Barley diet: effectiveness, menu and results
Pearl barley diet is an effective way to lose a few pounds. We will tell you more about the effectiveness, menu and results of this weight loss option.
The main properties of cereals
Pearl barley is a fairly satisfying product. For its manufacture, barley grains are taken. They are usually oblong in shape. However, barley grains can also be round. It depends on the technology of preparation of this cereal, which is used by manufacturers.
Pearl barley can be used to prepare various dishes. Many people think that only porridge or a side dish for various meat dishes can be prepared from pearl barley. However, it is not.
This nutritious cereal can also be used in the preparation of soups and even various salads.
Cooking pearl barley, as a rule, takes several hours. Modern technical devices used by many hostesses help to cook barley faster. So, in the multicookers of the latest generations, this cereal is perfectly boiled even in 40-50 minutes. At the same time, the taste of ready-made dishes remains wonderful, and the nutrients contained in this cereal are almost completely preserved.
The grains of this cereal are well boiled soft. Thus, the volume of finished barley porridge can be several times greater than the initial volume of grains used for its preparation.This property of this cereal contributed to the fact that it began to be used in the field kitchen for the preparation of various nutritious dishes. It is no coincidence that barley is included in the diet of military personnel.
Pearl barley contains many different components. They promote health.
It contains:
- vegetable proteins;
- fats;
- carbohydrates;
- mineral compounds - Cu, Mn, P, Na, Ca and others;
- vitamin complex B, A, D;
- fiber fibers.
There are also unique amino acids in barley grains. Yes, it contains lysine. This component helps to feel full after boiled barley for a long time. And it also favorably affects the synthesis of collagen in the body.
calories
Barley is a rather high-calorie product. Even a small portion of a side dish made from this cereal contributes to good saturation. Barley dishes are very satiating because they contain a lot of nutritional nutrients. So, 100 grams of dry pearl barley contains 9.2 g of proteins, 1.2 g of fat, 73.8 g of carbohydrates and 319 kcal.
Barley garnish, boiled in water without adding salt, contains quite a lot of food nutrients. The ratio of KBJU (calculation per 100 grams) in it is as follows:
- carbohydrates - 22.1 g;
- fats - 0.3 g;
- proteins - 3.2;
- calorie content - 110 kcal.
The addition of oils significantly increases the calorie content of the dish. For example, if you add only a couple of tablespoons of butter to barley porridge, then the calorie content of the dish will be almost 230 kcal higher.
Thus, during weight loss, it is better to refuse any high-calorie supplements to boiled barley. This will help you achieve the desired result.
The benefits and harms of the diet
The barley diet has its advantages, as well as certain disadvantages. The disadvantages of this method are in many respects that it cannot be used by people who have some chronic diseases of the digestive system.
It is worth noting that weight loss on barley porridge is not suitable for people suffering from severe obesity. With a large excess of weight, the desired result through this method will be quite difficult to achieve. If you need to lose weight by 2-5 kg, then the barley diet can be used.
The barley diet is generally well tolerated. Boiled barley contains a lot of food nutrients, which means that the feeling of hunger during such a diet is practically not felt. In order to maintain the result after such weight loss, you should monitor nutrition for several days.
The barley diet lasts only a few days. So, this method of losing weight can be used on the eve of some important events.
With barley, you can effectively lose weight, for example, before celebrating a birthday or some other important event. The Short Barley Diet can also be used before going on vacation. This method will help get rid of extra pounds, which means that on the beach you can boast of a beautiful figure.
Boiled barley not only promotes weight loss, but is also very beneficial for the body. A side dish made from pearl barley helps to improve the functioning of the digestive system. Yes, it contains dietary fiber. Fiber acts on the intestines, leading to the acceleration of its work. This action is a good prevention of the development of constipation.
Barley contains components that help cleanse the internal environment of the body from various metabolites.This cereal also contains substances that help to cleanse itself of radionuclides and toxic substances. And also boiled pearl barley is rich in components that have a beneficial effect on the functioning of the nervous tissue. So, after a few days of using barley garnish, mood and sleep normalize.
Boiled barley also contains substances that have a beneficial effect on the retina. Carotene and a complex of vitamins contained in pearl barley help to strengthen the vessels of the fundus, which contributes to the preservation of physiological indicators of visual acuity. Barley also helps to cope with the negative consequences for the eyes of prolonged work in front of the monitor.
