If you have come across the banana diet plan and are thinking of following it to lose weight, the following article, with all its pros and cons as well as the entire diet plan, is exactly what you need. Read on…
The banana diet plan originated in Japan. It was developed by Hitoshi Watanabe and his wife Sumiko. It’s a very popular weight loss diet in Japan and now it’s fever is fast gripping the Americans too. If you search the Internet, you will find numerous versions of the banana diet plan. Here are the two most famous ones.
Version 1
According to this version, you should eat one or two bananas before each meal. So, eat two bananas before breakfast, two before lunch and one before dinner. After eating banana, you can eat whatever you feel like eating, however make sure that you do not overeat. Also, if you eat healthy foods, it would further contribute to quick weight loss, although it is not a necessary rule of this diet plan. Lastly, if eating five bananas a day is too much for you, you can instead eat one apple and one banana each for breakfast and lunch, instead of two bananas.
Version 2
The second version of the diet, also known as morning banana diet, says that you eat as many bananas as you like for breakfast, along with a glass of lukewarm water. But no other food should be consumed in the morning. After breakfast, you should straightaway have lunch, with no eating in between. For lunch, you can have anything.
Lunch should be followed by snacks around three or four in the evening and after this dinner, which should be taken before eight in the night. The evening snacks can be anything, even sweets and desserts. The dinner too, can have any food except for desserts, ice creams and dairy products. The same rule applies to lunch as well, no sweets or desserts during the big meals.
One very important rule of this diet is that you should sleep before midnight as lack of sleep contributes to weight gain. Performing exercises is not compulsory, still if you can walk for a few minutes daily, it would really help your cause, which in this case is natural weight loss. Chewing the food properly and taking time while eating it is recommended as it aids in digestion.
Pros and Cons
The logic behind this fad diet is that when you consume bananas before every meal, your portion size for other foods automatically reduces. Bananas being rich in fiber, keep the stomach full for a longer time, thus bringing down the overall food intake. Another benefit is that it contributes to the fat burning process as it contains insoluble carbohydrates called “resistant starch”, which according to some researches help in fat loss. The enzymes found in bananas aid in better digestion.
As for the cons, this diet is something which cannot be followed forever. Just like any other fad diet it is discontinued by people in between and thus, it’s results are very short-lived. Secondly, there is no medical proof that this diet plan really works so just like any other fad diet, it should be taken with a pinch of salt.
The banana diet results can be positive for some and negative for others. Bananas are rich in potassium, fiber and proteins, making them an ideal food to consume. They maintain the right blood pressure and make the skin and hair healthy. However, instead of blindly following the diet, rely on taking a balanced diet and exercise everyday for healthy weight loss.
