Fruits and vegetables only diet for rapid weight loss? Myths and risks
Beauty
Health
Can you eat only fruits and vegetables to cause rapid weight loss?
The health benefits of consuming fruits and vegetables have been drilled into your head since you were a child, an apple a day keeps the doctor away, after all. So when you find yourself on the wrong side of the body mass index, it makes sense to only eat fruits and vegetables for a while until those extra pounds disappear. Unfortunately, as beneficial as fruits and vegetables may be, they are not everything when it comes to real nutrition or weight loss.
The Good News
Eating fruits and vegetables is important for anyone, regardless of whether you are trying to lose or gain weight. Fruits and vegetables provide fiber and carbohydrates and are rich in vitamins, including many antioxidants. Because they are so low in calories, theoretically you could eat many kilos per day to reach the recommended number of calories for an adult, but most people cannot retain that much food. This means you would have a calorie deficit per day, which is the key factor in weight loss.
The Bad News
The bad news is that fruits and vegetables, however healthy, are not a complete food for humans. They are not good sources of protein, which means your muscles do not receive the nutrition they need. Although they are carbohydrates, they do not provide much ready energy because they are digested so quickly, so you will likely feel sluggish. On a normal diet, whole grains provide slow-release energy. Most fruits and vegetables contain no fat, so your body may not be able to absorb fat-soluble vitamins.
The Ugly News
The worst part is that any weight you lose by eating only fruits and vegetables will return as soon as you start eating normally again. The lack of protein in the diet means your body will begin to feed on your muscles for energy, since you will not consume enough calories. The high water content of fruits and vegetables is good for you, but it will trigger the release of most of the water stored in the body. The sudden dramatic increase in fiber will cause intestinal discomfort, and may initially lead to diarrhea, which is another way of cleansing the body. Therefore, between the lost muscle, water weight loss and empty intestines, the scale number will drop. But in reality, you still have the same amount of fat as when you started.
Alternatives
The best and most permanent approach to weight loss is slow and steady. Eat a balanced diet, with 45 to 65 percent of calories from carbohydrates, 20 to 35 percent from fats and 10 to 35 percent from proteins. Fruits and vegetables should definitely be part of it, but have two cups of each per day. Complete your diet with whole grains, lean proteins and healthy fats such as olive oil. Use an online calculator to determine the amount of calories you need and follow that diet; starving yourself all the time will be counterproductive.
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