How to properly spend a fasting day on buckwheat with maximum efficiency and benefit
The idea of fasting days is extremely attractive. It's so easy to lose a couple of extra pounds in just one day. A day on a diet is not such a big price to pay for being slim. Among the variety of options for fasting days, one of the most popular is buckwheat.
In the article we will talk about the pros and cons of a fasting day on buckwheat, the basic rules of such a diet and its varieties. Tips and reviews will help you perform “unloading” as efficiently and safely as possible.
Rules for a fasting day on buckwheat
The following rules will help you achieve the desired result and minimize stress on the body during a diet:
- Only whole grains – kernels – are suitable for weight loss. Cereals and prodel contain less fiber, so they are less effective for weight loss.
- The daily food intake is divided into 4-5 parts. It is advisable not to exceed an interval of 2-3 hours between meals. The last meal is no later than 4 hours before bedtime.
- During unloading, drink 1.5-2 liters of liquid. Ideally, this should be clean, still water. Coffee, herbal or green tea without sugar are also allowed, but not more than 1 cup per day.
How to cook buckwheat
To preserve the rich vitamin and mineral composition of the cereal, it is better not to boil it, but to steam it.
It's easy to do:
- Rinse a glass of dry buckwheat and pour two glasses of boiling water.
- Cover with a lid and leave to steep for several hours (overnight).
Some nutritionists advise steaming cereal in a thermos or wrapping the cooking container in towels and blankets. This makes sense if you want to eat hot porridge in the morning, but it will not affect the readiness of the dish in any way.
Buckwheat grains have such a structure that moisture easily penetrates inside, buckwheat “swells” and in consistency becomes indistinguishable from cooked cereals. At the same time, the taste of steamed buckwheat is more rich and natural.
Salt, sugar and other spices should not be added to buckwheat for a fasting day - they retain fluids in the body and increase appetite.
Efficiency
Buckwheat is one of the lowest-calorie cereals: 100 g of product contains only 300 kcal in dry form and 87-107 kcal in cooked form.. It has a balanced nutritional value: rich in protein (11 g) and fiber (14 g) with a relatively small amount of carbohydrates (56 g).
If you prepare porridge from 250 g of dry buckwheat for a fasting day, the calorie content of the daily diet will be 750 kcal. This is about half the recommended amount for women. Thus, a significant calorie deficit is achieved, which leads to weight loss.
In addition, buckwheat porridge without salt and sugar removes excess fluid from the body, and non-heat-treated fiber helps cleanse the intestines.
How much weight can you lose?
Depending on the initial parameters and strict adherence to the recommendations, you can lose from 0.5 to 2 kg of weight in one day on buckwheat. However, to maintain this result, a smooth exit from the diet and a further reduction in calorie intake will be required.
Options for fasting days with buckwheat
In order not to become discouraged by chewing “empty” buckwheat porridge, and not to fall off your diet, you can add other foods to your diet.This will add variety and enrich your diet with missing vitamins and microelements.
Buckwheat + kefir
In this version as an addition 1 liter of kefir is allowed with buckwheat fat content 1%. The drink is consumed separately or poured over cereal during preparation (in a 1:1 ratio with boiled water).
Lactic acid bacteria in kefir normalize the microflora in the intestines and promote better digestion of buckwheat. It is also an additional source of protein, phosphorus, calcium and potassium.
Reference. Although the calorie content of such a tandem increases by 400 kcal compared to “naked” buckwheat, kefir has a diuretic effect, which means it accelerates weight loss.
With apples
Help for those with a sweet tooth to survive a fasting day apples. These fruits are available all year round, they are high in fiber and low in calories - no more than 48 kcal.
During the day you can eat no more than 3 medium-sized apples. Use them as a snack or slice them into buckwheat porridge.
Advice. It is better to choose green varieties (“Antonovka”, “Granny Smith”, etc.) - they have less carbohydrates.
With milk
It is allowed to drink or pour steamed buckwheat with skim milk. This option is good for those who do not give up sports during the diet: milk provides additional energy and is rich in minerals.
With tomato
Tomatoes are almost 90% water, so 100 g of tomatoes contain only 20 kcal, but a lot of vitamin C (1/5 of the daily value). Thus, buckwheat with tomato is preferable during the period of vitamin deficiency.
