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Swollen belly, slowed digestion, a sense of heaviness: these are some of the symptoms you may find yourself dealing with after the Easter holidays. A totally protein day, with the exclusion of foods that are high in carbohydrates, such as pasta, bread and cereals, and aerophagia such as flowering and leafy vegetables, can help reduce discomfort and decrease abdominal bloating.
Recommended foods
What to bring to the table, then? We asked the dr. Corrado Pierantoni, specialist in endocrinology and metabolic diseases and clinical nutritionist in Lanciano (Ch). “Green light at proteins – advises the expert – to be chosen preferably among the thin ones. For a day, however, we give up bread, pasta and other foods rich in carbohydrates, including fruits and vegetables. By drastically reducing the intake of carbohydrates, the body will draw on it to obtain energy fat reserves in excess”.
Proteins to choose from:
Milk o HD yogurt (highly digestible), dairy products and cheeses, preferably low in fat.
Meat, fish and eggs. To the red one, prefer white meat, such as rabbit. Yes, even skinless turkey and chicken. Excellent blue fish such as anchovies, sardines, mackerel, but also salmon, tuna and swordfish, particularly rich in fatty acids Omega 3, valuable for cardiovascular health. Also good eggs, sources of noble proteins with a high biological value, ie complete with essential amino acids that are used by our body for the maintenance and construction of cellular structures.
legumes. The alternative, for vegetarians, are legumes. To be preferred, once cooked, passed with a vegetable mill. “This tool that we all have at home – explains the nutritionist – allows you to break the fibers and therefore avoid that unpleasant feeling of abdominal bloating perceived by many people after the consumption of these extraordinary foods, often still too little present in our tables, despite the fact that all the experts in the world of nutrition have long recommended the intake of legumes at least 3 times per week. Plant foods rich in fibers, vitamins and minerals precious for the heart and intestines “. Among the vegetable proteins there are also seitan and soy derivatives such as tofu and tempeh.
Go ahead, then to water. “It is useful for the elimination of waste substances from biological processes”, says Dr. Pierantoni. For this reason, during the totally protein day, it is important to take it in the right dose: at least one and a half liters to drink during the day, starting in the morning. “As in all my diets – recommends the doctor – one drink of water and lemon it appears before breakfast: it is antioxidant, purifying and allows the body to be alkalized after nocturnal acidosis “.
Foods to avoid
What, on the other hand, it is not recommended to eat during this diet day? “First of all, foods containing carbohydrates and rich in sugar, such as pasta, potatoes, pizza, bread, cereals, sweets, snacks, carbonated and sugary drinks, sweets, spreads, fruit juices, etc. ”, explains Dr. Pierantoni. “For a day we also give up fruits and vegetables fresh which, however, even if they have less, still have a certain amount of carbohydrates and, being excellent sources of fermentable fibers, could further contribute to the production of abdominal gas ”.
Once the full protein day is over, you need to go back tonormal power supply. “This is a method that can be followed after days with large meals rich in pasta, bread and sweets, such as holidays or weekends out of town in which we indulge in a few excesses, but then it is important to take all the nutrients fundamental, including carbohydrates, and above all to include in the diet seasonal fruit and vegetables – concludes the doctor – perhaps by checking the quantity of pasta, bread and sweets “.
JUST WAKE UP: A drink of water and lemon
BREAKFAST: A glass of HD milk; a cup of green tea or coffee
MORNING SNACK: 5 slices of defatted raw ham; a cup of green tea
LUNCH: A steak of swordfish with salmoriglio (garlic, oil, parsley, lemon, salt and pepper) or 2 chicken legs without skin cooked in the oven and seasoned with rosemary, oil and salt
AFTERNOON SNACK: A low-fat HD yogurt; a cup of green tea
DINNER: A portion of ricotta or a lentil soup with thyme and marjoram or an omelette of 1 egg whites and 1 yolk with aromatic herbs
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