The problem of being overweight has long troubled the minds of a huge number of people around the world. In some countries it has received national status, and therefore it is not surprising that today there is an impressive selection of weight loss diets for every taste. Finding the one that is perfect for you is not an easy task. We suggest that you familiarize yourself with such a method of obtaining harmony as the horseshoe diet - perhaps this method of getting rid of the hated pounds will be the most effective in your case.
History and features of the weight loss system
The method discussed in our article is the brainchild of Swedish nutritionist Anna Johansson. It is also known by other names: "flower diet", "chamomile diet", "6 (7) petal diet". Such an original name for the author's nutrition system, aimed at burning fat, is due to the fact that Anna presented her development in the form of a flower with seven petals. The number of the latter is equal to the number of days for which the unusual diet is designed. However, often people who use this weight loss technique in practice neglect to observe the seventh dietary day.
The essence of the "6 petals" diet is that you can eat only one specific product every day. In this regard, each petal of an improvised flower - which, by the way, for the sake of convenience, it would be good to draw on a sheet of paper - should contain the name or image of the type of food indicated for consumption on a particular day. It is very important to follow the order in which you consume the treats that the diet allows:
- On the first day you should satisfy your hunger exclusively with fish (which is up to you).
- on the second day you can eat only vegetables.
- on the third day you can eat nothing but chicken fillet.
- the fourth day prescribes to eat only cereal porridges.
- food of the fifth dietary day - natural cottage cheese.
- the sixth day is devoted to eating a variety of fruits.
- on the seventh day you can drink only water (that's why many people ignore it).
Anna Johansson did not specify the amount of each of the above products that is allowed for consumption. This shortcoming has been corrected by other nutritionists: they recommend eating no more than 500 grams of chicken meat, fish and cottage cheese per day. up to 1. 5 kg of vegetables and ripe fruits, maximum 300 g of cereals.
Rules of the Swedish method of weight loss
- The products included in the diet of horses should not be mixed with each other. If this principle is violated, the weight loss process will not be completed and, therefore, it will be difficult to achieve decent results.
- You should eat 4-5 times a day. It is recommended to maintain equal time intervals between meals.
- The food must be chewed very well.
- A variety of culinary dishes can be prepared from one product.
- The preferred methods of cooking are boiling, boiling, baking in the oven, steaming and grilling. It is strictly forbidden to eat fried food.
- Sweets and foods containing them must be completely excluded from the diet.
- The horseshoe diet allows you to replace the chicken fillet with turkey or quail meat. In any case, it is necessary to remove the skin from the carcass.
- When choosing a product for a fish day, you should give preference to pink salmon, salmon, cod, cod, perch, trout and pike. It is allowed to diversify the fish menu with seafood (squid, shrimp, mussels) and seaweed, but their share in the diet of the first nutritional day should be minimal.
- A grain day will be ideal if you eat buckwheat porridge, brown rice, corn and wheat grains, as well as oatmeal. White rice and semolina side dishes are strictly prohibited. In addition to cereal dishes, you can enjoy various flour products (not rich), but without fanaticism.
- Low-fat, low-fat cottage cheese is ideal for the horseshoe diet. This dish can be supplemented with a glass of natural unsweetened yogurt with fruit and berry additives and 1% kefir. All other fermented dairy products cannot be included in the diet of this weight loss method.
- For vegetables, it is better to eat various types of cabbage, zucchini, lettuce, spinach, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, onions, garlic and various greens. The inclusion of dishes from corn, legumes, potatoes and eggplants in the vegetable diet of the "6 Petals" diet should be abandoned. Plant foods can be eaten raw, baked, boiled, steamed, slow-cooked or boiled. It is not forbidden to prepare soups from vegetables; drinking freshly squeezed vegetable juices is also welcome.
- Any fruit is allowed to be enjoyed, with the exception of particularly carbohydrates, i. e. bananas, mangoes, melons, figs and grapes.
- If the menu of any day of the petal diet seems too monotonous to you, add a few boiled mushrooms, a few boiled chicken eggs (optional - an omelette).
- It is allowed to wash down food with herbal teas, flower and green tea and rosehip infusion. The consumption of carbonated drinks (especially sweet), alcohol, coffee and even regular black tea is excluded.
- Throughout the diet, be sure to drink plenty of clean table or mineral water, without gas. The optimal volume of fluid taken by a person losing weight during the day is 1. 5-2 liters.
- The maximum duration of the feeding system is seven days.
- The repeated use of the services of a weight loss method should be done no earlier than one month after the completion of the Swedish weight loss system.
Warning: under no circumstances do the "6 Petals" diet immediately after illness, because this is a great burden for a weakened body.
