One of the rules of conscious nutrition says: mono-diets are harmful, you should not get carried away with them. But there are times when you urgently need to lose a couple of kilograms, there is no time for physical exercise, just as there is no time to wait for weight loss from cutting calories in the diet. Kefir with cucumber and herbs for weight loss is one of the best ways to get rid of excess weight quickly and without harm to the body. This menu, of course, is not suitable for long-term meals. But before a wedding or other important event, you can limit yourself for a while to look 100%.
What are the benefits of kefir with cucumber and herbs?
By adding greens to a fermented milk drink, we enrich an already healthy product with vitamins and microelements. This composition will allow you to remove extra pounds; some nutritionists even say that using this method you will be able to lose weight in a much shorter period of time, because there is a “side” effect: the body is additionally cleansed of toxins.
It is best to use this diet in spring or summer; at this time, greens are more accessible and contain the maximum number of useful substances. This method of losing excess weight, of course, is not completely balanced, since it does not provide all the necessary nutrients to the body.
To get a good effect and not cause harm to yourself, you should not constantly use this method. I know from my own experience: 2 weeks of replacing dinner with this diet drink is quite enough.
The benefits of kefir
Kefir is a fermented milk drink obtained by adding a natural symbiotic starter culture (kefir grains) to pasteurized milk, which contains several hundred strains of lactic bacteria and yeast (about 30 species), which belong to 6 different multifunctional groups.
And this entire army of truly wonderful microorganisms begins to work for our health. Can you imagine the scale of benefits provided to the human body? Kefir is absorbed even by those who do not tolerate the milk protein found in plain milk.
Knowing the calorie content, you can easily choose a drink with an acceptable percentage of fat content as part of your diet.
Calorie content of kefir per 100 g. product:
- 0% – 30 kcal;
- 1% – 40 kcal;
- 1.5% – 41 kcal;
- 2% – 51 kcal;
- 2.5% – 50 kcal;
- 3.2% – 56 kcal.
Kefir is practically in first place in health among all fermented milk products. It's hard to underestimate its merits! This is, first of all, a powerful probiotic: it adjusts digestion, stabilizes weight, and has a positive effect on the microflora and intestinal mucosa after taking antibiotics.
Kefir also saturates the body with calcium, which is necessary for our bone structure, teeth and nails. For older people it prevents osteoporosis, for children it stops the development of caries.
Helps reduce cholesterol thanks to choline (vitamin B4) - a natural hepaprotector - and also participates in the formation of hemoglobin and regulates insulin in the blood. Inhibits the growth of cancerous tumors when the body is exposed to carcinogenic compounds, powerfully stimulating the immune system. Helps normalize sleep and the nervous system, thanks to the content of tryptophan, which has a relaxing effect on the body.
Contraindications to the use of kefir:
- stomach and duodenal ulcers, as well as increased stomach acidity;
- individual lactose intolerance;
- colitis, duodenitis, indigestion and irritable bowel syndrome;
- children under one year old.
The benefits of greenery
It's no secret how long people live in the Caucasus. These peoples have a cult of greenery. They consume it in huge quantities, prolonging, first of all, their quality of life and adding to a significant degree to longevity.
- Benefits of parsley:
- It contains vitamins: C, A, E, PP, B1, B2;
- Minerals: Potassium, Calcium, Phosphorus, Iron.
Thus providing our body with stable immunity, it promotes excellent absorption of food, and gives us its antibacterial properties. Regular addition of parsley to food relieves swelling, normalizes blood sugar, improves vision, and lowers blood pressure.
Attention! You should not eat parsley in the first trimester of pregnancy, there is a risk of miscarriage.
2. Benefits of dill:
- Contains vitamins: C, A, E, PP, B1, B2;
- Minerals: Sodium, Iron, Potassium, Magnesium, Calcium, Phosphorus.
The beneficial properties of dill help people with hypertension and cardiovascular diseases, and also have a beneficial effect on the liver, intestines, and bile ducts. Dill removes toxins from the body, promotes sound sleep, relieves flatulence, and dill decoction lotions treat conjunctivitis.
Contraindication: low blood pressure.
3. Benefits of green onions:
- Contains vitamins: C, A, E, PP, B1, B2;
- Minerals: Potassium, Calcium, Phosphorus, Iron.
Along with increasing appetite, green onions strengthen the immune system and provide antibacterial support to our body.
What are the benefits of cucumber?
A ripe cucumber contains 97% water and fiber. The rest is nutrients and chlorophyll. It does not contain protein, carbohydrates or fats, but it contains magnesium, potassium, calcium, and phosphorus. Imagine how much benefit it brings to itself due to this.
It removes salts from the body and joints, dissolves sand and kidney stones, removes cholesterol plaques from blood vessels, gets rid of free radicals, and improves blood properties.
Basic rules of the kefir-cucumber diet
Important!
The cucumber and kefir diet is quite strict, so it cannot be long-term. It is allowed to practice such a fasting day or “sit” on it for no more than 5-7 days.
This is a good option to get yourself in order in the summer, because during this period vegetables are not only tasty and aromatic, inexpensive, but also contain the most nutrients.
It is advisable a week before you start losing weight, start accustoming your body to large portions of kefir - consume 0.5 liters of the drink daily in 2 doses (as a snack, at night). Thus, you need to smoothly and gradually exit the diet.
What is allowed and what is prohibited?
This type of diet in terms of rules is quite simple, since there are few of them, but they are very strict:
- You need to drink 1.5-2 liters of kefir per day, preferably low-fat (up to 1% fat).
