The mere thought of trying to lose weight is daunting for most, in large part due to the heartbreaking goodbyes we may have to say to our favorite foods, or the uncertainty about whether we’ll be able to sustain our new waistline. Perhaps for those reasons, today fewer Americans than ever are trying to lose weight. But in this age of never-ending fad diets, a 15-day fruit and water diet plan brings a tempting new option: a detox that aims to help followers shed unwanted pounds.
What is the 15-Day Fruit and Water Diet Plan?
This 15-day diet plan is a meal plan aimed at helping you lose weight and detox. The diet excludes junk food and sweet products, which are caloric and inadequately nutritious. The meal plan helps you not only lose a couple of extra pounds but also get the nutrients vital for the proper functioning of your body.
A fruit diet is a type of diet that is characterized by primarily eating fruits, which can be supplemented with vegetables, whey protein and lean protein. This diet is high in fiber, which can be beneficial for increasing bowel movements, reducing bloating and keeping you full.
The fruit diet was developed by Registered Dietitian, Jay Robb, who stipulates that you should adhere to this diet for 3 day. He states that these days can give the digestive system a break from consuming processed foods. However, there are no scientific studies available that prove the benefits of the fruit diet for health or weight loss. The creator of this diet also recommends exercising at a low intensity, like walking or stretching.
How Does the 15-Day Fruit and Water Diet Plan Work?
Every day, you will have five meals, which will help you curb your appetite and thus make you feel good. In fact, frequent eating could play a crucial role in weight loss and may prevent health problems.
Read also: Explore the pros and cons of fruit juice detoxes.
Key Components
- Fruits: The foundation of the diet, providing fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
- Water: Essential for hydration and flushing out toxins. Aim for at least 2 liters daily.
- Vegetables: Can be included to supplement the diet with additional nutrients.
- Whey Protein and Lean Protein: Can be supplemented with whey protein and lean protein.
Foods to Include
- Fruits: Watermelon, blueberries, strawberries, lemon, lime, grapefruit, avocado, kiwi, pomegranate, and apple.
- Vegetables: Bell peppers, broccoli, spinach, tomatoes, lady finger, carrots, and french beans.
Foods to Avoid
The diet excludes junk food and sweet products, which are caloric and inadequately nutritious. Also, ultra-processed foods, such as soda, ice cream, and fast food, as many of these foods are high in sugar and fat.
Sample Meal Plan
Here is an example of the fruit diet:
- Breakfast: A serving of fresh fruits such as berries, apple slices, or a fruit smoothie.
- Snack: A handful of nuts or seeds.
- Lunch: A large fruit salad with a variety of colorful fruits.
- Snack: A small serving of vegetables.
- Dinner: A combination of fruits and vegetables with a lean protein source.
Benefits of the 15-Day Fruit and Water Diet Plan
Detoxification
Many want to lose weight fast but aren’t prepared for the hard work it takes to achieve and maintain the body they want. Indeed, it is possible to lose weight fast, and you can find a plethora of stories about miraculous body transformations. However, only a few of them shed light on the aftermath of rapid loss of pounds. The truth is that those who slim down fast tend to regain it even faster.
If your primary purpose is to detox from junk food and added sugar, the 15-day diet alone will suffice.
Weight Loss
This nutritional plan is often followed by those who are looking for a method to lose weight fast in 2 weeks.
Read also: Fruit smoothies on a ketogenic diet
To peel off excess pounds fast, sticking to a diet is insufficient. You should also stay active to burn calories. You should exercise, walk long distances, jog, and move around a lot in general. Even such chores as cleaning and shopping help you torch those extra calories you consumed during the day.
Want to build an attention-grabbing bubble butt, blast away fat that’s stored in all the wrong places, spring-clean your diet, turn back the clock on your skin, skyrocket your self-confidence and shatter your insecurities?
Improved Digestion
This diet is high in fiber, which can be beneficial for increasing bowel movements, reducing bloating and keeping you full.
Nutrient Intake
The meal plan helps you not only lose a couple of extra pounds but also get the nutrients vital for the proper functioning of your body.
