Grapefruit Diet Review

The Grapefruit Diet is also known as the Mayo grapefruit diet or the Hollywood diet. It is a short term diet seeking to deliver quick weight loss. It has been around from the 1930’s though it gained popularity in the mid-1970s. However, it is considered as a fad diet and most experts have a negative opinion of the diet and regard it as an unbalanced diet.

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The grapefruit diet requires consuming grapefruit or grapefruit juice to improve your metabolism. It is based on the premise that when grapefruit had with proteins helps in quick fat burning which in turn leads to weight loss . The calorie intake is limited to 800 calories a day. However, this diet will not leave you starved.

There are many versions of the grapefruit diet. However, most versions assure that you can lose up to 10 pounds in 12 days by following this diet. There should be a gap of at least 2 days before resuming this diet. Some versions suggest exercising during this diet whereas most do not. The grapefruit diet does not seek long term weight management.

A sample grapefruit diet meal

There are different grapefruit diet plan variations that can be followed. A sample grapefruit diet menu is as follows:

For breakfast: Half grapefruit or 8 oz. of unsweetened grapefruit juice with 2 eggs prepared as per choice and 2 slices of bacon
For lunch: Half grapefruit or 8 oz. of unsweetened grapefruit juice with any quantity of meat cooked as per choice and salad.
For dinner: Half grapefruit or 8 oz. of unsweetened grapefruit juice with any quantity of meat or fish cooked as per choice, salad and a cup of coffee/tea.
At bedtime: A glass of tomato juice or a cup of skimmed milk.

The food that can be had as per the grapefruit diet plan is red onions, radish, broccoli, low fat cereal and low-fat/fat free salad dressings. The foods to be avoided are mayonnaise, potato chips, white onions, cucumbers, cheese (in any form), bread and pickles.

Advantages of the Grapefruit Diet

The following are the benefits of the grapefruit diet:

Grapefruit contains very less calories and sodium. It is a rich source of vitamin C and has no fat content.
The pink variety of grapefruit contains beta-carotene that aids in decreasing the cholesterol levels.
The white pith of the grapefruit has pectin and bioflavonoid that are good antioxidants. Studies prove that consuming grapefruit everyday reduces the risk of diabetes .
Grapefruit has enzymes that assist in reducing insulin levels and increase the rate of weight loss by increasing the fat burning process.
The grapefruit diet plan is simple and easy to follow.

Disadvantages of the Grapefruit Diet

The grapefruit diet is not without its share of drawbacks. Some of them are:

The calories supplied by the grapefruit diet menu is very less and is inadequate for the everyday nutrition requirements of the body
One may experience dizziness and a stomach upset due to having coffee with a combination of insufficient food.
The grapefruit diet menu has very less necessary proteins, vitamins and minerals.
Consuming excessive meat is unhealthy. Any food is beneficial and healthy if had in moderation.
The grapefruit diet is a short-term plan. It does not aim at developing healthy eating habits that is required to attain lasting weight reduction.

Rules of the Grapefruit Diet Plan

One has to have a minimum of 8 glasses/64 oz of water daily. Water is not only important for the body, it also has zero calories.
It is necessary to have the precise quantities of grapefruit or grapefruit juice recommended. The grapefruit works as a catalyst that is required to begin burning fat. Though coffee is permitted in the grapefruit diet menu, one should limit the intake of coffee to one cup a day. This is so because coffee has an effect on the insulin levels which in turn hampers the fat burning procedure.
Ensure that one does not eat anything between meals. Food intake should be only at appropriate scheduled time as per the grapefruit diet plan.
One should eat till their appetite is full. This ensures that they will not feel hungry afterward.
One may increase the share of meat, salad or vegetables as per the grapefruit diet meal.
One should not do away with any food from the grapefruit diet menu. Particularly having salads and bacon during breakfast should not be skipped. It is the result of the blending of the food as per the grapefruit diet that aids in burning fat. The grapefruit diet will not work if one removes or reduces anything from the combination.
Liberal use of butter for preparing food as per this diet plan is acceptable.
When following the grapefruit diet plan, exercising is not suggested as this diet plan places restraint on calories.
This plan is also referred to as the 12 day grapefruit diet. This means that one can follow this diet for 12 days and take a break of a minimum of 2 days off before continuing with the plan.
One has to carry on the grapefruit diet plan for a minimum of 2 ½ months to see realistic results.
No other foods can be consumed other than the ones listed in the grapefruit diet menu.

The New Grapefruit Diet

The old grapefruit diet is considered a fad though it is accepted that consuming grapefruit as a part of daily diet can help lose weight. As per the new grapefruit diet, one can include grapefruit or grapefruit juice along with an exercise routine as part of daily food intake without changing anything else that you eat. Studies have proven that people eating grapefruit or having grapefruit juice have less insulin levels thereby monitoring blood sugar levels and aiding fat burning process.

Conclusion

Studies have proven that having grapefruit or grapefruit juice can be very beneficial for the overall health and well being. The composition of the grapefruit along with its ability to satisfy appetites helps to reduce weight as well as reduce the levels of insulin. This results in better health as well as weight loss.

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