Kefir has a very lively history of origin and the aura of a wonderful product. Unsurprisingly, other properties are mixed with real healing properties in the collective consciousness: for example, rapid and painless weight loss without adverse effects. We understand what kefir is really good for and we study kefir diets from all sides looking for advantages and disadvantages.
History of kefir
Just imagine: in the glass of kefir you drink today, there is a trace of the drink he drank hundreds of years ago.
Kefir was made from cow's milk, which got "fungi" from streptococci and sticks, acetic acid bacteria and yeast. Most likely, according to researchers, this fungus came from kumis, a beverage made from mare's milk, and entered cow's milk when Caucasian tribes changed their nomadic lifestyle to a living room and began cultivating. Scientists have not yet been able to artificially remove the kefir fungus, new parts of the starter culture are obtained through the reproduction of existing fungi.
Kefir is now drunk everywhere, from Kazakhstan to Australia, but specific bacteria based on a modern product can be found in a specific area, the Elbrus region. People living on the northern slope of the Caucasus ridge considered kefir as a gift from Allah Himself, so the drink was surrounded by special rituals and superstitions.
For example, it was forbidden to sell kefir fungi, they believed that this would take away their healing power. But they could be stolen - with the tacit permission of the owner.
Another ritual: the mountaineers poured milk with kefir fungi on a leather skin and put it in the sun, next to the path to the house. Passers-by could show respect to the owner by kicking the skin - the shaking made the fermentation process more intense.
The first official message about the benefits of kefir was made by the Tbilisi physician Jogin in 1867. But the production of the drink at that time was still a carefully guarded secret of the highlanders. The situation changed thanks to an employee of a well-known large dairy company. After a mission, he visited the estate of a rich Karahai and received - for the first time in history - 10 pounds of fungal kefir "grains" either as a gift or as legal compensation for an unsuccessful courtship. So kefir finally started to be produced industrially.
The benefits of kefir
As early as the end of the 19th century, doctors launched a real large-scale campaign to promote the benefits of kefir, the repercussions of which still affect us. The legendary scientist, awarded the Nobel Prize, studied the benefits of fermented dairy products and living microorganisms of probiotics throughout his life.
Further investigation confirmed his speculation. Kefir has a beneficial effect on the intestinal microflora and metabolism in general, preventing the growth of pathogenic flora. It also has an immunostimulatory, sedative and mild diuretic effect, ie it frees the body from excess fluids.
Kefir exceeds yogurt in content of vitamins A, D, K, E, contains useful organic and amino acids, enzymes and important trace elements - iron, iodine, calcium, potassium, sodium, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc - in the amounts that a person needsof.
The older the kefir, the more sour its taste and the more ethyl alcohol it contains. In any case, there is not much: until the end of life, a maximum of 1 degree of fortress, it is safe to get behind the wheel after a whole bottle of kefir. But children should be fed with fresh kefir a day.
For people with lactose intolerance, kefir helps in the normal absorption of this carbohydrate. Kefir contains few calories and a lot of moisture, so it helps maintain water balance and at the same time brings a feeling of fullness. Unsurprisingly, the product has become the basis of an entire galaxy of diets.
The essence of the kefir diet
Kefir is nutritious and light, improves the function of the digestive system and helps in rapid weight loss, dramatically reducing the amount of calories consumed and removing excess fluids. Many people consider the kefir diet as a single diet, ie a diet made from one product, but this is the most radical option: you are allowed to eat only kefir without harming your health for a maximum of 24 hours. Most often, kefir is combined for 3, 7 or 9 days with other low-calorie foods. Particularly popular are the kefir-buckwheat diet, the kefir-banana diet, the kefir-curd diet and the cucumber-kefir diet.
Kefir, by the way, was glorified by the famous kefir diet of a popular singer: the story is silent about whether a really famous singer used it, at some point in her career she really lost a lot of weight. The star diet menu includes, of course, kefir, as well as low-fat cottage cheese, chicken breast, fruit and jacket potatoes.
