Black currant for weight loss
The currant diet is a simple, effective and inexpensive way to lose weight, especially for those who cannot stick to the diet for too long. The diet is extremely simple: for three days, replace all meals with red, white or black currants. During this time, you will cleanse and heal your body, and start the process of losing weight by reducing the caloric content of your diet.
Let us immediately warn you that you should not expect outstanding results from the short version of the diet. To get rid of fat deposits, it is better to choose a longer balanced diet on black currants for five, seven, nine or 14 days.
Is it possible to eat black currants while losing weight?
Low calorie content combined with a diverse vitamin and mineral composition make currants an indispensable product in the fight against extra pounds. Any berries - red, white, black - have excellent taste, nutritional and dietary properties. In addition, currants are useful for diseases of the circulatory system, weakened immunity, atherosclerosis, colds, and infectious diseases.
Black currant contains pectin, the main effect of which is to naturally and safely cleanse the digestive system.
What else is pectin useful for weight loss:
- normalizes digestive processes;
- accelerates lipolysis (breakdown of fat deposits);
- activates metabolism;
- stimulates intestinal peristalsis, as a result, food masses move more easily and quickly through the gastrointestinal tract, thereby ensuring regular bowel movements;
- removes various harmful substances from the body: pesticides, waste, toxins, bile acids;
- reduces blood cholesterol levels;
- regulates glucose levels;
- restores and maintains normal intestinal microflora, prevents the development of dysbacteriosis;
- creates a quick and long-lasting feeling of fullness, thanks to the ability of pectins to swell with a corresponding decrease in the free space of the stomach.
In addition, pectin increases endurance and performance, stimulates physical activity, more energy is consumed than it receives, the body begins to use up fat reserves, and body weight decreases.
B vitamins have a beneficial effect on the nervous system, increase resistance to stress, act as a sedative, normalize night sleep, thereby making it easier to tolerate a diet and avoid breakdowns.
The berries contain a record amount of vitamin C (200 mg per 100 g), without which natural weight loss is impossible. This element regulates all types of metabolism, stimulates the secretion of bile, and restores the exocrine function of the pancreas. Black currant also has a diuretic and choleretic effect, removes excess fluid from the body, which is especially important for people suffering from swelling.
For reference. Vitamin E, together with retinol, takes care of skin health: reduces the appearance of cellulite, stimulates collagen production, tones, and slows down the aging process.
Do currants make you fat?
Is it possible to get better from currants? Any product, when consumed for a long time and in large quantities in combination with high-calorie foods, can cause the appearance of extra centimeters on the waist and hips. Blackcurrant has a low calorie content, contains a minimum of fats and carbohydrates, quickly and for a long time satisfies the feeling of hunger, due to which excess weight is lost.
However, to lose weight, you will have to necessarily reduce your daily calorie intake so that less energy is received than is expended. A diet is a temporary measure, and its effect will only last if you switch to the principles of a healthy diet with constant restriction of “harmful” foods.
Is it possible to have currants at night?
You can eat currants at any meal, but no later than 2-3 hours before bedtime. During this time, food has time to be fully absorbed and digested and does not overload the digestive tract, thereby ensuring a healthy and restful sleep.
You can have a snack of black currant at 8-9 pm, provided that the person goes to bed closer to midnight.
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Calorie content and chemical composition of black currant berries
Calorie content of black currant is 44 kcal. Blackcurrant berries are 83% water. The remaining 17% is proteins, fats, carbohydrates (starch, glucose, fructose, sucrose) - 1 g, 0.4 g and 7.3 g, as well as vitamins and nutrients:
- alimentary fiber;
- ash;
- vitamins: A, B, C, E, H, K, PP;
- macroelements: potassium, calcium, magnesium, sodium, sulfur, chlorine, phosphorus, silicon;
- trace elements: iron, iodine, cobalt, manganese, copper, molybdenum, selenium, fluorine, chromium, zinc;
- omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.
Nutritional information may vary slightly depending on the variety, growing conditions, degree of fruit ripeness.
Currant diet
There are several varieties of the currant diet, differing in diet and duration.
Fasting day
The simplest option and at the same time the toughest. The daily menu consists of 500-600 currants (black, red or white), divided into several doses and 1.5-2 liters of liquid. This can be still water, juice, herbal decoction, unsweetened green tea. The average result is minus 1 kg, as a pleasant bonus - a boost of energy, a feeling of lightness, and good health.
