To lose weight in a healthy and effective way, you don't have to pay attention to calories, but to the composition of what you bring to the table. Doctor is absolutely convinced of it Pier Luigi Rossi, specialist in Food Science and in Hygiene and Preventive Medicine in Arezzo and creator of the molecular method, so named to emphasize the importance of the nutrients contained in foods compared to the energy they provide.
"70 g of Parmesan and 80 g of pasta are both worth 280 calories, but they are made up of very different molecules, each of which has a different impact on the body", points out our expert. With his help we try to understand what should we eat.
Too many "refined" carbohydrates and saturated fats make your metabolism go haywire
Whether the metabolism goes haywire depends on what we put in the menu. «The modern diet is exaggeratedly rich in white bread, refined pasta and rice (sources of easily assimilated carbohydrates) and of red meat, cheese and eggs (full of saturated fat) », explains Dr. Rossi. "All these foods promote weight gain, both because the excess sugars present in the blood are transformed by insulin into fat, and because they inflame the body and unbalance the intestinal bacterial flora on which the ability of cells to burn calories depends ".
Soluble fiber and "good" lipids encourage cells to use more calories
The molecular method provides for a very small intake of the food under accusation. «The diet is balanced and is based on a precise sequence of foods within the meal. The menu abounds low glycemic index carbohydrates, that is, those that do not cause the blood sugar level to rise excessively but rather keep it stable, prolonging the sense of satiety. Among these are whole grain cereals, legumes and vegetables: they are rich in water-soluble fiber, which slows down the absorption of glucose and lipids.
As for the fats present, they are almost exclusively monounsaturated ones (supplied in particular by olive oil) and polyunsaturated ones (which are abundant in dried fruit and fish) », says our expert.
2 weeks to rebalance the microbiota and 5 to streamline critical points
The diet is divided into two phases (see the menus below). «The first lasts 2 weeks: it serves a limit the amount of saturated lipids circulating in the body and to restore the integrity of the intestinal microbiota. There are 3 cycles of 5 days, 4 of which are based on plant foods only and the fifth with the addition of eggs and fish.
The next phase, on the other hand, consists of 7 cycles of 5 days, for a total of 5 weeks. The goal is activate the consumption of fats accumulated inside the cells, with consequent reduction of rolls. In each 4-day cycle they have mainly protein meals, which serve to regulate the secretion of insulin (the hormone that transforms excess sugars in the blood into fat) and are based on meat, fish, eggs, dairy products plus vegetables and a reduced amount of carbohydrates such as bread and fruit; one day, on the other hand, it provides mainly carbohydrate meals, with pasta or whole grains or legumes as well as vegetables and fruit, to avoid ketosis and provide adequate doses of glucose to the body ", concludes the expert.
REBALANCES INTESTINAL FLORA - PHASE 1
With 4 vegan days + 1 vegetarian you reduce inflammation, reset the microbiota and reactivate the metabolism. Repeat the menu 3 times. And remember: the portions of vegetables are always free.
Day 1
Breakfast
1 cup unsweetened green tea + 1 glass of plant milk to taste + 1 slice of buckwheat bread + 3 nuts + 1 unsweetened coffee if you like
Snack
1 kiwi
Lunch
Songino and rocket salad + rice (70 g) with vegetables + green beans with marjoram
Merenda
1 cup of unsweetened barley + 1 apple and carrot juice
Price
Spinach and avocado salad + 70 g of lentils + steamed fennel
Giorno 2
Breakfast
1 cup of unsweetened kombucha tea + 1 glass of vegetable milk to taste + 2 corn cakes + 6 almonds + 1 unsweetened coffee, if desired
Snack
1 orange juice
Lunch
Radicchio + spelled salad (70 g) with mushrooms + baked artichoke hearts
Merenda
1 cup of unsweetened barley + 1 grapefruit and pear extract
Price
Mixed salad with walnuts + 1 plate of leek cream with 70 g of pearl barley + baked onions
Day 3
Breakfast
1 cup of unsweetened green tea + 1 glass of vegetable milk to taste + 2 tablespoons of puffed quinoa + 6 hazelnuts + 1 unsweetened coffee, if desired
Snack
1 pomegranate juice
Lunch
Salad of radishes and valerian + 70 g of barley with beans + zucchini with mint
Merenda
1 cup of unsweetened barley + 1 centrifuged beetroot, apple and ginger
Price
Mixed salad + cream of mixed vegetables with 70 g of brown rice + sauerkraut
Day 4
Breakfast
1 cup of bitter kombucha tea + 1 soy yogurt + 1 slice of rye bread with a thin layer of jam + 1 tablespoon of pine nuts + 1 unsweetened coffee, if desired
Snack
2 clementine
Lunch
Lettuce and rocket salad + cous cous (70 g) with vegetables + sautéed escarole
Merenda
1 cup of unsweetened barley + 1 smoothie of asparagus, green apple and mint
Price
Songino salad + 70 g of Venere rice with pumpkin + steamed chard
Day 5
Breakfast
1 cup unsweetened green tea + 1 unsweetened probiotic yogurt + 1 slice of rye bread with a teaspoon of honey + 6 almonds + 1 unsweetened coffee if desired
Snack
1 apple
Lunch
Radicchio and songino salad + omelette (2 eggs) with turmeric + carrot puree + 60 g of rye bread
Merenda
1 cup unsweetened barley + 1 mango and baby spinach extract
Price
Mixed salad with black olives + 200 g of grilled trout fillet + sauerkraut
LEAVE THE CRITICAL POINTS - STEP 2
Follow the pattern 7 times in a row: in the 4 protein days the reduced intake of carbohydrates and fats will push the body to burn the rolls. With the carbohydrate one you will avoid going into ketosis.
