When you know you need to lose weight, it is very tempting to look for that quick solution that promises very fast results. After all, we know that we’re supposed to follow a nutritious eating plan and regular fitness regimen, but this always comes with the dreaded hunger, boredom and exhaustion. To try to skip the unwanted efforts and still get very fast results, many people are looking to various forms of mono diet.
Yes, a mono diet is extreme, but it also promises to be for only a short time, so it has some appeal. Unfortunately, these diets are notorious for doing far more harm than good, so it’s important to avoid them under all circumstances. If you’re still not convinced, ask your doctor so that he or she can tell you why it is not at all good for you to follow this type of eating strategy.
A mono diet refers to a plan to eat only a single type of food, often nicknamed “monomeals.” Though this type of eating remained mainly unpopular, a popular YouTuber drew attention to it by eating only bananas as her mono food, causing its popularity to skyrocket. The YouTuber ate about 51 bananas per day and once did this for a stretch of three weeks. Over a period of seven years of doing this, she lost over 50 pounds.
Though this may sound tempting, nutritionists are urging people not to try to replicate what the YouTuber did or to use any kind of mono eating strategy. There are a huge number of reasons for this, but primary among them is that there isn’t a single food in the world that will provide you with all the nutrients your body requires to complete its basic functions.
For instance, yes, bananas are high in many nutrients as well as fiber, but they are notably low in protein. This means that you risk losing weight in the form of muscle instead of fat, because muscle requires proteins as its main building blocks. Protein is also needed for your brain to function and to repair tissues throughout the rest of your body. Bananas are also low in vitamin B12, calcium, selenium and vitamin C. Without these nutrients, you run the risk of illness, mood disorders and even osteoporosis over time. Furthermore, by eating too many bananas in a day, you will be getting far too much of the nutrients that the fruit does contain.
This isn’t just to say that eating only bananas isn’t good for you, but eating exclusively any food on its own is bad for you and places you at risk of nutrient deficiencies and nutrient toxicities.
* This article is for informational purposes only and not to be taken as medical advice. Always consult with your doctor before making any changes to your medications, supplements, diet, or exercise routine.