The problem of excess weight has long worried many people around the world. In some countries it has received national status and therefore it is not surprising that today there is an impressive selection of weight loss diets for every taste. Finding the right one for you is not an easy task. We recommend that you familiarize yourself with a method of gaining harmony such as the petal diet - perhaps this method of getting rid of hated pounds will be the most effective in your case.
History and features of the weight loss system
The method discussed in our article is the brainchild of Swedish nutritionist Anna Johansson. It is also known by other names: "flower diet", "chamomile diet", "6 (7) petal diet". Such an original name for the author's nutritional system, aimed at burning fat deposits, is due to the fact, that Anna presented her development in the form of a flower with seven petals. The number of the latter corresponds to the number of days for which the unusual diet is designed. However, people who use this weight loss technique in practice often neglect the seventh day of the diet.
The essence of the "6-petal" diet is that you can only eat a certain product every day. In this regard, each petal of an improvised flower - which, by the way, for convenience, it is best to draw on a piece of paper - shouldContain the name or image of the type of food intended for consumption on a particular day. It is very important to follow the order in which you consume the treats allowed in the diet:
- On the first day you should satisfy your hunger exclusively with fish (which one is up to you);
- on the second day you can only eat vegetables;
- on the third day you cannot eat anything other than chicken fillet;
- the fourth day prescribes eating only cereal porridge;
- Foods of the fifth day of the diet - natural cottage cheese;
- The sixth day is dedicated to eating various fruits.
- On the seventh day you can only drink water (that's why many people ignore it).
Anna Johansson did not specify how many of the above products are permitted for consumption. This deficiency has been addressed by other nutritionists: they recommend eating no more than 500 g of chicken, fish and cottage cheese per day; up to 1. 5 kg of vegetables and ripe fruits, a maximum of 300 g of grains.
Rules of the Swedish weight loss method
- Products included in the petal diet should not be mixed with each other. If this principle is violated, the weight loss process will not be completed and therefore it will be difficult to achieve decent results.
- You need to eat 4-5 times a day. It is advisable to maintain equal intervals between meals.
- The food must be chewed very thoroughly.
- A variety of culinary dishes can be prepared from one product.
- The preferred cooking methods are boiling, stewing, baking in the oven, steaming and grilling. It is strictly forbidden to eat fried foods.
- Sweets and foods containing them should be completely excluded from the diet.
- The petal diet allows you to replace chicken fillet with turkey or quail meat. In any case, it is necessary to remove the skin from the carcass.
- When choosing a product for a fish day, you should give preference to pink salmon, salmon, hake, cod, pike perch, trout and pike. It is allowed to diversify the fish menu with seafood (squid, shrimp, mussels) and seaweed, but their share in the diet of the first day of the diet should be minimal.
- A cereal day is ideal if you eat buckwheat porridge, brown rice, corn and wheat semolina, and oatmeal. White rice and semolina side dishes are strictly prohibited. In addition to cereal dishes, you can enjoy various flour products (not rich), but without fanaticism.
- Low-fat and low-fat cottage cheese is ideal for the petal diet. This dish can be supplemented with a glass of sugar-free natural yogurt with fruit and berry additives and 1% kefir. All other fermented milk products cannot be included in the diet with this weight loss method.
- As vegetables, it is better to eat various types of cabbage, zucchini, lettuce, spinach, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, onions, garlic and various vegetables. The inclusion of corn, legumes, potatoes and eggplant dishes in the daily vegetable diet of the "6 petals" diet should be avoided. Plant foods can be eaten raw, baked, boiled, stewed, slow cooked or stewed. ItIt is not forbidden to prepare soups from vegetables; drinking freshly squeezed vegetable juices is also welcome.
- Absolutely all fruits can be enjoyed, with the exception of fruits that are particularly rich in carbohydrates, namely bananas, mangoes, melons, figs and grapes.
- If the menu of one day of the petal diet seems too monotonous to you, add a few stewed mushrooms and a few soft-boiled chicken eggs (optionally an omelet).
