Why asparagus is good for weight loss and how to eat it correctly when fighting overweight

Common asparagus, or asparagus, is used in a variety of diets. According to nutritionists, with its help in a few days you can get rid of excess weight, saturate the body with vitamins, micro- and macroelements.

Consider the composition and useful properties of a vegetable, find out how to cook it correctly and find out in which cases it can harm your health.

Is it possible to eat asparagus while losing weight

Experts recommend using asparagus for everyone who follows a healthy and balanced diet. Purchased or grown independently, it is better to eat it right away, since during storage it loses its useful and nutritional properties. Canned asparagus is inferior to fresh ones in taste and health.

Does asparagus make you fat or lose weight?

Regular consumption of this product fresh starts the process of losing weight. If you eat 400-500 g of vegetable daily for 20 days, you can get rid of two or three extra pounds. The plant fiber contained in asparagus works for this result. It, like a sponge, cleanses the digestive tract, quickly removes excess fluid, improves digestion, and activates metabolism. The feeling of fullness lasts a long time, you do not need snacks.

It is also used as a diuretic. The content of fluid in tissues and cavities decreases, the skin becomes more elastic, dimples and bumps in cellulite zones decrease.

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Is asparagus considered a dietary product?

Nutritionists say that asparagus is a dietary product. The facts are given as arguments:

• it has a low percentage of fat;
• contains carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and other biological substances necessary for the normal functioning of the body;
• the calorie content of 100 g of the product is 21 kcal;
• has a beneficial effect on the state of the digestive system;
• suitable for medical and baby food;
• replenishes the body's needs for calcium, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium;
• reduces the calorie content of the diet while maintaining the optimal level of biologically valuable components;
• lowers cholesterol levels;
• improves overall well-being;
• minimizes the risk of developing diseases caused by the consumption of unbalanced food products in terms of energy value.

Asparagus composition

The chemical composition of different parts of the asparagus is different. Rhizomes and roots contain large amounts of carbohydrates (up to 31%), coumarin, asparagine, steroid saponins, carotenoids, essential oils, amino acids. Young shoots are a source of aspartic acid, vitamin C, B1, B2, carotenoids; herb - chelidonic acid, saponin, glycoside.

Benefit and harm

Regular consumption of asparagus has a beneficial effect on overall well-being, the functioning of internal organs and systems:

• protects the body from the aggressive effects of external and internal environmental factors;
• calms the nervous system;
• improves the transmission of nerve impulses;
• relieves stress;
• stabilizes pressure;
• improves blood circulation;
• strengthens bone tissue;
• reduces the severity of pain;
• increases the functionality of the reproductive system;
• slows down oxidative reactions;
• participates in the formation of new cells;
• slows down the aging process;
• stimulates the work of the heart muscle;
• prevents the formation of cancer cells;
• relieves fatigue, increases endurance and performance;
• normalizes hormonal levels.

However, asparagus can harm the body. It is especially dangerous for people with low blood pressure, which can lead to acute vascular insufficiency. Eating asparagus can aggravate the course of gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer, cystitis and prostatitis, and provoke exacerbations.

Calories, Proteins, Fats, and Carbs

Fresh asparagus is a low-calorie food: 21 kcal per 100 g of product. The protein content is 1.9 g, fat - 0.1 g, carbohydrates - 3.1 g per 100 g of raw vegetable.

How to use asparagus for weight loss

When losing weight, you can eat asparagus fresh or after heat treatment. The product is baked, boiled, stewed. Less useful is a canned vegetable or one cooked in vegetable oil. The vegetable is most often used as one of the ingredients in a salad or served as a side dish for meat, various cereals, added to soups, and eaten as an independent product between main meals.

Asparagus is frozen and canned. Regardless of the cooking method, when properly cooked, asparagus turns out to be tasty and healthy.

Terms of use

To achieve the result, it is important not only to include asparagus in the menu, but also to completely revise the daily diet, and, if necessary, change your eating habits. Nutritionists advise eating 400 to 500 grams of asparagus per day over several meals.

To lose weight, you need to eat the vegetable regularly for three weeks, then take a break, and, if necessary, repeat the diet program to achieve a comfortable weight.

For weight loss, it is important to exclude salt, spices, mayonnaise, fatty foods, fried foods, pickles, smoked meats, buns, pastries, alcohol, sugary soda and other foods from which you can recover.

It is necessary to drink more fluids, except for water, vegetable and fruit juices, green tea, compotes are allowed. You need to eat often up to 5-6 times a day in small portions, the last meal is no later than 18.00 hours. And most importantly, a positive result can be achieved by combining proper nutrition with physical activity.

Young and fresh shoots have a more pleasant taste, therefore they are more often used in cooking. Before cooking, you must remove the leaves and the hard part (it can be frozen and used for making soup).

