The lowly mushroom is a serious contender for dieters who want to shed pounds quickly but still keep their assets. The ‘M-Plan’ is based on mushrooms that means women lose weight from problem tums, bums, thighs and upper arms, but still keep their bust intact.
How the diet works
Replacing just one regular lunchtime snack or dinner with a mushroom inspired dish will help women lose weight from the stubborn areas over a 14-day period.
By eating more mushrooms, it’s likely that less high calorie foods will be consumed throughout the day over all because of the vegetable’s powerful nutritional values. The dietary fibre in mushrooms helps promote good bowel function leaving you feeling more satisfied, so you won’t be hungry again as quickly, preventing you from snacking.
Mushrooms are also extremely rich in protein – an ideal nutritional food source yet the vegetable is low in calories which is important where weight loss is considered. There’s a myth that the waist is the last area of the body where women lose weight. In fact, it’s one of the areas of the body that we move the most along with bums, thighs and upper arms.
Not only mushrooms help with weight loss – the super vegetable can help improve your looks too given that mushrooms are high in B vitamins, iron and zinc, all of which are needed to make your skin, hair and nails strong, healthy and shiny!
Types of mushrooms
White Mushroom – The most common type of mushroom. Its snow white colour is caused by being grown in the dark. The white mushroom comes in four different sizes, button, closed cup, open cup and flat mushrooms.
Brown Mushroom – The brown mushroom is one of the most flavoursome and has a rich, earthy taste. They come in three sizes: closed cup or ‘Chestnut’ the slightly larger ‘Portabello’ and Portabellini or ‘Crimini’.
Portabello Mushroom – The Portabello is a brown mushroom that has been allowed to grow to full maturity. Portabello mushrooms have a dense, meaty texture and deep mushroom flavours. By removing the stalk, stuffing and baking you have a hearty and filling mushroom meal.
Oyster Mushroom – The daintiest of the mushroom family, the oyster mushroom has an equally delicate flavour. It comes in a range of colours, brown, grey, pink and yellow and goes perfectly in stir-fries, pasta or risottos.
Shiitake Mushroom – Ideal for sauces, soups and stir fries, the shiitake is native to Japan. It works beautifully in oriental cooking because of its distinctively smoky flavour. The firm cap and brown meaty flesh are what give this mushroom its unique taste.
Enoki Mushroom – A crisp, white crunchy mushroom, delicious in soups, stews and salads. Named after the enoki tree that it grows on in Japan, it has a slight crunch and a sweet, fruity flavour.
Bena-Shimeji Mushroom -The most gourmet of the bunch this mushroom should be cooked whole, as most of the flavour is in its long, slim stem. Sold in clusters, each mushroom is very small with a dark cap, light gills and long stalk.
For mushrooms inspired recipes, visit www.moretomushrooms.com
