In addition to being rich in vitamins (A, B, C, D, E), antioxidants and minerals (calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, copper, iron), grapefruit is indeed part of fat burning foods.
Indeed, drinking its juice will have a draining effect and will therefore facilitate the elimination of accumulated fat .
"On top of all this, this fruit is low in salt and calories (around 75 calories per fruit) , making it an ideal ally in a diet to lose weight naturally."
The consumption of this fresh fruit is therefore recommended if you are looking to shed a few extra pounds.
Where and how does the grapefruit fat-burning effect work?
It is first of all the naringinin contained in the fruit which eliminates free radicals in the body. It would even have a preventive effect on diabetes and overweight . It acts as an antioxidant by cleaning up excess glucose .
Its bitter and unpleasant taste for some people is due to its high content of the flavonoid naringin , but which is also the other organic compound that gives grapefruit, with the vitamin C it contains in large quantities, its slimming power and appetite suppressant .
The body, when it lacks vitamin C, demands more food. This same vitamin secretes a hormone that helps to lose fat and increase feelings of fullness.
Potassium and the various enzymes contained in large quantities in grapefruit also promote fat burning , regulate the feeling of hunger , and will thus help to lose weight quickly and well .
"The citrus fruit therefore acts as a natural appetite suppressant that gives the stomach a feeling of fullness, which allows you to eat less."
The other benefits of grapefruit
In addition to its slimming virtues , did you know that grapefruit is full of a multitude of other benefits that help maintain the balance of our body?
Detoxification , immune system strengthening , cholesterol regulator, cell preservation and skin care are some of the reasons we should all increase our grapefruit intake!
Find details of all the benefits of consuming grapefruit in an article dedicated to this precious citrus fruit.
How to benefit from the slimming powers of grapefruit?
To help you with your grapefruit diet , here are some ideas to take advantage of the slimming power of this fruit.
Grapefruit juice
The squeezed grapefruit juice accompany the digestion and will boost the metabolism in burning fat assimilated.
"It is ideal to consume grapefruit juice half an hour after a meal to benefit from its effects on transit."
It's a very easy method, especially since grapefruit juice is delicious and easy to make. You just have to extract the juice by squeezing the fruit, or take the pulp of the juice and put it in a blender (or in the centrifuge).
"If the grapefruit taste seems too bitter to you, you can add a spoon of honey, or mint."
And to vary the pleasures, you can consult another recipe for grapefruit and lemon juice already shared in another article.
For information, grapefruit juice is also recommended in cases of arterial hypertension or in prevention of cardiovascular diseases .
Eat grapefruit three times a day at mealtimes
This method involves consuming half a grapefruit before breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Indeed, the consumption of grapefruit before the main meals , in addition to activating the metabolism , provides a feeling of satiety because the fibers that the fruit contains reduce appetite.
"Be careful though if you are taking an antihistamine analgesic or immuno-suppressive treatment : grapefruit is contraindicated due to its drug interactions."
The consumption of grapefruit is not recommended in this context because the fruit cancels the effects of the treatment or multiplies them, which can have a harmful effect .
If you decide to go on a grapefruit weight loss diet , your best bet is to consult your doctor.
For people who are sensitive to acidity in the stomach , eating too much of this fruit is also not recommended.
An example of a grapefruit diet
This three-week grapefruit diet is renowned for stimulating the metabolism to burn fat and therefore lose weight.
This diet consists of having half a grapefruit for breakfast then two hard-boiled eggs, a slice of ham, all accompanied by a cup of tea.
At lunch, eat half a grapefruit as a starter, then a salad with meat.
At dinner, a grapefruit as a starter, vegetables accompanied by a different animal protein than that eaten at noon.
"If you're feeling peckish between lunch and dinner, you can have a hot drink and a piece of fruit as a snack (and since we're talking about the grapefruit diet…)."
The Mayo Diet: Hard-Boiled Eggs and Grapefruit, Does It Really Work?
Grapefruit but also Eggs, vegetables and… meat!
It mainly consists of :
- grapefruit and egg
- vegetables and hot drinks at will
- fruit q limited uantity
- of meat, authorized up to 100 grams per day
However, a number of foods are prohibited in this diet. These are mainly:
- sugars
- added fat
- the alcohol
- starches and legumes
- dairy products
- Dangers viehealthy picto
"Be careful, it is not recommended to follow this diet for more than two weeks , the list of its components being very limited."
Here is the typical menu offered by this Mayo diet
In the morning for breakfast , you should consume half a grapefruit , two hard-boiled eggs and a hot drink between plain tea and black coffee , without sugar. During the second week, a rusk is incorporated into breakfast.
Lunch is composed of two eggs cooked without adding fat or 100 grams of meat, vegetables or raw vegetables (salads, tomatoes, carrots , cucumbers, celery, spinach , zucchini ...), followed by half a grapefruit all together accompanied by your hot drink without sugar.
For dinner , take two eggs , vegetables, a toast or a rusk, all without fat, not to mention half a grapefruit and accompany the whole with a hot drink, always unsweetened.
In this diet, any snack is excluded.
This diet has the advantage of being rather simple to follow, but when it is developed at home.
Indeed, the restrictions being numerous, it is very difficult to find the required menu when eating out.
"To succeed with this diet, it is better to do it while being at home, during vacation for example, or take advantage of confinement to do so. Or, having the possibility to prepare and bring meals to the office."
This diet has the advantage of providing a lot of dietary fiber and enough protein to achieve a feeling of fullness.