Day 1
Breakfast
1 cup of bitter kombucha tea + 1 unsweetened probiotic yogurt + 2 tablespoons of whole grain flakes + 4 walnut kernels + 1 unsweetened coffee, if desired
Snack
1 hot drink of your choice (tea, barley, water and lemon) + 1 apple
Lunch
Rocket and carrot salad + 150 g of grilled tuna with capers and olives + steamed spinach + 30 g of rye bread
Merenda
1 kiwi + a hot drink of your choice (tea, barley, water and lemon)
Price
Valerian + 130 g of chicken breast with lemon and sage + sauerkraut + 30 g of bread
Day 2
Breakfast
1 cup of unsweetened barley + 100 g of cow's milk ricotta + 30 g of wholemeal rye bread + 6 almonds + 1 unsweetened coffee, if desired
Snack
1 hot drink (tea, barley, water and lemon) + 2 clementines
Lunch
200 g of octopus in salad with endive and celery + sautéed chicory + 150 g of baked potatoes
Merenda
1 pear + 1 hot drink of your choice
Price
Curly endive and rocket salad + 2 poached eggs with Jerusalem artichoke purée and spinach + 30 g of wholemeal rye bread
Day 3
Breakfast
1 cup of unsweetened barley + 70 g of lean raw ham + 1 seasonal fruit + 1 unsweetened coffee, if desired
Snack
1 hot drink of your choice (tea, barley, water and lemon) + 1 orange
Lunch
Pinzimonio of mixed vegetables + 70 g of bresaola with arugula and grain flakes + velvety mixed vegetables + 30 g of wholemeal rye bread
Merenda
1 cup of fruit salad + 1 hot drink (tea, barley, water and lemon)
Price
Carrot salad + 130 g of turkey stew with leek purée and curry mushrooms + 30 g of wholemeal rye bread
Day 4
Breakfast
1 cup of bitter kombucha tea + 1 hard-boiled egg + 2 rice cakes + 3 nuts + 1 bitter coffee, if
welcome
Snack
1 hot drink (tea, barley, water and lemon) + 1 mango, carrot and orange smoothie
Lunch
Red radicchio salad with apple vinegar + 180 g of grilled swordfish with capers and olives + sour chard + 30 g of rye bread
Merenda
1 cup of berries + 1 hot drink of your choice
Price
Lettuce, tomato and cucumber salad + 130 g grilled turkey + sauerkraut + 30 g wholemeal rye bread
Day 5
Breakfast
1 hot drink of your choice (tea, barley, water and lemon) + 3 tablespoons of whole wheat flakes + 1 cup of soy milk + 1 kiwi + 2 nuts + 1 bitter coffee, if desired
Snack
1 hot drink of your choice (tea, barley, water and lemon) + 1 small banana + 1 orange
Lunch
Mixed salad with cherry tomatoes + 70 g of pasta such as calamarata alla pescatora + artichoke hearts with mint
Merenda
1 sugar-free probiotic yogurt + 4 almonds + 1 hot drink (tea, barley, water and lemon)
Price
Celery and fennel salad + spelled (70 g) with pumpkin with ginger + steamed spinach
The guidelines for phase 1
- Always provide a hot drink for breakfast: it promotes bowel emptying and, therefore, the elimination of toxins with benefits for the balance of the bacterial flora. For the same reason, drink water before, during and after each meal.
- For breakfast, combine cereals and oil seeds to ensure you have an adequate proportion of carbohydrates and proteins.
- Start each meal with a plate of raw seasonal vegetables. The ideal is green leaf salad mixed with fibrous vegetables such as celery or carrots (the vegetables must all be finely chopped to facilitate digestion).
- For dressing, use 3 teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil for lunch and 2 for dinner.
- Conclude each meal with a plate of cooked vegetables or hot minestrone.
- As a hunger breaker you can take mixed extracts or smoothies of vegetables (80%) and seasonal fruit.
The rules for phase 2
- Even during phase 2, always have a hot drink for breakfast and drink water before, during and after each meal to promote physiological bowel movements.
- On protein days, treat yourself to a fruit and / or vegetable snack in the middle of the morning and a snack to ensure the correct intake of carbohydrates.
- The rule of starting each meal with a portion of raw vegetables also applies in this phase, even more so during the carbohydrate day: the water-soluble fiber slows down the absorption of glucose.
- Finely chop raw vegetables to enhance their antioxidant power and their alkalizing action and not burden digestion.
- Conclude each meal with a plate of cooked vegetables: cooking promotes the absorption of carotenes, essential for cellular metabolism.
- In the evening, opt for a vegetable cream and / or finely chop the vegetables before eating them.
Microbiota target
The quality of food influences the composition of intestinal bacteria which, among their many functions, also have that of regulating metabolism.
"If the number of pathogenic germs increases and the colonies of beneficial bacteria decrease, on the other hand, inflammatory molecules can be generated that can slow it down. To defend the integrity of the microbiota, the fermented foods, such as sauerkraut, sourdough bread, probiotic-enriched yogurt, kefir, vinegar, tempeh, miso, and kombucha tea. Kefir is among the most effective because this drink contains over fifteen different species of live and viable microorganisms. No less valuable are lacto-fermented vegetables, such as sauerkraut: provide significant amounts of dietary fiber and lactobacilli.
Their name derives from the fermentation process to which they are subjected after being washed, dried and cut into small pieces: they remain about 2 weeks closed in an airtight glass jar, well pressed and with the addition of salt. In this way the production of beneficial lactobacilli is activated », explains Dr. Rossi.
