Fruit Diets For Weight Loss

A diet that is high in fruit or all fruit can help you lose weight, but this type of diet does not provide a balance of nutrients your body needs for healthy weight loss. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests eating a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables with healthy lean proteins and complex carbohydrates for weight loss. Because fruit is a high nutrient and low energy density food, you can eat more of it with fewer total calories. Consult your doctor before beginning any new diet plan.

Fruit Flushes

Diets that promote eating mostly fruit for three to five days claim that you can lose weight rapidly with this approach. Jay Robb, author of the "Fruit Flush 3-Day Detox," suggests drinking only protein shakes on day one and eating only fresh fruit every two hours with a dinner of raw non-starchy vegetables and lean protein on days two and three. This type of diet promotes fast weight loss because of the low calorie content, but it lacks fat, so over time you may not be able to absorb fat-soluble vitamins such as A, D, E and K, according to "Fitness Magazine."

Fruit Juice Fasting Diets

Fruit juice fasting is a traditional type of long-term fasting that can last for five to 12 days. This type of fruit diet consists of drinking only freshly squeezed fruit juices. Jeremy Safron, author of "The Fasting Handbook", suggests that juice fasting cleanses the cells to release toxins and cleanse unwanted substances from the body. According to Safron, when the body is free of unwanted toxins, it functions better to help with weight loss. Juice fasts should begin with a two-day period of soups and smoothies with juice throughout the day and should always end gradually, introducing solid food back into your diet. Juice fasts lack protein and fat, which can lead to vitamin deficiencies over time.

Three to Five Servings of Fruit Daily

This basic approach to adding more fruit into your diet follows the FDA guidelines for fruit consumption. Replacing high-calorie sugary snacks with fresh fruit can cut out hundreds of calories a day to help you lose weight. MayoClinic.com suggests eating a variety of fruit to ensure the highest amount of vitamins and minerals. Opt for different colors of fruit to add to snacks, side dishes, desserts and meals.