- Beneficial Properties
- Contraindications
- Application Rules
- Recipes
Fennel is often confused with dill, but in fact, it belongs to the celery family. It is a perennial herbaceous plant with yellow inflorescences in the form of umbrellas and fluffy leaves. Its natural habitat is the Mediterranean coast, but it is cultivated as a vegetable crop on almost all continents. It has a bright taste and aroma; it is widely used in folk medicine and cooking. Nutritionists have recently begun to recommend it for weight loss.
Beneficial Properties
The beneficial properties of fennel are determined by its chemical composition:
- very high content of essential oils (up to 7% in fruits);
- fatty acids: petroselinic, oleic, linoleic, palmitic;
- flavonoids;
- glycosides;
- ascorbic acid;
- carotene;
- B vitamins;
- minerals.
Due to this complex of biologically active substances, all parts of the plant have a truly healing effect:
- help with flatulence;
- destroy harmful microorganisms;
- relieve coughs and asthma;
- promote the regeneration process;
- relieve stress and depressive conditions;
- remove decay products during intoxication;
- normalize blood pressure;
- cleanse blood vessels from cholesterol;
- prevent heart attacks;
- are considered a natural mild sedative;
- relieve spasms and pain.
No wonder Tibetan medicine recommends including it in the diet to maintain beauty and youth. It is one of the 5 spices that are part of the ancient Chinese spicy mixture “wuxianmian” with health-improving properties.
And you get all this as a nice bonus when using fennel as a weight loss aid. But what is the secret of weight loss itself?
When ingested, the plant:
- Improves digestion
- Speeds up metabolism
- Removes excess fluid and eliminates toxins, having a diuretic effect
All three factors contribute to weight loss. The only question is, what should be the plan for its use? After all, you can hardly expect the effect of one handful of seeds or one cup of tea per week. Therefore, you need to know the daily volume of dishes and drinks with this spice, as well as be able to choose the right recipes.
Origin of the name. The word “fennel” goes back to the English “fenel,” which translates as “hay.”
Contraindications
First of all, contraindications should be considered:
- individual intolerance to the herb, which often provokes dizziness, nausea, and allergic reactions in the form of a rash, sneezing, and watery eyes due to its aroma;
- epilepsy;
- pregnancy (may cause premature birth);
- lactation (it is often advised to use this plant for nursing mothers to increase the amount of breast milk, but this property has not been scientifically proven, but it can cause a rash in a newborn);
- diarrhea;
- heart rhythm disturbances.
If you occasionally include fennel in your diet, it will not harm you even if you have these contraindications. However, you will not have to expect a slimming effect. But once you start to intentionally include it in the system of combating excess weight, the volumes of consumption will increase significantly, which can lead to complications and side effects.
Through the pages of history. In the Middle Ages, the leaves and seeds of the plant were used as chewing gum for fresh breath.
Application Rules
Many people do not even know what fennel looks like and how to use it for weight loss. The initial educational program will introduce you to these basic questions.
For weight loss on fennel, you can use all its parts: greens, seeds, and fruits.
Selection Criteria
- Choose the plant with bright green stems in the store. They should be firm and dense to the touch, not soft and lethargic.
- It can be stored in the refrigerator for no more than 3-5 days. As soon as wilting or mold appears, you will have to throw it away.
- The storage method is paper bags.
- Before cooking, the bulb (white part) is separated from the green stem.
How to Use?
Almost all parts of the plant can be eaten. The main thing is to be able to cook them.
- Greens
The stem and leaves are chopped and used in soups, side dishes, and salads as a seasoning. If you want to lose weight, take one teaspoon of raw materials per 200 g of any dish. And this must be eaten three times a day.
- Seeds
Green fennel seeds go well with fish and meat dietary dishes. It is better to grind them before use. They have a licorice smell and an aniseed taste. Various drinks are often prepared on their basis: tea, decoction, infusion, fennel water. They must be drunk daily, at least 2 glasses a day.
- Fruits
White fruits (roots) of fennel in the form of bulbs are used in dietary nutrition. They can be consumed both raw and cooked. The former have a pronounced mint-like dill flavor, while the latter are more delicate and mild. The main thing is to cut them correctly in order to preserve all the beneficial and nutritional properties. Each bulb is cut into four slices with a knife, the inner core and outer leaves (the toughest ones) are removed. And only then are these quarters finely chopped. At least one dish per day should include these bulbs.
It is good to stew them with vegetables. The traditional way is stewing. As a result, you will get a low-calorie and hearty dish that will organically fit into any diet or vegetable fasting day.
If you do not suffer from allergies and tolerate dishes with this product well, be sure to include it in your diet during weight loss. The approximate daily volume is about 200 g. The course of intensive use should not exceed 2 weeks.
From all over the world. An old English proverb says: “He who, seeing fennel, does not take it, is no longer a man, but a real devil.”
Recipes
What recipes can be used to prepare low-calorie dishes and drinks from fennel? Cooking in close tandem with dietetics offers the most delicious and healthy options, so you will not have any difficulty composing a menu.
Salad
Ingredients:
- 2 fennel fruits;
- 2 carrots;
- 1 apple;
- 1 celery stalk;
- handful of walnuts;
- 1 tablespoon of lemon juice;
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil;
- salt, pepper to taste.
Cut everything into strips and mix, sprinkle with lemon juice, olive oil, add salt and pepper. After 15 minutes, the salad is ready to eat.
Soup
Ingredients:
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