Sticking to a diet is quite difficult, boring and burdensome. Many people cannot resist the usual menu and break, denying the entire result obtained.
That's why nutritionists are starting to get sophisticated and come up with programs that will appeal to people, motivate and be completely different from their minions.
One of these interesting programs is the "Six Petals" diet or "Petal Diet", authored by Swedish nutritionist Anna Johansson. A one-week course, according to doctors, will be a successful solution to the problem of excess weight for everyone, because you can lose as much as 3-4 kg without much effort!
Features of the 6 petal diet, the author's recommendations and the advantages of the technique
First of all, the effectiveness of this diet depends on the psychological attitude towards good results and strong motivation.
The diet itself represents a cycle of 6 mono-programs (petals), which alternate each day, but, nevertheless, represent a carefully thought-out nutritional plan. Each "petal" is, in fact, a fasting day, where you eat only one type of food, to the exclusion of others. Thanks to this restriction, you eat fewer calories, and each selected product also cleanses, nourishes or strengthens the body. In addition, the diet is designed to replace protein and carbohydrate days, which is ideal for those who do sports or work under stress. Also, this rule of separate meals allows you not to mix food with different composition in one meal, which will allow you to absorb the ingredients more efficiently and quickly, without causing excess deposits on the sides.
Since the products on the menu alternate every day, the diet is considered quite interesting, not boring and not rigid.
Let's go back to the psychological attitude and motivation to diet. To bring your plan to life and really inspire your body to lose weight, Anna advises everyone to draw a bright colorful flower with large petals (6 pieces) before starting the diet. Each petal of your chamomile should be numbered or painted in a special color, with the name of a specific day of the diet and a set of allowed ingredients written on top. We put the resulting flowers somewhere in a visible place and at the end of each day we tear off the corresponding petals (only if all the requirements are met correctly). Psychologically, it is easier for the body to survive a week of diet if the number of "painful days" visually decreases and decreases.
The author's strict recommendations for the "6 petals" diet:
- for the day you are allocated a clear set of products that cannot be adjusted, replaced with similar ingredients or added;
- do not eat more than the allowed amount of food, but also do not eat less, which will also lead to negative consequences;
- days of the week cannot be changed or skipped; in case of failure, the course must be repeated;
- The last time you should eat is 4 hours before bedtime (regardless of whether it is during the day or night);
- a prerequisite is compliance with the water regime, you need to drink 6 cups of healthy liquid or more every day;
- during the diet, we exclude sugar, hot seasonings and spices from the diet, limit the use of salt;
- all foods are allowed to be steamed, boiled, stewed, baked, dried, eaten raw, but you cannot add fatty sauces, marinades, salty seasonings, animal lipids (butter, lard, margarine, mayonnaise and others);
- you should exit the diet smoothly and carefully so that excess weight does not return;
- It is allowed to repeat the course no earlier than six months later.
The main advantages of the "petal" technique:
- diet is very effective - you can lose 0. 5-0. 8 kg of excess weight per day without much effort;
- No need to weigh food or study the calorie and carbohydrate content of food;
- The diet is universal, suitable for men and women;
- contains exclusively natural and healthy products that will have a good effect on digestion and immunity;
- diet allows you to cleanse the body of toxins, poisons, protein breakdown products, waste products, salts and suspended matter, radicals;
- diet also allows you to remove excess fluid, remove swelling in the limbs, tissues, and face;
- all products common to European cuisine, distributed in markets and shops at reasonable prices in the off-season;
- the diet also does not require cooking, saves a lot of time and effort, and allows you to cook for the whole family;
- diet discipline and apply healthy habits;
- diet combined with physical activity and moderate sports;
- the menu is very diverse, satisfying and interesting, which allows you to get enough of completely different products, including vitamins, in 6 days;
- after the course, your metabolism increases significantly, and you will continue to lose weight inertially if you exit the diet correctly;
- A fast diet that allows you to get excellent results in just 6 days, which is ideal for those who want to lose weight before an event or vacation.
A set of products for the "6 petals" diet, a written nutrition plan
So, let's think about what the mono-day diet has in store for us. It will depend on them which products should be bought to make the menu, and which should be strictly excluded.
The first day will be fish day. Accordingly, you can eat any fish and seafood throughout the day. Preference should be given to low-fat sea fish (halibut, salmon, cod, mackerel, tuna, hake, hockey, pollock, flounder, etc. ), some river fish (carp, pike perch, pike) and seafood (squid, mussels). , crab meat, rapana, squid, oysters).
On the second day you should eat vegetables. Here we have complete freedom, because there are many vegetables. Also on this day you can eat soy products and legumes, mushrooms, and garden herbs. The use of potatoes and corn and other starchy vegetables should be limited. Forget canned vegetables and pickles and sauerkraut. It is advisable to take fresh salads and light soups, as well as steamed and boiled side dishes.
Our third day was chicken day. In addition to any skinless chicken meat (preferably fillet and breast), it is allowed to eat lean parts of turkey, as well as chicken eggs and liver. It is forbidden to cook meat on fire, fry it, or add the usual amount of salt to it.
The fourth day will be marked by the transition to cereal food. Instead of complex carbohydrates, keep a variety of grains, seeds and nuts, whole grain breads and cakes, sprouted grains and bran.
The fifth day recommends that we eat cottage cheese. Which one is better to take? Of course, pay attention to the store's selection. Sometimes, they are healthier and more natural than homemade, and besides, you can choose completely low-fat cottage cheese, which will contribute to more active weight loss. Also, the menu for today allows you to take a little skim milk.
