Eating walnuts for weight loss: is it possible to eat and in what quantity?

To maintain good physical shape, correct weight or cleanse the body, high-calorie foods are removed from the diet: fatty, fried, flour, sweet, fast food. It would seem that walnuts should be included in this list because of their nutritional value. However, some diet programs include walnuts on the menu. Moderate consumption of kernels will bring health benefits without compromising your figure; The main thing is to ensure a negative energy balance in the body.

Is it possible to eat walnuts while losing weight?

It is difficult to imagine walnuts as a main component of the diet, because they are nutritious, high in calories and take a long time to digest. But thanks to these properties they help with dieting.

Walnuts are even beneficial for weight loss in moderation. They serve as an additional source of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, healthy fats, important for maintaining vital processes and well-being. Losing weight on nuts is not accompanied by a feeling of hunger, as they provide quick and long-lasting satiety and fill the body with energy.

Calorie content and beneficial properties for weight loss

Of all types of nuts, walnuts have the highest calorie content - 640 kcal per 100 g. The content of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates looks like this: 15.23 g, 65.21 g, 7.01 g, respectively. But it is walnut kernels that have the richest range of useful substances, including:

• vitamins A, C, E, K, PP, beta-carotene, group B (B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B6, B9);
• macroelements: potassium, calcium, magnesium, sodium, sulfur, phosphorus;
• trace elements: iron, manganese, copper, selenium, zinc;
• sterols;
• omega-3 and omega-6;
• fatty acids: arachidic, stearic, linoleic, palmitic, gadoleic.

Despite the high calorie content, the glycemic index of the product is low - 15 units. This means that glucose enters the blood gradually, the pancreas is not overloaded, energy is consumed evenly, which prevents the accumulation of fat deposits.

Walnuts are valued for weight loss due to their high omega-3 content. This polyunsaturated fatty acid activates metabolism, accelerates the process of fat breakdown, and reduces the content of bad cholesterol in the blood.

The benefits of omega-3 for the body are not limited to this. Its functions are diverse:

• normalizes the functioning of the cardiovascular system;
• improves vascular tone;
• stimulates the functions of the immune system;
• stabilizes blood pressure;
• accelerates the regeneration of tissues and mucous membranes;
• slows down the aging process;
• inhibits inflammation;
• maintains healthy skin.

The kernels saturate the body with protein, which carries out metabolic processes, binds toxins and removes them from the body, strengthens the immune system, and serves as a source of energy.

The kernels contain dietary fiber. They gently cleanse the intestines, stimulate its functioning, reduce the absorption of harmful substances, regulate metabolism, and normalize blood glucose levels.

For reference. Dietary fiber is not digested and, swelling under the influence of gastric juice, takes up free space, thereby providing a long-lasting feeling of fullness and avoiding additional snacks.

Walnut polyphenols have diuretic and choleretic properties, due to which they reduce the content of excess fluid in the body and relieve swelling. Vitamins C and E, responsible for endurance and performance, stimulate physical activity, which leads to additional calorie burning. B vitamins have a beneficial effect on the nervous system, reduce the effects of stress, making it easier to cope with a diet, and normalize night sleep.

Organic acids in the nut kernels promote weight loss. They regulate lipid metabolism, improve digestion, maintain normal microflora in the intestines, restore the balance of microorganisms, and prevent the development of dysbiosis, which is important for weight loss. It is the disturbance of the intestinal microflora that contributes to many diseases of the digestive system and obesity.

Walnut diet

There are several ways to lose weight with the help of walnuts: a fasting day, a strict mono-diet, and a balanced diet with the addition of other foods.

One-day fasting day

The daily diet consists of 150-200 g of any nuts, including walnuts, and plenty of drinking water (at least 2 liters of water). The kernels are consumed fresh, fried without adding salt, sugar or spices. After a fasting day, it is important to switch to your usual diet gradually, without overeating. This diet option allows you to control your weight and get in shape after a period of overeating.

On average, you can get rid of 1-1.5 kg per day. Weight loss occurs mainly due to the removal of excess fluid. Due to the low calorie content, nutritionists recommend fasting no more often than once every 2-3 weeks.

Strict mono-diet

The basis of the diet is walnuts and plenty of liquid. This can be green tea without sugar, herbal infusions, at least 2 liters of still mineral water. As a rule, the diet lasts no more than 2-3 days. During this time, you can lose 2-3 kg, cleanse your intestines, and change your eating habits.

According to nutritionists, This is not the safest option for body correction. The fact is that a deficiency of micro- and macronutrients has a bad effect on overall health. A more optimal choice is a one-day fasting day once a month.

Gentle diet

It takes 3, 5 or 10 days. Every day you can eat 50 g of walnuts and other foods from the list of permitted foods (more on that below).

Depending on the strict implementation of the chosen diet plan, metabolism and duration, you can lose 3-7 kg, with physical activity - 8-10 kg. Drinking regimen is also important - 2 liters or more of fluid per day.

Basic rules for losing weight with walnuts

For safe weight loss, it is important to have all components in the diet - proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals - and their quantitative ratio. Thus, the basis of the fat component should be vegetable fats, the source of which is walnuts. Due to their high calorie content, they are consumed in limited quantities and combined with low-calorie foods.

