Eating single foods is the basis of mono food diets. But does this practice really lead to weight loss? We check the facts.
You may have heard of people who eat only bananas or cabbage or apples or eggs, for days and weeks at a time, in a bid to lose weight. This kind of diet plan is called a Mono Diet, or Single Food Diet.
The Mono Diet gained attention when an Australian, known as Freelee – The Banana Girl, came into the spotlight as a YouTube star hailed for her looks. She claims to have eaten only bananas, sometime for weeks at a stretch and consequently dropped quite a few kilos.
A Mono diet demands that you eat only one kind of food. You can choose any kind you want. It is typically a raw fruit or vegetable, but even chocolate and potatoes have served as hot favourites. Advocates of this diet claim it facilitates detoxification and weight loss.
Their rationale is that the digestive organs have less work to do, since there is just one food to process. Nutritionists and scientific experts, however, say mono food diets are avoidable. Here’s why:
#1 No all-round nutrition
Eating one kind of food doesn’t help the body, or digestion in any way. Limiting your diet in this manner, deprives you of essential nutrients. Even though your system will function, the enzymes meant to digest varied foods won’t be active, resulting in gastric disorders and issues such as gallstones. Any weight you lose will also be back, in a matter of days.
#2 Too much of one food causes imbalance
Even the healthiest of foods have their negatives, and an excess will only harm the body. Bananas for example, are high in sugar and you are sure to get more than you need if you eat them and nothing else. Single-food diets are extreme, and not worth risking your health for.
#3 Adverse health affects
Mono food diets can have certain adverse effects on your overall health. After a day or so of eating a single food, you are likely to experience fatigue, headaches, and dizziness. It may also lead to a loss of appetite and general ill-health, due to vitamin and mineral deficiencies.
So, if you need a diet to lose weight, choose a balanced one that provides all-round nutrition. Combine this with exercise, and follow over a sustained period of time, rather than opt for quick fix mono diets.