The Dandelion and Grapefruit Diet, a 21-day plan, is actually two weight loss solutions rolled into one. The dandelion portion of the plan helps you kick-start your diet with immediate but short-term results of water loss. Encouraged by seeing that rapid reduction on the scale, you can then benefit from the longer-term results that come from adding grapefruit to each meal.
Dandelion
Dandelions are not just pesky weeds that mar a well-landscaped lawn. For centuries, dandelions found favor as a detoxifying herb and healthful tonic. Dandelion leaves were eaten as vegetables, its roots brewed into a coffee substitute and fermented into beer and its flowers made into wine and tea. According to Steven Foster, author of "Nature's Medicine," dandelions contain acids, sugars, iron, zinc, potassium and vitamins A, B complex, C and D.
Grapefruit
Low in calories and fat, grapefruit has a long history as a dieter's friend. The tart and tangy fruit acts as a natural simple carbohydrate, high in fiber and loaded with vitamin C, as well as vitamin E, beta-carotene, folate, calcium and potassium. The basis of the unofficial Mayo Clinic Diet, grapefruit is a staple for a variety of weight loss plans.
Benefits
Dandelion in tea form helps you lose short-term water weight by providing powerful diuretic action. The plant also works as a mild laxative, helping to cleanse and detoxify the digestive tract. According to health writer Anna Selby, author of "The Top 100 Diet Secrets," "A healthy digestive system is a key factor in succeeding at weight loss." Selby adds, "Poor digestive health can lead to water retention and weight gain as well as health problems."
The American Chemical Society reports that research conducted at the Scripps Clinic in San Diego indicates that grapefruit helps accelerate weight loss by decreasing insulin levels -- one of the body's appetite-inducing factors. Subjects who ate half a grapefruit with meals lost 3.6 lbs., while those who drank grapefruit juice three times a week saw a reduction of 3 to 10 lbs.
Foods
Jump-start your diet by drinking dandelion tea twice daily -- before breakfast and at dinner. Simply steep a handful of flower tops in hot water for 15 minutes. In conjunction with the tea, you must adhere to a strict diet low in carbohydrates and sugar. Breakfast consists of yogurt, and 4 oz. each of lean meats and vegetables make up lunch and dinner.
After a week, you can add bacon and eggs for breakfast and any amount of meat, along with a salad doused with any kind of dressing for lunch. For supper, you can enjoy any style or amount of meat or fish, and colorful vegetables, even those sauteed in butter. The catch is you must eat either half a grapefruit or 4 oz. of grapefruit juice with every meal, and exercise daily.
Instructions
Once the grapefruit phase of the diet begins, you can eat as much of the allowed foods as you want. To maximize fat burning, do not omit any of the foods on the plan. Avoid caffeinated drinks, desserts, bread, white veggies and sweet potatoes.
References
- EveryDiet: Grapefruit Diet
- "The Top 100 Diet Secrets;" Anna Selby; 2007
- "Nature's Medicine;" Steven Foster; 2008
- EveryDiet: Mayo Clinic Diet
- EurekAlert: American Chemical Society
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