Will spinach help you lose weight and how to use it?

Now there is such a huge number of diets that any of the products has a specially designed diet. But few know about the menu for weight loss based on spinach - this is a relatively new version for those who want to lose those extra kilos.

First of all, it is presented as a health improvement method of nutrition, with which you can achieve weight loss and body cleansing in the shortest time. The idea to use spinach as a basis is not new, but this method has gained popularity only recently, thanks to the rich composition of the central product and good results after its intake. What else are the main advantages of the spinach diet?

Will a vegetable lose weight?

The benefits of spinach for the body due to the rich chemical composition of green leaves, which allows it to be used for weight loss.

Vegetable will not give a slim figure for a few weeks, but will allow you to get in shape without much sacrifice in terms of the daily menu.

By itself, this ingredient does not have a characteristic taste, therefore, it is not recommended to take it without additional products - adjacent additives will not spoil the overall effect, but allow you to experiment with a variety of dishes.

The constant presence of spinach in the diet can not only prevent, but also cure many diseases. It is possible to eat the considered grass and to elderly people, and children, and even pregnant women. Such a diet does not imply a hunger strike., but at the expense of the planned menu and the emphasis on the vegetable, allows you to keep the body in good shape.

Composition and useful properties

Frequent consumption of spinach allows you to reduce caloric intake, because of its excess body fat accumulates in the body. The vegetable itself contains only 20-23 Kcal per 100 g. It is precisely because of this unique composition that the plant often enters into various diets.

Also in the mentioned volume of the product contains:

  • 91.5 g of water;
  • 3.0 g of protein;
  • 0.5 g of fat;
  • 3.5 g of carbohydrates;
  • 0.5 g of monosaccharides.

The metabolism is activated by the following elements:

  1. folic acid and tocopherol (vitamin E) - prevent wilting of the skin;
  2. calcium - positively affect the skeletal system, strengthens tooth enamel;
  3. cellulose - contributes to the removal of toxins from the body;
  4. iron - is responsible for the blood condition, increases the level of hemoglobin, eliminates the risk of developing anemia;
  5. iodine - helps to assimilate useful substances better;
  6. vitamins of group B, A and C - eliminates the development of rickets;
  7. saponins - positively affect the gastrointestinal tract, activate peristalsis.
Among other microelements, manganese, potassium and magnesium are of particular value, which guarantee good health and a feeling of fullness during the day.

We offer to watch a video about the composition and benefits of spinach:

How to apply fresh, boiled and frozen product to those who want to lose weight?

Like any vegetable, spinach saves maximum beneficial properties raw. Therefore, the most effective dishes will be those variations where the main ingredient is used without heat treatment - salads and smoothies.

Having passed the stage of the oven or cooking, this product will lose its nutritional part and risks becoming just a faceless green supplement.

To fill this gap, can increase the amount of ingredient used or reduce the processing time (no more than 10 minutes on fire).

What quantities to use?

Even only spinach picked from the garden should be kept unwashed in the refrigerator for no longer than 2 days, otherwise it begins to fade. Alternatively, it can be frozen to extend the plant's allotted time to several months.

Also allowed to purchase the product in vacuum packagingwhich is kept in a closed format for weeks, but after unpacking it should be used within one day. The daily rate of consumption of spinach depends on the component, which is worth to fill in the body. The average amount is reduced to 55-70g, if the diet express diet or contraindications do not specify a different amount.

Can be on an empty stomach or not?

Spinach does not apply to those products that are easily absorbed by the human body. That is why it is not recommended to use it on an empty stomach in large quantities: it can lead to stomach disorders and pain.

The most optimal way out is to restrict yourself to a glass of juice, pressed from spinach, which has a fresh aroma and rich green color. Such fresh should be drunk immediately after preparation, and not leave for later.

Is it allowed to eat after 6 hours?

Nutritionists recommend after 18 pm not to add to the menu products with "negative caloric content", which also includes spinach. On its digestion, the body spends more calories than they are contained in the plant itself. It is better to postpone the dinner on this diet at an earlier time.

What products to combine?

By itself this the vegetable has a neutral taste, so it is very convenient to combine with all kinds of food, such as meat, fish, cheese, and dairy products. A good combination would be with nuts and other vegetables:

  • potatoes;
  • tomatoes;
  • legumes;
  • chickpeas;
  • nutmeg;
  • pine nuts.

Spinach is often used as an extra ingredient.to enhance or emphasize the taste of the main course. Even in the case of diet recipes, it is extremely important to try to make the food appetizing.

Spinach diet

The key nuance of this food system is the use of spinach in the preparation of almost all dishes from the daily menu. This approach will significantly reduce the number of calories. The most popular way to achieve this effect is to take the classic spinach diet for 5 days as a basis:

  • Day 1

    1. Breakfast: a hard-boiled egg, a salad of 2 tomatoes and spinach leaves, seasoned with lemon juice and olive oil, 2 slices of white bread.
    2. Lunch: grilled chicken fillet, spinach side dish.
    3. Dinner: Spinach salad with vegetables.
  • Day 2

    1. Breakfast: oatmeal yogurt and tea without sugar.
    2. Lunch: spinach soup.
    3. Dinner: steamed spinach and orange.
  • Day 3

    1. Breakfast: scrambled eggs with spinach, a slice of black bread.
    2. Lunch: fish, spinach and rice.
    3. Dinner: steamed spinach and grapefruit.
  • Day 4

    1. Breakfast: spinach, apple and carrot juice.
    2. Lunch: chicken with spinach.
    3. Dinner: spiced rice.
  • Day 5

    1. Breakfast: 2 boiled eggs and 1 yoghurt.
    2. Dinner: chicken with a spinach garnish.
    3. Dinner: fresh fruit juice.

