Grapefruit Diet – Pros and Cons

The grapefruit diet, also known as the Hollywood diet or the Mayo diet, has a long history in the United States. It has existed since 1930 and is still known today as a fast weight loss method in many variations and the only thing that hasn’t changed is half a portion of grapefruit before each meal. Grapefruit is said to have fat-burning properties, and since the diet encourages meat intake, combining high-cholesterol foods with grapefruit appears to burn fat faster.

The basis of the diet itself was identified as a low-carb, low-protein diet averaging 800 to 1000 calories per day. At less than 1,000 calories per day, most people will lose weight without eating grapefruit, but how eating half a serving of grapefruit before each meal kickstarts the weight loss process is still unknown. notes that no scientific study has yet demonstrated the power of grapefruit to burn fat.

These are some examples of meal plans based on the Grapefruit Diet:

breakfast

1. Half a serving of grapefruit or 4 ounces of unsweetened grapefruit juice
2. Two eggs, any way of cooking.
3. Two slices of bacon, cooked medium.
4. You can also add black coffee.

Having lunch

1. Half a serving of grapefruit or 4 ounces of unsweetened grapefruit juice.
2. Salad, any type of dressing, any size.
3. Meat, any kind, unlimited quantity.

dinner

1. Half a serving of grapefruit or 4 ounces of unsweetened grapefruit juice.
2. Meat, any kind, unlimited quantity.
3. Any red or green vegetable cooked with spices or a salad. A cup of coffee or tea.

Snack before bed

8 ounces skim milk with sweetener, the alternative is a glass of tomato juice.

Snacks are not allowed.

advantages

1. It consists of 12 diet days with 2 diet days, giving you 2 days to eat what you want.
2. The program offers fairly rapid weight loss: 18 pounds in the first 18 days.
3. For those who don’t like the idea of ​​going to the gym, this program doesn’t come with any instruction related to exercise or training.
4. Affordable and easy.

Disadvantages

1. It’s not healthy to eat too many acidic citrus fruits throughout the day for an extended period of time. It increases the acidity in your stomach, increasing the chances of getting stomach pain, gastritis, or even ulcer disease. If you suffer from any of these or other digestive ailments, you should stop eating acidic foods like grapefruit, lemons, or oranges.
2. The program eliminates items needed in a balanced diet, such as carbohydrates.
3. The limited choice of food restricts you to improve your eating habits and can cause boredom, monotony and taste fatigue.
4. You will gain weight again as soon as you stop the diet.
5. Unlike other citrus fruits, grapefruits are known for their interactions with some medications, such as felodipine, a drug used to control high blood pressure. Recent studies show that felodipine can have toxic effects when combined with grapefruit juice.
6. As you begin this diet, monitor how you are feeling each day. There have been reports of some individuals having runs early in the program and this can lead to dehydration if not treated quickly.
7. There are opinions that grapefruit inhibits the production of insulin by the pancreas. If you have diabetes, you can even fall into a coma because of a sudden drop in insulin levels.
8. This is a list of drugs that, when combined with grapefruit juice, can produce unpredictable and dangerous results:

• Statins (cholesterol medications): lovastatin (Mevacor), atorvastatin Lipitor, simvastatin Zocor, simvastatin/ezetimibe Vytorin
• Antihistamines: Ebastine, Seldane
• Calcium channel blockers (blood pressure medications): nimodipine (Nimotop), felodipine (Nitrendipine, Plendil), pranidipine, nisoldipine (Sular), nicardipine (Cardene), verapamil (Verelan)
• Psychotropic drugs: buspirone (Buspar), triazolam (Halcion), carbamazepine (Tegretol), diazepam (Valium), midazolam (Versed), sertraline (Zoloft)
• Intestinal drugs: Cisapride, withdrawn from the US market (Propulsid)
• Immunosuppressants: Cyclosporine (Neoral), (Tacrolimus) Prograf
• Painkillers: methadone
• Potency (erectile dysfunction): Sildenafil (Viagra)
• Anti-HIV drug: Saquinavir (Invirase) Antiarrhythmics: Amiodarone (Cordarone)

Note that you don’t need to understand all of these medications. Just consult your doctor if you want to start this diet.

Conclusion

With so many falls and side effects, it’s not advisable to do this long-term. There are people who claim to have been doing this for years with good results, but you shouldn’t just try your luck at losing a few pounds. Remember that there are many weight loss programs that offer a healthy long-term solution as well as quick results.

Thanks to Stefan Vincent