However, legumes and dairy products being part of the prohibited list, the body may experience a drop in energy which will result in an episode of fatigue and lack of concentration between meals.
"To compensate for the energy fuck, favor the consumption of fruits rich in vitamin C like lemon or super foods like Goji berries ."
Remember that no snack is allowed under this diet, and any deviations are fatal!
Another downside to this diet is that eating eggs and grapefruit daily , and with each meal, can quickly get boring and make meals rather sad. During this diet, you will in fact eat about twenty grapefruit and about thirty eggs!
"To counter boredom, try to vary as much as possible the vegetables and their cooking (steam, in the oven ...) but also the preparation of your eggs: vegetable omelette, fried, scrambled with herbs ... Also, spices and herbs will become your best allies to brighten up your meals."
Effectiveness and dangers of this grapefruit diet
Concerning the effectiveness of the regime, one can ask questions.
While it certainly allows you to lose weight in a limited time, it does so by providing the body with a lower caloric quantity than those recommended from a nutritional point of view, and in particular in vitamins (C, E, D ...) and minerals.
In addition, following this diet limits the intake of calcium , carbohydrates , magnesium and other nutrients important for the balance of our body.
These nutrients are mostly found in foods prohibited by this diet. We can then expect to suffer from deficiencies .
This diet seems unbalanced and the weight loss it allows will first of all be muscle and water, than fat.
Finally, it is not personalized to individual needs and is focused on two weeks , which may suggest that the weight loss will not be sustainable.
"This diet is not ideal for effective and lasting weight loss, it targets a particular need for rapid melting, with a risk of deficiencies in nutrients and vitamins that should not be neglected."
Additional Tips on Grapefruit Diets
Contrary to popular belief, it is necessary to watch citrus based diets because although they are very effective, the acidity they contain can be dangerous for health.
Grapefruit and diabetes... Beware of extreme regimes
Including grapefruit in your diet, in the form of juice or by consuming half the fruit, will already help your body to eliminate excess fat by boosting the metabolism, especially if you do it as part of balanced meals.
"This is why, in my opinion, it is better to integrate grapefruit into a balanced diet rather than an express diet only based on grapefruit which will not guarantee lasting weight loss and which could cause certain deficiencies."
In addition, depriving the body of a certain number of foods and repeatedly eating the same meals will quickly push you to make gaps .
Accompany a grapefruit-based diet with a change in your eating habits
Like any diet , it is important to adopt healthy habits to go along with it.
Walking rather than taking transport, avoiding sugars and fats, adopting a regular sporting activity, drinking plenty of water… all of this will help you to lose weight on a lasting basis and eliminate fats.
Grapefruit light meal recipes
And as a bonus, here are some recipes for balanced grapefruit-based salads , perfect as part of a balanced slimming diet.
Carrot, grapefruit and cucumber slimming salad
We start in simplicity with this fresh recipe: good arugula for its character, light cream cheese, sun-dried tomatoes and grilled chicken, all in a buckwheat flour bread!
This salad brings together three foods rich in water and good slimming allies.
Ingredients
- 1 cucumber
- 2 nice carrots
- 1 beautiful pink grapefruit
- 1 white onion
- 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- Pepper, fleur de sel
Preparation steps
> Peel the grapefruit well and separate the quarters; by removing the membrane
> Wash and cut the cucumber into small cubes
> Wash, peel and grate the carrots
> Put the carrots and cucumber in a salad bowl and sprinkle them with grapefruit juice
> Peel the onion, mince it and add it to the carrot-cucumber mixture
> In a container, combine the oil, vinegar, salt and pepper
> Divide the carrot-cucumber mixture between the plates, place a few grapefruit quarters on top and sprinkle with the sauce.
Very easy - 12 minutes - Serves 4
Fresh salad with avocado, crab and grapefruit
Ingredients
- 200 grams of young shoots
- 3 avocados
- 2 pink grapefruits
- 1 small lemon
- 1 can of crumbled crab
- 1 spoon of mustard
- 10 cl of low-fat natural yogurt
- A few mint leaves
- Salt pepper
Preparation steps
> Rinse the young shoots
> Cut the avocados and remove their pits. Cut the flesh into cubes.
> Peel the grapefruit, leave the membrane, and remove the quarters. Cut them into pieces
> Wash and chop the mint leaves
> Mix the diced avocado, pieces of grapefruit and young shoots in a salad bowl
> Add the crab crumbs and mint
> Mix gently without crushing and refrigerate for a few minutes
> In a bowl, combine the mustard, yogurt, salt and pepper and lemon juice
> Take out the salad, pour in the sauce and mix
> Reserve again in the fridge for about an hour
> Serve chilled
Very easy - 15 Minutes - Serves 4
Quinoa, grapefruit and shrimp salad
Using quinoa instead of rice or pasta will make this meal even lighter, so ideal as an evening reaps.
Ingredients
- 100 grams of quinoa
- 1 grapefruit
- 200 grams of peeled prawns
- A few lettuce leaves
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 small lemon
- Salt pepper
- Preparation steps
> Bring a saucepan with a liter of water to a boil and cook the quinoa for about 20 minutes.
> While the quinoa is cooking, wash the salad leaves
> Peel the grapefruit, tear off the quarters and remove the white membrane. Cut the quarters into cubes
> In a bowl, mix the mustard, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper
> Add the cooked and cooled quinoa, shrimps, salad and grapefruit
> Mix without crushing and serve
Very easy - 20 Minutes - Stove 20 Minutes - Serves 4