- Eat no more than 1.5 kg of cucumbers. They must be fresh. If the vegetables are early, in spring, then be sure to peel them, since the skins contain nitrates and other harmful substances.
- Cucumbers and kefir can be mixed or consumed separately.
- You can add any greens to a fermented milk drink with vegetables to improve the taste: celery, dill, parsley, spinach, onions, mint, basil. They have a beneficial effect on digestion processes and accelerate metabolism.
- Cocktails and other dishes cannot be prepared in advance (for future use); they must be fresh, mixed immediately before use.
- You are allowed to drink water (up to 2 liters) and some tea.
- Meals should be fractional, without skipping, at least 5 times a day in small portions.
- Heavy physical work and strength sports are contraindicated during this period. A meager menu can only be supplemented with light training, warm-up exercises, and walking.
Important!
Salting food and using other products is prohibited. An exception is a diet designed for 7 days, which includes lean fish or meat. To adjust the taste, you can add a little lemon juice and natural spices. As for the variety of dishes, they can be anything: salads, smoothies, soups, cocktails.
Magic kefir for weight loss
Now, having learned everything about the benefits of consuming kefir, herbs and cucumbers and contraindications, we move on to the main topic of the note. Why is kefir with cucumber and herbs so amazing?
Many highly qualified doctors recommend taking kefir at night. These include nutritionists, neurologists, and gastroenterologists. Kefir will collect harmful substances all night, speed up metabolism, it will promote rapid absorption of food, and in the morning it will promptly empty the intestines, which is what is needed for overweight people.
Armed with the benefits of kefir and strengthening it with the wealth of vitamins and microelements contained in greens, when preparing it we get divine nectar, I can’t call it anything else, because I adore it and enjoy using it 3 hours before bedtime, replacing my own with it. dinner.
I use these properties to the fullest. I can eat whatever I want all day long, without limiting myself in any way. I already know for sure that it’s enough to replace dinner with delicious kefir with herbs for 2-3 weeks, and this will allow me to easily remove extra pounds and centimeters from my waist.
Kefir recipe with herbs
To prepare miraculous kefir with herbs, we need the most ordinary products.
- Kefir 1% – 0.5 liters – 32 rub.
- Green onion – 20 gr. – 24 rub.
- Parsley – 20 gr. – 23 rub.
- Dill – 20 gr. – 22 rub.
Preparation: add finely chopped greens with a knife to kefir (you can make a smoothie by whipping all the ingredients with a mixer). I prefer the first option, chopping the greens more coarsely with a knife. Let it brew for 20-30 minutes, and voila, our magical nectar is ready!
Kefir with cucumber and herbs: recipe
The second version of the miracle drink differs from the first in its delicious crunchy cucumber. To prepare we will need:
- kefir 1% – 0.5 liters – 32 rubles;
- cucumber – 100 g – 12 rubles;
- green onion – 20 g – 24 rubles;
- parsley – 20 g – 23 rubles;
- dill – 20 gr. – 22 rub.
Preparation: chop the greens with a knife, grate the cucumber. Combine all ingredients with kefir, mix and let steep for 20-30 minutes. If you want a smoothie, you can put this whole mixture through a blender.
My review of drinks
Comparing these two drinks, I can say that both work great as part of a diet; you just need to replace your evening meal with nutritious kefir. Of course, by adding cucumber, we enhance the beneficial effect of the composition. Due to the properties of fresh cucumber, morning intestinal motility also improves.
If everything is normal with peristalsis, then without cucumber, with only greens, varying the amount of ingredients to our taste, we get a great weight loss effect, that is, we don’t go to bed hungry, but we also don’t overload the body with heavy food.
I don’t remember how I found out about these miracle drinks, but for several years now they have been helping me get rid of extra centimeters from my waist. According to my observations, in a week-long course of the “kefir diet” you can easily lose 2-3 kilograms. And this is if you eat everything during the day, and if you stick to proper nutrition, the results will be completely stunning!
Who is this diet suitable for?
A diet based on fermented milk drink and cucumbers is a good option if you need to lose a few extra pounds before a vacation or after a long holiday. It is useful only for those who are slightly overweight.
You can determine how strong the excess is by calculating your body mass index. If it is too high, then the reasons need to be looked deeper - contact specialists and undergo an examination. Obesity can be caused by various factors: hormonal imbalances, psychological problems, unhealthy eating behavior, diabetes and other diseases. Only the appropriate doctor, endocrinologist, often together with a psychologist, should detect them and prescribe treatment.
Kefir with cucumber and herbs: reviews
There are a lot of reviews on such a diet, below I will present only a small fraction of them. After reading them, you will be able to get an even more complete picture of the kefir-cucumber diet and understand whether it is right for you.
Most people who are losing weight are delighted with this “cocktail” because, firstly, it is quite tasty, secondly, it is practically calorie-free, and thirdly, it is as affordable as possible.
The main disadvantage of this “diet” is the monotony; not everyone is ready to have this drink for dinner every day. So, if you are accustomed to various gastronomic delights, most likely, this method of losing weight will not suit you.
Contraindications
Like any strict diet, this one has many limitations:
- It is contraindicated for any problems with the kidneys, since it significantly increases the load on them.
- It should not be practiced by those who have serious gastrointestinal diseases: ulcers, colitis, gastritis, acid reflux.
- It is not suitable during pregnancy and breastfeeding, as it can cause a deficiency of important nutrients for the body of the mother and child.
The best option is to consult with your doctor before starting this type of fasting.
