Tomatoes for weight loss: properties and rules of use
How to lose weight? The eternal problem of women and even to some extent men. In summer, the possibilities of losing weight expand due to the abundance of vegetables and fruits. Tomatoes are one of the most effective vegetables in the fight against excess weight. You will be surprised how varied the diet menu of this vegetable is.
Tomatoes not only help to quickly get rid of extra pounds, they carry a lot of nutritional components. Your diet will be balanced and will not harm your health. But do not forget that everything is good in moderation.
Vegetable features
Tomatoes are endowed with important substances for the body. Here and proteins, and pectin, and fiber. Vitamins are represented by groups B, C, K, E, H and PP. Sugars in the form of glucose and fructose are present in modest amounts.
Of the minerals, tomatoes contain calcium, potassium, iron, magnesium, zinc and copper, boron, phosphorus and chromium. A substance such as tyramine, entering the body, is involved in the synthesis of serotonin, the hormone of happiness. Therefore, the vegetable is able to cheer up. Most of the vegetable, namely 90%, is water, which explains its low calorie content.
100 g of tomato contains:
- proteins - 1 g;
- carbohydrates - 3.7 g;
- fats - 0.2 g.
Tomatoes are very useful for our body, because they perform the following functions in it:
- improve the functioning of the cardiovascular system;
- strengthen memory;
- remove free radicals, toxins and decay products from the body, rejuvenating and preventing the aging process;
- inhibit the formation of blood clots;
- increase gastric acidity and normalize the process of digestion of food;
- stimulate the activity of the excretory system;
- regulate salt balance;
- improve the condition of the reproductive system;
- inhibit the growth of cancer cells;
- increase immunity;
- improve skin condition;
- having a diuretic effect, remove excess fluid and relieve swelling.
How Tomatoes Promote Weight Loss?
Tomatoes can and should be eaten when losing weight. They have many necessary qualities for this.
- Firstly, the calorie content of the vegetable is quite low. For 100 g of the product, it is 23 kcal. And this is negligible. But, despite such a low calorie content, saturation from tomatoes comes quickly, thanks to the chromium they contain.
- Secondly, tomatoes are rich in fiber. These are coarse plant fibers that are known to increase intestinal peristalsis. This contributes to its rapid emptying and relieves constipation. Oxalic, malic and citric acids in tomatoes speed up the metabolism, which is extremely important in the process of getting rid of excess weight.
- These vegetables also contain the pigment lycopene. Its function is to break down fats and improve digestion. In addition, it regulates cholesterol levels. This means that it prevents the appearance of cholesterol plaques on the walls of blood vessels, keeping their lumen unchanged. This has a positive effect on the condition of the heart and blood vessels.
It has been established that dark tomatoes contain the highest amount of lycopene.
Helpful Tips
To make the tomato diet really effective and really help you lose weight, adhere to some of its basic principles.
- Do not season tomato dishes with salt, sugar and spices. Use the minimum amount of oil. The same applies to pure fruits.
- Baked or boiled vegetables are perfect for getting rid of extra pounds. Heat treatment will not destroy useful components.
- Be sure to expand your tomato diet with other low-calorie foods. Use a combination of tomatoes with boiled meat. This union improves the absorption of animal protein.
- While on a tomato diet, drink up to 2 liters of ordinary purified water per day.
- Refuse fatty and fried foods, as well as flour products.
- During the diet, you can drink tea and coffee.
A properly composed diet menu based on tomatoes will not only relieve excess weight, but also improve well-being. Due to the fact that the diet can be expanded with other useful products, such a diet will not exhaust, but will only bring joy with its variety and positive results.
And if you use vegetables that you have grown yourself, this will improve the quality of the diet and reduce its cost.
Examples of diets and recipes
The easiest way to lose weight with tomatoes is to arrange a fasting day. At the same time, it is allowed to consume 1.5 kilograms of tomatoes per day and nothing more. You can eat them in their pure form, dividing the daily volume into several doses. Or slightly diversify the menu:
- for breakfast - tomato puree;
- lunch - tomato soup;
- In the evening, eat a salad of only tomatoes.
Drink a glass of tomato juice between breakfast, lunch and dinner. At night, fresh vegetables are not recommended. They enhance digestive activity, preventing the body from falling asleep. Therefore, the ideal option would be a glass of tomato juice 2.5 hours before bedtime. As for a full-fledged diet on tomatoes, it lasts 2 weeks. Its essence is that before eating it is necessary to drink 150-200 ml of tomato juice.
Unloading day is allowed to arrange 1 time in 3 days. It will help to lose 1 kg of excess weight.
It is allowed to include in the diet the following products:
- apples;
- low-fat or fat-free cottage cheese;
- baked or boiled potatoes;
- boiled fish;
- a small amount of dried fruits;
- eggs;
- other vegetables.
Such a diet will help you get rid of 2-4 kg in a week, and in 2 weeks you can lose 5 kg, in some cases even 10 kg. Drink at least 1 liter of juice per day. It is important that it is not from the store, but homemade.
There is a possibility that a store-bought product contains starch and other concentrates, which increases its calorie content. And 100 ml of natural tomato drink contains only 20 kcal. The diet is quite balanced. It does not cause a constant feeling of hunger, loss of strength and irritability.
And here is an example of another diet, the duration of which is 3 days. She promises a loss of 3-4 kg:
- breakfast - a salad of tomatoes with herbs and low-fat cottage cheese, a cup of unsweetened coffee;
- dinner: 1 tomato + a small piece of lean meat, tomato juice - 1 cup;
- dinner: 1 tomato + 1 apple.
Thus, you should eat all 3 days.
Losing weight with tomatoes is tasty and varied, because this vegetable can be used in a variety of variations. Judging by the reviews, puree soup based on them is very popular. To prepare this dish, follow the instructions:
- free 2-3 tomatoes from the skin and cut them into cubes;
- chop 1 onion and fry it in a little oil;
- mix with tomatoes, add 2 cloves of squeezed garlic, sweat the mixture for several minutes over low heat;
- fill the mass with vegetable broth in an amount of 1 liter;
- freshen up with greens.
This soup can be consumed as a separate dish. 1 serving contains about 100 kcal. In addition to soup, pasta, sauces, ketchup are prepared from these vegetables. They become a worthy seasoning for many dishes.
A pleasant surprise will be a tomato-based smoothie recipe. Preparing a drink is quite simple. The tomato is cut into 4 pieces. If a cucumber is added, then it is cut into circles. All are poured with low-fat yogurt without flavorings. Beat until smooth.
Contraindications
It would seem, what could be harmless than tomatoes? But it turns out that some people absolutely can not eat them. It is forbidden to use vegetables in such cases:
- violation of the pancreas;
- ulcer, gastritis with high acidity;
- allergic reactions;
- salt metabolism disorders;
- diseases of the gallbladder and biliary tract, as the product has choleretic properties.
Unripe fruits are not eaten because of the possible content of toxic substances in them. Approach to dietary nutrition should be carefully. Try to find the best option for yourself, you can repeat it after a while. But when conducting dietary experiments, be careful: listen to yourself. If adverse reactions occur (nausea, dizziness, malaise, skin rashes and itching), give up the idea.
The tomato diet is one of the most gentle ways to lose weight and get a slim figure. It is quite diverse, accessible, simple and beneficial to the body. Follow all the recommendations and then you will quickly achieve the desired result.
You will learn more about the tomato diet in the next video.