The traditional Chinese diet features vegetables that have been lightly steamed or stir fried, accompanied by starches like rice, noodles or dumplings. Meat and fish are part of the traditional diet, but are served in much smaller amounts than is typical in the Western diet.
In far too many countries, Chinese food has a not-so-healthy reputation. We mostly only know what we get from many take-out restaurants or shopping mall food courts, which tends to be mystery meats flavored with monosodium glutamate (the dreaded “MSG”) piled on a hefty amount of greasy noodles or refined white rice.
But properly prepared, says Chinese food expert Lorraine Clissold, the very opposite is true: the Chinese way of eating is healthy and fulfilling, fights illness and prolongs life.
HOW TO PREPARE THE BODY FOR THIS CHINESE WEIGHT-LOSS TECHNIQUE?
For some people, it is a huge overhaul of their dietary habits. Breaking old habits and creating a new way of choosing food takes time but it can be done. This article will show you how easy it is to begin eating food that is both balancing and nutritious:
DAY 1
Breakfast: 150 grams of cabbage, 200 ml of mineral water.
Lunch: 4 tablespoons of cooked rice, 150 grams of grated carrot salad and olive oil, 200 ml of mineral water.
Dinner: 150 grams of boiled fish, a small piece of rye bread, a few leaves of lettuce, 200 ml of green tea.
DAY 2
Breakfast: 150 grams of carrot salad with olive oil, 1 toasted rye bread, 200 ml of mineral water.
Lunch: 200 grams of carrot, cabbage, lettuce and celery salad, a slice of rye bread, 200 ml of fresh apple juice without sugar.
Dinner: 100 grams of cooked rice, lettuce leaves, half a grapefruit, 200 ml of mineral water.
DAY 3
Breakfast: 200 grams of apple, pear, orange and banana salad, 200 ml of freshly squeezed orange juice without sugar.
Lunch: 250 grams of cooked asparagus, 150 grams of cabbage salad with lemon juice, a slice of rye bread, 200 ml of mineral water.
Dinner: 250 grams of fried mushrooms (without oil), 1 small boiled potato, 200 ml of mineral water.
DAY 4
Breakfast: apples and oranges, toasted rye bread, 200 ml freshly squeezed orange juice without sugar.
Lunch: 300 grams of cooked asparagus with rice and basil, 1 apple, a piece of rye bread, 200 ml of mineral water.
Dinner: 200 grams of boiled fish, 2 small boiled potatoes, a slice of rye bread, 200 ml of green tea.
DAY 5
Breakfast: 150 grams of cooked rice porridge, 200 ml of mineral water
Lunch: 200 grams of white cabbage salad, a piece of rye bread, 200 ml of mineral water.
Dinner: 200 grams of cabbage, carrot and lettuce salad with olive oil, a piece of rye bread, 200 ml mineral water.
DAY 6
Breakfast: 150 grams of cooked rice porridge, 200 ml freshly squeezed apple juice without sugar.
Lunch: 200 grams of cooked seafood, 150 grams of apple, orange and kiwi salad, 200 ml freshly squeezed orange juice without sugar.
Dinner: 100 grams of lean grilled meat, a piece of rye bread, 4 leaves of lettuce, 1 orange, 200 ml of green tea.
DAY 7
Breakfast: 250 grams of apple, apricot and plum salad, 200 ml of mineral water.
Lunch: 150 grams of cooked rice with prunes and honey, 200 ml of mineral water.
Dinner: 150 grams of cooked sea fish, 200 grams of white cabbage salad, a slice of rye bread, 200 ml mineral water.
PROS AND CONS OF THE CHINESE DIET
One of the longest standing truisms of dieting is that a calorie is a calorie and the more of them we consume (and the fewer we expend), the fatter we will get.
Traditional Chinese medicine, TCM, posits that everything is made up of five elements: wood, fire, earth, metal and water. Each element has a corresponding flavor: sour, bitter, sweet, hot and salty. If you have diarrhea, sour foods like lemon or food pickled in vinegar can help. The sweet taste, exemplified in honey and many fruits, offers mood-elevating effects.