General rules
The popular pumpkin diet has a lot of positive reviews, primarily due to its simplicity: you can cook any dishes, use a variety of recipes, and drink dietary juice from the vegetable. According to nutritionists, with the help of a pumpkin menu, even in just a few days you can cleanse your body of toxins , waste, get rid of extra pounds and get enough of vitamins and microelements . Pumpkin has a unique vitamin composition. A properly grown vegetable without the use of nitrates is rich in:
- vitamins: PP , E , K , A , B , C , T ;
- proteins;
- carbohydrates;
- microelements: calcium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, sulfur, potassium, magnesium, copper;
- omega-3.
Traditional medicine has long used pumpkin for hypertension , atherosclerosis , liver cirrhosis , anemia , impotence, and depression .
Is it possible to eat pumpkin on a diet?
The main advantage of pumpkin for weight loss is its low calorie content - 22 kcal in its raw form and 25 kcal after heat treatment. Pumpkin pulp contains almost no fat, but is rich in carbohydrates and proteins, which the body needs so much for saturation. The vegetable is rich in fiber, which perfectly cleanses the digestive tract and quickly removes excess fluid from the body. The pulp and seeds of the orange vegetable are suitable for cooking. What causes weight loss:
- acceleration of lipolysis;
- activation of metabolism;
- improved digestion;
- increasing endurance and performance, which leads to stimulation of physical activity and additional burning of calories;
- quick saturation due to fiber, which allows you to reduce the size of portions;
- improving mood, which eliminates overeating and eating problems.
Plant fiber, like a sponge, cleanses the digestive tract, liver system, kidneys, and blood. The raw product is famous for its mild laxative effect.
Benefits for weight loss
Pumpkin contains many organic acids, vitamins (retinol, carnitine, tocopherol, calciferol, niacin, from group B), mineral elements (zinc, potassium, calcium), pectin, and fiber. Thanks to them, it is used in dietetics as a means for weight loss, which allows you to lose weight and improve your health.
In folk medicine, it is useful in that it alleviates the condition of atherosclerosis, hypertension, impotence, anemia, liver cirrhosis, and depression. Therefore, when going on a diet, know that all its medicinal properties will be a pleasant bonus for the body.
Here's how weight loss happens:
- digestion improves;
- metabolism is activated;
- lipolysis accelerates;
- the mood improves, which means a person will not eat up his problems with extra calories;
- saturation occurs quickly, thanks to plant fiber, which allows you to reduce portion sizes;
- efficiency and endurance increase (pumpkin is a natural energy drink), due to which motor activity improves and more calories are burned.
But the benefits of pumpkin don't stop there. For weight loss and cleansing the body of toxins, it is used primarily due to the high content of plant fiber, which acts like a sponge that cleanses the blood, gastrointestinal tract, kidneys, and liver. Raw fruits are especially good in this regard, as they have a mild laxative effect. But you need to be careful with them, since in large quantities they can lead to unpleasant intestinal disorders.
Varieties
One-day fasting day on pumpkin
During the day, 5 meals are expected. You can only eat pumpkin boiled in water (1 kg of pulp for the whole day). This diet is considered strict due to its low calorie content, so it can be used no more than once every 2 weeks. After a fasting day, try not to eat salty foods to avoid retaining excess fluid in the body.
Pumpkin oil diet
Pumpkin oil has a positive effect on the functioning of the intestines and the entire body as a whole, which has a beneficial effect on the weight loss process. The oil has a rich vitamin and mineral composition, with pronounced antisclerotic, antiparasitic, antioxidant and hepatoprotective effects.
Pumpkin seed diet
Pumpkin seeds are included in the diet menu for patients who suffer from kidney disease and diabetes . Despite its high calorie content (550 kcal per 100 g), this product is simply necessary when losing weight, because... compensates for the lack of proper fats and does not allow the body to go into energy saving mode and slow down metabolism . Pumpkin seeds can normalize carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. If vegetable oil is present in the diet menu, then it is enough to consume only 20 grams of seeds per day. During vegetable and fruit diets with the complete exclusion of any fat, it is recommended to consume 50 grams of pumpkin seeds daily. They can replace a snack, and sometimes an entire dinner, while following a weight loss diet.