The vegetable is allowed fresh, baked or stewed without oil. You can eat 200-300 g of tomatoes per day, divided into several meals.
With bran
Bran makes buckwheat porridge more satisfying and nutritious, improves digestion, and reduces cholesterol and blood sugar levels.The weight loss effect is achieved by suppressing appetite and actively removing toxins from the body.
Of all the varieties of bran, buckwheat bran is the least caloric - 120 kcal per 100 g. They are added to the finished dish - no more than 1 tbsp. l. for one meal.
Attention! Bran absorbs a lot of liquid. To avoid the problem of constipation and intestinal colic, watch your drinking regime.
With soy sauce
The sauce adds piquancy to the bland buckwheat, but it contains a lot of salt. Nutritionists allow you to consume up to 5 g of table salt per day - this is about 100 g of good quality soy sauce.
With vegetables and other products
In addition to tomatoes, buckwheat porridge goes well with herbs, celery (has a diuretic effect), bell pepper, and stewed zucchini. The main thing is to avoid starchy vegetables: potatoes, beans, peas, lentils.
Anyone who lacks protein can add boiled chicken breast, lean fish or mushrooms to the menu.
Contraindications and possible harm
The chemical composition of buckwheat is an impressive list of vitamins and minerals, healthy acids and fats. However, long-term use of this product exclusively (more than a week) will inevitably lead to a deficiency of certain substances, for example, water-soluble vitamins A, C, etc.
Buckwheat porridge can provoke flatulence, especially when combined with apples or milk. Kefir has a laxative effect, and tomatoes have a choleretic effect. Therefore, it is better for people with any gastrointestinal diseases to avoid such a diet.
A special substance - rutin - increases blood viscosity. This is a direct contraindication to a buckwheat mono-diet for hypercoagulability.
Advantages and disadvantages
Fasting days on buckwheat are good for a number of reasons:
- buckwheat is an affordable product;
- cooking does not take much time;
- the diet has many variations;
- Buckwheat dietary fiber restores normal intestinal function, so “unloading” is good after a heavy feast.
On the other hand, such a mono-diet is not without its drawbacks:
- carbohydrates predominate in it - 50% of the cereal consists of starch and has a significant glycemic index – 40;
- short-term effect - if you do not change your approach to nutrition, the lost pounds will quickly return.
Buckwheat diet
In addition to fasting days, in the fight for slimness they use diet on buckwheat.
Duration
The most commonly used are 3-, 5- and 14-day diets.
Sample menu
The diet includes steamed buckwheat and all kinds of additives to it:
- vegetables - fresh and processed (soups, stews);
- low-fat protein foods - poultry, lean meat and fish, as well as eggs and low-fat cottage cheese;
- non-starchy fruits with low sugar content - apple, kiwi, strawberry;
- drinks - low-fat kefir and milk, herbal or green tea, coffee without sugar (only in the morning).
Efficiency
The amount of kilograms lost depends on many factors. Adherents of the most stringent option - a 2-week diet on buckwheat and kefir - promise an impressive result of 12 kg. The actual figures are somewhat lower – from 5 to 7 kg over the same period.
Reviews of those losing weight
The effectiveness of fasting days on buckwheat can be easily assessed from the reviews of those who practice this method of losing weight.
Irina, 30 years old: “After a fasting day on buckwheat, the scales showed a decrease of only 500 g, but I immediately felt lightness in my body. Now I practice this regularly – about once every 1-2 weeks.”
Anna, 25 years old: “I use this deloading as preparation for any diet.Metabolism starts, the body adjusts to cleansing.”
Larisa, 43 years old: “Buckwheat and kefir are my lifesaver after New Year and Easter feasts. 3 days of diet – and I’m back in shape!”
Conclusion
Fasting days on buckwheat and the buckwheat diet is a budget-friendly and affordable way to lose weight. It is advisable to combine cereals with other products so that the diet is varied and complete.
The most effective option is with kefir, since the fermented milk product has a diuretic and mild laxative effect. If you choose a long-term diet, be sure to include sources of animal protein, fruits and vegetables.