Healthy diets

Safe diets not only improve your health, but also help you lose weight permanently. Learn 4 Signs of a Safe Diet and 2 Balanced Diets to Help You Lose Weight Safely and Easily.

The basic principles of any diet for weight loss without harm to health are:

• balanced diet;
• reasonable limits;
• gradual loss of extra pounds;
• providing the body with all the necessary nutrients.

If these conditions are not met, then it cannot be observed for more than 3 days, and even better - to arrange a one-day unloading.

To get rid of 5-10 pounds or more, you should choose extremely balanced methods.

Types of harmless effective diets

Absolutely harmless diets do not exist, since they always imply the presence of restrictions that become stress for the body, make it get used to new foods and function somewhat differently. At the same time, there are very effective diets, the observance of which causes minimal, even purely symbolic harm to health (if we talk about the adaptation of the body), and also allows you to improve your health, feeling very comfortable. Their result is not achieved too quickly, but remains for a long time, and often forever. Optimal in this regard are considered sparing diets, the name of which speaks for itself.

Sparing

Losing weight with a gentle method is a system of proper nutrition based on the use of healthy foods and the rejection of unhealthy or too high-calorie foods. The menu of the gentle diet is quite simple to compose, and is also the complete opposite of traditional "hungry" diets. It is designed for 21 days with a loss of up to 4-5 kg of excess weight.

Menu

The essence of sparing weight loss boils down to the fact that for each of the three weeks, two menus are offered, alternating every other day. It is obligatory to consume celery, which speeds up the metabolism.

First week

Option number 1:

• breakfast - a cup of milk with a teaspoon of honey, a stale bun;
• lunch - a sandwich of black bread, butter, a slice of celery, tea without sugar;
• lunch - vegetable soup, a slice of boiled beef, 2 potatoes "in uniforms", cabbage salad with celery;
• afternoon snack - vegetable cuts, crackers;
• dinner - 250 ml of low-fat kefir, a sandwich of black bread, butter, a slice of celery.

Option number 2:

• breakfast - a sandwich of black bread, butter, a slice of celery, tea without sugar;
• lunch - 250 ml of low-fat kefir, black bread sandwich with butter, vegetable salad with beets, celery;
• lunch - chicken broth, a portion of boiled fish, 2 potatoes "in uniforms", herbs, celery;
• afternoon tea - fresh fruit, biscuit biscuits;
• dinner - a cup of milk with honey, 2 slices of black bread.

Second week

Option number 1:

• breakfast - fresh fruit, 3 croutons;
• lunch - a sandwich of black bread, butter, feta cheese;
• lunch - vegetable soup, lean meat, carrot salad with celery, jelly;
• afternoon tea - biscuit biscuits, orange;
• dinner - a slice of stale bread, a cup of milk, honey.

Option number 2:

• breakfast - black bread, jam, tea with milk without sugar;
• lunch - black bread, a slice of skinless chicken, herbal tea without additives;
• lunch - low-fat borscht, boiled fish, salad with beets, celery;
• afternoon tea - milk with crackers;
• dinner - low-fat cheese, tea without sugar.

Third week

Option number 1:

• breakfast - black bread, jam, coffee;
• lunch - boiled egg, black bread and butter sandwich, vegetable slices;
• lunch - mushroom soup with herbs, celery, low-fat cutlet, fresh vegetable;
• afternoon tea - apple, crackers;
• dinner - 250 ml of natural yogurt, stale bun.

Option number 2:

• breakfast - milk with honey, crackers;
• lunch - 2 black bread and sausage sandwiches without lard, vegetables, tea without sugar;
• lunch - fish broth with a piece of fish, vegetable stew with celery, two baked apples;
• afternoon tea - biscuit biscuits, orange;
• dinner - black bread, boiled fish, celery, apple.

Soup

The basis of the soup method for losing weight is a soup prepared according to a special recipe. This method of losing weight is the safest for the body and very good for its recovery. It promotes weight loss, cleansing of toxins, and has a positive effect on the gastric mucosa.

To make the soup you will need:

• onions - 7 pieces;
• celery - to taste (at least 1 bunch);
• cabbage - 1 head;
• salad pepper - 1 piece (green);
• tomatoes - 4 pieces (fresh or canned).

All ingredients are chopped, poured with water, then cooked - 10 minutes with a strong boil, 30 minutes in simmering mode. You can add a little salt, but just before eating the dish. The recipe is allowed to change slightly, adding other vegetables to it, but not potatoes.

In addition to soup, you should definitely add the following foods to your diet:

• the first day - fruits;
• the second - vegetables (except for legumes, potatoes);
• third - vegetables, fruits;
• the fourth - 250 ml of skim milk, 4 bananas;
• fifth - 400 g of boiled beef, 6 tomatoes;
• sixth - 400 g of boiled chicken, any vegetables, except legumes and potatoes;
• seventh - only brown rice.

