What is the orthomolecular diet?

Orthomolecular diet aids in weight loss and other healthy factors

If you are one of those people who live in the world of diets, I bet you have heard about the egg white, milk, protein, moon diet and countless other ways to lose weight. But what about the orthomolecular diet? Ever heard of it? Unlike all those you already know, orthomolecular is based on balancing the levels of vitamins and minerals in the body.

It is a fact that in everyday life several factors that we consider common contribute to deregulate the course of our body, among them are little sleep, excessive consumption of industrialized foods, pollution, smoking and drinking. Its consequences destabilize a series of factors such as skin, tiredness, weight, etc.

In addition to weight loss — there is an estimated reduction of two kilos per week — the orthomolecular diet prevents aging and controls PMS symptoms. It is for these and others that it has also been a success among famous actresses such as Giovanna Antonelli, Priscila Fantin and Juliana Paes. According to Sylvana Braga, an orthomolecular physician at Hospital das Clínicas de São Paulo (SP), “the adjustment of nutrients, based on a change in diet, also affects metabolism and improves the functioning of the intestine, facilitating fat burning and digestion. elimination of toxins”.

The orthomolecular diet aims at the essential elements for a good movement of the whole body and for that it is necessary to carry out a series of tests that detect what your body needs and what it has in excess. The tests consist of hair, urine and blood; only then will the professional be able to prescribe a diet according to their needs, in addition to a series of supplements to guarantee the balance of their organism. The great enemy in this case is the price of consultations and medication. But there are some healthy changes that can be adhered to right now and that will certainly make a big difference in your life, see now:

The diet below was indicated by food therapist Gabriela Marques, has 1200 calories and prioritizes functional, organic and whole foods that can reduce up to two kilos per week.

Breakfast

• 1 Option: shake (1 glass of soy or almond milk + 1 tbsp/soup of oatmeal + 1/2 papaya + 1/2 banana + 1 tbsp/dessert of honey).
• 2 Option: 1 fruit, being pear, apple, guava or fig + 1 slice of whole grain bread with mixed grains + 1 dessert spoon of cottage cheese and 1/2 dessert spoon of fruit jam without sugar or sweetener + 1 cup of green tea sweetened with honey.
• 3 Option: 1 cup of chopped fruit being apple, pear, fig and banana, with 1/2 cup of soy or almond milk tea + 1/2 cup of oatmeal tea and 1 dessert spoon of honey + 1 cup of tea- green.
• 4 Option: Swiss müesli (1 grated apple with skin + 1 dessert spoon of oatmeal + 1 dessert spoon of raw walnuts or almonds + 1 teaspoon of honey + 2 dessert spoons of low-fat natural yogurt and juice of 1 lime orange) + 1 cup of green tea.
• 5 Option: omelet of 2 egg whites, 1 egg yolk, sea salt and parsley as desired (cook without oil and cover with a lid for an average of 7 minutes) + 1 cup of chopped fruit (apple, pear and papaya) with juice of 1 lime orange + 1 cup of green tea.
• 6 Option: porridge (cook 3 tablespoons of rolled oats with 1 cup of soy milk tea and ground cinnamon). Sweeten with 1 dessert spoon of honey and serve with red fruits (strawberry, blackberry and raspberry) + 1 cup of green tea. 

Snack (morning/afternoon)

• 1 Option: 1 fruit (apple, pear, red guava or persimmon) and 10 raw almonds, which can be replaced by Brazil nuts.
• 2 Option: 1 cup (300 ml) of antioxidant juice (whip 1 apple, 2 carrots, 1 celery stalk, 1 small piece of ginger with 1 glass of mineral water and strain).

Lunch Preparations

• 1 Option: dark green leafy salad (arugula, watercress, kale or chicory) + grated raw vegetables (chayote, zucchini and pumpkin) seasoned with fresh parsley and rosemary, beaten with olive oil, lemon and soy sauce + 3 tablespoons of rice wholegrain + 2 tablespoons of soy beans + 3 tablespoons of sautéed cauliflower.
• 2 Option: mushroom omelet + dark green leafy salad seasoned with rosemary, basil, parsley and mint mixed with olive oil, lemon and soy sauce + 3 tablespoons of brown rice.
• 3 Option: mixed salad (4 tablespoons of broccoli – flower and stalk – steamed + 1/2 cup of parsley tea, 2 tomatoes, 1 diced cucumber and 2 tablespoons of tuna preserved in water, seasoned with 1 small piece of ginger mixed with olive oil, garlic, lemon and soy sauce) + 3 tablespoons of brown rice + 2 small spoons of beans.
• 4 Option: chicken with herbs + salad of dark green leaves seasoned with olive oil, salt and lemon.
• 5 Option: dark green leafy salad seasoned with mustard seed beaten with olive oil and balsamic vinegar or lemon + 1 plate (shallow) of beef carpaccio + 1 slice of rye bread.
• 6 Option: 1 whiting fillet roasted with olive oil + 3 tablespoons of brown rice + 2 tablespoons of spinach sautéed with olive oil, onion, garlic and salt.

Dinner

• 1 Option: watercress soup + 1 small grilled rump fillet + 1 persimmon.
• 2 Option: 1 plate (flat) of spaghetti with basil pesto + 1 plate (dessert) of sautéed vegetables + 1/2 plantain roasted in the oven with cinnamon.
• 3 Option: vegetable broth with oatmeal + mixed salad (1 sardine without skin and without thorn with celery, green apple, fennel and carrot, cut into cubes and seasoned with lemon, soy sauce and honey).
• 4 Option: sashimi (15 assorted thin slices of salmon, tuna and sea bass seasoned with soy sauce, lime juice, chives and pieces of ginger) + 1 plate (dessert) of grilled vegetables (zucchini, eggplant, carrots, onions) + 1 plate ( soup) of miso soup (miso dissolved in hot water with chopped chives and diced tofu).
• 5 Option: cooked wheat salad with grated carrots and zucchini and arugula seasoned with soy sauce, salt and olive oil + 1 plate (flat) of ricotta gnocchi with tomato sauce and sprinkled with parmesan cheese.
• 6 Option: 1 large grilled salmon fillet + 3 tablespoons of raw kale in strips seasoned with olive oil, lemon and soy sauce + 1 plate (dessert) of cooked Japanese pumpkin with skin and seasoned with olive oil, lemon, salt and parsley.

Text written by Natália Nocelli from the Eu Sem Fronteiras Team.