3 Ways to Slim Down with Artichokes
Everyone knows how hard it is to lose a few pounds, even when you’re putting a lot of effort in. You do not have to starve yourself. All you need to do is eat a little healthier and change your daily habits. By eating artichokes, you can lose weight while still enjoying your food.
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Losing weight with artichokes is possible
It’s not a stretch to say that artichokes are one of the best foods for you. With medicinal properties that benefit your health and beauty, they’re one of the most cleansing foods that exist.
They can speed up your metabolism and also promote the removal of fluids as they act as a diuretic. We often say they’re a “fat burning” food, but that’s not exactly the case.
Artichokes do, however, promote the digestion of fat. So, they’re not eliminated, but rather they are synthesized by the body for easier removal.
Something else to keep in mind is that in order to lose weight, you shouldn’t just limit yourself to eating artichokes for a few weeks. That’s a huge mistake!
It’s true that artichokes have loads of fiber and contain important vitamins and minerals like phosphorus, iron, magnesium, calcium, potassium, and vitamin B1.
However, don’t make the mistake of eating only artichokes while on a diet. On the contrary, artichokes are a wonderful addition to your already healthy diet.
Whenever you reduce the fat and sugar in your diet, artichokes will definitely help you digest your food better and prevent fluid retention thanks to cynarine, which also stimulates the production of bile. Eating artichoke is healthy and we highly recommend it for when you need to lose those stubborn last few pounds.
Want to learn three ways to eat artichokes and lose weight? Great!
1. Artichoke, Pineapple, and Almond Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 cooked artichoke
- 2 slices of pineapple
- 4 almonds
- Juice from ½ lemon
- 1 cup of the water used to boil the artichoke
Instructions
This recipe is simple and might be a bit of a surprise to you, but we promise it’s tasty, healthy, and effective for weight loss. Pineapple is great for detoxing the body and helping you burn fat, and combining it with a little lemon juice and the artichoke will amplify its effects.
Almonds provide magnesium, which provides you with energy and helps protect your bones and muscles. Mix up this healthy smoothie to help you start your day in the best way possible. The first thing you need to do is boil the artichoke. Once the center has softened, remove the artichoke and reserve the water.
Now add the artichoke, pineapple, and almonds to the blender and mix until you have a smooth paste. Add the lemon juice and reserved cooking water, and continue to blend until you have a smooth, homogenous beverage. How does that sound? It’s best to drink this in the morning.
2. Artichoke Tea
Ingredients
- 2 artichokes
- ½ liter of water
- Juice from ½ lemon
Instructions
The best way to harness the power of artichokes is through the water they were boiled in. As you can probably guess, it’s easy to do, and maybe you’ve already tried this once or twice before.
Boil your artichokes in the water until they’re soft. Throughout the day, drink the water used to cook the artichokes. You can also serve these same artichokes with dinner, adding a little olive oil or apple cider vinegar – everyone knows that’s a delicious combination.
Mix your artichoke cooking water with the lemon juice, and drink a cup about a half hour before each meal. Remember, experts and studies from the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism say that drinking at least half a liter of cold water per day will speed up your metabolism by up to 30%, helping you burn more calories.
Also, store your artichoke tea in the fridge for a while before you drink it to get double the benefits. It’s so simple and easy!
3. Metabolism-boosting Artichoke Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 cooked artichoke
- Half a cup of artichoke water (the water your artichoke boiled in)
- A pinch of cayenne pepper
- A pinch of ground ginger
Instructions
Well, you might be surprised again after seeing this list of ingredients, but this recipe is great for at least 3 times a week with dinner.
You already know, for example, that cayenne pepper helps speed up your metabolism better than just about anything else. By combining it with ginger and artichoke, you get a beverage that’s highly effective for weight loss.
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All you need to do is cook your artichoke and set aside the water you used for boiling it. Add the pepper and ginger to half a cup of that water, and let it mix together. The last step is easy: mix all your ingredients (artichoke, half cup of water, and pepper and ginger) in a blender until the liquid is smooth.
Its taste is unique, yes, but if you have it with dinner a few times a week you’ll notice a change in your weight for the better.
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
- Salem, M. B., Affes, H., Ksouda, K., Dhouibi, R., Sahnoun, Z., Hammami, S., & Zeghal, K. M. (2015). Pharmacological studies of artichoke leaf extract and their health benefits. Plant foods for human nutrition, 70(4), 441-453.
- Kraft, K. (1997). Artichoke leaf extract—recent findings reflecting effects on lipid metabolism, liver and gastrointestinal tracts. Phytomedicine, 4(4), 369-378.