Cereal diet - is it possible to lose weight on grains?

What is a grain diet

Cereals are a family of monocotyledonous plants, which includes such well-known and long-used plants in agriculture as wheat, rye, oats, rice, corn, barley, and millet.
The advantage of a dietary method based on cereals is that they contain an increased concentration of fiber, which normalizes the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract - due to cleansing the intestines, healthy weight loss occurs. Cereals also contain other useful components - vitamins, microelements, protein. According to research results, the components contained in the grains prevent the development of cancer, and in the presence of malignant formations, they contribute to remission and mitigation of the disease. Experts recommend adhering to a grain-based diet for prevention for everyone, because... it improves digestion and normalizes metabolism. Only those people who are allergic to them should not consume porridge.

Cereals have an average calorie content, but at the same time you can’t eat a lot of porridge, and the feeling of fullness comes very quickly. Cereals saturated with water are an excellent means for cleansing the intestines of breakdown and metabolic products. During the diet, porridges are prepared exclusively with water, without adding butter or vegetable oils. The duration of the diet is 7 days, you can get rid of 3-5 kg. You can repeat the technique after six months.

Diet rules

The menu can be varied, but at the same time eliminate excess weight. The calorie content of the daily diet is in the range of 600-750 kcal. The diet is not without restrictions - prohibited foods:

• salt;
• sugar;
• products with a high fat content - butter, vegetable oil;
• fried, smoked foods, fast food;
• alcohol;
• sweet drinks and soda;
• desserts – flour and sweet dishes;
• fat meat;
• semolina, white rice.

The basis of the diet is porridge, which can be supplemented with:

• low-fat kefir or yogurt;
• milk;
• low-fat cottage cheese;
• fruits;
• broth;
• 10 g of natural honey per day.

Meals are divided into three times, between them it is recommended to drink plenty of water, green or herbal tea. It is recommended to stop eating four hours before bedtime. In order not to overeat, you need to consume no more than 50 g of dry cereal at one time, supplementing the menu with an approved product. They leave the diet gradually, gradually adding new foods to the diet - lean meat and fish, vegetables. It is recommended to limit sweet and flour products on an ongoing basis, otherwise the extra pounds may return.

Advantages and disadvantages

Each dietary food has its positive and negative qualities. A cereal diet has many advantages, including:

1. Cereals that are used when following a diet are a valuable source of fiber and ballast substances that gently and effectively cleanse the intestines of waste and toxins, normalize stools, and improve digestion. Normal functioning of the digestive system is the key to proper metabolism, good health and slimness.
2. Regular consumption of cereals is a means of preventing heart and vascular diseases.
3. Cereals are rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and beneficial substances that have a beneficial effect on the liver, cleanse the walls of blood vessels, normalize cholesterol levels in the blood, prevent salt deposits, and improve the condition of the body as a whole.
4. Eating cereals also has a positive effect on your appearance. The skin becomes clean and fresh, the number of acne decreases, nails and hair become stronger and grow faster.
5. During the diet, there is no constant feeling of hunger, which is inherent in some other methods.
6. The variety of permitted grains and products allows you to change the menu to suit your taste.
7. Cereals fill you with energy, there is no fatigue, apathy, weakness and irritability, as during other diets.
8. The method is cheap, the cereal is a budget product.
9. Cooking speed - on average, porridge cooks for 15-30 minutes, depending on the portion.

Adhering to this diet, you can discover some disadvantages of the technique. Nutritionists note that such a diet is not balanced. A person must eat all the necessary foods to get proteins, animal and vegetable fats, and carbohydrates in the optimal ratio.

If you eat only cereals for a long time, health problems may arise. The cereal weight loss method should last only a week, during which time it will not cause harm to the body. Contraindications:

• gluten allergy;
• diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, in which case the approval of a gastroenterologist is required.

Cereal diet menu

The most popular variation of the grain diet is a strict menu for every day. The table shows an approximate diet for one week, indicating the calorie content and ratio of BJU per 100 g of finished product; porridge is measured out already boiled. You can drink water in large quantities. The menu looks like this:

The essence of a gluten-free diet

Gluten, a protein in a number of grains, causes bloating, gas, diarrhea, fatigue, headache, skin rash, and itching in people with hypersensitivity or allergies to it. As it moves through the small intestine, it damages its villi, which move food and participate in absorption processes. People with gluten intolerance experience immune reactions, damage to the small intestinal mucosa, anemia and exhaustion. A gluten-free diet eliminates the symptoms of the disease and ensures sustainable remission. Reducing calories and sugars in the diet reduces weight.

Principles of a gluten-free diet:

• 4–5 meals a day;
• last meal - no later than 18:00;
• snacks - vegetables and fruits, dried fruits, nuts;
• for celiac disease - stick to it for life, for weight loss - 4-8 weeks.