The best part is that the soup can be consumed in any quantity as soon as the feeling of hunger appears. The diet is designed for a week. It is quite easy to follow, while weight loss can be 3-4 kg.

The benefits and harms of popular diets

The benefits and harms of diets depend on several factors:

• duration;
• severity of restrictions;
• variety of menu;
• the presence of stress factors;
• contraindications.

Before deciding on the choice of a diet, it is necessary to take into account all its advantages, disadvantages and risks, so that the result does not bring disappointment or lead to the need for long-term treatment for the consequences of losing weight.

Protein-free

The essence of a protein-free diet is to limit the amount of protein to 20% of all nutrients consumed per day. In this case, it is necessary to drink at least 2 liters of clean water, if there are no contraindications.

Benefit

The benefit of a protein-free diet is that it helps to get rid of the above problems. In addition, reducing the amount of protein entering the body can lead to weight loss, but only with a properly balanced diet.

The beneficial effect of a protein-free diet is based on the principle of metabolic stabilization. Although nutritionists believe that this technique has almost nothing to do with losing weight, since it does not work well with physical activity, it can lead to damage and loss of muscle tissue.

Harm

If you follow a protein-free diet, harm to weight loss may be due to the fact that the composition of foods that do not contain protein contains a lot of fats and carbohydrates. Therefore, this technique is indispensable as an additional treatment in the presence of certain diseases, but it will be absolutely useless and even harmful for weight loss.

Gluten free

Gluten is a vegetable protein found in grains that makes baked goods fluffy. For those wishing to lose weight, the technique is quite effective, providing:

• weight loss with minimal effort up to 3 kg per week;
• intensive cleansing of toxins;
• low-calorie, but balanced diet;
• a varied menu that does not exhaust the body.

It should be borne in mind that gluten can be contained not only in flour, but also in many other products - cereals, meat products, semi-finished products, sauces, sweets, canned food, alcoholic drinks, packaged juices. In general, with a gluten-free diet, only fresh natural products are allowed:

• vegetables, fruits, honey;
• eggs, meat;
• legumes, soybeans, seeds, nuts;
• gluten-free flour and cereals (buckwheat, corn, millet, rice), potato starch;
• butter, vegetable oil.

Benefit

For those looking to lose weight on a gluten-free diet, the diet helps:

• get rid of 10 kg in a month;
• to establish the work of the digestive system;
• get rid of toxins, slags, radionuclides;
• normalize sugar levels.

Harm

Exclusion from the diet of the main sources of gluten - cereals - leads to the fact that the body begins to experience a deficiency of fiber, many vitamins and minerals, including such important ones as:

• iron, calcium;
• B vitamins;
• folic acid.

Protein (low carbohydrate, no carbohydrate)

Protein is a great way to lose weight without feeling hungry. This technique, which is considered one of the most effective weight loss systems, involves the use of quite a variety of foods that provide the body with almost all the necessary substances. At the same time, the benefits and harms of a protein diet are in direct proportion to the degree of its limitations.

There are many options for such methods, many of them are called low-carb or no-carb, but the essence of each of them boils down to the fact that the basis of the diet is protein.

Benefit

Reasonably reducing the amount of carbohydrate food, along with the addition of protein products and fiber to the diet, has a positive effect on health during weight loss:

• fiber and protein take a long time to digest, providing a long-lasting feeling of fullness;
• proteins support cell regeneration, which contributes to the good condition of the skin, which often suffers from weight loss;
• fatty deposits are broken down to provide the body with energy, while new depots are not formed due to the lack of their main "suppliers" of fat - carbohydrates.

Harm

If you follow a carbohydrate-free diet, harm can be manifested by its side effects:

• increased fat burning causes the formation and accumulation of special compounds in the blood - ketones, which penetrate into the urine, provoking the development of a dangerous disease - ketonuria;
• insufficient nutrition of the brain with glucose reduces mental performance;
• excess protein increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases and tumors;
• rapid removal of water from tissues, preceding the active burning of fats, is fraught with severe dehydration;
• deficiency of vitamins or minerals reduces immunity;
• delayed, difficult or insufficient bowel emptying (constipation) does not provide a high-quality bowel cleansing, leads to the accumulation of toxins, the retention of toxins.

Salt-free

Salt-free food was originally developed as a therapeutic one, but since as a result of its use simultaneously with the improvement of the condition, noticeable weight loss was noted, it was adopted by many losing weight. Although, with the wrong use of a salt-free diet, the benefits and harms of avoiding salt can be completely incommensurable, since the damage to health can negate all efforts to get rid of extra pounds.

