An ideal weight loss system for those who are used to eating often, but are not ready to deprive themselves of pleasure and favorite foods forever.
Summer is a time for vacations, travel, and relaxation. At this time, many allowed themselves more high-calorie food, sweets, and alcoholic drinks. But with the onset of autumn, the realization came that it was time to return to a healthier lifestyle. In addition, with the beginning of the school year and the return to the work rhythm, you want to look better and feel more confident. Therefore, the ideal solution for most women is a diet.
There are a huge number of them on the Internet, but recently we have increasingly come across an unusual name “Traffic Light”. It turned out that this is an innovative approach to nutrition that helps not only to lose extra pounds but also to form healthy habits. The main idea of this diet is to use color coding for products: green, yellow, and red groups.
The author of the weight loss diet, Professor Leonard Epstein, divided food into three categories of usefulness and, for ease of perception, called them one of the colors of a traffic light. As in the classic device for regulating the movement of vehicles and pedestrians, in the diet, these groups of products are distributed from top to bottom and mean:
“red” – “stop, no”, limit consumption as much as possible, due to very high calorie content
“yellow” – “be careful”, use in moderation, average calorie content
“green” – “ok”, use in unlimited quantities
What can and cannot be eaten?
- The green diet includes fresh vegetables, greens, some fruits (such as apples and pears), and lean proteins (chicken breast, fish). They are rich in vitamins and fiber, which promotes satiety and improves digestion.
The essence and benefits of the green diet
The green vegetables and fruits diet is a cleansing mono diet. You can only eat green foods or steamed or grilled foods.
When choosing vegetables and fruits, focus primarily on leafy greens, seaweed, avocado, green apples, green grapes, kiwi or pears, and pistachios
- Yellow includes cereals (rice, buckwheat), dairy products, and some fruits (bananas, grapes). These products can be useful, but their quantity should be controlled to avoid excess calorie consumption.
- These products include:
yellow bell pepper;pumpkin;melon;apricots;yellow apples;yellow pears;pineapple;lemon; banana; wheat; quince; yellow tomatoes; zucchini; corn;copper; chicken egg yolks; turnip;h ard cheese.
As you can see, these are mainly fruits and vegetables. Such fruits contain a large amount of vitamins A and D, and these are the vitamins that we lack in autumn and winter. These products also contain a lot of potassium, which is necessary for normal heart function
In addition, lemon, bell pepper, pears contain a lot of vitamin C, which fights infections, Apples are rich in iron, B vitamins. Therefore, these fruits help with anemia, depression, irritability, and strengthen memory. Tomatoes contain a very important substance – lycopene. It fights cancer cells, so tomatoes are a preventive measure against oncology. Pineapple speeds up metabolism, which means it promotes faster fat burning. The same can be said about quince. Turnips and zucchini cleanse the intestines well, remove excess water. Apricots and bananas are very useful for the heart muscle, and honey contains about 300 useful substances,
- With red, everything is simpler. These are sweets, fast food, fatty meat products, and alcohol. These products contain a lot of calories and few nutrients, which can negatively affect health.
In general, the “Traffic Light” diet has gained popularity due to its simplicity and clarity. It does not require complex calorie counting and is suitable for people with different levels of physical activity. In addition, the color coding helps to easily navigate the choice of products, which makes the process of losing weight less stressful and more exciting.
To prove this, Deb Harm, a 57-year-old auto repair shop owner, decided to tell her story online. Over the long years of the food “trap,” she gained dozens of extra pounds. During the day, she couldn’t find time for lunch, and in the evening she chose the easy way to have a snack, ordering fast food. On weekends, things were no better: while cooking home-cooked meals, her snack consisted of chips, fatty snacks, and sandwiches.
“I never felt the need to diet. I had been gaining weight for the last 30 years, but I didn’t realize how much. It was just easier to buy clothes a size bigger because they covered everything. It was easier and quicker than losing weight. Leaving the house at 6.30 am was too early to eat breakfast, then a long day at work with no lunch break, and by the evening I was already very hungry. I always wanted delicious food that would fill me up quickly, like Chinese takeaway or pizza, so I had that at least three times a week,” says Deb.
The point of no return was reached in 2023. Then the woman decided to change her life and try the “traffic light” method. Soon, instead of a huge XXL, her wardrobe was filled with many beautiful dresses and blouses in size M. The weight, according to Harm, literally melted away – from 130 kg, only 65 remained. Now she can go to any store and be sure that they will have the right size.
Deb’s life has improved in every way. In addition to liking herself again and receiving a lot of compliments from her husband, family, colleagues, and clients, her taste habits have changed. Now she loves green salads, light soups, porridge, and other healthy dishes. Her back and joint pain have disappeared, so it has become easier to work, and the garden has a harvest again.
For almost two years now, the woman has been living exclusively by this principle. From Monday to Thursday are strict red days, when she avoids carbohydrates and fats. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday are yellow days when she can eat them in small amounts. And the green color of “permissiveness” marks only the holidays of the calendar.
Harm or benefit?
Of course, like any other weight loss method, the Traffic Light diet has its pros and cons. On the one hand, it helps improve eating habits and helps control weight. On the other hand, if you do not maintain a balance and stay on strict restrictions for too long, this can lead to a deficiency of vitamins and minerals.
It is important to remember that individual nutritional needs may vary. It is advisable to consult with a doctor or nutritionist before starting any diet.