Pumpkin juice for weight loss
You can make an excellent diuretic from pumpkin pulp, which helps get rid of toxins and swelling .
To start the weight loss process, it is recommended to consume 200 ml of freshly squeezed pumpkin juice for 21 days. Juice is contraindicated if you are prone to diarrhea, low acidity of gastric juice, or diseases of the pancreas.
Pumpkin for weight loss
Pumpkin is added to the menu not only to lose weight. It has a unique vitamin composition. A properly grown vegetable, for which nitrate fertilizers have not been used, contains:
- vitamins – E, PP, C, K, D, A, B, T;
- carbohydrates;
- proteins;
- Omega-3;
- microelements - sulfur, zinc, iron, phosphorus, calcium, copper, magnesium, potassium.
The main benefit of pumpkin for weight loss is that in its raw form it has a low energy value - only 22 kcal, and after heat treatment - 25 kcal. In addition, 100 grams of pumpkin pulp contains almost no fat, but contains proteins and carbohydrates needed for saturation. It also contains fiber, which cleanses the stomach and intestines and promotes the rapid removal of excess fluid.
When losing weight, pumpkin, along with other products, is added to the diet of hypertensive patients, diabetics, overweight people, gallbladder diseases and digestive problems in order to improve their general condition and reduce critical indicators with the help of a regular diet. The seeds and pulp of the orange vegetable are used for cooking. Among the pumpkin recipes you can find soups, main courses, salads and desserts. All of them have the ability to heal the body.
Fasting day on pumpkin
According to women who have tried pumpkin weight loss and appreciated its pros and cons, the biggest drawback of the system is its monotony. It’s difficult to withstand and not break down when you can’t eat anything except dishes with pumpkin pulp, so nutritionists advise trying to introduce weekly pumpkin fasting days. This method has advantages over long-term diets due to its short duration. When introducing such days, you must follow the following rules:
- Take a small pumpkin purchased at the market or store.
- The day before the fasting day, do not eat heavy food for dinner, replacing it with a glass of kefir or yogurt.
- If you plan to spend the day at work, then take the prepared pumpkin food with you in a container.
- Avoid any snacks.
- Drink more water during the fasting day - 1.5-2 liters, and exclude tea, cocoa and coffee from the menu.
- The next day, to exit the diet, limit yourself to a low-calorie diet without fatty and fried foods.
Pumpkin juice for weight loss
Along with other dishes made from pulp, during fasting days you are allowed to use pumpkin juice for weight loss. It has more advantages:
- is not subjected to heat treatment and retains all vitamins;
- better absorbed by the body;
- has a pleasant taste;
- helps you burn more calories;
- Just like puree, it gives you a feeling of fullness.
For a tasty juice that does not require added sugar, take small fruits with bright orange pulp. The peel is removed in a thin layer, the pulp is crushed on a grater or in a juicer, and the resulting juice is filtered. It’s better to drink it immediately after making it, and if you can’t do this, you need to shake the pulp that settles at the bottom. Don’t forget about clean water when drinking juice; it helps the body get rid of toxins even faster and not gain weight.
Raw pumpkin for weight loss
In the unprocessed version, all the beneficial substances have a better effect on the digestive system. In addition, the calorie content of vegetables before boiling, stewing or baking is less. Raw pumpkin for weight loss is suitable in the form of fresh juices and salads. Other vegetables go well with it - apples, carrots, celery. This is one of the most effective means for getting rid of extra pounds.
Pumpkin seeds on a diet
Unlike raw and boiled pumpkin, the seeds have a high energy value, which is 540 kilocalories per 100 grams of purified product. They contain a lot of fat, so nutritionists advise adding pumpkin seeds little by little for weight loss. 50-75 grams per day is enough to provide the body with vitamins. You can mix peeled seeds with raw or boiled vegetables during fasting days and diets.
Authorized Products
The pumpkin diet is considered quite easy due to the ability to use a very varied menu to suit your taste. The meat should be low-fat. You can eat fish, honey, vegetables, low-fat cottage cheese and a small amount of sweet fruits. It is also possible to consume protein foods to maintain muscle mass. Portion sizes are not limited, and you can eat as many dishes from permitted foods as you want. Food should be consumed 3 times a day, snacks are not allowed. The drinking regime is slightly limited: green tea, freshly squeezed pumpkin juice and plain still water are allowed.