Salt is not only an additive that improves the taste of food, but also an important element in ensuring the normal functioning of the body. Therefore, a properly formulated salt-free diet does not exclude the use of salt, but only limits it to a minimum amount.

Salt-free nutrition is based on the following principles:

• refusal of harmful products (fried, fatty, smoked, spicy, salty);
• eating steamed dishes (mostly vegetables);
• fractional five meals a day in small portions.

Benefit

Salt-free food helps:

• eliminate the consequences of excessive salt intake;
• improve health, general well-being, a person's appearance;
• get rid of excess weight, cellulite, edema.

Harm

A salt-free diet is absolutely contraindicated in two cases:

• during extreme heat;
• with increased physical exertion.

Buckwheat

The buckwheat diet is also considered one of the most effective ways to lose weight, since this cereal contains few carbohydrates, but a lot of fiber, vitamins, and trace elements. At the same time, the technique based on the use of steamed buckwheat has its pros and cons, and the harm of a buckwheat diet depends on its specific features - duration, requirements, restrictions.

Losing weight on buckwheat can be one-day or several-day, and it also allows you to take only one porridge or additionally with other dietary products. The most severe buckwheat weight loss lasts 14 days and involves the use of only one steamed buckwheat in any quantity. A little fat-free kefir is allowed, as well as at least 2 liters of clean water. The diet of less strict buckwheat diets includes vegetables, fruits, and other low-calorie dishes.

Benefit

Nutritionists call the main advantage of buckwheat its ability to cleanse the body and regulate metabolism. It is useful to unload on such porridge after plentiful feasts in order to get rid of accumulated harmful substances. In addition, the benefits of buckwheat porridge are due to its other useful properties:

• immediately after switching to buckwheat, the process of removing excess fluid begins, which contributes to rapid weight loss;
• after 2-3 days, instead of liquid, fatty deposits begin to break down and be removed;
• practically no hunger is felt, since porridge can be eaten indefinitely, while the body receives not additional carbohydrates with calories, but vitamins, trace elements, amino acids, natural fiber.

Harm

Buckwheat mono-diet is categorically contraindicated:

• in the presence of gastrointestinal diseases;
• with diabetes mellitus;
• during pregnancy and lactation.

In such cases, you can resort to a less strict version of the buckwheat diet, the diet of which is balanced and includes a number of other healthy foods.

Low calorie

Reducing calorie intake in order to lose weight is the most common method of losing weight. However, reducing calorie levels to a minimum is extremely negative for health. Especially the harm of low-calorie diets becomes noticeable if they continue for a long time for no apparent reason. The essence of most of these techniques is to consume no more than 800-1000 calories per day. At the same time, preference is given to dietary products with low nutritional and energy value.

Benefit

It is possible to talk about the benefits of a low-calorie diet only when it is curative and is prescribed by a doctor for medical reasons. Such a diet is advisable only in the presence of obesity with significant excess body weight, which leads to the development of serious complications. In these cases, reducing calorie content helps to improve the patient's condition, but this technique should be adhered to only until normal weight is reached. Then you need to switch to a rational food system.

The second case when we can talk about the benefits of a low-calorie diet is fasting days. A day of reasonable fasting helps the body to cleanse itself, get rid of toxins, remove excess fluid, and normalize its work. Longer fasting, for the purpose of losing weight, can greatly harm your health.

Harm

Calorie restriction in the diet is fraught not only with insufficient energy intake, but also with more serious consequences:

• vitamins and other useful substances begin to be absorbed much worse, immunity deteriorates significantly;
• fat deficiency leads to disruption of the processes of cell renewal and growth;
• due to the lack of the required amount of fatty acids, depressive states, attention deficit disorder, schizophrenia develop.

Reasonable weight loss is a long process that does not tolerate haste, since dramatically lost kilograms tend to return.

Drinking

Drinking is considered one of the toughest because it involves a complete rejection of solid food. You can only eat liquid foods and meals without restrictions. Anything that is drunk is suitable - dairy or sour milk products, broths, any drinks, including sweet ones. Only soda is not recommended. Another prerequisite is that its duration should be exactly 30 days. As a result, you can achieve significant weight loss, but if we talk about the benefits, then it is purely theoretical, since it is described only by the supporters of the technique.

Benefit

The authors of the drinking system of weight loss argue that such a diet has sufficient nutritional and energy value to cover the needs of the body, so the discomfort can only be psychological. Also, purely theoretically, it is promised:

• at the first stage - the cleansing of the hollow organs, which is evidenced by the appearance of secretions from the body and mucous plaque on the tongue;
• then the kidneys, liver (dense organs) begin to cleanse, which is accompanied by unpleasant sensations in this area;
• the final stage takes place at the cellular level.

