Monomeals: A harmful myth or a great secret

A mono meal is a meal that consists of one large amount of a specific food, usually raw fruits or vegetables. Examples of mono meals might be half of a watermelon, a bundle of bananas, or a bag of kiwis. People who follow mono meals have the general idea that eating too many different foods at one time can cause you to “overwork” the digestive tract and lead to conditions like leaky gut syndrome. Mono meals are meant to encourage mindfulness while eating. However, many articles promoting mono meals fail to address some of the negative side effects and damage that could be caused by adopting this kind of diet. Negative effects of the diet may not be seen overnight, but instead overtime. Some of the major issues and outcomes of the diet are detailed below:

A monomeal diet could actually cause more harm than good

The digestive system is made to be able to absorb multiple nutrients at once. A major idea of mono meals is to “alleviate” the digestive system of “multitasking.” This is often likened to stress and damage that occurs if a person multitasks the brain by overthinking or overloading on activity. However, the digestive system is designed in a way that explicitly shows it has the capability of processing one or more different types of macronutrients at a time. In the saliva, there are enzymes that digest lipids AND carbohydrate, in the stomach there are enzymes that digest, lipids and proteins, and in the small intestine there are enzymes that digest and absorb lipids, vitamins, minerals, proteins, and carbohydrates. It is a simultaneous process. It is very unlikely that the stomach stops and says “you go first protein, then we’ll digest this fat.” In a normally functioning adult, enzymes only act on the particular substance they are meant to digest. Therefore, eating a meal that has carbohydrates and protein at the same time would not be detrimental to the digestive system. However, eating ONLY fruits and vegetables, which are most used in the mono meal trend, could deprive your body of some substances it needs to sustain life.

The best way for someone to eat healthy is to keep the six principles of a healthy diet in mind: adequacy, balance, calorie control, variety, moderation, and nutrient density

A mono meal simply does not meet all of these standards. While fruits are healthy, delicious, and an excellent addition to the diet, they are not the only addition that should be added. Other macronutrients, like protein and fat, are vital to sustaining the health of the body. Often times, the body can only get the other elements or macronutrients it needs to function from the diet. By depriving the body of variety, nutrient density, and adequacy, one may cause harm to the body.

While the intentions of adopting a mono meal diet, seem to be in the right place, the diet can ultimately be harmful to your body and health. Instead of just eating large amounts of singular fruits and vegetables, a person looking to lose weight or eat cleaner could adopt a healthy and complete vegetarian or vegan diet. Instead of cutting out complete groups of food that gives the body what it needs to sustain itself, it would be more beneficial to practice a healthy, balanced diet. To promote mindful eating, one may eat at the table, take sips of water or appropriately portion food before eating.

The body is an amazing functioning organ system that is made to withstand the stresses we place on it while living. All of these systems, including the nervous system, urinary system, and digestive system work together to keep us up and functioning. Eating a healthy diet does not mean you must restrict yourself to one food at every meal time. It is important that we give our body all the variety of valuable vitamins, minerals, and nutrients we may need, without depriving it the ability to complete its job.