HCG diets have become a popular way to lose weight and stay healthy in the 21st century, with the use of HCG hormones and the ingestion of low calorie diets. HCG stands for human chorionic gonadotropin or human chorionic gonadotrophin. HCG is a glycoprotein hormone produced during pregnancy, where it is made by the developing embryo after conception and later on by the syncytiotrophoblast part of the placenta. HCG is also taken as a hormone to aid in the loss of weight, although like any kind of dietary supplament it is only successful if used with a balanced intake of food and an exercise regime.
When Dr Simeons recommended HCG ingestion or weight loss, he also wrote down the foundations of a low calorie diet so that people could get the full benefit of the hormones. This special 500 calorie dietary intake was written about in his manuscripts “Pounds and Inches”, which listed specific dietary requirements for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. While there are a number of modern variations of the original HCG diet, the basic format of the original is still followed by many people. All of the food mentioned in this diet can be easily made at home at an affordable price, which makes it an easy program to follow for everyone.
The basic diet consists of a simple breakfast with only tea or coffee, without any sugar at all and only a tablespoon of milk per day. There are a few choices for lunch time food, all of which can easily be made in a home kitchen environment. 100 grams of veal, chicken breast, fish, lobster, crab, or shrimp are allowed, although all meat must be cooked by grilling or boiling. One vegetable can also be eaten for lunch, including either spinach, chard, beet-greens, green salad, tomatoes, fennel, celery, onions, cucumber, asparagus, or cabbage. Bread is also allowed for lunch.
A single piece of fruit is allowed for lunch or dinner, with an apple, orange, strawberries, or grapefruit recommended in the original diet. The dinner menu is exactly the same as the lunch menu, meaning it is also very easy to prepare and cook in a home kitchen setting. While this diet is the original program produced by the founder of the hcg weight loss program, there are also lots of modern variations that use different foods and methods of homemade cooking with a similar low calorie intake.