Not everyone can resort to a barley diet. This method of losing weight is not suitable for allergies or individual intolerance to this cereal. Doctors do not recommend losing weight through such a diet also with unstable remission of gastritis, pancreatitis or peptic ulcer. With an exacerbation of these diseases, it is impossible to eat barley, even boiled in water, as this can lead to dangerous complications.
Some people may experience abdominal pain while on a diet. The likelihood of such an adverse symptom is significantly higher in those who suffer from chronic colitis or enteritis. However, abdominal pain (mainly along the intestines) can also appear in a person who does not have digestive problems. The reason for the appearance of such an unpleasant symptom is the presence of plant fibers and a relatively high content of food nutrients.If these components enter the body in large quantities, they can lead to a change in its work, which can contribute to the development of pain. It is worth noting that with the appearance of pain in the abdomen, it is worth refusing to continue the barley diet. In this case, it is better to choose an alternative method of losing weight.
Pearl barley diet should not be chosen by expectant mothers. During pregnancy, the female body experiences significant stress. Any diet will only make it worse. If the expectant mother, while carrying her baby, is faced with the problem of the appearance of extra pounds, then it is better for her to discuss this with the doctor. Doctors recommend that pregnant women make any changes to their diet only after medical advice.
The subtleties of conducting
There are several options for the pearl barley diet. They differ both in the number of days and in the list of allowed and prohibited foods. So, during the combined barley diet, you can eat not only one boiled barley, but also some vegetables and even fruits. Strict diets mean the use of only boiled barley.
With the help of pearl barley, you can really lose weight. In order to achieve the desired result, you should carefully follow all the recommendations. It should be remembered that any errors in the diet can cause the processes of losing weight to not proceed as efficiently.
During any weight loss option, it is very important to drink enough fluids. Diet is an important part of any diet. So, for a day of weight loss through boiled pearl barley, you should drink up to one and a half liters of liquid. The main part of this should be water.
It is also allowed to drink drinks that do not contain sugar and some other sweet additives.
When preparing boiled barley, remember that it boils well. A small amount of pearl barley is enough to prepare the desired portion. It is most convenient to cook boiled barley for the whole day. You can boil cereals in the evening. Thus, in the morning you will not need to worry about the need to quickly cook barley.
Another feature of the barley diet is the way barley is prepared. Be sure to boil the cereal in water. No need to add milk or butter when cooking. Excessively salt boiled barley is also not worth it. Note that most options for barley diets completely exclude the addition of sodium chloride to cereals.
Weight loss experts say weight loss processes on pearl barley begin to occur in the body approximately 2-3 days after the start of the diet. In the first two days, a natural cleansing of the body usually occurs. At this time, the work of the organs of the gastrointestinal tract is normalized, as well as the purification of the internal environment from various metabolites.
A portion of pearl barley during the diet should be small. It is important to remember that even without the addition of butter or milk, boiled barley has a high calorie content. During the day, with a sparing barley diet, you need to eat several small portions of barley (up to 200 grams each). You need to eat them at regular intervals 4-5 times a day.
List of allowed and prohibited products
Each version of the pearl diet has its own characteristics. So, a mono-diet implies the use of only boiled barley. However, no other foodstuffs can be eaten.You can only drink water and unsweetened drinks.
With a combined (gentle) diet, in addition to boiled pearl barley, the use of other products is also allowed.
These include:
- unsweetened fruits and berries;
- vegetables (preferably fresh);
- low-fat dairy products;
- fresh herbs (parsley, dill, green onions, basil, cilantro and others);
- cottage cheese up to 5% fat.
It is important to note that boiled barley should still prevail in the diet with a pearl barley diet. The rest of the allowed products should only complement the menu, making it more diverse.
You can not eat the following foods with this method of losing weight:
- canned food (meat, fish);
- canned and pickled snacks;
- confectionery;
- cereals, except barley (with some weight loss options) - for example, buckwheat, oatmeal and others;
- pastries and pastries;
- smoked delicacies, sausages and sausages.
During the barley diet, alcohol is excluded, including low alcohol. Drinks containing ethyl alcohol contain quite a lot of calories. They also contain carbohydrates. Pearl barley is also rich in these food nutrients. Thus, the use of pearl barley in combination with alcohol can significantly reduce the effectiveness of the pearl barley diet.
Dates
There are several options for losing weight through boiled barley. The shortest of them is the mono-diet. It is designed for 2-3 days. This method implies only the reception of boiled pearl barley. This method is suitable for those who have only a couple of days to bring their weight into shape. Usually this option of losing weight is chosen before some important event.