Cleansing mono-diet
It involves a strict menu restriction for three days, which will include only drinks and berries. This diet allows you to fully cleanse the body and reduce weight by 2-4 kg, but it is not safe in terms of maintaining health.
Diet for 5, 7, 9 and 14 days
The main diet is fresh vegetables, fruits, garden herbs. Black currants are used as a snack or as an addition to the main meal.
It is better to exclude meat and fish from the diet, but if there is a strong feeling of hunger or you intend to follow a diet for longer than 5 days, then you can eat white chicken meat and low-fat fish in small quantities (180-200 g).
This diet promises weight gain from 2 to 7 kg, depending on the duration and strict adherence to the diet plan.
Rules
The currant diet is simple, but at the same time requires compliance with certain rules:
- During the diet, it is recommended to reduce physical and even mental stress.
- Additionally, take a vitamin-mineral complex in preparations to compensate for the deficiency of vitamins, micro- and macronutrients that the body does not receive from food.
- 4-5 days before starting the diet, unload the digestive tract: exclude or limit fatty foods, smoked foods, processed foods, animal and cooking fats, confectionery, sweet carbonated drinks, alcohol.
- It is recommended to exit the diet gradually. Introduce new foods into the diet one per day, starting with cereals and ending with meat dishes.
- Avoid long periods between meals.
- Eat often (4-6 times a day) in small portions. Last meal no later than two hours before bedtime.
- Drink plenty of liquid - 1.5-3 liters per day: still mineral water, unsweetened green tea, herbal infusions.
- Choose gentle methods of heat treatment of food - steaming, baking, boiling, stewing.
- Control your weight and don't overeat.
- Keep a food diary.
- During the diet, reduce the daily calorie intake to 1200-1400 kcal for women, 1600-1800 kcal for men.
The blackcurrant diet is designed for absolutely healthy people who do not have digestive problems such as gastritis, gastric and duodenal ulcers, and high acidity. Organic acids have an irritating effect on the mucous membrane, which is manifested by exacerbation of painful sensations, flatulence, nausea, and heartburn.
The diet is contraindicated for persons diagnosed with thrombophlebitis, severe renal or liver failure, or allergic diseases. Other contraindications include pregnancy and lactation, childhood and old age.
For reference. A deficiency of vitamins and minerals negatively affects well-being and can cause headaches, weakness, malaise, dizziness, and fatigue.
Nutrition rules
Blackcurrant goes well with almost all foods. The berries are consumed fresh, added to vegetable and fruit salads, served with chicken and fish dishes, combined with cottage cheese, and processed into juice.
The currant diet includes a limited list of products in the diet:
- Vegetables containing a minimum of starch: white cabbage, broccoli, sweet peppers, onions, carrots, tomatoes, greens, green beans, cucumbers, lettuce. Vegetables are consumed fresh or steamed, baked, boiled, stewed with a minimum amount of vegetable oil and salt.
- Unsweetened fruits and berries: orange, kiwi, lemon, green apples, cherries, pineapple, gooseberries, pears, pomegranates, plums, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries.
- Nuts in limited quantities (up to 30 g): hazelnuts, hazelnuts, macadamia, peanuts, walnuts.
- Dried fruits: raisins, prunes, dried apricots, dates, dried apples and pears.
- Fermented milk products, cheeses, cottage cheese with a minimum percentage of fat content.
- Quail and chicken eggs.
- Vegetable broths and soups.
- Whole grain cereals, brown rice.
- Boiled or steamed chicken breast.
- Boiled lean fish and seafood: pike, hake, pike perch.
- Freshly squeezed vegetable and fruit juices, compotes without sugar.
- Non-alcoholic drinks: mineral water, green tea, chicory.
Completely or partially limit red meat, pickles and marinades, fast food, white flour products, animal fats, canned food, baked goods, and confectionery in your diet. Alcohol and sweet carbonated water are prohibited.
Diet
The blackcurrant diet menu is based on the list of permitted products.For a long-term option, it is recommended to prepare cereals, durum wheat pasta, stewed vegetables for breakfast, vegetarian soups, some fish, lean chicken, salads for lunch, steamed vegetables, fresh vegetable and fruit salads, cottage cheese with a small percentage of fat for dinner .
As a snack - black currants, dried fruits, yogurt, low-fat kefir, nuts.
Important. It is necessary to minimize salt, as it retains fluid in the body, inhibits the process of losing weight, spices and seasonings are taste enhancers and stimulate appetite.
