The banana diet for weight loss doesn’t require any extra effort or changes to your dietary habits. It is because of this that this diet plan has become so popular ever since Hitoshi Watanabe first presented it in his book, “The Morning Banana Diet Plan”. The plan involves eating bananas every morning to lose up to 10 lbs in one week.
What the banana diet for weight loss consists of
It’s very simple: early in the morning you need to eat only raw bananas and drink water at room temperature, and then you can follow with your normal eating habits during the day without restrictions or difficult routines. Is it really that easy?
After countless failed attempts to lose weight, Watanabe was determined to write about his journey through all the diet plans he had tried previously, including the scientific knowledge of his wife Sumiko, a pharmacist whom he won over during a research study in the field of preventive medicine, and together they produced a technique: “The Morning Banana Diet”, and also caught the attention of people who don’t like to sweat in the gym.
Obese persons are advised to exercise more to burn more calories, but Watanabe helped them avoid that torture early in the morning and recommended a simple solution: eat fresh bananas, and drink a glass of water in the morning, and of course, don’t eat anything else until lunch.
Bananas are loaded with resistant starches which actively stimulate the weight loss process
Of course, not all types of starch have the same impact. Carbohydrates are divided into digestible starch and indigestible. Indigestible starches, like those found in bananas, are not broken down in the small intestine, but instead go directly to the large intestine where they begin the process of fermentation. The bacteria there convert the resistant starch into short chain fatty acids which nourish cells and contribute to digestive health.
Rules for the banana diet for weight loss
- There isn’t a strict rule to follow on the banana diet, simply eat enough bananas to feel full. The Japanese have a rule to not overfill the stomach by only eating until they are 80% full.
- Always drink a class of room temperature water early in the morning to stimulate your metabolism. Wait an hour, and then eat a banana. If you are still hungry after 20 minutes, have another banana. Keep in mind that you should consume only fresh bananas, without cooking or freezing them.
- In his book, Watanabe states that you should not consume milk or wine during this diet plan to lose weight, and your last meal of the day should be at 8:00pm. Go to bed before midnight, since scientists believe that going to bed late is a factor associated with excess weight.
- As with many diets to lose extra weight, the mere fact that you have decided to start a diet tends to make you more conscious of what and how much you are eating, and how healthy it is. And so, even though you are continuing with your normal eating habits without much restriction, try to avoid dessert and fried foods with any of your meals. If you are hungry between meals, eat some fruit and make sure it’s always the same type of fruit.
- With respect to exercise, it is not required; however, it is healthier. It is optional in this weight loss plan. Try to walk every day if possible. Walking also relieves stress, an important factor in this diet.
Nutrition Information for bananas
1 medium raw banana 7.5”, 4 oz (120 g)
Nutrients and values
- Calories 105
- Total fat 0.4 g
- Saturated fat 0.1 g
- Trans fat 0 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Sodium 1.2 mg
- Carbohydrates 27 g
- Dietary fiber 3.1 g
- Sugars 14.4 g
- Protein 1.3 g
- Vitamin A 75.5 IU
- Vitamin C 10.3 mg
- Vitamin B6 0.4 mg
- Calcium 5.9 mg
- Iron 0.3 mg
- Potassium 420 mg
- Magnesium 0.3 mg
- Water 90 g
What makes the banana diet so special
- If you don’t drink coffee in the morning, this diet helps easily regular blood sugar and appetite
- It is super healthy
- Bananas are rich in fiber, potassium and increase energy
- Bananas have many special properties, including anti-cancer
- Bananas are cheap
- A regular breakfast of bananas increases metabolism and keeps you from eating too much during the day
- A glass of room temperature water increases metabolism
- The banana diet is also a great way to get rid of cellulite
As with any weight loss diet, always ask a specialist who can monitor your blood work and do the diet more safely.
