Gradually lose weight
The apple diet originated in the United States and has become very popular in a short time. The principle is simple: Eat an apple before every meal and you will lose weight!
What should you do?
The creator of the apple diet Tammi Flynn instructed one of her clients to eat an apple before every meal. The client did not change her eating pattern and still lost one kilogram per week. Then Flynn tried the diet on her other clients. In twelve weeks, 346 people together lost 2700 kilos. That equates to almost eight kilograms per person.
How does it work?
Eating the apple reduces your feeling of hunger and therefore you eat less of the main meal. Apples are also full of vitamins and minerals and ensure a good balance of your sugar level. This will reduce your appetite for sweet snacks or chips. In time, you might even crave an “apple shot.”
For whom?
Anyone can follow the apple diet, provided you like apples, of course. The apple diet is not suitable for people who want to lose a lot of weight in a short time. The weight loss is very gradual.
What do experts think?
The Nutrition Center has not yet commented on the apple diet. Information officer Ineke Volkers thinks the apple diet is very smart: “An apple is a source of fiber and vitamins and gives a feeling of fullness. That means you eat less, so I think the apple diet will work.” Whether it really works is another matter, because experiences vary.
Advantages
A big advantage is that you can control your appetite. This makes you less likely to be tempted to eat unhealthy snacks. Apples also contain antioxidants. These are vitamins and minerals that have a positive effect on the body. Brighter colored apples have more antioxidants than lighter colored apples. Almost all antioxidants are contained in the skin, so it is preferable to eat the apple with the skin on.
In addition, it is claimed that apples lower the risk of Alzheimer’s and that the fiber cleans your intestines. They are also good for your blood pressure and may help prevent lung cancer.
Cons
A disadvantage of the apple diet is that you quickly have to eat a hundred apples a month. That is a lot and the diet can quickly get boring. There is also a lack of scientific evidence for the effect of the diet.
You cannot replace the apples with apple juice. Only ten percent of the protective effect of the antioxidants remains in juice.
Do realize that a lot of exercise is an important part of the apple diet. So if you’re not up to speed, the apple diet is almost certainly not going to help you. And then there are your teeth: In the long run, the acid from the apples can affect your teeth. Good and regular brushing is therefore necessary.
More info
Do you want to know more about the apple diet? In the book ‘The apple diet’, by Tammi Flynn (ISBN 9022991431), the method is extensively described.
