Best way to avoid weight gain when eating out: Nutritionist reveals clever restaurant hack; says you should drink...

How to eat out and not gain weight: A nutritionist suggests ways to avoid gaining kilos while enjoying a restaurant meal. It's pretty simple, but does it work?

Dining out is fun, but it can also lead to overeating and possible weight gain. According to nutritionist Deepsikha Jain (Instagram handle Fries to Fit), you can use a clever tip to help yourself stay healthy when eating out. So how can you stick to your health goals without having to give up your social life? All you have to do is sip a special drink.

Drink lemon water before your meal

Alongside a recent video of herself explaining her hack to eating out, Deepsikha wrote, “Save this restaurant tip for next time. Eating mindfully, even in restaurants, is equally important, but this tip will surely save you from causing more damage or sugar spikes. Lemon can reduce sugar spike by 30 percent and consuming water before meals will also stop you from overeating and keep you slightly full.”

In a post titled 'restaurant tip to lose weight', she said, “Do this one thing when you are eating out if you want to cause less damage. Just add some lemon slices to your water and drink this before you eat out or before your meal because lemon will actually reduce the conversion of starch to sugar in foods that are rich in high glycemic, especially when you are eating out. And that will cause a slower spike in your blood sugar; hence creating lesser damage to you. Therefore, drink the lemon water prior to consuming your meal out in a restaurant.”

But does this actually work?

Water is a great choice for drinking before a meal, especially if you drink lemon water instead of sugar-sweetened drinks. Replacing sugar-sweetened drinks with water can also help reduce your intake of calories and added sugar.

Drinking lemon water before a meal is often recommended to aid digestion as the citric acid in lemon juice can stimulate stomach acid production, potentially helping your body break down food more effectively; however, it's important to consume it in moderation and not excessively dilute stomach acid with large amounts of lemon water.

Drinking lemon water before meals may help promote and improve digestion, as per a 2022 study, published in the medical journal Springer. Researchers found that the citric acid in lemon juice helped boost gastric acid secretion. This is a digestive fluid produced in the stomach that helps your body break down and digest food.

Moreover, in a 2018 study published in the medical journal PubMed Central, researchers found that participants who were instructed to drink water before eating a test meal ate less food compared to when they were instructed to eat the test meal without 'pre-loading' with water. Participants did not feel significantly less satiated when they drank water before eating a test meal, despite eating less food. The study’s authors concluded that pre-meal water consumption may be an effective weight loss strategy.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.