The grapefruit diet was one of the first fad diets to catch on with the general population. The grapefruit diet, sometimes known as the "Hollywood diet," consists of eating grapefruit or drinking grapefruit juice with each meal.
Grapefruit, according to supporters of the diet, can help burn fat and contribute to weight loss in as little as 12 days. However, there is little evidence to back up these statements. The grapefruit diet has been studied extensively, and it is unclear whether it is beneficial and safe for weight loss.
benefits of grapfruit diet ?
Low-calorie, high-nutrient fruits like grapefruit are a wise and healthy choice for your general health, not just for weight loss if that's your aim.
A single grapefruit contains more than 60% of your daily vitamin C need (Source).
Vitamin C is recognised for its antioxidant effects, which help to protect and improve your immune system.
Grapefruit consumption has been linked to higher intakes of magnesium, potassium, dietary fibre, and enhanced diet quality, in addition to preserving your immune system.
Fruits high in fibre and antioxidants, such as grapefruit, may aid to prevent heart disease and stroke.
What You Are Allowed to Eat and What You Are Not Allowed to Eat
You'd better really like grapefruit. It's recommended that you eat it with every meal in most versions of this diet. The traditional version of the diet entails:
- Sugar and carbohydrate consumption are being reduced (including rice, potatoes, and pasta).
- Certain foods, such as celery and white onion, should be avoided.
- Increasing your intake of high-protein, high-fat, and/or high-cholesterol foods (such as eggs, pork, and red meat).
Before or with each meal, eat a grapefruit or sip grapefruit juice. Most variations also reduce calorie intake, with some lowering intake to as low as 800 calories per day. You should also drink 8 glasses of water and 1 cup of coffee per day while on the diet.
Effort Level: Medium
The grapefruit diet can be somewhat stringent in some cases. Others are more adaptable. In any case, you'll need a taste for the sour fruit.
Some versions restrict carbs and bulk up on high-fat, high-cholesterol foods, while others significantly reduce calories. Others simply ask that you take grapefruit with or before each meal, and that you eat whatever you want the rest of the day. The classic version involves combining foods, such as bacon and salad, to achieve the alleged fat-burning effect.
Cooking and grocery shopping: You'll be buying a lot of grapefruit, but there won't be any extra prep work.
What about pre-packaged groceries and meals?
No.
Meetings in person?
No.
There is no need to exercise.
Is it flexible enough to accommodate dietary restrictions or preferences?
Vegans and vegetarians: The diet's original version included meat. Vegans and vegetarians would have to make adjustments to the diet to make it work for them.
Gluten-free: Some variations of the diet limit carbs, including gluten-containing carbs. However, the diet does not prohibit gluten consumption. If you're trying to avoid gluten completely, you'll need to read food labels.
What is the best way to stick to the grapefruit diet?
The diet is described in a variety of ways, although many sources indicate it should last two or three weeks. Every version is high in protein and low in carbohydrates and calories. The diet stipulates that you consume no more than 800 calories per day in some versions.
People on the grapefruit diet can generally prepare their meals as they choose, including with spices, salad dressings, or butter.
Here are some examples of meals:
- 2 boiled eggs, 2 slices bacon, and 1/2 grapefruit or 8 ounces grapefruit juice for breakfast
- Salad with dressing, any quantity of meat, and 1/2 grapefruit or 8 ounces grapefruit juice for lunch.
- Dinner: any type of meat cooked any way you want it, salad or red and green veggies, coffee or tea, and 1/2 grapefruit or 8 ounces grapefruit juice.
- 8 ounces of skim milk as a bedtime snack.
Is the grapefruit diet a good way to lose weight?
Although reports of a magical fat-burning enzyme in grapefruits aren't backed up by science, grapefruit has been linked to weight loss in studies.
According to one study, people who ate grapefruit every day with their meals had a smaller waist circumference.
Female grapefruit consumers had lower body weight, waist circumference, and body mass index (BMI) than non-consumers, according to a 2014 study.
To assess the link between grapefruit eating and weight loss, more recent study is needed.
Although the grapefruit diet can result in quick and temporary weight loss, this is most likely owing to the fact that you're eating less than 1,000 calories per day (Source).
It is unrealistic and unsustainable to promise to lose 10 pounds in 12 days.
On this diet, you might lose weight at first. Low-calorie diets, on the other hand, rarely result in long-term weight loss (Studies Source 1, Source 2).
GRAPEFRUIT HAS BEEN SHOWN TO AID WEIGHT LOSS IN STUDIES, BUT WEIGHT LOSS ON THE GRAPEFRUIT DIET MAY BE ATTRIBUTED TO CONSUMING FEWER CALORIES. TO ASSESS THE LINK BETWEEN GRAPEFRUIT AND WEIGHT LOSS, MORE RECENT STUDY IS NEEDED.
This is a grapefruit diet that may help you lose 37 lbs: Boiled egg And Grapefruit Diet.
Is It Beneficial in Certain Situations?
No, for any ailment, this is not a suggested plan. While you might lose weight, you're not likely to keep it off because this diet isn't sustainable.
Certain prescription pharmaceuticals, such as statins (cholesterol medications) and blood pressure medications, can interact with grapefruit. It enhances the effects of these medications and can produce side effects hours before and after they are used.
If you have a medical problem, see your doctor to see if you should avoid grapefruit or grapefruit juice.
Downsides
Despite the fact that grapefruits are a low-calorie, nutrient-dense food with numerous health benefits, this diet is problematic for a variety of reasons.
Grapefruits don't appear to contain any magical fat-burning enzymes.
The grapefruit diet's quick, transient weight loss is most likely due to the low calorie and low carb intake. Even without the grapefruit, this would result in a quick, temporary weight loss.(Source)
While low-calorie diets may cause weight loss in the short term, they are rarely effective in the long run.
There are also health risks.
Low-calorie diets can induce bone deterioration, slowed metabolism, weariness, muscle loss, and vitamin deficiencies.
Another disadvantage of the diet plan is its restrictions.
Although twelve days on such a restricted diet may be achievable, eating the same items and consuming so few calories on a daily basis may cause some people to forsake the plan.
The grapefruit diet is also a bit of a conundrum. It's bound to produce confusion among followers if there are different versions.
Furthermore, most salad dressings and meats on the grapefruit diet are high in saturated fats and cholesterol, particularly the daily morning bacon.
Conclusion
This diet is a waste of time. Boredom is the result of having such a little range of foods in small servings. It's the perfect recipe for most dieters to abandon their weight-loss efforts.
Grapefruit can be included in a healthy weight-loss diet because it is nutrient-dense, not because of some enigmatic fat-burning abilities. If you like grapefruit, eat a serving before meals to receive the advantages of this super-nutritious fruit. Before meals, consume half a grapefruit or a glass of grapefruit juice to help fill you up so you eat less calories and lose weight.