Petal nutrition: pros and cons
The advantages of the Swedish weight loss method include:
- high performance - allows you to lose weight in a short time.
- ease and speed of cooking.
- availability of food products prescribed by the petal diet.
- lack of hunger;
- adequate amount of protein and fiber in the diet.
- high-quality cleansing of the body from waste and toxins.
- eliminate constipation;
- normalization of the digestive process.
- you don't need to count calories consumed daily and eat according to a strict schedule.
- variety of diets, if we consider it in general - in relation to this, any product prescribed by the diet does not have time to become boring for the person who is losing weight.
- low-calorie diet on carbohydrate days (vegetables, fruits and grains).
The main advantage of the "6 petals" diet is the absence of harm to health with the logical and correct practice of the nutritional system.
We cannot ignore the disadvantages of a weight loss program. This:
- the need for additional multivitamin intake.
- the appearance of general weakness, constant fatigue and, as a result, a decrease in performance due to the low energy value of products included in the diet of cereals, fruits and vegetables.
- rapid return of lost kilograms in case of non-compliance with the petal diet.
- quite impressive cost of the share of products defined by the method.
- many contraindications (diabetes, kidney and liver pathologies, stomach and duodenal ulcer, cardiovascular diseases, hormonal imbalances, pregnancy and breastfeeding in women, children, teenagers and old age).
Sample menu for the "6 Petals" diet.
![The daily fish meal of the 6 petals diet can include steamed salmon](/images/articles/942/The%20daily%20fish%20meal%20of%20the%206%20petals%20diet%20can%20include%20steamed%20salmon.jpg)
Fish day petal nutrition
Option one:
- Breakfast - 200 g of steamed salmon.
- Second breakfast - a glass of green tea without sugar.
- In the middle of the day, eat a cup of fish broth.
- Have dinner with 2-3 pieces of boiled salmon.
Option two:
- At breakfast, eat some boiled pollen (about 150 g).
- As part of lunch, they consume a cup of berry juice, prepared without added sugar.
- They have lunch with 200 ml fish soup from cod fillet.
- Dinner consists of 250 grams of pink salmon, baked in the oven.
Ideally, you should stick to a portion size so that the total amount of fish consumed per day does not exceed 500 grams.
![On the vegetable day of the six-petal diet, both raw and cooked vegetables are consumed.](/images/articles/942/On%20the%20vegetable%20day%20of%20the%20six-petal%20diet,%20both%20raw%20and%20cooked%20vegetables%20are%20consumed.%20.jpg)
Vegetable day of the "6 petals" diet.
Option one:
- Breakfast is carrot and cabbage salad (fresh vegetables are used) sprinkled with lemon juice.
- Boiled green beans are used as a snack.
- For lunch they eat boiled vegetables, i. e. grated carrots and cauliflower (about 330 g).
- In the evening they eat a salad, the ingredients of which are rocket leaves, fresh tomato and sweet pepper.
Option two:
- Breakfast - chopped vegetables (200 g) and an unlimited amount of chopped greens.
- Second breakfast - boiled grated beets with a few cloves of chopped garlic.
- Lunch is a serving of broccoli soup.
- For an afternoon snack, eat 1 fresh cucumber.
- The last meal is zucchini boiled in vegetable oil with carrots and onions.
![Grilled chicken fillet - a delicious dish for chicken day in the 6 Petals diet.](/images/articles/942/Grilled%20chicken%20fillet%20-%20a%20delicious%20dish%20for%20chicken%20day%20in%20the%206%20Petals%20diet.%20.jpg)
Chicken day petal diet
Option one:
- In the morning, eat boiled chicken breast (150 g), the mild taste of which can be enhanced by using your favorite spices.
- After a few hours, they feast on chicken baked in the oven (no more than 100 g).
- Lunch is a cup of chicken stock with chopped herbs.
- In the evening, eat skinless grilled chicken fillet (200 g).
Option two:
- In the morning they get strength by eating two cutlets.
- As part of lunch, drink a cup of green or herbal tea.
- At noon they eat soup cooked in chicken broth with pieces of chicken meat, but no vegetables.
- At the end of the day they enjoy baked chicken.
![Day four of Anna Johansson's diet is filled with a variety of rich grains](/images/articles/942/Day%20four%20of%20Anna%20Johansson's%20diet%20is%20filled%20with%20a%20variety%20of%20rich%20grains.jpg)
Cereal day of the "6 petals" diet.
- Breakfast - oatmeal, boiled in water (150 g).
- Second breakfast - brown rice cooked in a slow cooker (same amount).
