Are you somebody who has always wanted to get started on a healthy diet plan but remained wary only because you thought the endless food restrictions might drive you crazy? Well then, the Morning Banana diet may be the answer to your diet woes! This popular Japanese fad diet is not overly-complicated or restrictive, unlike most other diets. The diet entails just one simple rule – you can only have bananas for breakfast. In other words, you don’t need to give up on carbs and fat and all your favorite sugary treats!
So then, are you wondering how the morning banana diet works? It’s pretty simple! This diet, which was created by Osaka pharmacist Sumiko Watanabe for her husband, Hitoshi Watanabe, reckons by the resistant starch and dietary fiber in bananas to aid in rapid weight loss.
According to Wikipedia(1), this simple diet of eating a banana every morning is said to have helped Hitoshi Watanabe lose 37 pounds in weight. Sounds appealing? Then read on to find out more about the benefits and rules of this diet.
This is the most important rule of the morning banana diet. You can eat as many bananas as you like, but you need to make sure that they are raw and not frozen or cooked. If you dislike bananas, then you may substitute them with another fruit of your choice. It is, however, necessary that you don’t wolf down your bananas and chew each mouthful.
Water has an essential role in the morning banana diet plan(2). Drinking water aids in crucial bodily functions, especially digestion and elimination. Drink at least one glass of room temperature water along with your banana in the morning and keep drinking water constantly throughout the day.
[Read: Benefits of Banana Peel]
When it comes to lunch and dinner, you don’t need to worry about what you eat or how much you eat. This diet plan allows you to eat whatever you like. For the most effective and immediate results, however, Japanese food, especially rice, is best recommended.
Although snacking can be a part of this healthy diet, you may want to cut back on ice cream and other dairy products. Japanese sweets, chocolate, or a seasonal fruit are the more recommended snack options. There is a simple condition, though – you can eat only one kind of snack in a day.
Over 730, 000 books on the Morning Banana Diet were sold in 2008. |
An early dinner can have a positive impact on your metabolism and influence weight loss. Avoid desserts or snacking after dinner. If you do experience a late-night hunger pang, choose something nutritious like a fruit or veggie. If the idea of having a fruit doesn’t really appeal to you, then it is possible that you are not really hungry. In that case, avoid eating anything and take a few sips of water instead.
[Read: Bananas for Weight Loss]
To get the most out of the morning banana diet, ensure that your sleep patterns are regular. Try to go to bed before midnight and make sure that you are getting anywhere between seven and a half to eight hours of sleep every night. A regular sleep-wake cycle(3) is essential for your body’s restoration and recovery processes, as inadequate sleep can wreck your hunger hormones.
The morning banana diet plan doesn’t impose a strict exercise regime. It does underline, however, that the diet, when combined with exercise, can aid in quicker weight loss. Although, if you are at a risk of straining your body, you can avoid exercise.
[Read: Banana Juice for Your Health]
The final rule is to maintain an open food diary. Keep a record of what you eat and drink every day and how the changes you have been making to your diet are helping you. Keeping an open diary can be particularly helpful as it can help you gather useful advice, support, and feedback from other like-minded people.
Here is a five-day sample meal plan for the morning banana diet:
Breakfast | Raw bananas/Any other fruit. |
Snack | Unsalted Peanuts |
Lunch | Hummus, Pita bread, and green salad |
Dinner | Grilled chicken with steamed vegetables |
Breakfast | Raw bananas/Any other fruit |
Snack | Mixed berries with Greek yogurt |
Lunch | Chicken cauliflower fried rice |
Dinner | Salmon with creamy lemon dill sauce and vegetables |
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Breakfast |
Raw bananas/Any other fruit
|
Snack | Chocolate |
Lunch |
Greek salad with feta cheese
|
Dinner |
Miso soup, sushi, and seaweed salad
|
Breakfast |
Raw bananas/Any other fruit
|
Snack |
Mochi (Japanese rice cake)
|
Lunch |
Whole Grain and veggie hummus sandwich
|
Dinner |
Mackerel simmered in miso sauce
|
Breakfast |
Raw bananas/Any other fruit
|
Snack |
Organic Pea chips
|
Lunch |
Roasted Tofu and Peanut Noodle salad
|
Dinner |
Pork and Aubergine stir fry
|
The Morning Banana Diet is a straightforward and low effort diet plan. While there are no science-backed benefits of eating bananas, particularly for weight loss, this affordable and readily available fruit has other health benefits.
Bananas are high in fiber; they can help you feel full for longer and can also give you the much needed morning energy boost. A medium raw banana offers about 3 grams of fiber and 105 calories. Bananas are also a good source of vitamins, especially potassium, Vitamin C, and Vitamin B6.
[Read: Banana – A Wonder Fruit!!!]
The diet also emphasizes on adopting healthy habits such as eating slowly, being conscious of what you eat, knowing when you are full, and getting adequate sleep. Many of these aspects can help you reach a healthy weight automatically and may be better for your health in the long run.
The most crucial component of any diet plan is to understand that no single food can help you lose or gain weight. What you need to focus on, therefore, is proper nutrition, a healthy balanced diet and getting, and staying active!
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Having bananas for breakfast does not explicitly affect weight loss. However, the morning banana diet will probably work because you will be eating less food.
Bananas can help you lose weight as they contain good carbohydrates in the form of resistant starch that helps to support weight loss. They are also low in calories and packed with fiber, which can help you feel full for longer.
For weight loss, eating bananas is recommended as a pre or post-workout snack. This helps in boosting stamina as well as recovery.