Quick And Easy Weight Loss With The Japanese 'Morning Banana Diet'

So are you planning to lose weight? If yes, you are probably thinking and dreading the coming days which are going to be about deprivations and endless efforts to avoid the most tempting and yummy foods around. Or maybe not? There are a whole lot of diet plans available online for weight loss but most make you compromise on something or the other. The true purpose of a diet plan is to ensure the one that works for you and your body and benefits your health as well.

So here's a diet plan which can help you lose oodles of weight without bringing in too many changes in your regular diet. Known as the Morning Banana Diet or the Asa Banana diet, this one gained popularity in 2008 in Japan. The success of this diet is evident from the fact that as soon as it gained recognition, the Japanese retailers witnessed a shortage of bananas for a certain period of time.

Also read: Can Diabetics Eat Mangoes And Bananas? Top Endocrinologist Decodes Diabetic Diet Myths

Well, you may try it yourself!

So here's how the Morning Banana Diet goes:

1. Breakfast

You begin your day with a glass of water on an empty stomach as soon as you wake up. Gulp a glass of water and have one banana for breakfast. You can have more but do not over eat. Avoid overeating. If you still feel hungry, you might have something with less than 200 calories after this, around 15 to 20 minutes later.

2. Lunch and dinner

Your last meal of the day should not be eaten after 8 pm. Though 6 pm is preferable, you might take some time to come to reduce the time eventually. There is no limitation on the type and amount of food you eat. However, avoiding fried and junk food is recommended to ensure that weight loss takes place. And the second thing to keep in mind is, avoiding desserts after your meals.

You need to identify when you are feeling satisfied with your meal and not full or stuffed. This Japanese diet calls it 80% full. With time you will start identifying the point when you are done and satisfied with food.

3. Drink lots of water

The only beverage you can have is water. Drink lots of water but, not too much as it may lead to bloating. Drink filtered water, at room temperate and in small sips.

4. Snacks

Afternoon snacks can include a cookie or a piece of chocolate, till 3 pm, but not after that. Or if you crave for a salty treat, popcorn is the healthiest and lightest snack. Watch out for heavy and fried foods.

5. Early to bed

Try and go to bed by midnight, not after that. If you can sleep earlier than that, it is even better. Try to keep a 4-hour long gap between your last meal and bed time.

6. Exercising is not necessary

The aim of this plan is to get things done with least stress on you. So if you do not feel like exercising it is fine. However, if you wish to go for a walk or a run or for a normal workout session, it is fine.

No fasting, no exertion, no deprivations, this is the perfect diet plan you need for weight loss!

The 'Ups' of the diet:

• By taking a regular breakfast, the metabolism is stimulated preventing overeating during the day
• It is a healthy, cheap and effective methods of weight loss
• Bananas energize our bodies and are a good source of potassium and fiber
• Bananas can help remove cellulite
• The morning banana diet helps reduce late night snacking
• Helps bring down alcohol intake

The 'Downs' of the diet:

• There is no scientific basis for how and why bananas will help in weight loss
• Bananas are known to be calorie-dense
• It has no mention of a physical workout
• It is repetitive and may lead to monotony
• Can lead to constipation in some

We recommend if you're contemplating starting this diet, please meet your physician and discuss what will be the best diet plan for you to follow.

Nutritionist Pooja Malhotra gives her take on the Morning Banana Diet:

The Japanese Morning Banana Diet essentially includes raw bananas for breakfast. The reason for including raw bananas is that they contain digestive enzymes that speed up metabolism and assist in digestion, hence support weight loss.

The diet is somewhat flexible as it allows the dieter to chose their lunch and dinner; also gives guidelines on identifying correct portion size, and doesn't specify exact quantities. Being able to identify correct portion size is a crucial aspect of any diet plan, more so, it is important for the sustainability and success of a diet plan. It also discourages use of fried foods and desserts immediately post meals. The morning banana diet plan is certainly different from many other fad diets as it incorporates a number of other sane nutrition principles like eating last meal well before bed time, relying on biological cues to identify and satisfy hunger, discouraging alcoholic and caffeinated beverages etc.

However, it doesn't emphasise enough on exercise which is an equally important aspect of a healthy lifestyle. Also, the taste and texture of raw banana is not very likeable. A ripe banana is a very delicious fruit and I believe that food is meant to nourish our body and soul, and appeal to our palate, it is not meant to punish our taste buds.

(Pooja Malhotra is a Delhi based Nutritionist)

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.
 

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