- It is allowed to wash down dishes with herbal decoctions, flower and green teas, as well as rosehip infusion. Consuming carbonated drinks (especially sweet ones), alcohol, coffee and even regular black tea is out of the question.
- Throughout the diet, be sure to drink plenty of clean table or mineral water without gases. The optimal amount of fluid that a person losing weight consumes during the day is 1. 5-2 liters.
- The maximum running time of the power system is seven days.
- Repeated use of the services of a weight loss method should take place at the earliest one month after completing the Swedish weight loss system.
Caution: Under no circumstances should you follow the "6 petals" diet immediately after an illness, as this places a great strain on the weakened body.
Petal diet: pros and cons
The benefits of the Swedish weight loss method include:
- high performance – it allows you to lose weight in a short time;
- ease and speed of cooking;
- availability of foods prescribed by the petal diet;
- lack of hunger;
- sufficient amount of proteins and fiber in the diet;
- high-quality cleansing of the body from toxins and toxins;
- elimination of constipation;
- normalization of the digestive process;
- no need to count calories consumed daily and eat according to a strict schedule;
- Variety in the diet, if we consider it in general terms - in this regard, any product prescribed by the diet does not have time to become boring for the person who is losing weight;
- low-calorie diet on carbohydrate days (vegetables, fruits and grains).
The main advantage of the "6 petals" diet is that with reasonable and correct use of the nutritional system, there is no harm to health.
We cannot ignore the disadvantages of a weight loss program. The:
- the need for additional intake of multivitamins;
- the appearance of general weakness, constant fatigue and, as a result, a decrease in performance due to the low energy value of the products contained in cereal, fruit and vegetable diets;
- quick return of lost kilograms in case of non-compliance with the petal diet;
- quite impressive cost of the proportion of products prescribed according to the method;
- many contraindications (diabetes mellitus, kidney and liver diseases, stomach and duodenal ulcers, cardiovascular diseases, hormonal imbalances, pregnancy and breastfeeding in women; children, adolescents and old age).
Sample menu for the "6 petals" diet
Diet with petals on fish day
Option one:
- Morning meal – 200g steamed salmon.
- Second breakfast – a glass of unsweetened green tea.
- Eat a cup of fish broth at lunch.
- Dinner with 2-3 pieces of boiled chum salmon.
Option two:
- Eat some cooked pollack (approx. 150 g) for breakfast.
- For lunch they have a cup of berry broth, which is prepared without added sugar.
- For lunch there is 200 ml of fish soup made from hake fillet.
- Dinner consists of 250 g of pink salmon, baked in the oven.
Ideally, you should stick to a portion size where the total amount of fish consumed per day does not exceed 500g.
Vegetable day of the "6 petals" diet
Option one:
- Breakfast consists of carrot and cabbage salad (fresh vegetables are used) sprinkled with lemon juice.
- Boiled green beans are used as a snack.
- For lunch they eat boiled vegetables, namely grated carrots and cauliflower (about 330 g).
- In the evening they eat a salad, the ingredients of which are rocket leaves, fresh tomatoes and peppers.
Option two:
- Morning meal – chopped vegetables (200g) and an unlimited amount of chopped vegetables.
- Second breakfast - boiled grated beets with a few chopped garlic cloves.
- Lunch consists of a portion of broccoli soup.
- Eat 1 fresh cucumber as an afternoon snack.
- The last meal is zucchini stewed in vegetable oil with carrots and onions.
Chicken Day Petal Diet
Option one:
- In the morning, eat boiled chicken breast (150 g), whose mild taste can be improved by using your favorite spices.
- After a few hours, they feast on chicken baked in the oven (no more than 100 g).
- Lunch consists of a cup of chicken broth with chopped herbs.
- In the evening, eat skinless chicken fillet grilled on the grill (200 g).
Option two:
- In the morning they fortify themselves by eating two chicken cutlets.
- Drink a cup of green or herbal tea with lunch.
- For lunch they eat soup cooked in chicken broth with pieces of chicken meat, but without vegetables.
- At the end of the day, they enjoy baked chicken.
Cereal Day of the "6 Petals" Diet
- Breakfast - oatmeal cooked in water (150 g).
