Do you have an event coming up and want to lose a few pounds quickly? The apple diet might be the answer. This 5-day plan emphasizes apple consumption to potentially help you lose weight and improve your overall health. This article will explore the apple diet, how it works, a detailed 5-day plan, the foods to eat and avoid, a delicious apple recipe, the role of exercise, tips for success, and the benefits and side effects of the diet.
What is the Apple Diet?
The apple diet is a short-term weight loss plan, typically lasting five days, where apples constitute a significant portion of your meals. During the diet, processed foods and added sugars should be avoided. On Day 1, the diet consists almost exclusively of apples. As the days progress, other nutritious foods are gradually introduced.
Key Takeaways of the Apple Diet
- Emphasizes apple consumption as the primary food source.
- Suggests possible avoidance of processed foods and added sugars.
- Apples are rich in fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants and are low in calories, thus promoting weight loss.
- Drinking the necessary amount of water and physical activity are also suggested for assisted weight loss.
- It is a short-term diet and should not be extended indefinitely.
How Does the Apple Diet Work?
Apples are packed with minerals, vitamins, and fiber, while being low in calories (80-100 calories depending on size). The fiber in apples binds to fat molecules, preventing fat absorption. This bound fat is then excreted from the body. Apples also promote a feeling of fullness, potentially reducing overeating. Some believe apples are thermogenic foods, which may boost metabolism and support weight loss. Eating an apple before each meal can help you feel less hungry and prevent overeating.
Shavonne Morrison, RDN, says, “Consuming apples will not directly cause you to lose weight. However, apples are a good source of fiber, particularly pectin, which can help keep you full longer compared to other types of carbohydrates. This can help reduce cravings and help you stay in a calorie deficit, which is necessary to promote weight loss.”
The 5-Day Apple Diet Plan
The 5-day apple diet requires the dieters to eat only apples and fluid on day one. For the rest of the four days, the dieters will be allowed to eat mostly apples along with other nutrition-dense foods but not exceeding 1200 calories per day.
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Day 1
- Breakfast: 2 apples
- Lunch: 1 apple
- Dinner: 3 apples
This works because apples are rich in vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, and dietary fiber, which are essential for maintaining proper body fat percentage, good cardiovascular health, improved brain function, and preventing diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and GI tract irritation. Drink enough detox water and water to keep yourself hydrated throughout the day.
Day 2
- Breakfast: 1 apple and a glass of skim milk or soy milk (if gluten sensitive)
- Lunch: An apple and greens salad with two carrots and half a beetroot. Make a light salad dressing with mint leaves, Dijon mustard, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
- Dinner: 2 apples
This works because on day two, you eat apples along with a healthy vegetarian lunch, which will help you to get other essential nutrients from the veggies. Olive oil is a rich source of good fats that will help retain the cell membrane integrity. Make sure to keep sipping on detox water and drink a good amount of water throughout the day.
Day 3
- Breakfast: 1 apple + 1 slice multigrain bread+ scrambled eggs
- Lunch: 1 apple+ Bengal gram salad with cucumber, tomato, onion, mint leaves, salt, and pepper.
- Evening Snack: 1 cup low-fat yogurt
- Dinner: Options: 1 apple+ turkey bacon, carrots, and broccoli salad OR 1 apple+ lentil soup
This day can be called protein day. Proteins are the building blocks of our bodies. Therefore, start your day with a good protein source like scrambled eggs (use one whole egg). If you are a vegetarian, you may have a glass of milk instead of eggs. Bengal gram is rich in protein and will help you feel full for a longer time. Yogurt will help with digestion. For dinner, eat a good source of protein and 1 apple. For two days you ate mostly apples, your body does not have enough energy for digestion and metabolism. So, do not eat too much food. Fill yourself up with water and detox drinks.
Day 4
- Breakfast: 1 apple + kale smoothie
- Lunch: Options: 1 apple+ grilled veggies OR 1 apple+ vegetable clear soup
- Post Lunch: 1 small bowl watermelon or 1 orange
- Evening Snack: 1 cup green tea
- Dinner: Options: 1 apple + vegetarian lettuce wrap OR 1 apple + beetroot and celery smoothie
Start your day with an apple and kale smoothie. Kale helps you lose weight and makes you full for a longer time. The vegetarian lunch will help you get all the essential nutrients from the different types of veggies. Include a lot of green leafy and colorful veggies. On this day, take a post-lunch snack break. Have a glass of fresh fruit juice or any whole fruit. For your evening snack, green/black/white tea is highly recommended as it contains antioxidants and will help your body flush all the toxins out. Have a vegetarian dinner along with an apple. This will soothe your digestive system.
