English diet: rules, menu and results

The English diet is called strict, so it is not recommended for those who are new to diets and whose body is not yet accustomed to experiencing such stress. For experienced dieters, it may well be suitable. Today we’ll tell you what the essence of such nutrition is and how to follow the English diet correctly. 

The English diet and its essence

The basic essence of such a nutritional system is expressed in the process of alternating protein and vegetable nutrition, where the duration of each period is a couple of days. In addition, the daily nutritional value should be limited to 1,000 kcal. The advantage of the proposed diet is that if you fully adhere to the rules and established diet plan, such unpleasant moments as brutal hunger, fatigue, dizziness and weakness will not make themselves felt. On the contrary, for the entire duration of the diet the body will be thoroughly cleansed and you will feel a surge of strength, and your internal systems will begin to function like clockwork.

Normalization of blood sugar levels is also noted, excess cholesterol disappears, the pressure returns to normal, the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract improves. In general, this diet method is recommended not only for those who want to lose extra pounds, but also for those who have been treated with antibiotics for a long time. Since the English diet helps remove all harmful substances from the body.

It’s better to start losing weight without sudden transitions and use a couple of three as an input fasting days. During this time, it is better not to eat anything except two slices of rye bread. During the preparatory period, you need to drink a large amount of water, milk and kefir, in a total volume of at least two liters.

In general, the diet is based on five basic principles that must be followed without fail:

• Drink a large spoon of olive oil at night. It is not only useful due to its chemical composition, but also helps cleanse the body.
• You can't eat anything after seven in the evening.
• Give up the usual salt, replacing it with spices. If this is difficult to do, then at least replace it with a marine one.
• When preparing foods, simmer, boil or steam them, but do not fry them. Grilling without oil is acceptable.
• Drink more fluids.

With prolonged adherence, a lack of important elements may occur, so they need to be replenished by parallel intake of vitamin complexes. The rigidity of the diet is compensated by amazing results, which can be expressed in getting rid of 8-12 kg of excess weight in twenty days. Because of this effectiveness, you can hear how this diet is also called “thin waist”. For those who do not like long diets, you can offer a short option, which lasts only five days.

Menu on the English diet

Do not forget that you cannot eat foods that are not on the “allowed” list. Acceptable in this power system are:

• Vegetables. It’s good if it’s carrots, bell peppers, green beans, celery, eggplant and pumpkin, onions and garlic.
• Groats. Semolina, buckwheat, oats and rice.
• Fruits. Give preference to kiwi, bananas, lemons, apples, pears, grapes, pineapples.
• Nuts in small quantities. The best choices would be walnuts, cedar and hazelnuts.
• Spices - black pepper, basil, cinnamon, mint and thyme.

Alcoholic drinks, baked goods, desserts and other goodies, milk, salt, pasta, soda, fatty sauces, mayonnaise and meat are strictly prohibited.

The approximate nutrition is structured as follows:

Diet time - 7 days

For breakfast we take 200 kcal. This may include one of the following options:

• a slice of dried bread, 0.5 cups of fresh juice and one boiled egg;
• a third of a small plate of oatmeal with a large spoon of raisins and 150 g of fresh juice;
• a couple of spoons of boiled oatmeal or buckwheat and a green apple;
• 200 g serving of fruit salad and a glass of kefir.

Lunch is about 300 kcal, so it might look like one of the following:

• one potato, boiled in its jacket, a hundred gram portion of cottage cheese and a fruit salad, an apple with a pear and a vegetable salad;
• broth prepared according to a vegetarian recipe, grated cheese in the amount of 25 g, an apple and a whole grain bun;
• vegetable omelette made from a couple of eggs and adding cheese, tomato, green pepper, apple and mushrooms;
• a couple of slices of dry bread, a 50 g portion of baked beans and one hundred grams of fresh fruit.

Dinner in this case is the most nutritious and amounts to 500 kcal.

• a dish of hot beans and a portion of fruit in the amount of 100 g;
• potatoes, boiled in their skins, 60 g of baked beans, a couple of glasses of kefir with the addition of chopped apricots;
• soup with vegetables, a portion of grated cheese, a whole grain bun and dried apricots.

Diet time - 14 days

Indicative menu for days 1, 4, 8 and 14 (serving = 100 g):

• for breakfast, a portion of rice (brown), a mug of green tea and one grapefruit;
• for second breakfast, a double portion of carrot salad, herbal tea and an apple;
• for lunch, 2.5 servings of vegetable broth and a double serving of boiled vegetables;
• for an afternoon snack, half a pineapple (can be replaced with a couple of oranges or three kiwis);
• for dinner, a vegetable salad with fruit juice or herbal tea.

Indicative menu for the 2nd, 5th, 9th and 12th days:

• in the morning, steamed oatmeal, herbal tea and applesauce;
• for second breakfast, a portion of hazelnuts with fruit juice;
• for lunch, borscht prepared according to vegetarian principles, a double portion of potatoes baked in olive oil, a double portion of eggplant and herbal tea;
• for an afternoon snack, a triple portion of cabbage salad;
• for dinner, a triple portion of fruit salad.

Indicative menu for the 3rd, 6th, 10th and 13th days;

• for breakfast, a double portion of buckwheat, a cup of green tea and a banana;
• for second breakfast, a triple portion of salad with tomatoes and cucumbers, fresh fruit juice;
• for lunch, 2.5 servings of fish broth, a serving of boiled fish, a double serving of salad and a cup of herbal tea;
• for an afternoon snack, a triple portion of grapes;
• For dinner, a double portion of fruit salad.

The seventh and fourteenth days are fasting days. The menu of this duo is limited to only two kilograms of vegetables and fruits, which are eaten throughout the day in small portions, as well as four glasses of herbal tea. Every morning you should definitely drink a glass of warm water, in which a spoonful of lemon juice is first diluted.

Diet time - 21 days

You can build a menu for such a long period on your own, adhering to the maximum nutritional value guideline and the list of acceptable foods.

For a protein diet, you can use something like this menu:

• for breakfast, a cup of boiled coffee, a cracker and a small spoon of natural honey;
• for lunch, broth from lean meat or fish, a small piece of boiled fish or meat, a piece of rye bread;
• for an afternoon snack, a cup of tea with honey;
• for dinner boiled meat, half a portion of cheese and a slice of bread.

And for vegetable nutrition it looks approximately like this:

• for breakfast a couple of oranges or apples;
• for lunch, vegetable soup, vinaigrette and a slice of bread;
• for an afternoon snack, a couple of oranges or apples;
• for dinner, a vegetable salad, green hour with ice and a slice of bread.

English diet: reviews

Reviews from those who have already tried the English diet are predominantly positive. Girls confirm from their own experience the effectiveness of such nutrition, but at the same time they say that sticking to the classic variation, which lasts 21 days, is quite problematic, so many people like the mini version. If you have not been on a diet before, then for starters it is better to choose a more gentle option or choose a short variation of the English nutrition system. But if during the process you feel unwell, stop the hunger strike and eat normally, health comes first!