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The most extreme version of the Strawberry diet originated in 2004 with former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham. She supposedly began it while traveling with her husband in Europe and it consisted of only one meal a day, strawberries.
In 2014, Kim Kardashian began following the diet that includes strawberries for every meal several days a week, with strawberry smoothies as snacks. Plans based on this version supply approximately 1,200 calories per day and incorporate strawberries in every meal and snack.
The diet is based on the belief that strawberries help you lose weight and are a better food choice than most other fruits and vegetables. While this may have a grain of truth to it, some of the claims made about strawberry diets are exaggerated or downright false.
For example, there is no solid scientific evidence to support the claim that strawberries burn off fat faster than other foods. However, there is evidence to show that eating more fruits and veggies, in general, will help you achieve your weight loss goals (13).
Research has also shown that a calorie deficit results in weight loss (5). Because you’ll be eating much less while on this diet it’s likely that you’ll lose weight. Whether the weight will stay off is another matter altogether, not forgetting the many nutrients you’ll miss out on while on this restrictive diet.
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Strawberry diet plans vary, but typically they involve cutting out a lot of the junk food you eat every day and replacing it with strawberries. The most popular menu consists of four to six servings of frozen strawberries per day. One serving is equivalent to two cups or 10 ounces of fresh berries. Some other foods you can eat during your strawberry phase include natural yogurt, cheese (usually hard), whole grain pasta, rice cakes, and sugar-free lemonade.
If all you’re considering is eating more fruit and cutting back on junk food, then yes – the strawberry diet is likely to help you lose weight. However, if weight loss is your goal, then you might not need to follow this diet at all. It’s ineffective for these reasons:
That said, strawberries are a great addition to a healthy eating plan. Let’s look at how you can use these fruits to lose weight.
There are many different reasons why people intent on losing weight should be eating strawberries. Below is a list of the top reasons to add strawberries as part of your diet:
One cup of strawberries has 3.0 grams of dietary fiber, out of the 25-38 g most adults should aim for daily(10). The fiber in strawberries helps reduce cholesterol and control blood sugar levels. It also makes you feel full, so it is an important part of a diet plan that reduces calories and encourages weight loss (11).
Fiber is important for digestion. If you want to lose weight, you must maintain a healthy digestive system. Poor digestion can lead to weight gain in the form of an increase in appetite or inability to assimilate nutrients properly and may slow down your metabolism as well (7).
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You only need one cup to reap all the benefits listed above but there are only 48 calories in that cup (for 16 servings) (10). You can eat 2 cups for just 122 calories if you want more fruit in your diet or have a craving to satisfy without going over your calorie goals for the day!
Ellagic acid helps prevent free radicals from damaging cells in the body. It helps fight inflammation and restores the normal functioning of weight-reducing hormones which are often blocked due to chronic inflammation. Ellagic acid is also known to boost the body’s natural detoxification processes and prevent cancer (9).
Antioxidants are very important for weight loss because they help control free radical damage in the body. Free radicals are unstable molecules that attack healthy cells. If out of balance, this can lead to inflammation, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), arthritis, and even heart disease (6).
The anthocyanins in berries help prevent cell damage and inflammation, like the inflammation caused by stress and poor diet choices (9).
Anthocyanin keeps blood vessels healthy and functioning properly so they can carry oxygen where it needs to go in order to be burned by the cells for energy (9).
There are many different ways to enjoy strawberries – as fresh fruit or frozen in smoothies, as part of strawberry shortcake for dessert, on cereal with skim milk or yogurt, etc. It’s easy to swap them for unhealthy snacks that might not promote weight loss.
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Thanks to the strawberry nutrition profile, it carries more benefits than those related to weight loss. A single cup of large strawberries contains about 11.5 grams of carbohydrates; 3 grams of dietary fiber and 7.34 grams of sugar (10). They also contain vitamin C, vitamin K, Potassium, Folate, Manganese, and omega-3 fatty acids.
The benefits of this fruit include:
Another health benefit of strawberries is their high content of vitamin C, which helps to promote eye health by strengthening blood capillaries in the eye and preventing macular degeneration. This fruit also contains lutein which reduces your risk of developing cataracts, glaucoma, and other harmful age-related eye diseases (8).
Fresh strawberries have the ability to lower your blood pressure, which can be beneficial for preventing heart attacks and stroke. Studies have shown that eating strawberries regularly may decrease low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels in the body. This HDL/LDL ratio is often linked to LDL cholesterol oxidation; an essential first step towards heart disease (4).
Strawberries are an excellent source of vitamin C, which helps your child develop strong teeth and bones as well as improve their immune system function (12).
Although strawberries are a very healthy food, they’re not suited for everyone, especially those with an allergy or sensitivity. Symptoms of strawberry allergy include watery eyes; runny nose; itching around the mouth; wheezing; coughing and difficulty breathing (1).
Strawberries contain oxalic acid, so individuals who suffer from certain types of kidney stones, gout, or rheumatism should avoid consuming them (2).
Strawberry diet plans are all about eating these fruits and other associated foods in place of certain unhealthy snacks you might be used to. For example, instead of having a bagel for breakfast or a piece of cake on the weekend, you would have a bowl of strawberries with natural yogurt – it’s just a matter of swapping out what you eat every day until your meals look much healthier overall. It’s not about eating only strawberries, it’s about including them in an overall healthy and balanced diet.
This article is intended for general informational purposes only and does not address individual circumstances. It is not a substitute for professional advice or help and should not be relied on to make decisions of any kind. Any action you take upon the information presented in this article is strictly at your own risk and responsibility!