Diet for weight loss using Chinese cabbage: principles, approximate diet, reviews and results
Chinese cabbage is used for weight loss due to its low energy value and lack of sugars. The plant product saturates the body with vitamins and mineral compounds necessary to accelerate intracellular metabolism. Read more about the benefits of Chinese cabbage for weight loss below.
Chemical composition and nutritional value of Chinese cabbage
The calorie content of 100 g of product is 32 kcal. Nutritional value of the same amount of Chinese cabbage:
- 1.2 g proteins;
- 0.2 g fat;
- 2.2 g carbohydrates.
The leafy vegetable contains nutritional compounds:
- vitamins: beta-carotene, group B, retinol, ascorbic acid, quinine;
- trace elements: iron, zinc, selenium;
- macroelements: phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sodium, chlorine;
- tanning components;
- coarse fiber;
- flavonoids;
- phytoncides;
- hormone-like compounds such as phytoestrogens.
Is it possible to lose weight on Chinese cabbage?
On a cabbage diet get rid of excess weight for the following reasons:
- High content of coarse plant fiber. When ingested into the stomach, dietary fiber improves the digestion of foods and helps cleanse the body of toxins and excess fluid. Fiber satisfies hunger for 2-3 hours.
- Cabbage leaves contain virtually no sugars and starch, which increase the plasma concentration of sugar in the blood and are stored as fat reserves.The bulk of carbohydrate compounds is represented by coarse and soluble fiber.
- The product is low-calorie. It can be consumed in unlimited quantities to satisfy hunger.
- Vitamin-mineral complex in Chinese cabbage maintains a high metabolic rate, improves the functioning of organs and systems.
- A combination of fiber and tartronic acid. The latter prevents the conversion of carbohydrates into fat mass. Organic acid is consumed exclusively from raw cabbage leaves. It is easily destroyed by heat treatment. Rough fiber creates a barrier in the intestines, preventing the complete absorption of fats and carbohydrates in the small intestine.
Plant foods are most efficiently digested in the afternoon, when the rate of metabolic processes drops. Thanks to the bioactive substances in its composition, cabbage accelerates metabolism, as a result of which the body converts fat reserves into energy even in the evening.
Benefits for weight loss
Cabbage leaves are useful during a low-calorie diet due to the following properties:
- lysine helps cleanse the blood of toxic compounds, improves the activity of immunocompetent cells and destroys foreign protein substances in the plasma;
- lactucin normalizes blood pressure and sleep, improves intracellular metabolism, and has a general strengthening effect;
- B vitamins normalize the psycho-emotional state, reduce the risk of diet failure, and relieve headaches;
- ascorbic acid strengthens the walls of blood vessels, improves the functioning of the immune system, preventing the diet-depleted body from becoming infected with infectious diseases;
- fiber improves the process of digestion and absorption of food;
- antioxidants strengthen the hair and nail structure, restore skin elasticity, and prevent peeling;
- Chinese cabbage reduces the level of bad cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood serum, which worsen the condition of the walls of blood vessels and contribute to the development of obesity;
- prevents vitamin deficiency.
An example of a Chinese cabbage diet
As an alternative to a low-calorie diet, Chinese cabbage is used fasting days. This vegetable does not contain as much crude fiber as white cabbage, so it can be eaten throughout the day without the risk of constipation.
Attention! The leafy vegetable creates a high load on the digestive tract, so the cabbage diet should not be followed for more than 2 weeks. Otherwise, the risk of developing gastritis increases.
Diet rules
To get the maximum benefit from a low-calorie diet, adhere to the following rules:
- To saturate the body with vitamins, minerals and tartronic acid, Chinese cabbage use in its raw form.
- A fractional diet is introduced: they eat food 5-6 times a day in small portions of 300-350 g. During the day, they drink up to 1.5 liters of liquid. Completely exclude carbonated, alcoholic and sweet drinks. It is allowed to drink freshly squeezed vegetable, fruit, and berry juices, coffee, tea without milk and sugar, and water.
- Salt, sugar and other food additives are excluded during the cooking process. It is allowed to replace salt with a small amount of soy sauce - up to 15-20 ml per day, no more than 2 times a week.
- After each meal you should feel slightly hungry. Overeating slows down metabolism, causing the body to stop breaking down fat reserves for energy and reducing physical activity.
- To maintain skeletal muscle tone, they engage in sports 2 times a day. The workout includes only light to moderate exercise. Strength and cardio exercises are prohibited.
