Is Water Therapy For Weight Loss Right For You? What are the requirements of the Japanese diet: menu and food options. What result is worth waiting for?
Water-based slimming therapy originated in Japan and has become very popular all over the world in recent years. It's called the Japanese diet, although it's more of a hydration regimen than a meal plan. Observing it, you can achieve good hydration of the body and get rid of excess weight.
Principles of the Japanese Diet
The advantage of a nutritional system is that it does not need to adapt the diet and give up favorite foods.
But there are several conditions to be met:
Start your day with water.Drink four to five glasses of room temperature water every morning on an empty stomach. Too much? It really is. But this is the essence of water therapy. The body must receive as much water as possible. If it is difficult to start with such a "dosage", approach it gradually. Let there be one or two glasses in the beginning. Within a few weeks, bring the amount of fluid consumed in the morning to the recommended rate.
Drink "thirsty" throughout the day.The amount of fluid you drink during the day is not regulated. You can drink as much as you like. Listen to your feelings. Often the body masks the need for water under the feeling of hunger.
Reduce food intake to 15 minutes.The time interval during which you can eat is 15 minutes. That being said, the Japanese diet does not dictate what you should eat. In theory, you can eat anything. A 15-minute window will prevent you from eating too much or overeating.
Eat no more than two hours later.The number of meals per day is also limited. But the next appointment should take place no earlier than two hours after the previous one.
Drinking enough water cleanses the digestive system, improves bowel health, and prevents constipation. The fluid makes the stomach feel full and reduces food cravings.
There is research data that shows that overweight people who drank 500 ml of water 30 minutes before meals ate 13% less food. And this in the long term helped them to reduce body weight.
According to scientific evidence, drinking water increases your resting energy expenditure. This means that even with your daily activities, you will burn more calories than before. Increasing energy consumption while reducing food intake will inevitably lead to weight loss.
Japanese diet: menu, effectiveness
Despite the fact that the diet does not imply restrictions on the choice of products, you need to approach this issue carefully. After all, it is the excess calorie content of the diet that often becomes the cause of body weight gain.
Avoid sources of "empty calories": sugar, desserts, baked goods, regular pasta, polished rice. Replace them with sources of long carbohydrates: whole grains, whole grain breads. Include in the diet more protein foods: meat, fish, dairy products, legumes. Don't forget about fruits and vegetables: vegetables should be used in every meal. Replace desserts with fruits.
Switching to a new diet will allow you to reduce weight safely (within four kilograms per month). This slow weight loss does not stress the body. And it helps to maintain the achieved result, to continue to reduce weight to normal.
Adequate physical activity helps to improve and speed up the results: jogging, walking, swimming, fitness. Any type of physical activity that you like will help you lose weight.
Benefits and contraindications of the Japanese diet
Diet proponents argue that this meal plan isn't just about losing weight. But also:
- improves brain function;
- gives energy and vigor;
- helps control blood pressure;
- prevents headaches.
These effects are the logical result of normal body hydration. And if you haven't been drinking enough water during the day before, you will really feel better.
But it is important to keep in mind that each person's need for fluid is different. It depends on body weight, physical activity. An excess of water is no less dangerous than a lack of it. It can cause a critical drop in blood sodium levels. And lead to hyponatremia - a condition in which symptoms occur that are characteristic of poisoning: vomiting, nausea, loss of consciousness.
While drinking four to five glasses of water in one go is unlikely to cause hyponatremia, you should be careful with your body. And do not "pour" liquid into yourself by force.
People with impaired renal function should not take risks and start water therapy without consulting a doctor. And if during the Japanese diet you feel discomfort, you need to reduce your water intake.