The tuna and apple diet plan is a short-term eating strategy that combines the consumption of tuna and apples with other nutrient-dense foods. This approach aims to promote weight loss and improve overall health. It is important to note that drastic changes in diet should be discussed with a healthcare professional.
Understanding the Tuna and Apple Diet
The tuna and apple diet is a 5-day plan where a significant portion of meals consists of apples. On Day 1, only apples are consumed for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. On Day 2, apples are eaten for breakfast and dinner, with apples and veggies for lunch. From Day 3 to Day 5, fruits, fresh fruit juices, vegetable smoothies, proteins, and dairy are allowed along with apples for each major meal.
Sample Meal Plans
To give you a clearer picture, here are some sample meal plans.
Three-Day Heart-Healthy Meal Plan
This meal plan can help you get started eating in a more heart-healthy way.
Day 1
- Breakfast: ½ cup plain instant oatmeal, 1 cup low-fat milk, ½ banana, ¼ cup chopped walnuts.
- Lunch: 2 slices whole wheat bread, 4 oz. low-sodium turkey meat, 1 slice low-fat Swiss cheese, ½ medium tomato, 1 Tbsp. yellow mustard, ¼ cup shredded lettuce; 6 baby carrots; 6 oz. plain, fat-free Greek yogurt with ¾ cup blueberries.
- Dinner: 6 ounces baked chicken breast, 1 cup brown rice, 1 cup steamed broccoli, 2 Tbsp. margarine.
- Snack: 1 low-fat string cheese stick, 2 clementines.
Day 2
- Breakfast: 1 egg, 1 whole wheat English muffin, 1 slice part-skim milk cheese, 2 oz. ham or turkey sausage; 1 cup fruit.
- Lunch: 1 large whole wheat pita, 4 oz. canned light tuna in water, 1 Tbsp. light mayo, 2 slices tomato, ¼ cup lettuce; 1 cup low-fat milk; 1 medium apple; 2 cups spinach, 1 tsp. olive oil, 1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar.
- Dinner: (Salad) 6 oz. salmon, 2-1/2 cups raw baby spinach, ½ cup blueberries, ¼ cup sliced almonds, ¼ cup feta cheese, 2 Tbsp. lite balsamic vinaigrette.
- Snack: 15 small whole wheat crackers, 3 Tbsp. hummus.
Day 3
- Breakfast: (Omelet) 1 egg or ¼ cup egg substitute, ½ cup spinach, 1 Tbsp. chopped onion, 1 Tbsp. chopped red pepper; 1 slice toast with 1 tsp. olive oil; 1 cup 1% milk; 1 orange.
- Lunch: 4 ounces low-sodium ham, 1 slice part-skim milk cheese, 2 slices whole wheat bread, 2 tsp. mayo, 3 spinach leaves, 2 slices tomato; 6 baby carrots; 1 small pear.
- Dinner: 2 oz. whole wheat spaghetti, ½ cup marinara sauce, 3 meatballs (lean beef or turkey), ¼ cup Parmesan cheese; 1 cup lettuce, 2 Tbsp. reduced fat salad dressing; ½ cup unsweetened applesauce.
- Snack: 6 oz. light strawberry-flavored Greek yogurt, 28 pretzel sticks.
Five-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 One
- Breakfast: 2 apples
- Lunch: 1 apple
- Dinner: 3 apples
Day Two
- 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 with light salad dressing made with mint leaves, Dijon mustard, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
- Dinner: 2 apples
Day Three
- 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: 1 apple+ turkey bacon, carrots, and broccoli salad OR 1 apple+ lentil soup
Day Four
- Breakfast: 1 apple + kale smoothie
- Lunch: 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: 1 apple + vegetarian lettuce wrap OR 1 apple + beetroot and celery smoothie
Day Five
- Breakfast: 1 apple + 1 boiled egg OR 1 apple + boiled bottle gourd juice
- Lunch: 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
Foods to Include
- 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.
Apple Diet Recipe
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.
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 Success
- 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
- Helps 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.
- 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.