- After 2 hours, satisfy your hunger with buckwheat steamed with boiling water (no more than 200 g).
- For afternoon tea, drink a glass of rose infusion.
- Dinner is a serving of boiled quinoa with dried herbs.
![For the fifth day of the 6-petal diet, only low-fat or low-fat cottage cheese is suitable](/images/articles/942/For%20the%20fifth%20day%20of%20the%206-petal%20diet,%20only%20low-fat%20or%20low-fat%20cottage%20cheese%20is%20suitable.jpg)
Horseshoe diet: curd day
We offer two menu options to choose from:
First choice
- Have breakfast with cheesecakes cooked in the oven (150 g). It is better to eat them without cream.
- As part of the second breakfast, enjoy the taste of Greek yogurt without additives (½ cup).
- The next meal is low-fat cottage cheese (200 g) and a glass of 1% kefir.
- During dinner, drink 250 ml of fermented milk.
Second choice
- In the morning, eat low-fat cottage cheese (150 g) with a pinch of ground cinnamon.
- For lunch they also drink low-fat milk (one glass is enough).
- For lunch, they enjoy lots of cheese curds without filling and chocolate frosting.
- The evening meal consists of a mixture of natural cottage cheese and unsweetened yogurt.
![The last day of the 6 petals diet is based on fruits, from which you can prepare fresh](/images/articles/942/The%20last%20day%20of%20the%206%20petals%20diet%20is%20based%20on%20fruits,%20from%20which%20you%20can%20prepare%20fresh.jpg)
Fruit day of the "6 petals" diet.
It is worth noting that in addition to ripe fruits, it also includes the use of any berries that do not have a particularly sweet taste.
There are also two sample menu options:
First choice
- Breakfast - orange-pear salad with strawberries and 1 tsp. honey
- During the second breakfast, eat 1 large green apple.
- Lunch consists of a portion of apple-peach salad and lots of kiwi fruit.
- For an afternoon snack, eat 1 orange or drink 200 ml of fresh orange juice.
- In the evening, recharge your batteries by drinking a fruit and berry smoothie and a cup of herbal tea.
Second choice
- At the beginning of the day, get rid of the feeling of hunger thanks to a puree of two grated apples and five apricots.
- A few tangerines serve as a snack.
- Lunch is a combination of two baked apples with cinnamon and fresh pineapple (200 g).
- At the end of the day, they only allow themselves to taste ½ grapefruit and a handful of prunes.
The seventh day of the diet is followed by those who prefer the "7 petal" weight loss system to the six petal weight loss method. Throughout the day you are required to drink plenty of fluids and any food is prohibited. To maintain the optimal water balance in the body, you can absorb not only ordinary and mineral water, but also fruit juice and compote of dried berries and fruits without added sugar, fruit and berry infusions. green, herbal and hibiscus tea.
Petal diet: a smart solution
The more responsible the attitude towards this fact, the greater the probability of stabilization of the result achieved through the weight loss technique. Here you should focus on several points:
- During the first two to three days after completing the diet, the diet should include foods prescribed by the diet.
- Then you need to gradually dilute the menu with other foods, adhering to the principle of introducing 1-2 new treats daily.
- The energy value of the food consumed must also be increased very slowly. In general, the daily calorie content of the menu should remain relatively low for a few weeks. At the end of this period, this number should increase to 1600-1800 kcal.
- Sweet, fatty and fried foods, smoked and spicy foods can be included 14 days after the end of the horseshoe diet. However, they should be consumed occasionally and in small quantities, then this will not affect body weight in any way.
- They exercise moderately every day, giving preference to gymnastics, aerobics, walking and swimming.
Petal nutrition: results and reviews
The author of the petal weight loss method guarantees that those who lose weight will lose from 2. 5 to 5 kg of excess weight in 1 cycle (6 or 7 days). Thus, in 3-4 dietary cycles, exercised at intervals, you can really get rid of 8-12 kg of unnecessary calories.
Those who decided to try this nutritional system for themselves confirm the truth of these statements. Most people like the fact that the horseshoe diet is not rigid, satisfying, gives quick results and does not require much time to prepare dishes. But many do not like the monotony and imbalance of the diet, and even more so the side effect in the form of upset stools and the presence of a hungry day (when you choose the "7 petals" variant).
Reviews from nutritionists about this weight loss program are also mixed. Some experts approve such a short-term method of solving problems with excess weight, arguing that it simply does not have time to negatively affect a person's health. Others warn about the many contraindications of the horseshoe diet and the possible negative consequences of the weight loss method for the body.
Considering all this, we recommend using this system only after consulting a doctor. This way you can avoid wasting time and health problems.