There are other options for barley diets, designed for 5, 7 and 10 days.Such methods of losing weight involve not only the use of boiled barley. During such diets, you can also eat sour-milk products with low fat content, as well as vegetables and some fruits.
There is also a pearl barley diet, designed for two weeks. This method of losing weight is perhaps the most gentle. The menu with such a diet is balanced. During the day, the body receives all the food nutrients it needs for full-fledged work.
During such a diet, you can not only reduce your weight by several kilograms, but also cleanse the body and “improve” its work.
Time of day to receive
Pearl barley dishes are definitely more suitable for breakfast, as they contain a lot of carbohydrates. However, during the barley mono-diet, it is allowed to eat dishes prepared from barley, even in the evening.
Proper preparation
The recipe for a dietary barley dish is quite simple. However, in order to cook boiled barley, it will take a lot of time. And in order for the grains to boil well, the grits must first be soaked in water. The proportions of the dry product and water are 1: 5. So, for ½ cup of dry barley, 2.5-3 cups of water are required.
It is better to soak the grains in the evening. It is better that they stand in the water for about 10-12 hours. After that, they should be washed well, pour clean water in a ratio of 1: 3 and cook until tender over medium heat. The cooking time of boiled barley is largely determined by the power of the stove. However, on average, a diet meal is ready, as a rule, in 40-45 minutes.
After the grains become soft, the pan should be removed from the stove and wrapped in a warm towel. This simple "manipulation" will make the cereal softer. If desired, you can cook boiled barley in a slow cooker.
Kinds
You can lose weight on pearl barley in different ways. Everyone chooses the method that suits him best. So, if you want to look better for some event, and there are only a couple of days left before it, then in this case it is better to choose a mono-diet. For people who do not like to eat only pearl barley and want some varied menu during the diet, it is better to choose sparing weight loss options designed for 1-2 weeks.
mono diet
This weight loss option is usually designed for 3 days. During the diet, it is recommended to eat only boiled barley cooked in water without adding salt. It is only allowed to add a little fresh herbs to improve the taste of a diet dish. Don't forget to drink water throughout the day.
sparing
This weight loss option is more suitable for those who do not tolerate any mono-diets. During a sparing diet, you can eat not only boiled barley, but also allowed vegetables and fruits. It is allowed to include in your menu also low-fat sour-milk products (in a small amount).
In order to successfully lose weight, it is important to properly distribute food throughout the day. So, boiled barley is better to eat for breakfast and lunch. It is better to leave low-fat dairy products for the second half of the day.
Fasting day
This method is suitable for people who have already achieved weight loss, but continue to monitor body weight. A fasting day on pearl barley helps to maintain the achieved result. So, for a day of such weight loss, you can get rid of 250-500 grams. During the fasting day, only the use of boiled barley is allowed.
Menu
The diet with a sparing pearl barley diet, designed for 5 days, can be different.Allowed foods can be included in the menu, but the main part in the diet should be boiled barley. So, an approximate menu for a day with a sparing diet is as follows:
- breakfast - a portion of boiled barley, green tea;
- snack - unsweetened pear;
- lunch - vegetable soup with the addition of pearl barley, rosehip broth;
- afternoon snack - a glass of yogurt (without sweet additives);
- dinner - cottage cheese, tea;
- before going to bed (if there is a feeling of hunger) - a glass of low-fat bifidok.
Right way out
After the end of the diet, it is very important not to break loose. The wrong way out of the pearl barley diet is dangerous because the extra pounds will quickly return. To prevent this from happening, within a week after the weight loss, only low-fat foods should be consumed. It is better that the diet is dominated by lean poultry and lean fish, non-starchy vegetables, and unsweetened fruits. Gradually, the diet can be expanded.
Reviews and advice from nutritionists
The barley diet is not the most commonly used way to lose weight. People who adhered to this method note that through the use of boiled barley, they managed to reduce their weight by 3-5 kg in 7-10 days.
Nutritionists note that due to the pearl barley diet, it will not be possible to achieve a “stunning” result - for example, to lose 10 kg in a week. However, reducing your weight to 5 kg in a week is quite achievable. At the same time, they recommend that you definitely not forget about physical activity. An integrated approach to weight loss always provides a much better result.
On the beneficial properties of barley for weight loss, see the video below.