Table of permitted products
Proteins, g | Fats, g | Carbohydrates, g | Calories, kcal | |
Vegetables and greens | ||||
vegetables | 2,5 | 0,3 | 7,0 | 35 |
Fruits | ||||
fruits | 0,8 | 0,3 | 11,5 | 56 |
Berries | ||||
berries | 0,7 | 0,3 | 9,4 | 44 |
Mushrooms | ||||
mushrooms | 3,5 | 2,0 | 2,5 | 30 |
Nuts and dried fruits | ||||
nuts | 15,0 | 40,0 | 20,0 | 500 |
candied fruit | 2,0 | 1,0 | 71,0 | 301 |
dried fruits | 2,3 | 0,6 | 68,2 | 286 |
Cereals and porridges | ||||
porridge | 3,3 | 1,2 | 22,1 | 102 |
porridge on water | 3,0 | 0,6 | 18,5 | 91 |
porridge with milk | 3,3 | 2,9 | 17,4 | 105 |
Raw materials and seasonings | ||||
ginger | 1,8 | 0,8 | 15,8 | 80 |
honey | 0,8 | 0,0 | 81,5 | 329 |
fresh mint | 3,7 | 0,4 | 8,0 | 49 |
lemon zest | 0,9 | 0,1 | 3,0 | 16 |
Dairy | ||||
skim milk | 2,0 | 0,1 | 4,8 | 31 |
kefir 0% | 3,0 | 0,1 | 3,8 | 30 |
kefir 1% | 2,8 | 1,0 | 4,0 | 40 |
sour cream 12% | 2,7 | 12,0 | 3,9 | 133 |
Cheeses and cottage cheese | ||||
cheese | 24,1 | 29,5 | 0,3 | 363 |
cottage cheese 0% (low fat) | 16,5 | 0,0 | 1,3 | 71 |
cottage cheese 0.6% (low fat) | 18,0 | 0,6 | 1,8 | 88 |
cottage cheese 1.8% (low-fat) | 18,0 | 1,8 | 3,3 | 101 |
Meat products | ||||
veal | 19,7 | 1,2 | 0,0 | 90 |
mutton | 15,6 | 16,3 | 0,0 | 209 |
rabbit | 21,0 | 8,0 | 0,0 | 156 |
Bird | ||||
chicken | 16,0 | 14,0 | 0,0 | 190 |
turkey | 19,2 | 0,7 | 0,0 | 84 |
Eggs | ||||
omelette | 9,6 | 15,4 | 1,9 | 184 |
eggs | 12,7 | 10,9 | 0,7 | 157 |
Fish and seafood | ||||
fish | 18,5 | 4,9 | 0,0 | 136 |
Non-alcoholic drinks | ||||
water | 0,0 | 0,0 | 0,0 | — |
mineral water | 0,0 | 0,0 | 0,0 | — |
green tea | 0,0 | 0,0 | 0,0 | — |
Juices and compotes | ||||
compote | 0,5 | 0,0 | 19,5 | 81 |
juice | 0,3 | 0,1 | 9,2 | 40 |
* data is per 100 g of product |
Rules for unloading
In order for the results of pumpkin fasting days to be as expected, you must follow certain rules:
- You need to eat about 2 kg of pumpkin pulp per day;
- this volume must be divided into 6 receptions, which should be arranged at equal intervals;
- pumpkin can be eaten fresh, as well as stewed, boiled, baked;
- It is important to drink a lot of water: at least 2 liters;
- You need to repeat pumpkin fasting days every 10 days.
It is very important and correct to get out of a limited diet. The next day's diet should consist of low-calorie foods: vegetable soups, dairy-free cereals, kefir, cottage cheese, fruits. It is advisable to salt dishes to a minimum. On the second and subsequent days, you need to introduce (little by little at first) fish, lean meat, eggs and other familiar foods.
Fully or partially limited products
All sweets and alcohol-containing drinks, fast food are prohibited. It is recommended to cook dishes without salt. Sugar is also prohibited. Consumption of fatty foods, various smoked meats and pickled dishes is not allowed.
