Most slimming people have heard about miraculous slimming properties of the most popular Polish fruit, apple. According to specialists apple diet is one of the best weight loss and cleansing treatments. Is it therefore worth introducing in order to quickly get rid of excess weight? Yes, it is. The effects of the apple diet can be very satisfactory, however we should remember not to start the treatment with too much dietary radicalism, because it can end up with a return to the old weight after the abandonment of the diet.
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Apple – properties, or about the advantages of the apple diet
The beneficial influence of apples on health has been known for a long time, which is best confirmed by the old adage: “an apple in the evening instead of a doctor”. Of course, without overestimating the importance of this fruit and by no means advocating its consumption instead of a visit to the doctor, it must be admitted that apples contain a whole range of nutrients important for health.
These are, among others, vitamins A, B and C, minerals, especially potassium, magnesium, iron, zinc, copper and silicon, bioflavonoids, fibre, which by stimulating metabolism promotes weight loss, as well as many other valuable compounds, including strong antioxidants.
Apple cure not only helps in losing excess weight, but also perfectly cleanses, which by the way also affects the process of weight loss. Quercetin contained in apples seals blood vessels, so it inhibits the development of atherosclerosis and reduces the risk of ischemic heart disease. In addition, apples normalize cholesterol levels, show antibacterial and antiviral activity. So, when it comes to the apple, the nutritional values of this seemingly common fruit are indeed exceptional!
Apples and weight loss. The principles of the apple diet
The main principle of the apple diet is, of course, to eat more apples, at the expense of other foods, especially those most threatening to our figure. The eaten fruit form a kind of gel mass in the stomach, preventing the absorption of sugar into the blood and significantly reducing appetite. The presence of fibre accelerates digestive processes, which apart from reducing the feeling of hunger, contributes significantly to weight loss.
You should prepare yourself properly for the apple diet. A few days before the beginning of the treatment we limit the number of calories consumed, we give up stimulants and we introduce more and more vegetables at the expense of heavy food. Start each day by drinking a glass of water with a small amount of apple cider vinegar. Then we include apples in most of the meals we eat during the day, trying to maintain culinary variety.
Fortunately this fruit is very versatile in use, so we can avoid culinary monotony. An important rule of the apple diet is also to eliminate all fattening products, so:
- fatty dishes;
- heavy and flour dishes;
- dairy products with high fat content;
- white bread (we eat only wholemeal bread in small quantities);
- fast food;
- sweets;
- sweetened drinks.
Generally meals should be small and relatively low in calories and apples should play the leading role in them. You should also remember to drink more fluids – preferably still mineral water, herbal teas, and in a less rigorous version you can also drink yoghurt. However, we completely give up sweetened ready-made drinks.
As every slimming treatment, also apple diet has its less and more restrictive variants. The strictest is the version lasting several days, in which we eat only apples and nothing else. This variant of the apple diet, just like other monodiets, threatens with the occurrence of nutrient deficiencies, which can lead to cachexia. It is also not a diet that would bring us permanent elimination of excess weight. In most cases it results in the yoyo effect.
Therefore a much more sensible option than a one or three day apple diet is a long term apple diet, which is introduced for a period of about 2-4 weeks and which results in gradual achievement of lower and lower values on weight.
