The "Morning Banana Diet" was devised in Japan by a pharmacist named Sumiko Watanabe who wanted to help her husband Hitoshi speed up his metabolism and lose weight. After losing 37 lbs by following his wife's weight loss plan, Hitoshi reported his diet success on a large Japanese social network site. The diet began to attract interest and snowballed in popularity when an opera singer claimed on TV that she has lost 15 lbs in six weeks by practicing the diet. This led to a nationwide shortage of bananas in Japan.
Simplicity
The basic rules of the Banana Diet are very simple, therefore the diet is easy to follow, and you are less likely to give up after a short time due to too many complicated rules. The main rule of the diet is to eat raw bananas for breakfast and drink room-temperature water. If you feel like eating another food after your bananas, you should wait at least 15 minutes.
Your lunch and dinner can consist of anything you desire, but you should not eat a dessert. The official morning diet website advocates eating until you feel 80 percent full; finish eating before you become satiated.
An afternoon snack is permitted that can consist of a sweet food. Chocolate or cookies may be consumed, but foods rich is saturated or trans fats such as donuts or ice-cream are not advised. An additional piece of fruit is also an option.
Dinner should be eaten at least four hours before you go to bed, and you should be in bed by midnight.
Variety
Because your lunch and dinners can consist of any combination of foods, you are less likely to become bored on the Banana Diet, and as you are not required to eliminate favorite foods, you will not feel deprived. Boredom and feelings of deprivation are common causes of weight loss failure among dieters.
Exercise
The Banana Diet does not have any hard and fast exercise rules, and if you do not enjoy forced exercise, this is a benefit of the diet. Walking is recommended, but only to a point that will not cause you any discomfort or stress. If you are very overweight, Wantanabe does not advocate exercise, as she claims you can put undue stress on your knees.
Drinks
While following the diet, your principal drink should be water, drunk at room temperature. There is no stated quantity of water that must be drank, but sipping water regularly throughout the day is required. No drink is completely banned, and even alcohol is permitted occasionally in a social setting. This is a further benefit that makes the diet easy to follow due to lack of restrictions.
Rules
There are are no strict rules on this diet, other than the requirement to go to bed reasonably early, and to eat bananas after waking before any other food. However even the eating bananas rule is not an absolute requirement, you can replace them with another fruit if you do not like bananas. While the diet states you should not eat for at least four hours before going to bed, the official Morning Banana Diet website says if you wish, a piece of fruit may be eaten if you feel hungry. Although sugary food intake is limited, deprivation feelings should be mild, as a sweet afternoon snack is permitted.
Health Gains
Bananas are a source of resistant starch, of which a byproduct is the blockage of the conversion of some carbohydrates into energy, which can force the body to use fat stores for energy instead of carbs. Bananas are also a rich source of nutrients, which can curb cravings for unhealthy foods as you feel more satisfied if your nutrient requirements are met. The high fiber and vitamin C content of bananas may also support weight loss, according to the Dole Fruit Company website.
By sipping water throughout the day, you are assuring your body is well-hydrated and less prone to headaches, fatigue and other signs of dehydration. Going to bed before midnight has many benefits, and you will probably notice increased energy and concentration, when you begin a new habit of retiring early. Research suggests too little sleep can increase overeating.
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