What Fruits to Avoid During the HCG Diet
The HCG diet involves taking a hormone produced by pregnant women, called human chorionic gonadotropin. You also greatly limit your calorie intake on this diet to about 500 calories each day.
The HCG diet involves taking a hormone produced by pregnant women, called human chorionic gonadotropin. You also greatly limit your calorie intake on this diet to about 500 calories each day. There are different versions of the diet, so the types and amounts of fruit you can and cannot have might vary depending on the plan. The original diet was started by Dr. A.T.W. Simeons in 1950, according to the Green HCG website. Low-calorie, restricted diets, like the HCG diet, can have serious consequences, so you should only follow one under the supervision of a doctor.
Fruits Included
The website "Rapid Weight Loss with HCG" reports that your fruit choices include a handful of strawberries, one apple or orange, a half-grapefruit, 2 plums, half of a fresh peach, a half-cup of dried apricots or half-cup of cherries. You are allowed two servings per day total, consisting of these types. Another site, HCGDietTips.com, says you can have one of the approved types of fruit, including only strawberries, apples or grapefruit, each day.
Phase 1
There are specific fruits you can and cannot enjoy during different phases of the HCG diet. Phase 1 lasts for 3 to 7 days and includes eating an abundance of high-fat foods, with the intention of quelling cravings and telling your body not to go into starvation mode. No fruit is included in this stage.
Phase 2
Phase 2 goes on for the next 23 to 40 days and includes only apples, oranges, strawberries and grapefruit. From this strict recommendation, assume that you cannot eat any other types of fruit, including peaches, pears, watermelon, papaya and an abundance of other varieties.
Phase 3
Phase 3 lasts for three weeks after the second phase is completed. During this phase, you can expand your eating to include any foods except starches and sugars. During this phase, avoid fruit with a lot of carbs, including mangos, plantains, bananas and dried fruit, as well as fruit high in sugar, such as canned fruit and fruit juice.
Warning
There's no evidence showing that the HCG diet is effective. Any results seem to be from the calorie restriction instead of the diet plan or the HCG injections. The diet does not provide enough calories or nutrients and can cause you to lose hair and feel tired and irritable. It can also cause headaches or blood clots. The HCG injections might cause side effects with hormones and can interfere with antibodies, potentially causing problems with later pregnancies. HCG supplements in forms other than injections are not regulated and could have additional side effects. You are also likely to gain back any weight you lose on the diet.