Varieties of cereal diet

The grains in each menu are completely interchangeable; if the example says oats, then it can be replaced with wheat, barley or other cereals, and vice versa. Kefir-cereal, cereal-vegetable and fruit fasting diets are popular. In addition to them, there is a diet based on sprouted grains; this diet uses grains of peas, oats, lentils, corn, barley and wheat with sprouts.

On cereals and kefir

To quickly lose weight by 3-5 kg ​​in three days, choose a kefir-cereal diet, but it can be used no more than twice a year. All days you need to eat boiled porridge in water, without adding salt, sugar or honey, and drink low-fat kefir. You can soak the cereal in a fermented milk product overnight, and by the morning you will have a ready-made healthy dietary breakfast. Sample menu:

• breakfast – millet soaked in kefir – 150 g;
• lunch – boiled oats 100 g and kefir 0.2 l.;
• dinner – 150 ml kefir.

Cereal and vegetable

You can stick to this diet for no more than five days, during which time you can get rid of 3-5 extra pounds. You can eat any cereals, vegetable broths, fresh or boiled vegetables, except potatoes. Menu for one day:

• breakfast – whole grain flakes 100 g and green tea without sugar;
• lunch – buckwheat 100 g and boiled beets and carrots 150 g;
• dinner - wild rice, boiled cabbage - 100g of each product.

On cereal flakes

This diet is ideal as a fasting day that will help you lose 2 kg of excess weight. On this day you can eat oatmeal steamed with boiling water. Preference should be given to whole grain flakes; they are the largest in size and are considered healthier than cut or flattened flakes. For a snack, you can eat an apple or grapefruit.

Sample menu:

• breakfast – 100 g of steamed flakes;
• snack – 1 orange;
• lunch – oatmeal 50 g;
• snack – 1 apple;
• dinner – 100 g of steamed oatmeal.

Cereal-fruit

This diet is also suitable for a fasting day and cleansing the body, because... it contains only fresh fruits and cereals. You can stick to it for no more than three days, during which time you can get rid of 4-5 extra pounds. Menu for the day:

• breakfast – boiled oats 100 g, apple;
• lunch – 100 g buckwheat, 2 tangerines;
• snack – grapefruit;
• dinner – 100 g of wild rice.

On sprouted grains

It is recommended to follow such a diet for two weeks, during which you can lose up to 10 kg. The diet uses sprouted grains of oats, barley, wheat, corn, lentils, which saturate the body with the maximum amount of useful elements. They can be easily absorbed, saturate the body with strong and active substances, promoting speedy recovery during various diseases.

Sprouted grains are a 100% living natural product that helps improve all vital functions. Sprouts are recognized as the strongest rejuvenating and healing agent for the body. The technology for germinating grains is the same for any cereal:

1. Rinse the grains with cold water.
2. Pour a thin layer into a jar of suitable volume, 0.5 or 1 liter.
3. Pour a little distilled water, just above the level of the seeds, close the lid, and place it on its side on the windowsill.
4. After 1-3 days, seedlings 0.5 cm long appear. It is recommended to consume such sprouts; there is no need to germinate them further.

During this regime, you can eat porridge, low-fat kefir and salads made from sprouted grains and vegetables. Menu for the day:

• breakfast – 100 g of boiled oats, 0.1 l of kefir;
• lunch – sprout salad with seaweed and lemon juice;
• dinner - salad of vegetables and sprouted wheat grains.

Brad Pitt's Grain Diet

The menu of this diet is varied, but low in calories. The famous actor uses this diet to quickly but beneficially lose weight by 2-3 kg in 5 days. Sample menu for the day:

• breakfast: 50 g cereal flakes, 100 g unsweetened berries, 0.1 l low-fat yogurt;
• snack: apple or 0.1 liter of kefir;
• lunch: stewed vegetables (sweet peppers, broccoli, celery, red lentils) - only 150 g;
• dinner: 100 g of boiled chicken fillet or apple.

Gluten

Gluten is a substance of protein origin, which is also called gluten because of its structure. Found in popular grains such as oats, wheat, barley and rye.

For special children, protein is dangerous because it leads to an acute immunological reaction, which destroys the villi of the small intestine, which play a significant role in saturating the body with vitamins and microelements. In this case, the intestinal walls are irritated, problems with stool, colic and pain occur.

Products contraindicated for gluten intolerance: the signs listed above and any derivatives - couscous, bulgur, semolina, barley; ketchups and various sauces, sweet pastries, cookies, chocolates, chewing gum, flour-based snacks, muesli, sausages and frankfurters, as well as a number of preservatives and colorings (for example, carotene).