Monodiet Diet: What Consequences For The Body?

2023 Author: Lynn Laird | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-08-25 09:49

Eat a balanced diet to lose weight and improve your health - we are always looking for the right method. You have probably come across articles and tips on the Internet many times that promise quick, almost magical results. However, we are convinced that the huge amount of information will rather lead you to confusion. This is why we periodically analyze various popular diets and their consequences on the figure and overall health. After the ketogenic diet, the Shibboleth diet, the Natman diet, the Whole30 method, the vegetarian diet, today we are reviewing the benefits and side effects of the mono diet.

What does the monodiet diet consist of?

The mono diet is a diet that requires eating only one food or group of foods for all meals throughout the day for several consecutive days or weeks. Proponents claim that this diet can lead to rapid weight loss without requiring you to control your intake or plan your meals in advance. However, others note that this method of eating is not based on any evidence and can be too restrictive, unsustainable and even unhealthy. In general, there are a few variations of the mono diet that have gained popularity, including the milk diet, the carnivorous diet, the fruit diet, and the egg diet.

How to follow the diet?

There are many types of mono diets and many ways to follow the plan. One of the most common variations is to snack on just one food for each meal, such as potatoes, apples or eggs. Others instead stick to the ingredients of a specific food group, such as meat, fruits or vegetables. You can also choose to switch between mono meals by swallowing a different food with each meal.

While there are no specific guidelines for how long you should be on the diet, most people use it to speed up weight loss for just 1 or 2 weeks. Other foods can then be gradually reintroduced to the diet, such as soups, salads and slimming smoothies before moving on to a healthy and balanced menu.

In addition, some people follow diet modifications, such as the fruit diet or the carnivorous diet for longer periods of time without putting other foods back on their plate.

Common foods that you eat on a mono diet

Indeed, almost any food can be included in this diet.

• Sweet potatoes
• apples
• eggs
• milk
• bananas
• pears
• watermelon
• chocolate
• grapefruit

Some variations of the mono diet also involve eating only one food group throughout the day. Here are some examples:

• meats
• fruits
• vegetables
• legumes

Does this nutritional plan really help you lose weight?

Indeed, for most people, eating just one food a day is likely to result in decreased calorie intake and weight loss. However, the results depend in particular on the dishes you eat and their quantity. For example, if you only eat low-calorie foods like vegetables, you're likely to be swallowing fewer calories - or even too few calories - throughout the day, which can lead to weakening.

Conversely, if you eat large amounts of high calorie foods like chocolate, you can gain weight with the diet. Bottom line, there is no research proving that mono diets can be effective in getting back into good shape. Additionally, these are generally not applicable in the long term and may be followed by a yo-yo effect once normal eating is resumed.

Potential benefits

In fact, one of the biggest advantages of the mono diet is its simplicity. Unlike other fad diets, there are no complicated rules to follow. There is no need to count calories and measure portion sizes, which might be appealing to some people.

To be honest, this diet can be effective for short-term weight loss, of course depending on what foods you eat and how much you eat. However, be aware that this has nothing to do with the mono diet in particular. The resulting weight loss is simply due to the calorie restriction that results from cutting out most of the foods that are part of your normal daily menu. In short, any extreme diet is likely to result in short term weight loss, but it is rarely sustained over time.

Although it is not sustainable and can be difficult to follow for long periods of time, some people use this method to start a positive change in their figure before switching to other less extreme diets.

Disadvantages and side effects

Indeed, the mono-diet can be associated with several drawbacks and potential side effects.

Increases the risk of nutritional deficiencies

The lack of variety in the daily menu can have a negative effect on the content of certain microelements, probiotics and prebiotics in the body. Even foods rich in nutrients can be deprived of specific vitamins or minerals needed by the body. For its part, this can also increase the risk of nutritional deficiencies, especially if you follow the diet for long periods of time.