The kefir diet for weight loss is definitely suitable. However, it severely reduces the supply of nutrients, relies on hunger and puts the body in a state of intense stress. Is the result worth it? See how they write about the kefir diet online:
- "Minus 12 kilos in 3 weeks. I lost weight, but I will never do it again !!! "I thought I was going to starve. "
- "Kefir diet is effective if you follow it correctly. But without exercise, the result will not be. You should at least do some exercises. Try to drink only kefir for 1 day. If you feel unwell, you better stop… ".
- "A week without food. Generally. A kefir and water. The consequences have come. Probably the toughest of all the diets I have tried. »
General rules for the kefir diet
- Kefir is the main product of the diet. You should drink about 1. 5 liters a day. The rest are low-calorie carbohydrates and proteins: meat, fish, vegetables, fruits and cottage cheese.
- You should eat in small portions, at least five times a day.
- Between main meals, you can drink kefir as a snack.
- Although kefir is well thirsty, you should also drink at least 1. 5 liters of water a day.
- All flours, fatty, heavy, fried and spicy foods are excluded. Sugar and salt are kept to a minimum (or it would be better to exclude them altogether).
- Getting off the kefir diet should be done carefully and smoothly: going to a party or eating pizza is not the best idea if you want to maintain the results.
How to choose the right kefir
Choose fresh kefir - no more than 2-3 days from the date of production - low fat. A completely fat-free diet is not the best choice because the body needs fat.
The composition must contain exactly the "kefir yeast" from cultures of fungi, yeast and fermented milk. Do not buy fermented kefir or milk drinks.
The protein in the right kefir is not less than 3% - it is necessary so that weight loss does not lose excessive muscle mass.
Caution: we do not need additives, dyes, sugars, palm oil and milk powder in the composition. The ideal is farm kefir.
The shelf life of natural kefir is 7-10 days from the date of production. If the label says longer, there are probably preservatives in the composition. Do not buy kefir that has been spoiled before: it is divided into whey and flakes, it turns yellow and has a bitter taste and sour aroma. Dishonest manufacturers may try to cover up the damage with an opaque bottle or package.
How can you replace kefir in your diet?
If for some reason kefir is not available to you or the taste does not suit him at all, you can try alternatives:
- Yogurt without additives.Choose a product carefully, for taste and thickness, often starch and sugar are added to it.
- Other low-fat fermented milk productsfor example, fermented milk, tan or ayran.
- Sour milk.It is easy to make at home: just leave the milk in an enamel bowl at room temperature for a day.
List of Approved Products
| Can | It is forbidden |
|---|---|
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Kefir diet for 3 days
If we reject the mono-diet in kefir, the most difficult choice for the body, the kefir diet for 3 days will be the strongest in terms of the effect on the body. If time is short, it will help you to attack the weight quickly and shock.
The general principle is one: about 1. 5 liters of kefir per day for 5-6 doses. In addition, other low calorie foods are acceptable. The most popular options are buckwheat, cottage cheese, apples, vegetables. You can exchange kefir with a single product - apples, for example. But it is better to make your food, even on a diet, as varied and interesting as possible.
For example, a kefir diet menu might look like this:
Day 1
- BREAKFAST:oatmeal, tea with honey.
- Dinner:stew, vegetable soup.
- Dinner:green salad.
- Snack:kefir.
Day 2
- BREAKFAST:boiled egg, rose broth.
- Dinner:salad, vegetable soup.
- Dinner:vegetable salad, tea.
- Snack:kefir.
Day 3
- BREAKFAST:curd pot, tea.
- Dinner:boiled fish, salad.
- Dinner:buckwheat porridge, chamomile tea.
- Snack:kefir.
Kefir diet for 7 days
The kefir diet for a week allows you to achieve impressive results: minus 7-10 kg. As it is more time consuming, it is important to eat as varied as possible.
In one of the diet options, every day is supposed to combine kefir with only one low-calorie product, for example, apples, but you can simply stretch the three-day diet plan for a week, eating according to the program "porridge for breakfast, protein and vegetables for lunch and dinner, kefir in between ".
Sample menu:
- Day 1:Divide in 5 portions about 200-250 g of boiled lean meat and 1. 5 liters of kefir.
