Starch diet: how to lose weight correctly and quickly on potatoes

Summer is the best time for a healthy diet. There are plenty of vegetables and fruits, they are affordable and can easily replace a plate of pasta and meat. But for the purpose of losing weight, plant foods should not be eaten indiscriminately. An improperly selected "green diet" will lead to constant hunger and breakdowns in the middle of the night. To avoid this, try a starchy diet. It perfectly saturates the body with vitamins, provides the necessary energy for the day and allows you to lose up to 4 kg in two weeks

Basics of the McDougall diet

The principles of a starch diet are very similar to vegetarianism / istockphoto.com

Unlike many other seasonal diets, the starchy (or, as it is also called, potato) diet is not an overkill. It was developed by Dr. John McDougall. This famous American pediatrician (author of the popular book "The Child and Caring for Him") at one time became interested in healthy lifestyle and conducted a number of studies on what and why we eat. The doctor's conclusions are stunning: meat and milk are contraindicated for people.

In his book The Energy of Starch, the doctor describes in detail why man is an exclusively herbivore. In short, in our DNA we are as similar as possible to primates. And although they can eat anything, they prefer plant foods in their daily diet. The same chimpanzees do not go hunting when there is a shortage of fruits in nature due to drought. They dig up roots, eat nuts and all kinds of seeds with pleasure.

Based on this, McDougall believes that meat and dairy products are unnatural for humans. They must be completely eliminated from the diet. From what, in this case, to obtain the necessary energy? Starchy foods are best suited for these purposes. The main difference between the human digestive system and the monkey: it is genetically easier for us to digest starch. The doctor believes that it is necessary to take advantage of this and make starchy foods the mainstay of your diet.

Pros of a starchy diet

Starch saturates the body with energy and is not deposited at the waist / istockphoto.com

• Starch is a complex carbohydrate, so it will take a long time to break down in the stomach. This means that after eating, you are provided with a feeling of fullness for a long time. By the way, it comes faster: it has been proven that starchy foods for saturation will need half as much as protein.
• In the process of breaking down, starch is converted into simple sugars, which are quickly absorbed into the bloodstream and provide the body with energy. These sugars are not deposited on the waist and hips, their excess is stored in the liver in the form of glycogen, and then gradually consumed as needed.
• Starchy foods of vegetable origin. This means that they contain a lot of fiber. It improves metabolism and stimulates intestinal motility. That is, constipation (as, for example, on a protein diet) does not threaten you.
• Starchy foods are fat-free. Therefore, you can eat them in any quantity and (yes!) Even at night. The only thing to lose extra pounds is, at first, it is better to keep yourself in control and control your meals. After all, your goal is to force the body to use up fat reserves.
• Consuming starch stimulates blood circulation. This means that blood flow to all parts of the body is improved. This is most noticeable on the skin of the face. On a starchy diet, it becomes more elastic and light. And taking into account the fact that fats disappear from the diet, the face is "cleansed" of such imperfections as acne and comedones. Therefore, a starch diet will definitely be appreciated by owners of oily and problem skin.

Disadvantages of a starchy diet

All animal products will have to be replaced with vitamins / istockphoto.com

McDougall recommends taking a starchy diet as the basis of your daily diet. However, it is not suitable for everyone. If you are a lover of cheeses and yoghurts, do not imagine yourself a day without a chop or steak, it will not be easy for you to hold out on this diet.

• Due to the fact that the diet excludes meat and dairy foods, the World Health Organization does not approve of it and considers it unbalanced. WHO recommendations: use a starchy diet as a relief and no longer than two weeks.
• If you decide to go on a starchy diet and plan to eat like that for more than a month, doctors advise taking vitamins and nutritional supplements for vegetarians. For example, vitamin B12, the lack of which can provoke problems of the hematopoietic system and neurological disorders.
• On a starchy diet, you can lose 3 to 4 kg in two weeks. However, this will happen not only due to body fat, but also due to muscles. Any protein-free diet provokes a decrease in muscle mass, and a starchy one is no exception.

What you can eat on a starchy diet

Chips for a starchy diet definitely won't work / istockphoto.com

A McDougall starch diet should look like this: 70% of the food comes from potatoes, legumes and whole grains, 20% vegetables, and 10% fruits. What specific products can be included in this standard? We have compiled a list of what you can use to make yourself dishes for a starchy diet:

• legumes (beans, peas, chickpeas, lentils)
• cereals (rice, pearl barley, buckwheat, quinoa, bulgur)
• whole grain flour products
• starchy vegetables (potatoes, sweet potatoes, Jerusalem artichoke, corn, beets, rutabagas, carrots, radishes, squash, squash, pumpkin, radishes, cauliflower)
• plant roots (parsley, parsnip, celery, horseradish),
• greens and non-starchy vegetables (up to 2-3 pcs. in a day)
• fruits (up to 4 pcs per day)
• seeds, nuts, soybeans, dried fruits

Products that are prohibited

The diet prohibits all types of fish, meat and dairy products / istockphoto.com

What you need to completely exclude from your diet is meat (any!) And all dairy products. Both diet turkey and low-fat yoghurts are banned. In addition, sunflower oil will have to be removed from the kitchen: only a drop of olive oil is allowed for dressing vegetables or cereals. There is also a strict taboo on products of medium and deep industrial processing - semi-finished products, fast food, baked goods and confectionery, soda. Juice is acceptable, but in very limited quantities: as an exception, one glass every two to three days.

Sample menu for the day

A little olive oil is acceptable for cooking / istockphoto.com

The starchy diet has no portion restrictions. You cook as much as you can basically eat. The only recommendation is the same as in Mediterranean diet: it is advisable that the portion is no more than the volume of the palms folded "into a cup". The rest is a matter of your imagination and ingenuity. Due to the variety of permitted foods, the menu can be varied every day. Here is an example diet "to start":

Breakfast: oatmeal in water with fruits or berries

Snack: a handful of nuts, seeds, dried fruits

Dinner: vegetable salad with a drop of olive oil, boiled potatoes

Snack: 1-2 fruits (apple, banana, peach)

Dinner: boiled lentils, grilled vegetables

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