Day 5
- Breakfast: Options: 1 apple + 1 boiled egg OR 1 apple + boiled bottle gourd juice
- Lunch: Options: 1 apple + grilled veggies OR 1 apple + vegetable clear soup
- Post Lunch: 2 almonds or 1 peach
- Evening Snack: 1 cup green tea + 1 digestive biscuit
- Dinner: 1 apple + baked fish and asparagus OR 1 apple + kidney beans chili with capsicum
On this day, dieters will be allowed to eat fruits, veggies, good fats, good carbs, and proteins. This will help to revive your body from the low-calorie diet you had been following for the past few days. As you have followed a step-by-step procedure of introducing all the foods that you want the body to metabolize, on the last day, when you eat a complex amalgamation of foods, your metabolism will stay active and help burn the calories without making you feel weak.
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Foods to Eat During the Apple Diet
- Fruits & Veggies: Seasonal fruits, local fruits, green leafy veggies, and colored vegetables.
- Proteins: Chicken without skin, fish, eggs, lean cuts of turkey and beef, tofu, mushrooms, and soy chunks.
- Dairy: Low-fat milk, low-fat yogurt, and cheese (in limited amounts).
- Herbs & Spices: Coriander leaves, mint leaves, rosemary, thyme, dill, fennel, rose petals, ginger, garlic and onion powder, coriander and cumin powder, turmeric, chili powder, garam masala, fenugreek, mustard seeds, etc.
- Bread & Biscuits: Multigrain or wholegrain bread and biscuits.
- Fats & Oils: Olive oil, rice bran oil, canola oil, ghee, and mustard oil (all in limited amounts).
- Beverages: Fresh fruit juices, fresh tender coconut water, buttermilk, detox drinks, fresh vegetable juices, and smoothies.
Foods to Avoid
- Fats & Oils: Lard, butter, coconut oil, mayonnaise, and dalda.
- Beverages: Packaged fruit juices, packaged coconut water, carbonated drinks, and alcohol.
- Proteins: Chicken with skin, processed meat, beef, and pork.
- Dairy: Cream cheese or cheese in excess amounts, full-fat milk, and full-fat yogurt.
On the apple diet, it is important to stay away from processed foods, fats and oils, and sugary drinks because they are high in calories and can raise blood sugar levels, which can cause cravings and hinder weight loss efforts. By removing these foods from your diet, you can cut back on extra calories and make more steady progress toward your weight loss objectives.
Apple Diet Recipes
Turkey Wrap With Mint Chutney
What You Need:
- 1 tortilla bread
- 1/2 cup lean ground turkey
- 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste
- 1/4 onion chopped
- 1/2 tomato chopped
- 1 lettuce leaf chopped
- 1/4 apple chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- A handful of mint leaves
- Lemon juice
- 2 tablespoon rice bran oil
- Pink Himalayan Salt
How To Cook:
- In a frying pan, add the oil and fry the ginger-garlic paste until brown.
- Add the turkey meat, chili powder, pink Himalayan salt, and garam masala.
- Stir fry until the meat is cooked well.
- To make the mint chutney, wash the mint leaves, remove the stems and toss them into the blender.
- Add a pinch of salt and a dash of lime juice. Give it a spin.
- Heat the tortilla bread on a skillet or oven.
- Add the hot turkey meat. Top it with chopped onions, tomatoes, and lettuce leaf.
- Add the mint chutney on top and roll the tortilla bread to make it into a delicious turkey wrap.
Vegetarian Alternative: Cook the soy chunks the same way as the turkey is cooked and then follow the rest of the steps to make a delicious soy chunk wrap. In case you have thyroid issues or are allergic to soy, you can opt for other high protein sources like kidney beans or cottage cheese.
Baked Apple Chips
Ingredients:
- 2 apples, thinly sliced
- ½ teaspoon of cinnamon
How To Prepare:
- Preheat the oven to 225°F.
- Toss the apple slices in cinnamon and place them in a baking tray.
- Bake for 2-3 hours until they become crispy.