As a result, weight loss should be 15 kg, while the harm of drinking diet will be really real, and not "promised".

Harm

All the problems that may arise during or as a result of such weight loss are due not so much to the strict requirements of such a technique, but to its duration.

A fasting day can provide tangible health benefits, but a 30-day fast is stressful, leading to irreversible processes in the body.

With the wrong exit from such a nutritional system, the body may refuse to eat, which is fraught with the development of anorexia.

The term "swell with hunger" is a designation of a medical pathology, which becomes most pronounced on a drinking diet.

Of course, in a month of hunger strike it is quite possible to get rid of 15 kg of excess weight. But the benefits and harms of such weight loss will be absolutely incommensurable, since health will leave him along with the weight.

Rice

The effect of losing weight on rice days is based on the cleansing of toxins and toxins due to the ability of rice to absorb all harmful substances and then remove them from the body. At the same time, complex carbohydrates contained in cereals provide energy for a long time, creating a feeling of fullness. Of all the options for the rice diet, the most effective are those that are based on the use of porridge made from pre-soaked rice for breakfast, followed by 4 hours of abstinence from drinking and eating. This technique allows you to noticeably lose weight and cleanse the entire body.

Benefit

In addition to removing all the excess from the body, rice saturates it with B vitamins and amino acids, which have a positive effect on the brain, the state of the nervous system and appearance. In addition, the rice diet allows you to:

• get rid of 10 extra pounds in a month;
• normalize metabolic processes;
• improve the work of the digestive tract.

However, not everything is so simple, since there are not only benefits, but also certain harm to the rice diet, if you follow it for a long time or break the rules.

Harm

When performing the cleansing function, rice washes out not only harmful, but also useful substances. In this case, the elimination of absolutely all salts makes it difficult for the heart muscle to work. Also, problems with the cardiovascular system, diabetes, and kidney stones may appear. To avoid such a result, it is not recommended to stick to the rice mono-diet for a long time, since weight loss will be achieved at the cost of causing irreparable harm to the body.

Energy diets

Diets can be classified not only by such fundamental parameters as duration, menu, severity of restrictions, their benefits and harms. Regardless of all this, the majority of methods for losing weight have one thing in common - they involve the use of certain natural products or ordinary dishes. In addition, there are systems based on partial or complete replacement of meals with specially formulated food products - cocktails.

Benefit

Energy diet cocktails are characterized by the following properties:

• can replace or supplement the usual diet;
• allow you to control its daily calorie content;
• help to get rid of extra pounds;
• provide the body with proteins, vitamins, trace elements, amino acids;
• give a charge of vivacity and activity.

These qualities are really useful, but there is nothing unique about them - they are all possessed by ordinary healthy food.

The main advantage of cocktails is the simplicity of preparation, but it loses all meaning if we take into account the rather high cost of such products.

Harm

The benefits and harms of cocktails are widely discussed between experts and consumers of these products. Ultimately, it all depends on how rationally they are used, as well as whether their use makes sense.

The harm from cocktails can be if you use them for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or even more often. Replacing one meal with it really helps to normalize weight. Although the result depends solely on the correctness of the composition of the entire diet.

"Golden" rules for losing weight without harm

Competent disposal of extra pounds is based on the observance of several important rules. The main principle is that losing weight should be harmless. This requires:

1. Losing weight slowly - the rate of weight loss is no more than 4 kg per month, with more intense weight loss, hidden and obvious health problems develop, the work of many organs and systems is disrupted, various diseases develop, chronic diseases become aggravated, and as a result, the lost kilograms quickly return.
2. To speed up the metabolic process - this can be done with the help of a properly composed diet or adding products to it that activate metabolic processes, for example, apple cider vinegar, which is drunk before meals by diluting a tablespoon in a glass of water.
3. Drink plenty of fluids - water also accelerates the metabolic process, and also promotes the active breakdown of fats, reduces hunger.
4. Eliminate strict diets - too strict restrictions are allowed only for fasting days.

In addition to these rules, there are requirements, without which no method of losing weight will be effective:

• the calorie content of the diet should be calculated depending on the required minimum of calories, taking into account individual characteristics and lifestyle;
• in the menu, the balance of proteins, fats, carbohydrates must be observed;
• the basis of the diet should be your favorite or at least acceptable foods, otherwise losing weight will be uncomfortable and ineffective;
• you cannot set unattainable goals for yourself - reducing weight indicators should take into account the peculiarities of physiology, constitution, age and other individual parameters;
• it is imperative to monitor your health, with a sharp deterioration in health, you need to stop losing weight and consult a doctor.

In addition, it is not recommended to abruptly start and end the diet. It is necessary to prepare for this process physically and mentally. Losing weight cannot be achieved by any means - it should be aimed at improving health and prolonging life.