Grapefruit Diet Blog & not only!

No one knows who first created the Grapefruit Diet, but since it first emerged it’s drifted in and out of being vogue, usually brought back into the spotlight by celebrities who decide to try one of the dozens of variations. The mainstay of the diet revolves around eating half a grapefruit or drinking an eight-ounce glass of unsweetened grapefruit juice before each meal. Proponents of the diet claim that grapefruit has a fat-burning enzyme, helping you eliminate fat, and their claims may not entirely off. A study from a 2006 issue of the ‘Journal of Medicinal Food’ revealed that people who ate half a grapefruit before each meal for 12 weeks lost 3.6 pounds. Likewise, people who drank a serving of grapefruit juice three times a day lost 3.3 pounds. However, many individuals in that study lost more than 10 pounds. Researchers suggest that grapefruit may lower insulin, which is a fat storage hormone. Yet it’s important to note that in this study, individuals ate healthy, balanced diets and could exercise up to three times a week. Note that this is substantially different from the Grapefruit Diet, which takes an unhealthy approach to weight loss and will inevitably set people up for diet failure.

Is the diet healthy?

No. Although eating a half a grapefruit or drinking a glass of grapefruit juice with each meal is a good way to sneak in three daily servings of fruit, eating only 800 calories a day total is neither sustainable nor healthy. It could put you at risk for nausea, dizziness, and vitamin and mineral deficiencies that could cause problems with hair loss, your immune and nervous systems and your bones. Also, if you’re on certain medications, including some antidepressants, immunosuppressant drugs, and drugs to treat high blood pressure, high cholesterol and arrhythmias, grapefruit could interact with those medications.

What do the experts say?

“Any diet that’s this low in calories and cuts otherwise healthy foods is extremely unhealthy and should be avoided,” says Dawn Jackson Blatner, R.D., L.D., national media spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association and a registered dietitian with the Northwestern Memorial Wellness Institute in Chicago. Blatner also can’t say that grapefruit is truly the magical component here, for any time your caloric intake drops this low, you will lose weight. “Yet as soon as you return to regular eating, you’ll gain it all back — and then some,” she adds.
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- White grapefruits;
- Red grapefruits, sweeter then white grapefruits;
- Pummelo, the father of the grapefruit;
- Minneola, A crossing between a tangarine and a grapefruit and can be recognized by “the little nose”. See also oranges. Can be peeled by hand.
- Sweeties, are a crossing between the pummelo and the grapefruit. Looks like a green grapefruit and tastes sweeter.

1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons garlic flavored olive oil
18 medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 cup green pepper strips
1/3 cup chopped green onion, including tops
1/2 cup sliced celery
1/2 cup grapefruit Juice
1 cup grapefruit Sections

In a large mixing bowl, mix cornstarch, cayenne, soy sauce and 1 tablespoon of the oil.  Add shrimp, tossing to coat.  Let stand for 15 minutes.  In large fry pan or wok, heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil.  Add shrimp mixture and vegetables.  Stir fry for 3 minutes over medium-high heat.  Add grapefruit juice; cover and cook over low heat for 4 minutes.  Add grapefruit sections and heat, covered, until grapefruit is heated, about 2 minutes.

2 teaspoons anchovy paste
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup finely chopped garlic, divided
1-1/2 quarts orange juice, divided
1-1/2 cups olive oil
3 cups grapefruit juice
1/2 cup lime juice
2 teaspoons Old Bay� Seasoning
96 Peeled and deveined 21/25 count shrimp (2-1/2 pounds)
48 cups cleaned and cut Romaine lettuce, 1″x1″ (3 pounds)
6 cups seasoned croutons
1 quart grapefruit sections (2-1/4 pounds)
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

To prepare the dressing, combine the anchovy paste, mustard and 1 tablespoon of garlic in a food processor; puree until smooth. While the processor is running, slowly add 2 cups of the orange juice followed by the olive oil; mix until incorporated, cover and refrigerate.

To prepare the marinade, combine the grapefruit juice, lime juice, Old Bay� Seasoning, remaining garlic and remaining orange juice; reserve. Place eight shrimp on each of 12 skewers and marinate in the refrigerator for four hours. Discard the marinade, cover and refrigerate the shrimp until needed.

To prepare each salad, grill one shrimp skewer (2-3 minutes per side), and keep warm. Toss 4 cups of lettuce with 1/4 cup of dressing and place the greens on a plate. Top the greens with a 1/2 cup of croutons, 1/3 cup of grapefruit sections, 1 tablespoon of Parmesan cheese and the shrimp from one skewer.

Makes 12 servings.

3 cups cranberry juice
2 cups grapefruit juice
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 cup sparkling wine

Mix first four ingredients and chill several hours.  Add the sparkling wine just before serving.

1 cup honey
1 teaspoon Florida Grapefruit Peel, finely shredded
1 cup Florida Grapefruit Juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1-1/4 cups salad oil
1-1/2 teaspoons poppy seed

In a mixing bowl stir together the honey, Florida Grapefruit Peel, Florida Grapefruit Juice, salt, and nutmeg.  Gradually beat in salad oil.  Stir in poppy seed.  Transfer to a screw-top jar; cover and chill until serving time.  Shake well before using.  Serve over fruit or tossed salads.

Makes 3 cups

NUTRITION FACTS PER SERVING:  74 cal., 0 g pro., 6 g carbo., 6 g total fat (0 g sat. fat), 0 mg cholesterol, 0 g dietary fiber, 23 mg sodium.  Daily value:  none.