Apple And Almond Smoothie
Ingredients:
- 1 apple, roughly chopped
- 1 cup of almond milk
- ½ teaspoon of cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon of honey (optional)
- 3-5 ice cubes
How To Prepare:
- Add the chopped apple, almond milk, cinnamon, and honey to a food processor and blend until smooth.
- Add ice to a glass and pour the smoothie into it.
Role of Exercise
Working out is a must if you want to lose weight, especially if you are overweight. However, since on the first two days you will be on a very low calorie diet, it is better to avoid any rigorous workout routine. Stick to yoga and meditation. From the 3rd day on, you can follow your regular exercise routine or you may start running, walking, running up the stairs, jumping rope, yoga, dancing, squats, swimming, pilates, jogging on the spot, push-ups, sit-ups, etc. Make sure to lose weight first and then build muscle. For building muscles, go for strength training exercises.
Tips for Succeeding on the Apple Diet
- Make sure you always have apples on hand.
- Plan your meals ahead of time considering your day’s activities and schedules to prevent making bad decisions.
- Eat almonds or apple slices with almond butter as a snack to satisfy cravings and keep your energy up.
- Use a journal or app to monitor your food intake, mood, and weight loss results to stay motivated.
- Drink enough water to complement the apple diet and boost overall well-being.
- To keep meals interesting and avoid monotony, try experimenting with different apple-based recipes.
Benefits of the Apple Diet
- Will help you lose weight by making you feel full, hence, curbing the hunger pangs.
- Eating apples every day will help prevent the risk of stroke, heart disease, and also lower cholesterol levels.
- The apple diet improves mental clarity and attention and supports sustained brain function by providing a consistent energy source through natural sugars and fiber.
- This diet is pocket-friendly and is super simple.
- This diet will prevent you from drinking packaged fruit juices that contain artificial flavor, color, and sweetener.
- This diet helps to bring the metabolism of your body right back up in a slow and steady process.
Side Effects of the Apple Diet
- Extreme calorie restriction: The apple diet severely limits your caloric intake, which can lead to rapid weight loss.
- Nutrient deficiencies: Apples are low in protein, healthy fats, and many other essential nutrients.
- Lack of variety: Eating the same food for multiple days can quickly become monotonous and may lead to boredom and cravings.
- Short-term results: While you may see some initial weight loss on the apple diet, it isn’t sustainable as a long-term solution.
- Consuming such a large quantity daily may lead to excessive fiber intake, which could cause digestive discomfort, such as bloating or diarrhea, for some individuals.
Is There Any Benefit From an Apple Detox Diet?
Some research suggests that the fiber and polyphenols (antioxidant compounds) in apples could aid people in reaching their weight loss goals. A medium-sized apple contains 3.7 grams (g) of fiber, so eating three apples per day would mean getting about 12 g of fiber. Your minimum daily fiber intake should fall somewhere between 22 and 34 g depending on your age and sex, so eating three apples could get you almost halfway there.
Reduces Cholesterol
A review of research found that eating apples could help people lower their total and LDL cholesterol. Results were especially significant for people who already had a higher risk of cardiovascular disease. Pectin, a dietary fiber found in the cell walls of apples and other fruits, may also help lower cholesterol by improving the way your body metabolizes, or breaks down, fat.
Read also: A natural elixir for wellness
Stabilizes Blood Sugar
When it comes to the 3-Apple-a-Day diet’s potential impact on blood sugar, results are mixed. A review of research found that apples didn’t have any measurable impact on blood sugar levels. Meanwhile, in a small study in which people ate an apple and white rice in different orders, people with normal and impaired blood glucose both had lower blood sugar after mealtime when they ate the apple first.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 2 apples a day too much?
Eating two apples a day is generally considered healthy and not excessive for most people.
Do apples before bed burn fat?
While apples themselves don’t directly burn fat, they can be a healthy snack choice before bed. Apples are low in calories and high in fiber, which can help you feel full without consuming a lot of calories. In addition, the fiber in apples helps stabilize blood sugar levels, which reduces the likelihood of late-night cravings. Apples provide a moderate amount of natural sugars, offering a quick energy source, while the fiber helps regulate digestion and prevent any potential blood sugar spikes.
What happens when you eat apples on an empty stomach?
Eating apples on an empty stomach can be beneficial due to their high fiber and water content, which promotes satiety and helps with digestion. In addition, the natural sugars in apples provide a quick source of energy, which makes them an excellent snack to start the day or a pre-workout option.