- Day 2:5 large apples and 1. 5 liters of kefir per day.
- Day 3:300 g cottage cheese 3-5% fat and 1. 5 liters of kefir.
- Day 4:250 g of steamed white fish and 1. 5 liters of kefir.
- Day 5:500 g cucumber and tomato salad and 1. 5 liters of kefir.
- Day 6:250 g chicken fillet and 1. 5 liters of kefir.
- Day 7:2 liters of kefir and plums to taste.
Kefir diet for 9 days
Choice for the most persistent. Eating only meat or cottage cheese every day is boring, but in order not to cook something new every day, take the menu as a basis for 3 days and alternate it. For example, like this:
Days 1, 4, 7
- BREAKFAST:oatmeal, egg, tea with honey.
- Dinner:stew, green salad.
- Dinner:vegetables, dried fruits.
- Snack:kefir, apples.
Day 2, 5, 8
- BREAKFAST: toast and rose broth.
- Dinner:boiled fish with vegetables.
- Dinner:an apple, a slice of low-fat cheese.
- Snack:kefir, cottage cheese.
Day 3, 6, 9
- BREAKFAST:steam omelette, green tea.
- Dinner:chicken soup, salad, a slice of brown bread.
- Dinner:Steamed fish, buckwheat porridge.
- Snack:kefir.
Recipe: Kefir with cinnamon and ginger
Above all, as a rule, those who lose weight with kefir do not have enough sweets. A simple recipe will help: add cinnamon and ginger to kefir. Ginger has heating and caustic properties, while the smell and taste of cinnamon are pleasantly sweet. You can drink the prepared mixture in the morning, for liveliness, in the evening, to start the processes of debugging the digestive system or you can take it with you on the road.
Components:
- kefir 500 ml
- ground ginger 1 tsp
- ground cinnamon 1 tsp
- Other spices: clove, pepper.
Mix the kefir with spices using a whisk or blender and pour it into small bottles. The drink should be drunk on the same day. Be careful with brightly colored peppers and other spices if you have a sensitive stomach or damage to your intestinal lining.
How to properly end a kefir diet
Nutritionists warn: the kefir diet is suitable for perfectly healthy people without problems with the gastrointestinal tract and the slightest signs of eating disorders.
Even they can experience unpleasant symptoms such as stomach aches and will almost inevitably regain the weight they have already lost, as is the case with any high blood pressure diet that is effective in the short term.
In order not to immediately return the weight, get out of the diet smoothly. Continue to eat in fractions and limit your total calorie intake to 1000-1500 kcal for at least a week. Continue to drink at least 1. 5 liters of water a day and avoid starchy foods, heavy and fatty foods for at least 2 weeks. It is better to make the basis of the diet light soups, vegetable salads, cereals and boiled meat. Introduce other products gradually, one product every 2-3 days.
Because the kefir diet is bad
Any diet that severely restricts dietary diversity simply may not be beneficial in the long run. The kefir diet for every day is definitely not suitable. There are three categories of people who can do more harm than good.
- People with disorders and diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, kidneys, lactose intolerance. Kefir can cause diarrhea and dehydration, stomach pain and flatulence. The ethyl alcohol in the composition is also harmful to the intestinal mucosa.
- Children, pregnant and lactating women. Variety of foods is vital for them. Depriving the body of fats and carbohydrates, even for several days, means inhibition of growth and development.
- People with eating disorders. Let's be honest, few people get excited about the taste of kefir without additives. You literally have to push yourself to drink it. If this continues for more than a few days, the chance of damage increases exponentially.
Advantages of the kefir diet
Simplicity, efficiency, lots of fluids. Potential benefits for the gastrointestinal tract and microflora. A large amount of calcium has a beneficial effect on the condition of bones, nails and teeth.
Disadvantages of the kefir diet
Stress for the body from nutritional deficiencies, lack of vitamins and taste. Possibly indigestion, flatulence, constipation or diarrhea, stomach upset. Increased acidity of the product can worsen the condition of people with gout, rheumatism and high acidity of gastric fluid.