The 14-day fruit diet is pretty simple and its name speaks for itself. It lasts two weeks and focuses on the consumption of fruits. There is no doubt that fruits are an inseparable part of a balanced diet as they’re considered one of the healthiest types of food. They’re a great source of fiber, which is essential for your health. Fiber can help prevent various diseases, promote gut health, and help with weight loss. Fruits are also filled to the brim with various vitamins and minerals.
Read also: Passion Fruit on Keto: Benefits and Drawbacks
Risks and Considerations
Nutrient Deficiencies
Although fruits are beneficial for your overall wellness, they don’t provide you with the full range of essential components, thereby only partially satisfying your nutritional requirements. Fruits are generally low in fat and protein, which are essential for the proper functioning of your body.
Proteins are the building blocks of your cells and tissues. They support muscle growth and help preserve lean mass when you’re in the process of weight loss. As muscles are more metabolically active than fat, they require more energy to sustain themselves. The more muscle mass you have, the higher your resting metabolic rate (RMR) will be, and the more calories you will burn throughout the day.
Although fruits contain various micronutrients, they can’t provide you with the whole plethora of essential components alone. The above-listed components play a prominent role in the maintenance of proper body functioning.
High Sugar Content
Fruits are naturally rich in sugar. Fruits containing more fructose have a higher glycemic index (GI). The GI is a scale that measures how quickly specific foods cause a rise in blood sugar levels. Fruits with higher GI include bananas, grapes, and tropical fruits, while fruits with lower GI include apples, oranges, pears, and berries. However, no matter the GI, all fruits raise blood sugar due to their glucose content.
Tooth Decay
Fruits contain acids, which may dissolve tooth enamel over time, resulting in tooth decay in people who don’t have a good oral hygiene routine. Citrus fruits, such as lemons, limes, oranges, and grapefruits, are particularly rich in acids. To prevent the harmful effects of fruit acids and reduce the risk of tooth decay, try rinsing with water after eating acidic fruits.
Sustainability
The 14-day fruit diet is very restrictive and quite hard to stick to. It won’t provide you with long-lasting results, and even if you only follow it for a short period, it may damage your health.
Low Calorie Intake
It has already been mentioned that although this diet doesn’t restrict the number of fruits you consume, they are low in calories, and so this will lead to reduced energy intake.
Potential Side Effects
The fruit diet can cause hunger, tiredness, dizziness, weakness or fainting due to the low calorie intake.
Who Should Avoid This Diet?
Because it is very restrictive in nutrients and calories, the fruit diet should not be maintained when pregnant or breastfeeding.
Alternatives to the 15-Day Fruit Diet
To lose weight in a healthy way, it is also important to sleep 7 to 9 hours a night. Exercise regularly by weight training, cycling, dancing or fighting. Adhere to a low carb diet, which is characterized by a reduced intake of high carb and high fat food.
If you want to lose weight, you need to burn more energy than you consume. So calorie restriction (reducing the amount of calories you take in) and increasing physical activity is the key to weight loss.
It is safe to lose 1-2 pounds per week, since it will not be stressful for your body and will not jeopardize your wellbeing.
Experts recommend a 500-750 calorie daily energy deficit to lose weight at a healthy pace (1-2 lbs per week). This could result in up to 4 lbs of weight loss over the course of the 15 day plan.
Expert Recommendations
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the 5-a-day campaign recommends having a minimum of 400g of fruit and vegetables a day to lower the risk of health problems like heart disease, stroke and even some types of cancer.
It’s recommended that an average adult person should consume 2 servings of fruits a day.
Experts state that a safe and sustainable weight loss pace is 1-2 pounds (0.45-1 kg) a week.
Conclusion
Now you know more about the 14-day fruit diet, you can reach your own conclusions on its effectiveness and safety. So, is this nutritional plan worth all the effort? No. Should you only eat fruits? No. Should you include more fruits in your regular diet? Yes, absolutely!
The 14-day fruit diet may be very alluring to those who like fruits, have a sweet tooth, and are interested in rapid weight loss. Following a diet based solely on fruits can lead to a reduction in muscle mass, slower metabolism, nutrient deficiencies, and other negative consequences. As fruits are beneficial to your wellness and rich in fiber and various micronutrients, they make a great addition to your meal.
Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or your specific situation. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of BetterMe content.