Table of prohibited products
Proteins, g | Fats, g | Carbohydrates, g | Calories, kcal | |
Snacks | ||||
potato chips | 5,5 | 30,0 | 53,0 | 520 |
caramel popcorn | 5,3 | 8,7 | 76,1 | 401 |
salted popcorn | 7,3 | 13,5 | 62,7 | 407 |
cheese popcorn | 5,8 | 30,8 | 50,1 | 506 |
Confectionery | ||||
cake | 3,8 | 22,6 | 47,0 | 397 |
Ice cream | ||||
ice cream | 3,7 | 6,9 | 22,1 | 189 |
Cakes | ||||
cake | 4,4 | 23,4 | 45,2 | 407 |
Raw materials and seasonings | ||||
mayonnaise | 2,4 | 67,0 | 3,9 | 627 |
sugar | 0,0 | 0,0 | 99,7 | 398 |
salt | 0,0 | 0,0 | 0,0 | — |
Meat products | ||||
pork | 16,0 | 21,6 | 0,0 | 259 |
bacon | 23,0 | 45,0 | 0,0 | 500 |
ham | 22,6 | 20,9 | 0,0 | 279 |
Sausages | ||||
boiled sausage | 13,7 | 22,8 | 0,0 | 260 |
smoked sausage | 28,2 | 27,5 | 0,0 | 360 |
smoked sausage | 16,2 | 44,6 | 0,0 | 466 |
dry-cured sausage | 24,1 | 38,3 | 1,0 | 455 |
smoked sausage | 9,9 | 63,2 | 0,3 | 608 |
sausages | 10,1 | 31,6 | 1,9 | 332 |
sausages | 12,3 | 25,3 | 0,0 | 277 |
Bird | ||||
duck | 16,5 | 61,2 | 0,0 | 346 |
goose | 16,1 | 33,3 | 0,0 | 364 |
Oils and fats | ||||
vegetable oil | 0,0 | 99,0 | 0,0 | 899 |
Alcoholic drinks | ||||
white wine Muscat | 0,0 | 0,0 | 5,0 | 82 |
Cahors red wine | 0,0 | 0,0 | 16,0 | 147 |
whiskey | 0,0 | 0,0 | 0,4 | 235 |
vodka | 0,0 | 0,0 | 0,1 | 235 |
grog | 0,0 | 0,0 | 0,0 | 220 |
gin | 0,0 | 0,0 | 0,0 | 220 |
liquor | 0,3 | 1,1 | 17,2 | 242 |
beer | 0,3 | 0,0 | 4,6 | 42 |
punch | 0,0 | 0,0 | 30,0 | 260 |
rum | 0,0 | 0,0 | 0,0 | 220 |
cider | 0,2 | 0,3 | 28,9 | 117 |
chacha | 0,1 | 0,1 | 0,5 | 225 |
Non-alcoholic drinks | ||||
cola | 0,0 | 0,0 | 10,4 | 42 |
lemonade | 0,0 | 0,0 | 6,4 | 26 |
Pepsi | 0,0 | 0,0 | 8,7 | 38 |
sprite | 0,1 | 0,0 | 7,0 | 29 |
Fanta | 0,0 | 0,0 | 11,7 | 48 |
* data is per 100 g of product |
Pumpkin diet, menu for 4 days
Day I
Breakfast |
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Dinner |
|
Dinner |
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Day II
Breakfast |
|
Dinner |
|
Dinner |
|
Day III
Breakfast |
|
Dinner |
|
Dinner |
|
Day IV
Breakfast |
|
Dinner |
|
Dinner |
|
The cycle can be repeated until a comfortable weight is achieved.
Recipes for healthy pumpkin dishes
When preparing a vegetable for dietary nutrition, it is important to remember its main advantage - low calorie content. When a product is fried in oil, harmful carcinogens are released, and the calorie content of the dish doubles. That is why it is preferable to cook dishes without butter and without fat.
Pumpkin can be baked, steamed, boiled or eaten raw. Supporters of the system have invented a huge number of different recipes, thanks to which the mono-diet has become more varied and tastier. What to cook with pumpkin:
- casserole;
- salad;
- porridge with pumpkin;
- stew;
- cocktails;
- mousse;
- candied fruit;
- cream soup;
- jelly;
- baked goods (pie);
- juice.
