Grapefruit, pineapple, and celery may seem like three separate, unrelated fruits and vegetables, but they’re great for a weight-loss diet, plus they have a lot more in common than meets the eye.
Each has diets named after them and they are all classified as “negative calorie” foods, based on a theory espoused in a book published in 1990. “
Negative calorie theory
“ Negative calorie “ foods are low in calories and difficult to chew and digest, so more calories are burned from eating and digesting them.
According to this theory, eating some foods creates a „calorie deficit“ and helps you lose weight. However, some researchers have said that pineapple, grapefruit and celery are healthy foods, but „people should expend more calories through 10 minutes of exercise with their training routine, and not by chewing food.“
Weight loss shake
Putting “ negative calories ” aside, consuming a grapefruit, pineapple and celery smoothie can burn fat if followed by a consistent diet, it can eliminate toxins from the body, also acting as a natural diuretic and thus preventing bloating. of the body, also avoiding the appearance of cellulite and protecting from rheumatic and arthritic pain.
To make this smoothie, you will need:
- Sliced pineapple
- juice of 1 grapefruit
- 1 stalk of celery
- ½ nopal leaf (nopal leaf – nopal is a cactus plant – if you have no way to get it, you can omit it)
- Honey to sweeten.
Blend the ingredients with ice in a blender and drink immediately to make sure all the nutrients are retained. Take this shake for seven days on an empty stomach to see the best results, and, as with any diet, it is best to refrain from eating foods that make you fat.
The effects of these foods on weight loss
Grapefruit
The grapefruit diet, known as the „Hollywood diet,“ has been around since the 1930s and was very popular in the 1970s and 1980s.
Grapefruit is supposed to contain a fat-burning enzyme that aids in weight loss, and although this fat-burning enzyme theory has not been fully proven, it is said that the only reason the grapefruit diet may be In fact, it helps people lose weight, it is because you can cut other calories that you should consume with grapefruit at every meal, and since grapefruit does not contain an excessive number of calories, that is the reason why it is a good food to consider within a low calorie diet to lose weight.
Pineapple benefits
The „pineapple diet“ has also been referred to as the “ Hollywood Diet “ and just like in the grapefruit diet theory, eating pineapple before meals is supposed to contribute to proper food processing and therefore in improving and accelerating metabolism, since pineapple enzymes help the body break down food and digest more easily, which first results in no weight gain, and is followed regularly with a proper diet, contributes to weight loss.
Also like the grapefruit diet, this enzyme theory is not yet fully proven, but what is a fact is that pineapple contains relatively few calories and a large amount of fiber that helps to better regulate the intestine. It also contains 50 percent of the recommended daily allowance of vitamin C, which can successfully cure rheumatoid arthritis and is a source of vitamins A, B1, B2 and C.
Benefits of celery
Celery is said to help you lose weight, as it is a natural diuretic and because it contains apiin, a super nutrient that is supposed to suppress hunger, so you eat less and therefore help you weigh less as well. Celery also contains calcium and is an alternative to dairy products for those who want to get the benefits of calcium without eating animal products.
It also contains antioxidants that are purported to cleanse and detoxify the lymphatic system, curing eczema, and it is also a natural healer for headaches, constipation, high blood pressure, and inflammation.
Precautions
Grapefruit can interact with certain medications. If you are taking oral contraceptives, consuming grapefruit increases your risk of developing blood clots. The chemicals in grapefruit can negatively interact with other medications, including simvastatin, an anti-cholesterol drug.
If you are on any medication, check with your doctor before adding grapefruit to your diet. You should also consult a doctor before starting any weight loss program.
