Are you tired of trying new weight-loss diets, only to find out that after a while all of them have the same yo-yo effect? People lose weight, but soon the effect is gone and the weight is back again. Not only is this method annoying and frustrating, but it affects the metabolism and the digestive system. So, how can people lose weight permanently without damaging their health? The answer is simple: use the common lemon.
The Benefits of the Lemon Juice
Theresa Cheung, a UK best-selling mind, body and spirit author, offers a lot about the benefits of the lemon juice in her book The Lemon Juice Diet.
Simply, adding lemon juice in your everyday diet can fix the problems in the digestive system and can boost your diet on a higher level. Although this diet begins with a detox in the first week, it doesn’t involve depriving yourself from other healthy food and nutrients necessary for your metabolic system.
Lemon improves blood sugar levels and digestion, as well as the detox system in the body. It gives a natural kick to the digestive system because it contains high levels of vitamin C and citric acid. The pulp of the lemon and the pectin in its peel are rich in fiber which helps losing weight.
Although lemon is only one useful ingredient in preventing digestive problems and slow metabolism, and you can’t expect that it will make you thinner in a matter of days, it will still help you lose calories and boost your weight-loss diet.
There are a lot of studies that discovered the benefits of using lemon as a support of weight loss and digestive processes.
Japanese researchers confirmed that substances found in the peel of the fruit, lemon polyphenols, has an interesting role in the metabolic processes. As a result of the polyphenols, mice lost great amount of weight, although fed with a diet that contained high levels of fat. These results can be found in the Journal of Clinical Biochemistry and Nutrition, November 2008 issue.
Another study from 1997 that was carried out on human subjects found that pectin, which can be found in the lemon juice, can make people feel satiety and not eat for a longer time. This makes lemon an ideal diet aid that makes people who diet eat less often. This study is published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition.
Cheung’s book and these studies prove that lemons, used whether as a lemon juice or in a peeled form, are effective in a process of weight-loss and keep the digestive system healthy.
Here are the 7 patterns of how to lose weight (and never gain it again!) from the book:
1. Drink lemon water every morning
Every morning when you wake up, take one lemon, squeeze it in a glass of water and drink it.
This is a great way to start the day, and to prepare your digestive system to work properly during the day. The lemon juice contains pectin that makes you feel full for a longer time and at the same time it will keep you hydrated.
2. Balanced blood sugar level
Eat less, but more frequently. If you starve yourself, you will create imbalance in your blood sugar which leads your body to hold firmly to fat. This is contrary to what dieters strive for, so it’s better to eat small meals with proteins more frequently to keep balance in your system. The juice and the peel of lemon help release sugar in the bloodstream constantly, thus keeping your blood sugar levels steady and giving a feeling of fullness.
3. Don’t cut back on fruits and vegetables
Fruits and veggies have high nutritional and low calorie value. They are healthy natural source of an abundance of minerals and vitamins. They are also rich in fiber that can keep your digestive system healthy and make you feel fuller. Remember to include at least five portions of fruit and vegetables every day.
4. Consume friendly high-fat foods
There are some foods that contain high levels of fat and are not ‘dangerous’ for dieters. Nuts and seeds, avocado, some fish and olive oil are rich in omega 3 and help you nourish your organism in a healthy way.
5. No more sweets
Foods rich in processed sugars is the definitive ‘no’. Fizzy drinks containing sweeteners, all kinds of sweets, cakes, snacks are absolutely not allowed when you have a goal to lead a healthier lifestyle.
More on this in the articles 6 things that happen to your body when you quit sugar and 13 ways to quit sugar.
6. Prefer to use fresh, whole food
Tend to use fresh and whole foods over processed foods and white bread. Lentils and beans, pasta and wholemeal bread or flour are rich in fiber, and moreover they are not expensive at all.
7. Don’t rush
Don’t take things too fast. This is a bad habit that leads dieters to overeat. Begin slowly, plan your diet plan carefully and set your goals. Chew your food slowly and take time to enjoy your meal. This way, your digestion will improve, you will feel full and content more quickly and you won’t feel the need to eat more than you should. Also, eat small amount at regular times.
The lemon juice diet is not appropriate for everyone. People who suffer from citrus allergy, heartburn or kidney problems should advise a medical doctor before they decide to start the diet.
Source: yourhealthypage.org