For example, if you only eat bananas, it can be difficult to get enough protein, healthy fats, iron, calcium, vitamin A, and vitamin B12. Likewise, meat, fish, and poultry lack important nutrients like vitamin C, fiber, and antioxidants that beat oxidative stress. Deficiency often leads to problems with the immune system, anemia, digestive problems, bone loss and other chronic illnesses.

Promotes unhealthy eating habits

The monodiet diet promotes unhealthy and unsustainable eating habits, encouraging the consumption of only one food or group of foods. It also forces people to eliminate all other dishes rich in essential microelements.

Additionally, the diet does not provide any recommendations for physical activity which is important for weight management and overall health. In addition, some research suggests that following a fad diet with a high risk of the yo-yo effect is associated with a higher risk of eating disorders and conditions such as obesity and type 2 diabetes, among others.

Restrictive and unsustainable

Since it's almost impossible to eat enough calories and meet your micronutrient needs with just one food or food group, the mono diet can make you feel tired, hungry, and weak on a constant basis. The low calorie intake can also slow down your metabolism and lead to muscle loss, making it harder to lose weight in the long run. Additionally, some studies have shown that limiting calories too much can even cause bone loss and negatively affect fertility in women.

In fact, it can be very difficult to eat out a meal or enjoy certain social situations while on the monodiet diet. Therefore, it can be difficult to stick to the diet for more than a few days or weeks.

The mono diet is a diet that relieves your digestive system, provided it is followed in the short term. At the same time, it can rather harm your overall health in the long run. Combining a balanced diet with a healthy lifestyle and regular physical activity is therefore a better strategy for losing weight, keeping yourself in top physical shape and having a lasting relationship with food. We give you three science-based tips for mission success.

How to lose weight quickly in 3 simple steps?

There are many ways to shed extra pounds fast. Of course, they exclude weight loss diets that make us hungry and leave us dissatisfied. However, not all diets have this detrimental effect. Those that are low in carbohydrates are effective in losing weight and easy to stick to. We offer you a 3-step weight loss plan, based on a low-carbohydrate diet that aims to:

• drastically reduce appetite
• cause rapid weight loss
• improve metabolic health

1. Reduce carbohydrate intake

The most important thing is to decrease the amount of sugars and starches or carbohydrates. When you do this, your hunger decreases and you usually end up consuming a lot less calories. Instead of burning carbohydrates for energy, your body now begins to burn stored fat.

Another benefit of cutting back on carbohydrates is that insulin levels in the blood drop, causing the kidneys to flush out excess sodium and water. This reduces bloating and unnecessary water weight.

2. Eat proteins, fats and vegetables

Each of your meals should include a source of protein, a source of fat, and low-carb vegetables. As a rule of thumb, try to eat two to three meals a day. If you're hungry in the afternoon, add a fourth course. Building your daily menu in this way should reduce your carbohydrate intake to around 20-50g per day.

Evidence suggests that eating lots of protein can increase calorie expenditure by 80 to 100 calories per day. High-protein diets can also reduce cravings and obsessive thoughts about food by 60%, as well as halving the desire for late-night snacking.

Healthy protein sources include:

• meat: beef, chicken, pork and lamb
• fish and seafood: salmon, trout and shrimp
• whole eggs
• vegetable proteins: beans, legumes and soybeans

Low-carb vegetables:

• broccoli
• cauliflower
• spinach
• tomatoes
• kale
• Brussels sprouts
• cabbage
• Swiss chard
• green salad
• cucumber

Healthy fats:

• olive oil
• coconut oil
• avocado oil
• Butter

3. Lift weights three times a week

By lifting weights, you'll burn a lot of calories and keep your metabolism from slowing down, which is a common side effect of losing weight. Studies on low-carb diets show that you can gain some muscle while breaking down with significant amounts of body fat. So, try going to the gym three to four times a week to lift weights. If you're new to the gym, seek advice from a trainer.

If this type of physical activity is not an option for you, do cardiovascular exercises like walking, jogging, running, biking, or swimming.

* Source: healthline.com