Pumpkin puree soup
The soup can be used for lunch and dinner.
Ingredients (for 3 servings)
- pumpkin 500 g;
- olive oil 2 tbsp. spoons;
- carrots 2 pcs.;
- medium onion 1 pc.
Recipe
Peel and cut the vegetables into small pieces, add low-fat broth or water, add a little oil. Cook for half an hour covered, then beat with a blender. Cooking may take longer, depending on the type of pumpkin. Readiness is checked with a fork. Diet pumpkin puree soup can be eaten in the middle of the day, no more than once a day.
Pumpkin porridge
It is recommended to eat porridge in the morning to enrich the body with energy for the whole day. It is preferable to use low-carb cereals: brown rice, oatmeal, millet. You need to cook the dish with water, but you can add skim milk (in this case, the portion is reduced by a third to reduce calorie content).
Ingredients
- fresh pumpkin 400 g;
- cereal 1-2 handfuls.
Recipe
Place the pumpkin in a saucepan with water, after 20 minutes you can add the cereal and cook until tender. For those who like a homogeneous mass, pumpkin pieces can be mashed with a fork before adding the cereal.
Pumpkin salads
When using pumpkin raw, the dish acquires a pleasant aroma and sweetish taste, which are lost after processing. This is why pumpkin salads for weight loss are so popular. A light dish can be varied by adding nuts, other vegetables, pumpkin seeds, and fruits.
Salads can be seasoned with honey, lemon juice, vegetable oil, and low-fat cream. Pumpkin salads can be consumed without restrictions on quantity during the day. The dish gives you a feeling of fullness for a long time and enriches the body with useful microelements.
Pumpkin salad
Recipe
Grate the peeled pumpkin pulp on a medium grater or cut into strips or slices. Add additional ingredients to your taste, season the resulting mixture with lemon juice.
Pumpkin pancakes
Ingredients
- pumpkin 200 g;
- kefir 2 tbsp. spoons;
- flour 4 tbsp. spoons;
- a pinch of soda and salt;
- vegetable oil.
Pumpkin pancakes
Recipe
Mix all ingredients into a homogeneous mass, mix thoroughly. Bake like regular pancakes or pancakes.
Diet pumpkin casserole
The dish is good for breakfast with tea or coffee, or after a hard day for dinner. Adding apples will give the dish a special flavor. The casserole is a low-calorie dish.
Ingredients
- fresh pumpkin 500 g;
- apples 150 g;
- semolina half a glass;
- eggs 2 pcs.;
- vanillin;
- sugar 1 tbsp. spoon;
- butter 150 g;
- a pinch of salt and soda.
Pumpkin casserole
Recipe
Peel the pumpkin, cut into pieces and place in a pan with water, then cover with a lid and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Check doneness with a fork. Drain the water, mash with a masher and add salt. Let the pumpkin cool. Wash the apples and peel them. Grate using a coarse grater.
Beat eggs, salt and sugar with a blender or mixer. Place grated apples, cooled pumpkin, softened butter, vanillin in a bowl and mix everything thoroughly. Add the beaten eggs and fold them gently into the dough. Line a baking pan with parchment, grease with oil, and lay out the dough. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees and bake the pan for 30 minutes.
Pumpkin pie
The classic pie consists of two parts: a base of chopped dough and a filling. Prepare baked pumpkin puree, mix with eggs, sugar and cream. Add aromatic spices to taste.
Ingredients
- orange zest;
- butter;
- ground cardamom;
- eggs 3 pcs.;
- ground ginger;
- ground cinnamon;
- sugar;
- salt;
- pumpkin 1 kg.
Pumpkin pie
The oil should be cold; it is even better to freeze it first. Grind the butter into crumbs along with the flour. Add 1 egg and some cold water. Mix the dough and roll into a ball, wrap with cling film, and keep in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. Carefully distribute the dough into a special form. Let sit in the refrigerator for an hour.
Peel the pumpkin from the seeds and place in an oven preheated to 180 degrees for 35-40 minutes. Make a puree from the pulp, add sugar, salt, spices, two eggs and zest. If the puree turns out to be too liquid, you can add flour or semolina. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Place a press (such as a cereal bag) on the base of the dough and bake for 15 minutes. Remove and fill with pumpkin filling. Place in the oven again at 180 degrees and bake for another 1 hour.