Sample menu for three days
Day 1
- Breakfast: oatmeal, fresh cabbage and cucumber salad, dressed with lemon juice and olive oil.
- Snack: a handful of black currants.
- Lunch: vegetable broth, a portion of steamed hake.
- Snack: fruit smoothie.
- Dinner: cottage cheese and black currants, rosehip decoction.
Day 2
- Breakfast: a portion of buckwheat steamed overnight, 200 ml of low-fat kefir.
- Snack: salad of your favorite fruits and black currants.
- Lunch: 250 ml of broth from acceptable vegetables, a slice of rye bread, boiled beet salad with vegetable oil.
- Snack: 100 g red currants, green apple.
- Dinner: 200 g of pike baked with vegetables, unsweetened green tea.
Day 3
- Breakfast: two boiled eggs, grapefruit.
- Snack: red and black currants.
- Lunch: puree soup, 100 g boiled cauliflower.
- Snack: 200 ml of freshly prepared blackcurrant juice, two walnuts.
- Dinner: boiled rice with vegetables, rosehip infusion.
Fasting day on black currant
A fasting day on black currant allows the body to maintain optimal weight or return to normal after periods of overeating, and get rid of the feeling of heaviness and discomfort in the gastrointestinal tract. This diet involves eating only one product - currants, plus a lot of free liquid.
Unloading lasts 1-2 days with a frequency of once every 2-3 weeks. The fact is that the glycogen reserves in the body are sufficient for one day, during which time there are no metabolic disturbances, changes in hormonal levels, or an increase in blood pressure. With a longer carbohydrate deficiency, calcium may be removed from the body, chronic pathologies may worsen, and metabolic processes will slow down.
What results can you expect from a fasting day? Everything is individual and depends on the metabolic rate, age, duration of unloading, lifestyle, and initial weight. This is how seriously overweight people lose weight faster. On average, up to 1 kg is lost per day, mainly due to the removal of excess fluid, as well as cleansing the intestines.
How to prepare a decoction of currant leaves for weight loss
When losing weight, a decoction is used as a diuretic. from currant leaves. This remedy relieves the body of swelling, removes waste and toxins, regulates cholesterol levels, which has a positive effect on the figure and general well-being. In addition, the leaves contain many times more vitamin C than the berries, without which normal digestion and metabolism are impossible.
How to prepare the decoction:
- Pour 5-6 fresh or dry blackcurrant leaves into 1 liter of boiling water. Place in a water bath, cook over medium heat for 15-20 minutes from the moment it boils.
- Cool the broth under the lid, strain. Take 100-200 ml three times a day.
If desired, add lemon, lime, 1 tsp to the drink to vary the taste. natural honey, mint, lemon balm.
Reviews about the currant diet
The currant diet has conflicting reviews. According to the majority, the diet is stressful for the body, difficult to tolerate, which leads to frequent breakdowns. But at the same time, users emphasize that a fasting day on currants is a good and safe way to cleanse the intestines and get rid of an extra 1-2 kg without harm to health.
Marina, 40 years old: “For three days I ate black currants, plus I drank a lot of water and a decoction of currant leaves. On the first day I felt good, but the next two days I felt disgusting: I constantly felt hungry, my performance decreased, and I started feeling dizzy. Although I was pleased with the result (minus 2.1 kg), it is not worth such sacrifices. It’s better to choose a longer diet option, but with balanced, nutritious nutrition.”
Ksenia, 29 years old: “In the summer, once every 2-3 weeks I practice a fasting day on black currants. I can’t lose much (on average 0.5-1 kg per day), but after such a diet my bowel movements improve, I feel light and cheerful. The main thing is not to gain back the lost kilograms later.”
Lyudmila, 32 years old: “The blackcurrant diet is a quick, inexpensive and effective way to lose weight. Within a week of the diet with the extended version, I lost 3 kg 700 g. The feeling of hunger did not bother me, and I did not feel any adverse reactions. The obvious advantage is that it does not require large financial costs. My expenses for seven days of food amounted to 800 rubles.”
Conclusion
On the one hand, the currant diet is easy to follow, since the menu consists of simple dishes, the preparation of which does not require special culinary skills or time.On the other hand, like any other low-calorie diet, not everyone can withstand it due to a pronounced feeling of hunger. In addition, poor nutrition is stressful for the body, so you should not often get carried away with strict mono-diets. It is best to practice a fasting day against the backdrop of a healthy diet.