- Second breakfast – brown rice cooked in a slow cooker (same amount).
- After 2 hours, satisfy your hunger with buckwheat stewed in boiling water (no more than 200 g).
- Drink a glass of rosehip infusion with afternoon tea.
- Dinner consists of a portion of cooked quinoa with dried herbs.
Petal diet: curd day
We offer two menu options to choose from:
First choice
- Have breakfast with oven-baked cheesecake (150 g). It is better to eat them without sour cream.
- For your second breakfast, enjoy the taste of Greek yogurt without additives (½ cup).
- The next meal consists of low-fat cottage cheese (200 g) and a glass of 1% kefir.
- Drink 250 ml of fermented baked milk with dinner.
Second option
- In the morning, eat low-fat cottage cheese (150 g) with a pinch of ground cinnamon.
- They also drink low-fat milk for lunch (one glass is enough).
- For lunch they enjoy several types of curds without filling and chocolate icing.
- Dinner consists of a mixture of natural cottage cheese and unsweetened yogurt.
Fruit Day of the "6 Petals" Diet
It is noteworthy that in addition to ripe fruits, berries that do not have a particularly sweet taste are also used.
There are also two sample menu options:
First choice
- In the morning - orange and pear salad with strawberries and 1 tsp. Honey
- At your second breakfast, eat 1 large green apple.
- Lunch consists of a portion of apple and peach salad and several kiwis.
- As an afternoon snack, eat 1 orange or drink 200 ml of fresh orange juice.
- Recharge your batteries in the evening by drinking a fruit and berry smoothie and a cup of herbal tea.
Second option
- At the beginning of the day, banish the feeling of hunger with a puree made from two grated apples and five apricots.
- A few tangerines serve as a snack.
- Lunch is a combination of two baked apples with cinnamon and fresh pineapple (200 g).
- At the end of the day, they only allow themselves half a grapefruit and a handful of prunes.
On the seventh day of the diet, those who prefer the "7-petal" weight loss system to the six-petal weight loss method follow. A lot of fluids must be drunk throughout the day, any food intake is prohibited. To maintain optimal hydrobalance in the body, you canDrink not only normal and mineral still water, but also fruit juices and compotes made from dried berries and fruits without added sugar, as well as fruit and berry infusions; green, herbal and hibiscus tea.
Petal diet: a clever solution
The more responsible the attitude towards this event, the greater the likelihood that the result achieved by the weight loss technique will be stabilized. Here you should focus on several points:
- In the first two to three days after completing the nutritional system, the diet should include the foods prescribed by the diet.
- Then you need to gradually dilute the menu with other foods, adhering to the principle of introducing 1-2 new treats every day.
- The energy value of the food consumed must also be increased very slowly. In general, the daily calorie content of the menu should remain relatively low for a few weeks. At the end of this period, this value must be increased to 1600-1800 kcal.
- Sweets, fatty and fried foods, smoked and spicy foods can be consumed 14 days after the end of the petal diet. However, they should be consumed occasionally and in small quantities, then this will have no effect on body weight.
- They exercise moderately every day, preferring gymnastics, aerobics, walking and swimming.
Petal diet: results and reviews
The author of the petal weight loss method guarantees that those losing weight will lose 2. 5-5 kg of excess weight in one cycle (6 or 7 days). So in 3-4 nutrition cycles, which you practice intermittently, you can actually get rid of 8-12 kg of unnecessary calories.
Those who decided to try this nutritional system themselves confirm the accuracy of these statements. Most people like the fact that the petal diet is not rigid and filling, gives quick results and does not take a lot of time to prepare dishes. But many do not like the monotony and unbalance of the diet, and even more the side effect in the form of upset stools and a hungry day (when choosing the "7 petals" option).
Nutritionists' reviews of this weight loss program are also mixed. Some experts advocate such a short-term method of solving problems with excess weight, arguing that it simply does not have time to negatively affect a person's health. Others warn about the many contraindications to the petal diet and the possible negative consequences of the weight loss method for the body.
With this in mind, we recommend using this system only after consulting a doctor. This way you can avoid wasting time and health problems.