A sixth and final day of the diet involves eating fruits and berries. Eat whatever you want, but sweet fruits (bananas, figs, dried fruits, persimmons, grapes, melons, mangoes and others) should still be limited to achieve better results. Also on this day, fresh fruit and vegetable juices, nectars, compotes, jellies, berry smoothies and fruit drinks are allowed.
On all other days, you are allowed to drink ginger drink, rosehip decoction, green and herbal tea, natural bean coffee without sugar and milk, and plain mineral water without gas.
All other foods during the diet are strictly prohibited. Strictly follow the recommendations for the quality of composition and volume of food.
Let's move on to properly designed diet plans and nutritional recommendations. Each day in the diet is responsible for increasing the amount of carbohydrates or proteins in the body. Therefore, it is better to train and do loads on carbohydrate days, and during protein days, the muscles will recover and develop, which will help you acquire a beautiful and sculpted figure.
When preparing food, you can use herbs, garden herbs, lemon juice, table wine, tomato paste, vinegar, soy sauce, olive oil, and limited salt. It is better to distribute the entire amount of food allowed into 4-5 small snacks evenly throughout the day.
Day 1."Fish" (protein). It is not without reason that this day is the first in the cycle, because fish is perfectly digestible, has a moderate calorie content, saturates the body with valuable essential fats and prepares the body well for the next mono-day. Due to a nutritious diet, the "vigilance" of the body becomes dull, and the metabolism begins to actively consume calories, turning off the storage mode.
So, half a kilogram of cooked fish of various types and seafood is allocated every day. You can also drink fish soup, which is not included in the specified amount.
Day 2."Vegetables" (carbohydrates). A day of the lowest calories, which nourishes the body with energy from plant carbohydrates and dietary fiber. On this day, the metabolism works at its limit and actively uses the existing fat reserves.
This menu consists of 1-1. 5 kg of various garden vegetables and herbs, as well as nuts, soy products and mushrooms.
Day 3."Chicken" (protein). Today, the body begins to experience a lack of carbohydrates due to the protein menu alone, so the metabolism still burns fat cells to add energy.
Half a kilo of skinless chicken and 2 eggs as a snack are allowed every day.
Day 4."Grains" (carbohydrates). Slow carbohydrates in food will add glycogen, on which all the energy released will be spent. And new needs will continue to be met through the fat layer.
Cereal day menu includes 200 g of dry cereals (different, but oatmeal, buckwheat and brown rice are better). Also included is a small handful of seeds and sunflower seeds, a few tablespoons of bran, a packet of whole grain bread or 2-3 whole grain toasts.
Day 5."Curd" (protein). On this day, the body will receive the most useful protein for building the skeleton and muscles, and the supply of macro and microelements will also be replenished.
The menu includes half a kilo of cottage cheese (fat content up to 5%) and 2 glasses of fat-free cow's milk.
Day 6."Fruit" (carbohydrates). Fruits will provide a comprehensive strengthening of the body, enriching it with antioxidants, valuable acids and minerals.
This menu consists of 1-1. 5 kg of various fruits and berries, but we limit sweets.
Day 7."Unloading"Diet called "6 petals", but lasts exactly one week, which implies the presence of the seventh day. So, today we carry out a thorough cleansing of the body and consolidate the results of weight loss. The menu includes only drinks: milk and fermented milk, fresh drinks and fruits, smoothies, nectars, tea, coffee, herbal infusions, mineral water, meat and vegetarian soups with herbs.
After finishing the diet, you can repeat the course again if you feel normal and get permission from your doctor.
How to get off the 6 petal diet
A course consisting of a mono-diet requires proper and careful exit from a limited and specific menu. During the first week of discharge, the author recommends eating only the foods indicated in the diet, combining them in small portions, for example:
- Breakfast can consist of any porridge with fruit, fresh fruit.
- Snack – cottage cheese with berries, skimmed milk.
- For lunch, you can make any soup, eat the extra part of the baked breast with boiled vegetables.
- Dinner can consist of steamed fish with lemon and herbs, vegetable salad and fresh vegetable juice (carrots, beets, cabbage, tomatoes).
Gradually, the calorie content of such a diet should be increased to 1400 kcal, or up to 1800 kcal for hard-working or athletic people.
Also, when leaving the diet, we follow the drinking regime and consume at least 5-6 glasses of healthy liquid every day.
And, of course, immediately after leaving the diet, you should start actively playing sports to maintain your metabolism and subsequently lose weight.
Disadvantages of the "6 petals" technique, possible contraindications
The diet consists of a mono-diet, so it cannot but have disadvantages. First of all, this is a sharp imbalance, a boring and rigid diet. The diet forces you to take supplements, minerals and vitamins, but the promised strengthening of the immune system is out of the question.
Also, rapid and dramatic weight loss can lead to the following consequences:
- Diseases related to fasting: nausea, weakness, headache and dizziness, loss of strength, colic and cramps in the stomach, flatulence, indigestion, apathy, sleep disorders.
- Changes in appearance: the appearance of stretch marks and cellulite, areas of loose and sagging skin, and a reduction in muscle girth.
Another important disadvantage is psychological discomfort, because it is very difficult to eat the same product all day of the week, whether you draw flowers or not. The diet is very boring, so there is a possibility of damage.
And, of course, it is very difficult to maintain an entire diet without meat, without juice (only allowed on one day), fermented milk products, sweets and fried foods.
There are also contraindications to the diet, including the following:
- the presence of allergies to food groups included in the diet;
- pregnancy and breastfeeding;
- children, elderly, teenagers, menopause;
- active diseases, inflammatory processes and viruses;
- recent psychological damage, surgery, injury, serious illness;
- mental disorders, diseases of the nervous system;
- diseases of the body's internal systems: cardiovascular, circulatory, endocrine, digestive, genitourinary, as well as liver and kidney;
- stressful working conditions, professional sports.