The sample menu on the long-term apple diet is based on apples in various forms, although there is also some room for variety:
Day 1
- Breakfast: glass of water with apple cider vinegar, wholemeal bread with chicken ham, tomato, apple
- 2nd breakfast: a glass of grapefruit juice, 2 handfuls of dried apples
- Dinner: apple soup with lean yoghurt and a handful of wholemeal pasta
- green and red apples
- Tea time: leek and apple salad with natural yoghurt and mustard
- Dinner: 2 hard-boiled eggs, small slice of wholemeal bread, salad, apple
II day
- Breakfast: a glass of water with apple cider vinegar, oatmeal on low milk with apples (previously grated) and cinnamon
- 2nd breakfast: a smoothie made from apples, cucumber and orange, a slice of rice bread
- Dinner: roast chicken breast with apples and herbs, half a glass of brown rice, salad
- Tea time: sandwich with fish paste, apple
- Dinner: apple, cottage cheese
Day 3:
- Breakfast: glass of water with apple cider vinegar, half a graham with egg paste, apple
- 2nd breakfast: apple and carrot juice
- Lunch: millet groats with apples and other fruit (e.g. blueberries acai, strawberries, pineapple, grapefruit, raspberries)
- Tea time: handful of nuts, apples
- Dinner: stewed pollock with vegetables
Day IV
- Breakfast: a glass of water with apple cider vinegar, omelette with apple
- 2nd breakfast: apple mousse with cinnamon
- Dinner: cod stewed with apples, 2 potatoes, carrot juice
- Tea time: apple yoghurt with roasted nuts
- Dinner: rice with vegetables
Day V
- Breakfast: a glass of water with apple cider vinegar, dark bread with lean ham, salad
- 2nd breakfast: cottage cheese with chives, vegetable cocktail
- Dinner: roast veal with dry apple jam
- Tea time: tomato and pepper salad
- Dinner: baked apples with oatmeal
How to eat apples? Sample Recipes for Apple Dishes
This fruit is so useful in the process of losing weight because it contains large amounts of pectin, a kind of water-soluble fibre, which swells in the stomach and ensures the feeling of satiety. It is true that apples can be eaten in different ways – raw, baked, cooked, whole, grated, blended, but the healthiest apples are raw, eaten with skin, and even with seeds, which contain most pectin.
As additions to apples we can use various spices: mainly cinnamon, but also ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, aniseed, and even marjoram or herbes de Provence.
Here are some examples of dishes made with apples:
Apple mousse with cinnamon
Ingredients: 2 kg apples, a glass of boiled water, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons of cinnamon, a little sugar
Making: Wash and peel apples, cut out the core, cut into cubes and sprinkle with lemon juice. Pour water into a pot and put fruits in it, while stirring bring to a boil and then simmer for about 15 minutes, at the end add cinnamon and blend.
Apple yoghurt with roasted nuts
Ingredients: 100 grams of natural yogurt, 1 apple, pinch of cinnamon, coconut shavings, nuts
Making: rinse apple, peel, cut into small pieces, blend. Combine with yogurt, cinnamon and shavings. Roast nuts on a dry frying pan, add to yogurt, put additional apple pieces on top.
Dry apple jam
Ingredients: 4 apples, 1 small onion, garlic clove, lemon juice, salt, marjoram
Making: Peel apples and cut into smaller pieces, then stew with a little water. Finely chop onion and garlic and fry on a bit of oil. Add to the jam, add salt and marjoram. Season to taste with lemon juice, or a pinch of sugar. Serve with meat, pâté or poultry.
Baked apples with oatmeal
Ingredients: 4 apples, 4 tablespoons oatmeal, a spoonful of raisins, a handful of walnuts, a teaspoon of cinnamon, 2 tablespoons of honey, a bit of butter
Making: roast nuts gently and chop into smaller pieces, mix with flakes, raisins and cinnamon. Wash the apples, cut off the tops and hollow out the seeds, put them in a baking dish, fill with stuffing, put a strip of butter on top. Bake in an oven preheated to 180 degrees, uncovered, for about 40 minutes. Serve warm, sprinkled gently with honey.
Apple diet – the effects
Apple is a master fruit when it comes to the ability to turn up the metabolic rate, cleanse the body, stimulate digestive processes and suppress the appetite (due to the high content of fiber). Therefore, it will be perfect in the process of losing weight. At the same time, however, it is worth remembering to stick to a healthy diet and light meals to avoid weight gain. It is also good to keep the habit of eating at least one apple every day and increasing the amount of vegetables and fruits.
If you stick to a low-calorie menu with an apple for 3-4 weeks, you will lose about 5 kg. There is a reason why apple diet is one of the most valued slimming treatments. Its main advantage is the low calorific value of apples – one medium size fruit has about 50 to 80 kcal, and measurable effects of the treatment are, besides weight loss, cleansing the body from toxins, improvement of intestinal peristalsis and improvement of immunity.
Apple diet – opinions about it
The comments posted on the web are definitely positive, especially from people who have introduced large quantities of apples to their daily menu and combined them with other low-calorie products. In the case of the radical apple diet, in which only apples are eaten for a few days, many people lost a lot of weight, but then unfortunately experienced a yo-yo effect.
Internet users who have opted for a longer and milder version of the apple diet also note other health benefits, namely better digestion, improved mood and skin condition.
What dietary supplements will help you persevere on the apple diet and amplify the weight loss effects? Check out:
Fibre Select
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