In addition to following the rules of the diet, it is necessary to balance the daily diet. Products are divided into prohibited and acceptable.
Allowed food:
- cucumbers;
- celery, spinach;
- green bean;
- tomatoes;
- bell pepper;
- zucchini, radishes, beets;
- cereals, excluding white rice;
- whole wheat bread;
- various types of cabbage, in addition to Chinese cabbage;
- apples, pears, citrus fruits, pomegranates and other fruits;
- berries;
- any greens;
- seafood;
- lean meat, lean fish fillet;
- fish oil, multivitamin complexes;
- hard cheeses;
- boiled eggs;
- fermented milk and dairy products with a low fat content;
- olive oil, flax, sesame seeds.
Prohibited foods for weight loss:
- sunflower oil, butter;
- White bread;
- flour and confectionery products;
- fatty sauces;
- White rice;
- starchy vegetables;
- bananas, persimmons, grapes;
- instant coffee;
- by-products: sausage, frankfurters;
- fatty cheese, sour cream, milk, cream, cream.
Diet
When following a low-calorie diet, the diet is composed according to the following principles:
- for breakfast they eat complex carbohydrates: sandwiches with rye bread, cereal porridge, honey, fruits, nuts and berries, dairy products;
- during the lunch break, the body should receive protein from eggs, lean meat, mushrooms and fish fillets, as well as coarse fiber from vegetables;
- For dinner they eat dishes with Chinese cabbage.
An approximate menu for the week is presented in the table.
| Day | Breakfast | Dinner | Dinner |
| 1 | Oatmeal with milk without sugar, green tea with 1 tsp. flower honey | Chicken chops with soy sauce, low-fat sour cream and mustard (marinade for meat is prepared from them). The fillets are baked in the oven; frying is prohibited. | Chinese cabbage salad with lemon juice and olive oil |
| 2 | Buckwheat porridge on water with fruits or vegetables | Steamed minced beef cutlets on a bed of vegetables | Cabbage leaves, chopped, mixed with green peas, seasoned with olive oil |
| 3 | Fruit salad from sweet and sour apples, oranges, pears with the addition of honey and low-fat curd mass | Steamed fish, garnished with broccoli | Chinese cabbage salad with hard cheese |
| 4 | Buckwheat porridge with water without food additives, hard-boiled egg, green tea with flower honey | Herb-roasted chicken breast | Cabbage salad with daikon and grated carrots |
| 5 | Oatmeal with milk with 1 tbsp. l. ground walnuts, 1 tsp. honey | Vegetable soup with meat broth or light chicken noodle soup | Salad of Chinese and white cabbage with natural yoghurt and lemon juice |
| 6 | Sandwich made from whole grain bread and cheese, sweet and sour apple | Steamed fish, stewed vegetables with citrus juice | Cabbage salad with boiled egg |
| 7 | Corn porridge in milk with boiled yolks, 0.5 avocado and green tea | Boiled veal with a side dish of green beans | Cabbage salad with celery |
Reviews and results
Reviews from those who tried it diet on Chinese cabbage, they clearly indicate that it is not easy to withstand it, but the expected result will come.
Elena Kiprova, 32 years old: “The Chinese cabbage diet is hungry. I constantly want to eat, I feel malnourished. But I felt light in my body and my health improved. There was no fatigue, I was in a positive mood all the time.In 10 days + 5 days off the diet, I managed to lose 4.5 kg. I’m very pleased with the result.”
Marina, 29 years old: “To lose 5 kg for the holidays, I decided to go on a diet. I chose Chinese cabbage as the main product. I ate it fresh or added it to vegetable salads when I felt hungry. I went in for sports 4 times a week. The result was worth it: in 14 days I got rid of 6 kg. Then the 2 kg came back, but that’s normal. This is liquid and food digested in the intestines.”
Katrina Belaya, 21 years old: “The diet was difficult. I only lasted a week, losing 2.5 kg. Constantly feeling hungry and tired. There was no strength left for exercise, so after work I just slept or rested.”
Conclusion
Chinese cabbage is characterized by a high content of coarse fiber, which is practically not digested in the body. Thanks to dietary fiber, hunger subsides for 2-3 hours, despite the low calorie content of the product. During this time, subcutaneous fat deposits are broken down to replenish energy costs.
Nutrients improve overall well-being, stabilize the functioning of the digestive organs and endocrine system, which is important against the backdrop of a meager diet. The proteins in cabbage support the functioning of skeletal muscles and prevent muscle breakdown.