The "6 Petals" diet is a fast weight loss method developed by Swiss nutritionist Anna Johansson and officially listed by the European Association of Nutritionists. The 6 petal diet feature, according to its developers, allows you to achieve fast results in a relatively short time. Let’s find out what a "6 petal diet" is, is it really so effective, and what can you do to get rid of those extra pounds?
Weight loss in six days: a diet of six petals
The popular Six Petal diet was developed by Swedish nutritionist Anna Johansson. It is based on the principles of a separate diet and consists of six mono-diets, ie the daily menu should include only one type of food. The diet is designed to replace the so-called protein days with carbohydrate days, which, according to the nutritionist, will help to get rid of unwanted pounds quickly. The main condition is that this method of weight loss does not change the daily menu, as well as the sequence of mono-diet.
Why 6 petal diet? Everything is simple: before you start to notice it, the author suggests marking each stage of the diet, drawing 6 flags, making flowers out of them, and then dreaming every day and moving towards our goal. According to the author, this helps to support the motivation of a person who is losing weight: if you get rid of the next flag every day, he will clearly see which segment of the road has passed and how many more are ahead.
Basic rules of the petal diet
Each weight loss technique has its own rules. The six-petal diet is no exception:
- The meal should be no less than four hours and the break between them should not be more than four hours. The best option is two breakfasts (after a certain time), lunch, afternoon tea and dinner (no later than six o'clock in the evening);
- The food should be chewed thoroughly in the process of consumption. This helps to enrich it with enzymes and improve the digestive process;
- Follow a drinking regimen. You can drink plain water (at least one and a half liters per day) and green tea without sugar. It is forbidden to drink while eating, it is better to do it half an hour before eating or eating;
- The amount of salt consumed per day of the menu should not exceed 5 g, it is about two-thirds of a teaspoon. You can use fresh or dried herbs as a spice.
Six flags should be avoided during the diet:
- all types of baked goods, except two slices of bread per day;
- all types of sweets, the list of which includes store and home confectionery, canned goods and jams, chocolate and all other products containing large amounts of sugar;
- oils and vegetable oils;
- canned food, smoked and fried foods, semi-finished products, fast food products;
- various coffees, sweetened carbonated beverages, compotes, jellies, store-bought juices. On the last day of the diet, you can pamper yourself with some freshly squeezed juice.
And one last rule: every day of weight loss does not include products that do not belong to the group specified in the menu.
Pros and cons of weight loss with a separate diet
Advantages of the petal diet:
- it helps you lose a few pounds in a week;
- Changing the sequence of mono-diets is easy, for example, you have to keep a few days;
- Frequent eating helps a person who is losing weight not to feel hungry.
This technique is not without its drawbacks, namely:
- Such a strict diet, like any other mono-diet, is stressful for the whole body. It takes some products in excess, while others are insufficient, that is - the balance of nutrients is disturbed;
- Failure to follow personal taste preferences. For example, some people do not like fish and should eat it all day long. This is a form of psychological stress;
- The effectiveness of separate feeding has not been fully proven. It’s like the placebo effect: if a person believes that diet will help him stay lean, it will work. She doesn’t believe it - she’s in danger of joining the ranks of participants in experiments that don’t help her lose weight on her own. Researchers at the Weizmann Institute in Israel have found that different people can react differently to different foods. Therefore, the effect of diet can be different;
Researchers from the University of Colorado conducted another study in 2016 of the direct effects of dietary components on the human body.
However, the main disadvantage of the express diet is that it does not change a person's attitude to food. It helps to lose pounds, but it does not eliminate the cause of their appearance.
6 petals diet daily menu
If you start the weight loss process on Monday, it could be:
- Monday: fish menu
On the first day of the diet should be only fish. Seafood can be boiled, baked or steamed. It is allowed to add a small amount of herbs or natural spices to improve the taste. The good news is that oily fish are allowed.
The menu for any day of the diet should consist of the first and second breakfast, lunch, tea and dinner (hereinafter referred to as numbers).
So Monday:
- cooked fish;
- oven-baked fish;
- fish soup without vegetables with a little greens;
- steam fish;
- boiled crab or seafood (squid, shrimp).
- Tuesday: vegetables
Like fish, vegetables can be baked, steamed, or boiled. Do it all without butter, cream and other flavors.
Menu:
- Baked potatoes, as well as chopped white cabbage.
- Broccoli or cauliflower in a double pot (you can combine both types of cabbage in one bowl). Low-fat vegetable kitchen. You can put vegetables.
- Squeeze the slices of cooked pumpkin or celery root. You can add fresh vegetables - carrots, cucumbers, sweet peppers.
- Cooked vegetables. The dish can be made with a variety of fresh vegetables such as cabbage or carrots.
- Wednesday: Chicken
The middle of the diet is often the most difficult, both physically and mentally. Protein prevents apathy from disrupting the weight loss person's plan.
Sample menu for today:
- Cooked breast fillets.
- A skinless drumstick baked in the oven.
- Chicken soup without meat and herbs and vegetables (dry the first broth).
- Steamed chicken does not have pelvic skin.
- Boiled breast on the bone (remove the skin).
- Thursday: Cereals
All types of lean cereals cooked in water on this day are allowed.
Menu for the fourth day:
- Steamed buckwheat, pre-cooked in the evening.
- Rice porridge.
- Cereal porridge.
- Oatmeal.
- Buckwheat porridge.
- Friday: cottage cheese
Today's diet should include cottage cheese and a glass of low-fat milk.
Recommended menu:
- Cream cheese without any additives.
- Salted cottage cheese.
- Cheese and half a glass of low-fat milk.
- Pure cheese.
- Cheese and remaining milk.
- Saturday: Fruit Day
On this day only fruits are allowed, ideally raw.
Menu:
- One banana (large).
- Apples and citrus fruits.
- Banana or kiwi.
- Various fruits (seasonal and reasonable).
- Grapefruit.
On this day, in addition to water and sugar-free green tea, you can pamper with fresh fruit juice.