This is much slower weight loss than the original diet claims to allow.

Sample Grapefruit Diet Dieters are encouraged to drink lots of water and black coffee during the whole of the day. Here is a sample of what one particular grapefruit diet would look like: Breakfast :-2 eggs, 2 pieces of bacon, grapefruit and black coffee Lunch :-Lots of meat, salad with low-fat dressing, grapefruit Dinner :-Vegetables, meat/fish, grapefruit

You are advocated to have a glass of milk as an evening snack. In addition, you can also have butter and oil. Your only approved snack is after dinner - not before. Grapefruits are very nutritious. They are low in calories, low in sugar, high in vitamin C and high in fiber. They can keep you feeling fuller, as can many other fruits or vegetables. These reasons may be why adding grapefruit to your diet can help you lose weight.




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