Il cucumber it is the most thirst-quenching vegetable of the summer. And it is also one of the best suited for stimulate diuresis and counteract water retention.
It is in fact very rich in water (96,5% by weight) and in addition it contains azulene, an active ingredient also present in chamomile which reduces inflammation and decongests the tissues. «Thanks to its detoxifying and deflating effect, cucumber is an excellent aid (together with other seasonal vegetables) to lose weight», assures Dr. Carla Lertola, dietician.
Only flaw: many people have a hard time digesting it. "But the problem can be solved by focusing on the carousel, which does not bother the stomach because it is completely devoid of cucurbitacin", says Dr. Maria Paola Dall'Erta, biologist-chef, who used this variety of cucumber in the delicious recipe you find below.
7 light days with seasonal foods
This menu, developed by Dr. Carla Lertola's team, refers to the Mediterranean diet, the most suitable for gradually losing weight and learning to have a correct eating style. Follow it for 1 week - it provides 1400-1500 calories per day for you and 1800-1900 for him.
Ps If you don't like a dish, you can replace it with a similar one. The important thing is that you respect the quantities indicated at the bottom right.
MONDAY
Breakfast
Coffee or tea
Low-fat milk
Wholemeal biscuits
Snack
Plums
Lunch
Roast chicken
Mixed steamed vegetables
Mixed grain bread
Snack
Watermelon
Price
Grilled sea bream fillets with oregano
Escarole sauteed with garlic and chilli
Whole grain bread
TUESDAY
Breakfast
Coffee or tea
Low-fat fruit yogurt
Toasted wholemeal bread
1 teaspoon of honey
Snack
Fishing
Lunch
Spaghetti cheese and pepper
Lettuce in salad
Snack
Apple
Price
Bresaola with rocket and lemon
Eggplant sautéed
Whole grain bread
WEDNESDAY
Breakfast
Coffee or tea
Partial milk skimmed
Wholemeal rusks
2 teaspoons of jam
Snack
Cherries
Lunch
Cold pasta and beans
Julienne raw courgettes
Snack
Melon
Price
Hard-boiled eggs
Mixed salad of lettuce, radishes and tomatoes
White bread
THURSDAY
Breakfast
Coffee or tea
Low-fat white yogurt
Muesli
Snack
Blueberries
Lunch
Carousel cucumbers stuffed with barley and feta with parsley (see recipe)
Lettuce
Snack
Plums
Price
Baked sole with leeks
Boiled potatoes
Escarole in salads
FRIDAY
Breakfast
Coffee or tea
Low-fat fruit yogurt
Cereal flakes
Snack
Fishing
Lunch
Warm cream of lentils and turnips
Tomato salad
Rye bread
Snack
Watermelon
Price
Turkey stew with rosemary and sage
Beets sautéed in a pan
Whole grain bread
Saturday
Breakfast
Coffee or tea
Partial milk skimmed
Biscuits
Snack
Apple
Lunch
Spaghetti with tomato sauce and baby octopus
Sautéed zucchini
Snack
Melon
Price
Mozzarella fior di latte Tomatoes and cucumbers
Wholemeal friselle
Sunday
Breakfast
Coffee or tea Low-fat white yogurt
Cereal flakes
Snack
Plums
Lunch
Grilled rib eye steak
Grilled courgettes, aubergines and tomatoes
Whole grain bread
Snack
Fishing
Price
Chickpeas boiled with brown rice
Grilled peppers
Mixed green salad
The first value of the quantities given below are ideal for her, the second for him.
Everyday
Bakery products (biscuits and rusks): 30 g • 40 g
or
Breakfast cereals: 30 g • 40 g
They cannot provide more than 430 calories per 100g: check the value on the label! And they must preferably be whole (in order to ensure greater quantities of fiber).
Low-fat milk: 150 g • 200 g
or
Low-fat yogurt (including fruit): 125-150 g • 200 g
vegetable: free and in abundance
Fruit: 400 g • 400 g
Aromatic herbs and spices: without limitations
Extra virgin olive oil: 4 tsp • 6 tsp
Salt for seasoning: 2,5 g • 2,5 g
2 times a day of your choice
Bread, pasta or grain cereals: 70-80 g • 100-120 g
or
Potatoes: 200-250 g • 300 g
Rotating during the week (1 choice per meal)
Beef: 120 g • 150 g
Fish: 150 g • 200 g
Fresh cheeses: 100 g • 100 g
Seasoned cheeses: 50 g • 70 g
Dried vegetables: 60 g • 80 g
Frozen, fresh, canned legumes: 140 g • 200 g
Lean meats or without visible fat: 60 g • 70 g
eggs: 2 • 2 (once a week)
Carousel cucumbers stuffed with barley and feta
Ingredients for 4 people: 8 carousel cucumbers, 400 g of feta, 320 g of hulled barley, 40 g of extra virgin olive oil, 8 cherry tomatoes, 10 desalted capers, parsley, chives, salt, pepper.
Boil the barley, drain it and let it cool. Chop the parsley, chives and capers. Mash the feta cheese with a fork and flavor it with the mix you have prepared. Divide the cucumbers in half lengthwise and empty them of their pulp.
Set that soda aside and cut it into cubes. Combine the barley, feta, cucumber pulp and diced and seeded tomatoes, season with oil, salt and pepper and use to fill the carousel. Let it rest for 30 minutes and then serve.
