Banana Diet

Banana Diet
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The Morning Banana Diet was developed in Japan by a pharmacist named Sumiko Watanabe in attempt to help her husband increase his metabolism and lose excess weight. The diet requires that you eat bananas for breakfast along with a glass of room-temperature water. There are not many restrictions on the other two meals of the day; the general rule is that you may only eat to until 80-percent fullness and cut out obviously problematic foods, such as fried foods and desserts.

Diet Basics

For breakfast, you may consume an unlimited amount of bananas until you have a a feeling of satisfaction. In addition to bananas, you may drink as much non-chilled water as you wish. Room-temperature water must be drunk regularly throughout the day. If after 15 minutes, you do not feel satisfied, you can indulge in any food or drink. For lunch, you should eat small meals at a slow pace; the diet recommends rice. You are allowed one snack a day is allowed, which can be anything; the diet recommends rice or a piece of fruit. According to the diet, you should eat dinner before 8:00 p.m, at least 30 minutes before bedtime. Dessert is not allowed after dinner, but sweets are allowed as an option for the midday snack. Bedtime is midnight.

Exercise

Exercise is not required on the diet; and is somewhat discouraged. The physical activity guidelines recommend light, easy exercise, such as slow walking. Moderate exercise is believed to cause more harm than good and is not worth the risk of injury, according to the Morning Banana Diet website.

Pros

Eating breakfast, as encouraged by the diet, increases metabolism and reduces the chances of binging later in the day, according to Every Diet. Bananas are a nutritious breakfast choice, as they are high in fiber, potassium and vitamin C. No food after 8:00 p.m. eliminates late-night snacking.

Cons

A balanced diet requires a combination of protein, carbohydrates and fat at each meal to stay healthy and reach satiety. The banana diet breakfast consists of mostly carbohydrates, which may pose problems for some people, including hypoglycemics, according to Every Diet. Allowing dieters to eat anything for lunch and dinner, including a sweet snack in between, can lead to excess calorie consumption. The diet does not educate the dieter on how to make nutritious choices for meals. Exercise, a vital component for weight loss, is discouraged.

Considerations

The weight loss that occurs as a result of following this diet comes from eating breakfast, a restriction of calories and no dessert; it is not specifically related to the consumption of bananas It is important to remember that exercise should be incorporated into any successful diet plan.

References

Article reviewed by Aldene Fredenburg Last updated on: Jun 16, 2010

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