Carrots are one of the vegetables that are often touted as very nutritious, and I can remember my Mother urging me to eat more carrots starting at an early age. The orange carrot can be found in stews, salads, and on vegetable platters often times sold to purchase as a last minute party contribution. They are loaded in beta-carotene, which assists humans with vision. There are theories out there that link carrots to weight loss, so today I will examine those theories and see if a mainly carrot diet can lead to losing weight and an overall healthier life.
What are the Benefits of Eating Carrots?
There are many benefits of eating carrots, including being a source of vitamins A and C, and being loaded with antioxidants. More importantly, carrots can lead to weight loss because they are high in fiber, which is a very important part of any weight loss diet.
While carrots are very healthy, a diet consisting entirely of carrots isn’t a good idea, so let’s get into why.
First, let’s tackle what exactly is the carrot diet?
What is the Carrot Diet?
There are many variations to this diet, but the one that is the most popular, and credible, is the “add a carrot” diet. It’s plan includes eating at a minimum of one carrot prior to every meal. Not only are carrots low in calories, with only 25 calories for a medium carrot, but they are very filling thanks to the high fiber content. This trait makes up the thesis of this eating routine. When you start off your meal with a carrot, it’s thought, you will not only fill up faster but also feel more energized.
(Some add a carrot diets also allow you to use zucchini or cucumbers for variety.)
While there aren’t a lot of restrictions on this diet, you’ll want to follow some diet basics like avoiding beverages loaded with sugars, starchy carbs, and fatty meat. Instead, look to eat more vegetables when on this diet.
Also Read: What is the Eat Well Challenge?
The Carrot Only Diet
If you feel like you could live on simply carrots, you could try the carrot only diet. All you eat for an entire week is carrots. You eat every few hours so you remain full.
While this is a great way to detox your body, this is NOT sustainable as it’s considered a crash diet. Crash diets rarely ever work, and people go right back to their old habits when they stop with the diet. Also, a diet consisting of only carrots will leave the body lacking nutrients such as fat, iron, and calcium.
Conclusion
There is no doubt that carrots are healthy vegetables. However, while a carrot only diet may lead to weight loss, you could be fatigued and suffer in other parts of your health because you aren’t providing your body the nutrients it craves to function in an optimal manner.
To be honest with you, the Taco Bell diet is a much easier way to lose weight if you can stick to it.