Pumpkin dessert recipe with photo
The choice of pumpkin for dessert should be approached in a special way: a fragrant dish is obtained only from a pumpkin of a brightly saturated color.
Ingredients
- pumpkin 450 g;
- a handful of light sesame seeds;
- liquid bee honey 2 tbsp. spoons;
- large ripe orange;
- refined oil 1 tbsp. spoon.
Pumpkin dessert with honey
Recipe
Remove seeds and peel from pumpkin. Cut the pulp into oblong pieces. In a wide bowl, combine butter and liquid honey. Remove all the zest from the orange and squeeze the juice (2 tablespoons) from the fruit. Add ingredients to butter and honey. Place pumpkin slices into the resulting mixture so that they are completely covered with the aromatic citrus sauce. Place everything in a single layer in a heat-resistant form. Bake for 45 minutes in the oven at medium temperature.
Pumpkin diet rules for weight loss
To achieve positive results, you need to know the features of such weight loss. This way you will increase your chances of positive results.
- If you feel hungry between meals, you are allowed to eat a slice of pumpkin or an apple.
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner should be at the same time every day to get the maximum effect from the diet. It is recommended to prepare dishes in advance.
- Limit your salt and sugar intake. You can drink water without gas.
- Have dinner no later than 18:00, otherwise the diet loses its meaning and you need to start all over again.
These are just nuances, but you need to know them in order to get a beautiful figure.
Contraindications
- gastritis with low acidity;
- bloating , flatulence ; _
- diabetes;
- hypertonic disease;
- ulcerative lesions of the digestive tract;
- intestinal obstruction;
- allergic responses to pumpkin and other components of the diet;
- active sports (excessive consumption of pumpkin during intense physical activity slows down metabolism, which leads to the loss of muscle mass, not fat deposits).
Advantages and disadvantages
pros | Minuses |
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Important Terms
You can get the maximum benefit from pumpkin if you adhere to certain rules for consuming vegetables as part of diets and fasting days. These simple rules will help you achieve results faster and avoid negative side effects:
- Choose a vegetable with pale yellow flesh rather than bright orange.
- In the morning, on an empty stomach, you can drink a glass of pumpkin juice or eat a handful of pumpkin seeds. Getting into the digestive tract at the very beginning of the day, these products guarantee a powerful antioxidant effect and maximum removal of toxins and waste.
- The most dangerous product is raw pumpkin. Despite all its benefits, it can provoke flatulence, bloating, and in some cases, diarrhea. In its raw form, the vegetable can be eaten between meals in very limited, small quantities.
- For weight loss, the optimal daily caloric intake is 1500 kcal for men and 1200 kcal for women.
- It is unacceptable to consume sugar and salt if you are using the pumpkin diet to lose weight. The same goes for marinated fried foods.
- If you're feeling hungry, you can snack on a small slice of raw pumpkin.
- It is mandatory to adhere to the dietary regime - up to 2 liters of clean water per day.
- The last meal is at 18:00, later is not allowed.
- Pumpkin dishes should be low-calorie; try not to use oil to prepare them.
- Exiting the diet should be smooth and gradual.
It is important not to forget that you can speed up the process of getting rid of extra pounds through physical exercise. Be sure to play sports. Moderate physical activity will help avoid bloating and flatulence.
Quitting the diet
If you want to prevent the yo-yo effect, when the weight comes back after losing weight, then you need to ensure a smooth transition to normal nutrition.
After the pumpkin diet, you should carefully change your diet. You don’t need to completely exclude pumpkin from the menu; start eating low-fat cottage cheese. You should not eat sweet and starchy foods. Before bed, prepare tea with honey and mint.
Adviсe
During the diet you may experience:
- severe loss of muscle mass;
- dehydration of the body;
- disorders, digestive disorders;
- metabolic disorders;
- allergic responses.
Pumpkin is rich in plant fiber, which has a powerful effect on the digestive tract and organs of the urinary system. Along with excess fluid, waste and toxins, beneficial substances can also be removed from the body. That is why, to correct the figure in case of serious pathology of the digestive and urinary tract, it is better to choose a different, safer diet.