Authorized products:

• dried fruits: prunes, dried apricots, figs, dried apples, dates, raisins;
• nuts: pistachios, pine, cashews, almonds, hazelnuts, pecans, Brazilian, forest;
• low-fat dairy and fermented milk products: yogurt without sugar and additives, kefir, cottage cheese, cheeses;
• lean porridge;
• fresh vegetables and fruits (except bananas and grapes);
• garden greens;
• lean meat, poultry and fish;
• freshly prepared fruit and vegetable juices.

Products wholly or partially limited:

• smoked meats;
• animal and cooking fat;
• semi-finished products;
• spices, high-calorie sauces, mayonnaise;
• fatty meat and poultry, lard, offal;
• dough products, sugar, jam, chocolate;
• high fat dairy products;
• flour and pasta from white varieties of wheat;
• alcohol, beer;
• sweet carbonated drinks, store-bought juices.

It is important to use only high-quality nuts for your diet. When buying at the market, store or supermarket, pay attention to their appearance. Shells of proper quality have a uniform light brown color, without signs of damage, stains or foreign odors. The edible kernel is strong, elastic, light yellow to brown in color.

Nutritionists recommend buying fresh nuts, not fried and especially not salted, since salt retains fluid in the body, causing swelling. If you really want to, you can fry them at home in a dry frying pan for about five minutes without salt or spices.

Important! Fresh kernels are most beneficial for health and weight loss, since during heat treatment the content of valuable substances decreases, and adding salt or sugar can cause excess weight.

A prerequisite for the diet is sufficient fluid intake, at least 2 liters per day. In addition to drinking water, you can drink green tea without sugar, decoctions of herbs and rose hips, and still mineral water.

Meals are fractional - 4-6 times a day in small portions. To increase the effectiveness of weight loss, it is advisable to prepare the body.4-6 days before starting the diet, exclude or limit alcohol, smoked foods, fried and fatty foods, bakery and confectionery products, pickles, oils and fats.

Equally important is the correct way out of the diet. To prevent lost kilograms from returning, you must adhere to general recommendations:

1. Previously prohibited foods should be introduced into the diet gradually, in small portions and one per day.
2. If possible, limit your diet to fried foods, fatty foods, flour, smoked foods, white bread, confectionery and baked goods, sweet carbonated drinks, and alcohol.
3. Choose gentle methods of heat treatment of food - do not fry.
4. When preparing any dish, try to make it less caloric. For example, vegetables, fish, meat and poultry can be baked, boiled, or steamed instead of frying in vegetable oil.
5. Constantly control your weight.
6. Enter a food diary and do not exceed the permissible energy value of the daily diet (more on this below).
7. Drink 1.5 to 3 liters of water per day.

The duration of withdrawal from the nut diet should correspond at least to the duration of the chosen dietary regime. To avoid undesirable effects during weight loss associated with a deficiency of micro- and macronutrients, nutritionists recommend taking additional multivitamins.

Diet and rules of use

Weight loss is achieved through a negative energy balance. If more energy is consumed than it comes from food, the body begins to use up fat reserves, and body weight decreases. The average calorie content of the daily diet for women when losing weight is 1200-1400 kcal, for men - 1600-1800 kcal. Knowing your calorie intake and energy value of food, you can create a menu for the day.

The menu depends on gastronomic preferences, financial capabilities and duration of the regime. If you follow the diet for 1-5 days, meat can be replaced with a handful of nuts. If you are aiming to maintain a dietary regime for a longer period of time, it is advisable to include lean meat, poultry, and fish in your diet. When losing weight, nuts are consumed as an independent dish for breakfast or lunch, as a snack, or added to fruit and vegetable salads, meat and fish dishes.

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Sample menu for three days

First day:

1. Breakfast: salad of baked pumpkin, fresh carrots, crushed walnuts with lemon juice.
2. Lunch: a serving of vegetable soup, a handful of nuts.
3. Dinner: low-fat steamed fish, green tea without sugar.

Second day:

1. Breakfast: a handful of nuts, kefir, unsweetened crackers.
2. Lunch: vegetarian soup, vegetable salad of fresh tomato and cucumber.
3. Dinner: baked apples with cottage cheese, rosehip broth.

The third day:

1. Breakfast: 50 g of nuts, 2 boiled eggs, unsweetened green tea.
2. Lunch: boiled beef with baked vegetables, freshly prepared orange juice.
3. Dinner: steamed portion buckwheat, herbal decoction.

The nut diet can be practiced by absolutely healthy people in the absence of pathologies, especially from the gastrointestinal tract, and allergies to this product. It is not recommended to follow a strict mono-diet for more than three days, since unbalanced nutrition and nutrient deficiencies can worsen overall well-being and provoke an exacerbation of chronic diseases.

Attention! Losing weight on walnuts is contraindicated for pregnant and lactating women, children and adolescents, and the elderly.

Conclusion

Despite their high calorie content, walnuts in moderation are effective in the diet. They help cleanse the intestines, stimulate metabolism, and accelerate the process of fat breakdown, which is necessary for weight loss.

When following a diet, it is not necessary to completely give up food. There is a variety of modes, so everyone can choose the best option for themselves in terms of duration and diet, taking into account the desired results. The main thing is to count calories correctly and not exceed the daily energy value of the diet - 1200 kcal for women and 1600 kcal for men.