The pineapple diet is certainly one that could be said to fall into the ‘fad diet’ category. It’s an eating regime which involves completely eliminating all other food groups and sticking to just pineapple (4 or 5lbs of it per day to be precise) and water.
Because it’s classed as a ‘fad’ diet, the pineapple-only version of the diet is only followed for a few days at a time, and when followed correctly, it can lead to a good amount of weight loss in a short period of time.
Related Article: 800 Calorie Diet Plan
There is a less extreme variation of this diet, which involves eating other foods alongside pineapple, but only foods low in fat and carbohydrate. This version of the pineapple diet plan tends to be followed for a longer period – usually around 2 weeks or so.
So, what’s great about the pineapple diet?
There are a few benefits to the pineapple diet:
- It’s simple to do
- There’s no difficulty in sourcing the ingredients
- It results in fast weight loss and is great if you’re dieting for a special occasion or just need to ditch those last couple of stubborn pounds you’ve been struggling with
- It also acts as a detox diet
And the bad things?
There are also a few drawbacks:
- It can get very repetitive, very quickly
- You will go to the toilet more often, as pineapple is a diuretic
- You won’t be getting a balanced diet, so you’ll only be able to stick to it for a few days
- The pineapple diet can cause serious side effects when followed for long periods of time, making it a fad diet concern.
- Because the diet is so restrictive, you’ll need to make an extra effort to avoid ‘binging’ once you do come off it
- Your teeth are likely to hurt after just 1 day on this diet!
What risks are associated with the pineapple diet?
Pineapple as a food is generally healthy in moderation. Containing bromelain, it acts as a good digestive aid and can actually help to speed up fat-burn, even when eaten as part of a normal healthy calorie controlled diet.
But it’s also very high in sugar and acid. Eating more than 2 cups per day could lead to some health issues, such as:
- Increased blood sugar levels
- An allergic reaction
- Nausea and vomiting
- Mouth soreness
- Tooth decay
- Possible issues with fertility
Important: A word on allergies
The allergic reaction some people experience when eating copious amounts of pineapple is usually caused by the digestive enzymes found within it known as ‘bromelain’. If you find you’re getting a tingling sensation in your throat, your lips are swelling up or your face or tongue look swollen at all while following this diet, you should stop immediately and ask your doctor for advice. Usually, pineapple allergies subside on their own, but if you’re at all concerned, don’t hesitate to seek medical attention.
Why pineapple makes your mouth sore
We’re all familiar with the sore teeth and gum effect that eating lots of fresh pineapple can bring, right? This happens because pineapple is highly acidic. It doesn’t stop at your mouth either. Some people suffer from heartburn or acid reflux when they follow the pineapple diet, and it’s all caused by that extra acid it contains.
How pineapple benefits weight loss
Pineapple contains some key nutrients which are important for healthy normal bodily functions, including vitamin C, vitamin A, folate, magnesium and potassium. It also contains bromelain which is an enzyme mixture only found in pineapples, which some scientists claim can help the stomach to process fats much faster than usual.
When you eat 5lb of pineapple a day, you’re treating your body to around:
- 10g of protein
- 2g of fat
- Around 1000 calories
Which as you can see, is a recipe for rapid weight loss in itself when this is all you’re eating.
How pineapple juice benefits weight loss
The pineapple juice diet is similar to the pineapple diet, but – you guessed it – it only involves pineapple juice. The benefits shown above are the same so long as you’re only consuming fresh pineapple juice (and you must still be consuming the entire pineapple, not simply the watery liquid. And be warned – switch to processed juice, and it’s a very different story.
Processed pineapple juice is filled with artificial sugars and preservatives. This is terrible for your blood sugar levels, and awful for your liver. As a result, by living on it for 5 days, you could actually end up putting more weight on than if you were to stick to a normal calorie restricted diet.
Why does the pineapple diet work?
The weight loss benefits of the pineapple diet come about due to a combination of a number of different factors, but mainly:
- Eating 5lb of pineapple alone per day provides only 1000 calories per day – so you will be in a calorie deficit
- The amount of fat you will be consuming per day will be ridiculously low, meaning your body will be forced to burn your existing fat to survive
- By restricting yourself to only eating pineapple, you will naturally omit all the foods and drinks you usually eat which cause weight gain
- The bromelain enzyme contained within the pineapple will also speed up the rate at which you burn any fat you do eat – a key component of the pineapple diet for those who want to lose weight
So, does the pineapple diet work?
There’s no doubt about it, like any very low-calorie diet, the pineapple diet brings fast results – and yes, it is possible to lose weight within 5 days following the plan.
Is it safe to follow for the long term? No. But as a short term way of getting rid of a few extra pounds? It certainly has potential.
Read: Other Popular Weight Loss Diets
The 5-day pineapple diet meal plan
The pineapple diet is probably the simplest weight loss plan you’ll ever follow. How you work it is entirely up to you, but basically, you have 2 options:
Option 1
Stick with 5lb of pineapple per day, plus still water, spaced out in whichever way suits you best.
Or
Option 2
Incorporate additional low fat, low carb food into your day to create ‘meals’ rather than just eating pineapple.
To do that, here’s a sample 5 day menu:
Monday
Breakfast
1 cup of pineapple chunks
Lunch
1 small tuna steak, grilled, with 1 cup of pineapple
Dinner
Chicken breast with pineapple, tomatoes and asparagus
Tuesday
Breakfast
Pineapple and oatmeal
Lunch
Grilled tofu and pineapple
Dinner
Chicken breast, pineapple, apple cider vinegar and grilled mushroom
Wednesday
Breakfast
Low-fat yogurt, pineapple, oatmeal
Lunch
Chicken, pineapple, asparagus and tomato salad
Dinner
Mackerel, asparagus, lemon juice and pineapple
Thursday
Breakfast
Pineapple and oatmeal
Lunch
Chicken breast with asparagus, pineapple, french beans and lemon juice
Dinner
Grilled mackerel with spinach, apple cider vinegar and pineapple
Friday
Breakfast
1 cup of pineapple
Lunch
Chicken breast with tomato, pineapple and lemon juice
Dinner
Tuna steak, pineapple, lemon juice and asparagus
Why not print this out and pop it on your fridge for easy inspiration?
What you can do to speed up pineapple diet weight loss results
As with any diet, boosting your exercise levels is always going to be one great way to increase the amount of fat you burn without eating less than you already are.
Because you’re going to be limited in what you can eat, you won’t want to be spending hours on a treadmill working up a huge appetite, so stick to some quick, easy 30 minute exercises which can burn in excess of 500 calories with one session.
In addition to this, be sure to drink 10 – 15 cups of water per day. Your body is made up of 60% water, so if you’re even the slightest bit dehydrated, it’s not going to be focusing on fat loss – it’s going to be focusing on survival.
In addition to this, your body could become too acidic if you’re eating a lot of pineapple and becoming dehydrated.
Related Article: 800 Calorie Diet Plan
Give the pineapple diet a whirl for fast, effective weight loss
There’s no harm in doing the pineapple diet for 3 or 5 days, and you will see good results from it, showcasing the allure of the sexy pineapple diet. Just don’t make it a long-term diet plan – that would be detrimental to your health.
For best results, include some exercise into your week, this will help you to burn off even more calories and lose weight faster.
Read: How Much Weight Can You Lose In A Month?