Potential Risks
- Nutrient Deficiencies: Many high-protein diets, such as the tuna and egg diet, are highly restrictive, limiting complex carbohydrates, healthy fats, and certain fruits and vegetables, as well as the fiber, vitamins, and minerals they provide. This can cause a number of problems, such as headache and constipation.
- Too Few Calories for Daily Needs: Diets like the tuna and egg diet are incredibly low in calories, prescribing about 1,100 to 1,400 calories per day. However, to maintain healthy energy levels, adult women need around 1,600 to 2,400 calories per day, and adult men need about 2,000 to 3,000 calories per day.
- Unsustainable Weight Loss: Weight loss from the tuna and egg diet comes from its “extreme caloric reduction and rigid eating patterns,” which are unsustainable in the long run. This kind of weight loss is typically water weight, especially when measured in the short term. That’s why people who tend to take this route end up regaining the weight they lost once they complete the diet.
- Mercury Exposure: Tuna is a healthy, lean fish, but it contains the heavy metal mercury. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends eating a variety of fish instead, including canned salmon and sardines, frozen fish, and fresh fish. If you prefer albacore tuna, also known as white tuna, limit this to one serving per week with no other fish that week. Albacore tuna contains three times more mercury than canned light tuna. Mercury poisoning has been tied to damage to the heart, kidneys, and nervous system.
- High Cholesterol Levels: A single egg contains 237 milligrams of cholesterol, almost as much as a 12-ounce beef burger. While most people can safely consume up to seven eggs per week without increasing the risk of heart disease, people living with diabetes or heart disease should be mindful of how many eggs they’re eating, how they’re prepared, and any other cholesterol consumption in their diets.
- Potential Kidney Strain: Another risk of high-protein diets may be strain on the kidneys, especially for people with or at risk of impaired kidney function.
The Military Diet (3-Day Diet)
The 3-Day Diet, also called the Military Diet, claims that by drastically cutting calories for three days, you can drop 10 pounds in a week. It encourages lowering calorie intake for four more days after the initial three-day plan. It didn't come from the military, but the name implies the discipline and willpower needed to complete it.
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This diet allows only 1,100 to 1,400 calories per day, with a specific menu of three breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. For example, one lunch is one cup of cottage cheese, one hard-boiled egg, and five saltine crackers, while dinner can be one cup of tuna, half a banana, and one cup of vanilla ice cream. Snacking is not allowed.
If you continue the diet, you'll eat no more than 1,500 calories for the next four days. The average adult needs about 1,600 to 3,000 calories each day. Health experts don't recommend eating significantly less than this, and it doesn't guarantee the weight loss results claimed.
Foods Allowed on the 3-Day Diet
- Toast and saltine crackers
- Fruit such as grapefruit, bananas, and apples
- Proteins such as tuna, boiled eggs, peanut butter, and hot dogs
- Select vegetables, including broccoli, green beans, and carrots
- Dairy like ice cream, cottage cheese, and cheddar cheese
- Tea and coffee
- No-calorie seasonings such as salt, pepper, lemon juice, fresh garlic, and certain spices
- Low-calorie condiments such as mustard, hot sauce, and low-sodium soy sauce
The vegan and vegetarian versions replace milk-based items with dairy-free options and include meat alternatives like beans, tofu, hummus, and veggie hot dogs.
Foods to Avoid on the 3-Day Diet
Anything not specifically allowed should be avoided. The guidelines mention avoiding:
- Cream and sugar in your coffee
- Sweeteners except stevia
- Garlic salt
- Alcohol
- Condiments such as mayo, ketchup, and store-bought salad dressings
Risks of the 3-Day Diet
- You're not burning fat. You're likely just losing water weight.
- It limits exercise. The calorie limit restricts how active you can be.
- It can disrupt normal body functions. Cutting back on nutrients can lead to constipation, exhaustion, low energy, hair loss, loss of bone strength and density, and a weakened immune system.
- It can affect your mental health. It often leads to a cycle of yo-yo dieting, which can increase your chances of eating disorders and low quality of life and well-being.
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