Three Apple a Day Diet

The 3 Apple a Day Plan is a method for losing weight by eating differently, rather than necessarily eating less. The diet requires a change in habits for seven days. Don't be misled by the diet's name. You will need to eat more than just apples to follow it. Stock up on apples if you want to give it a try. Youll need at least three apples for every day you plan to follow the diet.

Nutrition Basics

The diet requires more than just apples. Three meals and one or two snacks per day composed of lean proteins, whole grains, fruits and vegetables, some polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fats plus an apple, are its basic building blocks.

Lean proteins could include eggs, yogurt, fish, chicken or nuts. These foods are high in the healthy fats a body needs for complete nutrition. Other sources of polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fats include avocados, olives and liquid vegetable oils. Whole grains like brown rice, oatmeal or polenta are good choices in the carbohydrate category. Fruits and vegetables, aside from besides apples, can be eaten with meals or between meals for a snack.

The Apple Effect

Before or with each meal, eat one apple. Because apples are high in fiber, they fill you up and encourage you to eat smaller portions. In particular, the fiber in apples, called pectin, causes a fuller feeling in the stomach than other types of fruit and vegetables that dont have pectin. Other fruits or vegetables high in pectin might work as well as apples, bu because apples have a high amount of natural sugar, apples can help stave off the temptation to eat less healthy sugary snacks or desserts. Apples are a nutritious food, which can take the place of nutritionally empty foods in a daily diet, and give the body more benefit per calorie than less healthy snacks.

The Claims

Enthusiasts of the 3 Apple a Day Plan claim you can lose fat and a clothing size in a week on the diet. They claim apples can act as a fat-burning accelerator. Adding more fruits and vegetables to the average diet is a healthy idea for most people, said Bonnie Taub-Dix, a nutritionist with the American Dietetic Association.