This course is not recommended to experience longer than the specified period.because the main ingredient contains oxalates, which crystallize to a considerable extent and cause the formation of kidney stones. But at the end of the diet, you can periodically include spinach in the usual diet in any form:

  • in omelets;
  • pizza;
  • lasagna;
  • moussaka;
  • fresh drinks.

Recipes for slim figure

Along with the emphasis on spinach, smoked and fried food, pastries and other confectionery products were banned - all dishes where there is an excess of calories and fast carbohydrates.

However losing weight with delicious spinach dishes is real, but they should be chosen carefully:

Smoothies

  • 7 spinach leaves;
  • 1 green apple;
  • 2 cabbage leaves;
  • lemon juice 0.5;
  • 200ml of water.

You need to mix all the greens in a blender, add lemon juice and a glass of water to them to get a lighter texture. Drink the drink you need, when there is a feeling of hunger, but no more than 2-3 times a week.

We offer to see a video recipe for cooking smoothie with spinach:

Salad

  • 1 bunch of spinach;
  • 0.5st walnuts;
  • 2 tbsp. lemon juice;
  • 1 clove garlic;
  • 1 tsp soy sauce.
  1. Spinach leaves should be thoroughly rinsed with cold water and laid out on a plate.
  2. Next, soy sauce is mixed with lemon juice.
  3. Chopped walnuts and a crushed clove of garlic are added to the dressing.
  4. The final mixture is well mixed with green leaves and low-calorie salad will be ready.

To enhance the taste will allow extra virgin olive oil and 50-70g of feta cheese (or goat cheese). Besides, You can add some pomegranate seeds to the dish.

We offer to see a video recipe for cooking salad with spinach:

Mashed potatoes

  • 300 g of spinach;
  • 20 g of flour;
  • 10 g butter;
  • onions and greens;
  • egg;
  • spice.
  1. Spinach leaves must be washed and cut.
  2. Then put in a pot with salted water.
    Take a little liquid to make it puree, and not cream soup.
  3. Separately, save the flour in the pan and shift to spinach.
  4. In the same container, cut the onion and cook until tender.
  5. At the very end, add a little salt and other spices.
  6. Boiled eggs and other herbs used as decoration dishes.

Soup

  • 320g of spinach;
  • 35g of olive oil;
  • 75g onions;
  • 3g of garlic;
  • 15g of ginger root;
  • 300g chicken fillet;
  • 2 potatoes;
  • 5g sesame oil;
  • salt and pepper.
  1. Chicken meat should be cut into large strips, poured into the pan.
  2. Pour 1.5 liters of water and boil for about 35 minutes.
  3. In parallel, you need to chop the onion, garlic and ginger, then put them on a preheated pan and simmer for 5 minutes.
  4. Send the mixture to the broth.
  5. Next, the spinach is cut into slices, and the potato cubes, also placed in a saucepan and cooked for another 10 minutes.
  6. Upon completion, the contents of the soup are crushed with a blender, supplemented with spices and brought to a boil.
  7. Before serving, you can sprinkle the portion with sesame oil.

We offer to see a video recipe for cooking soup with spinach:

What to replace in the diet?

If this product appears in your menu too often, and you do not want to depart from the principles of diet, you can find a worthy analogue for it. The closest spinach copy in the green pan is broccoli.. It can also be replaced with eggplants, especially when there is a recipe with baking items. Instead of spinach at the same time advised to use sorrel with a few drops of lemon juice.

Contraindications and side effects

When a vegetable is cooked with obvious mistakes, its reception can cause serious problems with well-being. Therefore, it is advised to use only fresh leaves to repeat the dishes.

Once frozen, the product will lose its beneficial properties when re-stored in the refrigerator.

Besides Spinach can not be eaten while losing weight to people who have problems such as:

  • duodenal or biliary duct diseases;
  • rheumatism in acute or chronic stage.

In any case, before you begin to follow the mentioned diet, it is better to consult with your personal doctor, because spinach has certain contraindications.

The old leaves of the plant include a huge amount of oxalic acid, so they are not recommended to individuals with impaired water-salt metabolism and to those who have sand and bladder stones and bile ducts. The program of diets that are based on spinach, is very popular among those people who want to both get rid of excess weight, and achieve a healthy body.

Not having a clearly defined taste, this ingredient perfectly complements the daily diet. and allows in the shortest possible time to bring your body back to normal. A variety of recipes will relieve the feeling of hunger, making a standard diet in a very practical way to get rid of extra pounds.

Watch the video: Cucumber Spinach Salad : Spinach Salads (May 2024).