The Grapefruit Diet

We all know what it’s like; a big event coming up and a little black dress that we just have to fit into. But if you’re seriously short on time, what should you do? A quick fix could be the only option. Coming to the rescue is the grapefruit diet!

Also known as the “New Mayo” or “Hollywood” diet, the grapefruit diet has been around for decades. First developed in the 1930’s, it became popular in the ’70s and has been going strong ever since. The diet is based on food combinations, specifically adding grapefruit or its juice to every meal, and is thought to burn fat thanks to the ability of the fruit to reduce insulin levels, thus encouraging fat loss.

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But what exactly does the diet involve? Well, as you would expect, a lot of grapefruit! There are a lot of variations of the diet out there, but the main principle of the grapefruit diet stays the same. Eat half a grapefruit (or the equivalent amount in juice) before every meal, and let the enzymes do the rest. The diet is based on a two-week plan, where you stick to the diet for 12 days then have 2 days off before going back onto it again.

While you’re on the diet certain foods are restricted while others can be eaten in abundance. Followers are allowed to fill up on as many vegetables and as much salad as they like, and plenty of meat is allowed to keep you full. You’re advised to drink eight glasses of water a day in conjunction with the grapefruit diet, which is also the recommended amount for anyone to drink, so the diet makes sure that you get it.

A typical meal plan for the week would consist of 2 eggs (any style) or 2 rashers of bacon for breakfast, followed by meat or fish with salad for lunch, then meat or fish with salad or cooked vegetables for dinner. Of course, add ½ a grapefruit or a glass of grapefruit juice before every meal. It’s as simple as that!

One of the best parts of the grapefruit diet is that followers are allowed to eat until they are full, so long as it’s of the recommended foods and at designated mealtimes. You can even double or triple your portions of meat and salad if you like, and you’re allowed to add butter when you cook your vegetables. What could be better? Eating lots and still losing weight! And, because the diet mainly consists of a lot of meat and veg, you’re still getting all your nutrition even though you’re cutting down on calories.

However, like most there are some restrictions to the grapefruit diet. For example, you can’t eat any complex carbs, so no potatoes, pasta, bread or the like. Try to cut down on coffee and tea as well, as this is thought to interfere with the insulin and its effectiveness, so stick to around 1 cup a day. Don’t snack between meals, and don’t have any desserts. However, this just looks like what any committed dieter will already be doing in their daily routine, so there isn’t really much of a difference to normal eating habits.

One of the main points to remember when you’re on the grapefruit diet is to never ever reduce the amount of grapefruit that you’re eating. If you can’t stomach the fruit then have the juice instead, but make sure that you eat or drink as much as you’re supposed to so that you get the full benefit.

You may be wondering whether or not the grapefruit diet actually works. Well, it does! A study conducted in 2004 found that, on average, participants who ate a portion of grapefruit or drank grapefruit juice with every meal lost up to 3.6lbs in 12 days. Some even lost more than 10lbs! That’s a lot of weight loss just by adding an extra ingredient to your daily diet.

The grapefruit diet works so well because it really is quite easy to follow. All you’re doing is cutting down on snacking and general bad eating habits, and just have to incorporate grapefruit into your daily routine. Most of us will try to cut down on bad foods anyway, so if adding grapefruit can result in even more weight loss it’s a great diet to try. And, the addition of grapefruit to any diet can be beneficial anyway. It’s low in calories and salt, doesn’t contain any fat and is packed with Vitamin C. It’s a great antioxidant food and can even help reduce cholesterol. All this and it can help with weight loss? It’s a regular super-food!

So, if you’re looking for a quick fix weight loss solution, the grapefruit diet could definitely be worth a try. Quick results without a whole lot of effort; what could be better?