Tie the peeled asparagus into a bunch of 8-10 stalks, put in a saucepan filled with a little water, so that the tops are not immersed in the water. At the base, the asparagus is denser, so while it's cooked, the tops will have time to steam.

Add a little vegetable (butter) oil to the water, salt and sugar to taste, the juice of half a lemon. Simmer: for 2-3 minutes - green variety, and 10-15 minutes - white. Check the doneness with a toothpick: the stems inside should remain crispy.

You can use a double boiler to cook asparagus. The vegetable is cooked for 5-7 minutes (depending on the variety).

Council. After cooking is complete, rinse the asparagus under cold water to maintain its delicate aroma and shine.

Recipes

Asparagus salad with spicy sauce

Ingredients:

• 6-8 asparagus stalks;
• 3-4 medium tomatoes;
• 10 g pine nuts;
• 1 tbsp. l. balsamic vinegar;
• 1 tbsp. l. olive oil;
• 1 tsp mustard.

Recipe:

1. Steam the asparagus.
2. Cut the tomatoes into large cubes.
3. Fry pine nuts in a dry frying pan.
4. In a separate container, mix the vinegar, mustard and vegetable oil.
5. Transfer the ingredients to a plate, pour over the sauce, stir.

If desired, you can decorate with herbs. Best served chilled.

Braised asparagus

Rinse 300 g of asparagus under running water, remove leaves and firm base. Heat 1 tablespoon in a frying pan. vegetable oil (can be replaced with linseed, corn, olive), put asparagus, simmer covered for 3-5 minutes. At this time, chop a couple of cloves of garlic, mix with 2 tsp. vinegar and 3 tbsp. l. water.

Add the mixture to the asparagus and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Season with salt to taste 2-3 minutes until tender.

Asparagus with strawberries and chicken breast

Ingredients:

• 100 g asparagus;
• 150 g chicken breast;
• lettuce leaves;
• 8-10 strawberries.

For refueling: 2 tbsp. l. natural yogurt, 1 tbsp. l. low-fat cottage cheese, 1 tbsp. l. lemon juice.

Recipe:

1. Cook the asparagus until tender, rinse with cold water, remove the remaining water with a paper towel.
2. Bake the chicken breast in the oven in foil without adding spices and vegetable oil. Cut the cooled meat into cubes.
3. Cut the strawberries in half.
4. Put strawberries, meat and asparagus into a salad bowl, season with sauce, mix.

Contraindications

It is not recommended to include asparagus in the diet in the presence of individual intolerance to one or several components of the composition, hypertension (asparagus lowers blood pressure), gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer.

Due to the diuretic action, it is advised with caution to use asparagus for patients with prostatitis and cystitis.

Reviews of losing weight

Asparagus as a means of losing weight has received many positive reviews, primarily due to its simplicity: it is allowed to use a variety of recipes, prepare any dishes.

An equally important point is a pleasant taste and an affordable price (the average cost per 1 kg is 350 rubles). Negative statements are associated with a lack of effect and only in rare cases - with the occurrence of side reactions in the form of allergies.

Kotova Marina, 39 years old: “I would like to note right away the incredible taste of asparagus: juicy, crispy, with a sweet aftertaste, somewhat reminiscent of young green peas, only tastier. Grilled asparagus, could bake or stew under the lid. I ate 200-300 g per day for a month. In addition, she adhered to a healthy diet and went in for sports. The result is minus 4 kg in 30 days. At the same time, I would like to note that general well-being has improved, the manifestations of cellulite have decreased, and efficiency has increased. Now asparagus will always be in my diet, which is what I advise you. "

Istratova Ksenia, 25 years old: “A delicious product, but absolutely useless for weight loss. For three weeks of daily use, the weight has decreased by 200 g. My opinion is, if you want to lose weight, you need to go in for sports and eat healthy food. Asparagus alone, without exercise, will not help normalize weight. "

Prilutskaya Larisa, 56 years old: «Asparagus has long been a part of my diet. I regularly cook soup, salads with her, I just bake it with cheese. Very tasty and healthy. It has a beneficial effect on the general condition of the nervous system, heart function, and gastrointestinal tract. I can not objectively assess its usefulness for losing weight, but by personal example I can say that my weight is constant, extra pounds do not appear. I eat a vegetable at least once a week. "

Conclusion

Asparagus is a traditional food product. The micro and macro elements, vitamins, amino acids and other biological components contained in the composition have a positive effect on overall well-being, improve the functioning of organs and systems. But the most important fact is that you lose weight from asparagus.

The diet is considered quite light due to the ability to use a varied menu. The vegetable is baked, boiled, steamed or eaten fresh. Add to salad, soup, prepare desserts, serve as a side dish or as an independent dish. But like any product, asparagus has contraindications that are important to consider.