Ever Heard of the Grapefruit Diet?

Have you ever heard of the grapefruit diet? A classic version of it was developed and popularized as long ago as in the 1930s! Researchers then claimed that grapefruit contained special, unique enzymes that enhanced the process of weight loss. Although the grapefruit diet was often looked upon as a fad dietary advice, it nevertheless quickly become popular, especially among women who were able to lose up to ten pounds of excess weight during a twelve day trial period!

Can the grapefruit diet be recommended as an effective weight loss option nowadays? Let us have a close look at how it works and what exactly makes grapefruit a superfood for weight loss!

Grapefruit is one of “beauty products” that has been known as a natural, folk remedy since the times immemorial. Women always knew that, taken out of the kitchen, grapefruit could be an awesome ingredient in scrubs, baths, creams, tonics, and oils for aromatherapy massages. Eating grapefruit on a regular basis is extremely beneficial for the skin and the immune system. Apart from being a low-calorie fare, grapefruit contains huge amounts of Vitamin C and other beneficial ingredients. Recently, Dr. Ken Fujioka’ team of researchers of Scripps Clinic, the Nutrition and Metabolic Research Center, have found out that grapefruit has insulin-lowering qualities, which partially explains why the grapefruit diet works so well in stimulating weight loss.

Grapefruit (and its juice) is also known as one of the most nutrient-dense and health-friendly natural foods:

* it contains more vitamins and minerals per calorie than apples, prunes, or grapes;
* it is bursting with antioxidants and therefore plays a role in neutralizing various toxins and free radicals - the main suspects in the development of chronic diseases;
* it is naturally low in cholesterol, fat and sodium, and thus beneficial to the heart;
* it contains lycopene that protects us against certain cancers and other serious illnesses; and
* it pumps up our iron intake by boosting the body absorption of non-heme iron that we ingest with plant foods, such as spinach.

The classic grapefruit diet calls for drinking a full 8-ounce glass of freshly-squeezed, unsweetened grapefruit juice three times a day, before each meal (each glass will provide you with 100 percent of the Recommended Daily Value of natural Vitamin C!). Alternatively, you can eat a fresh grapefruit instead of drinking its juice. Your diet should be calorie-restricted (about 800 calories are allowed per day), and should not include starches and sugars. However, bacon is encouraged as a breakfast food and meats can be consumed liberally for lunch and dinner. Vegetables patted with butter can also be eaten freely three times a day. The diet is cyclic: dieters should strictly adhere to it for 12 days, then switch to their normal dietary regime for two days, after which the grapefruit diet cycle is repeated again until the desired weight is achieved. In addition to a glass of grapefruit juice, or a fresh fruit before each three meals, the recommended diet looks as follows:

Breakfast:

Two eggs fried with two slices of bacon, and a cup of black unsweetened coffee.

Lunch:

Meat, fish, or poultry of any kind prepared in a variety of ways and accompanied by a large green salad. A cup of tea or coffee without sugar.

Dinner:

Same as lunch. Instead of a salad, you can eat steamed non-starchy vegetables served with butter.

Bedtime snack:

A glass of skim milk, skim unsweetened yogurt, or tomato juice.

The grapefruit diet general guidelines include:

* drinking enough water to keep the body hydrated;
* eating fairly large portions of allowed foods at meal times in order to curb hunger;
* using liberal amounts of natural butter; and
* strictly abstaining from forbidden foods.

Non-starchy vegetables, such as cauliflower, broccoli, bell peppers, spinach and onions, as well as fruits, such as applies and oranges, can be freely eaten at every meal. Forbidden foods include breads, mayonnaise, potatoes, tomatoes, carrots, and commercial salad dressings.

This diet is relatively inexpensive, easy to follow, and it also contains lots of valuable nutrients. However, many dieters find it too boring because the amount of calories and carbohydrate-rich foods is severely restricted. In addition, it is not suitable for vegetarians, nor does it change basic eating habits of overweight people. Usually, after the grapefruit diet is over with, the dieter tends to gain undesirable weight back.

What should you do if this strict grapefruit diet is too uncomfortable to you to follow, but you still want to benefit from weight-reducing qualities of grapefruit? Our recommendation is to incorporate grapefruit in different forms into your daily menu without adhering to severely restricting diets. Studies show that, just by eating grapefruit on a daily basis, you will be able lose excess weight!

In practice, fresh grapefruit or its juice can be added to virtually every meal - cereals, pancakes, salads, etc. Try these easy suggestions:

* Make a super-salad by adding zesty grapefruit segments to your greens or incorporating several tablespoons of fresh grapefruit juice into a home-made salad dressing.

* While making chilli, replace high-fat cream or cheese with little grapefruit juice for heat and sweetness.

* Create a tasty dipping sauce to serve with beef, shrimp, or poultry by mixing grapefruit juice with naturally-brewed soy sauce.

* Use grapefruit marinade or topping with such healthy protein entrées as chicken or fish.

* And, of course, grapefruit will enhance the taste and flavour of any drink! Splash some fresh grapefruit juice in your tea, soda, cocktail, or just plain water, or add it to healthy, fat-free smoothes.

Wayne Hammel

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