A diet with Grapefruit – The diet is a special health food and is usually done on the instructions of a doctor or consultant. Diet is generally meant as an effort to lose weight by adjusting food patterns and intake of certain nutrients. There are several ways to go on a diet, one of which is by consuming certain types of food, one of which is grapefruit.
A Glimpse of Grapefruit
Grapefruit (Citrus Grandis or Citrus Maxima) is a type of orange with large size. The flesh of the grapefruit can be white to reddish-orange with thick yellow-green skin. This fruit is called ‘pamelo’ in the international market. So the Ministry of Agriculture is now suggesting using the term ‘pamelo’ for this fruit because it has nothing to do with the province of Bali – Indonesia. But grapefruit also has other names such as big limes (Malay), Lukban or Suha (Philippines), Dou You or Youzi (China), Jambura (Bangladesh), and Bontan (Japan).
Grapefruit planting mostly uses grafts because it is considered more profitable than planting using seeds or cuttings which have a shorter growing season. Fruit from plants that can survive in dry areas and are resistant to this disease can be harvested only twice a year, the third year after planting. Even so, it is necessary to watch out for the threat of pests in the form of fruit flies which interfere with fruit growth and make fruit turn black. To overcome this, fly traps and pesticides, and methyl eugenol are needed.
Content of Grapefruit
Grapefruit has several ingredients that are beneficial to the body, including:
Lycopene
Grapefruit has a fairly high lycopene content, which is 350 micrograms per 100 grams of grapefruit flesh. Lycopene can act as an antioxidant, especially if it synergizes with provitamin A (beta-carotene) found in grapefruit.
Pectin
After making juice, grapefruit contains more pectin than other oranges. Just one serving of grapefruit juice contains more than 3.9 percent pectin
Vitamin C
As a type of orange, grapefruit, of course, also contains vitamin C. For every 100 grams of grapefruit flesh, there is a vitamin C content of 350 micrograms.
Apart from that, grapefruit also has other ingredients such as vitamin A (440 IU), pro-vitamin A, B vitamins, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, Vitamin C (350 microgram/100gr), protein (0.6 gr/100gr), carbohydrates (12.4 gr/100 gr), fat (0.2gr/100gr), calcium (23 mg/100gr), phosphorus (27 mg/100gr), iron (1 mg/100gr), potassium, insulin, magnesium, fiber, potassium, and bioflavonoids. Also, there are chemical compounds in grapefruit which include narigin, bergamottin, glycocitine-I, 5-hydroxynoracronycine, citrusinine-I, 5-hydroxynoracronycine alcohol, grandisine-I, natsucitrine-II, and ciracridone-III.
Potential Benefits
The content of vitamin C contained in grapefruit can be useful for eliminating fat in the body. Because vitamin C has the benefit of increasing the body’s metabolism so that the process of burning fat and calories in the body is maximized. According to Dr. Ken Fujioka (2006), a weight specialist, consuming grapefruit 3 times a day for 12 weeks can lose a weight of 1.1 kg to 1.6 kg. This is because of the content of insulin which is binding in grapefruit so it is not easy to get hungry. In addition, insulin also has a role in fat storage in the body. The fiber content in grapefruit also makes you feel full, so you eat less food.
However, some practitioners disagree on this point. According to him, weight loss that only relies on grapefruit consumption is not effective. A person’s food intake needs are different, so a diet with an intake that suits the needs of each body is needed.
This diet using grapefruit is usually a very low-calorie diet (the very low-calorie diet or VLCD) which is recommended for detoxification or fast weight loss. Weight loss on this diet also usually doesn’t last long. Although the weight drops dramatically in the first few days of the diet. This type of diet is not recommended by health or weight loss experts and is considered a fad diet.
Even so, it is recommended for those of you who want to try certain types, including this grapefruit diet, to consult a doctor first. Consulting a doctor is especially important for teenagers, and pregnant or lactating women. People with kidney or liver disorders, people with eating disorders, people who have had surgery, or people who want to lose 13 kg in weight.
How to do
The grapefruit diet can be done in two ways,
The very low calorie grapefruit diet
This type of diet focuses on a very low-calorie diet menu. Namely by consuming half a grapefruit at every meal with the same pattern every day.
The grapefruit diet is high in protein
This type of diet is accompanied by consuming grapefruit which is accompanied by a series of strict regulations and a list of foods that can be consumed by dieters.
Grapefruit can be consumed by direct consumption or juiced.
Here’s how to make grapefruit juice that you can do
Materials:
- Prepare grapefruit, peel, and clean
- Also prepare honey, ice cubes, and boiled water
Steps:
- Place the grapefruit flesh in a blender
- Add a little honey, ice cubes, and enough boiled water to the blender
- Blend the ingredients until smooth
- When finished blending, pour the juice by Straining it into an empty glass
- Grapefruit juice is ready to be consumed
This is the information that we can convey about the benefits of grapefruit for diet. It would be nice before you do the grapefruit diet, you consult a doctor first. And don’t forget, take care of your health. Thank you for reading this article and hope this is useful!
