The Cabbage Soup Diet

The Cabbage Soup diet has been used for years by dieters short on time or impatient to get back into the next dress size down. It doesn't claim any scientific background but does have a big advantage of being quick! The diet exists in several versions, but common to all is the basic premise that if you eat cabbage soup when you are hungry, in as large a quantity as you want, this will fill you up and help you to stay on a low calorie diet. Some sources claim that the cabbage has in itself special properties that aid in weight loss, but this has no medical basis, although cabbage is a negative calorie food in its own right, and some versions of the soup are also negative calorie (use more calories to digest than are gained by the body).

The Cabbage Soup diet lasts for seven days, and all through this time cabbage soup can be consumed freely, but other foods are strictly controlled.The diet is very low calorie, and also cannot be called a balanced diet! Here is a popular version of the diet;

Cabbage Soup diet recipe

The Cabbage Soup recipe includes, for the soup; one cabbage,vegetables such as peppers, squash, carrots, onions, but no potatoes or other starchy vegetables. Either fry using a spray on oil, or not,and add water to make about four litres of soup. Add soup powder to taste, or use low calorie flavorings like soy sauce, chilli powder and whatever spices you like, this should be tasty, because you will be eating a lot of it! Bring to the boil and simmer for about twenty minutes, until the vegetables are soft .

Cabbage Soup diet plan

The diet; On the first day, soup, and as much fruit as you like except bananas.On the second day,soup, vegetables and one potato cooked in its skin and served with butter. Day three, soup, vegetables and fruit but no potatoes. On day four,soup, up to eight bananas and as much skimmed milk as you want. On day five,soup, up to 20 ounces of beef and up to eight tomatoes. On day six,soup and as much beef and vegetables as you want except potatoes. On day seven,soup, brown rice and vegetables except potatoes, and fruit juice. All through the week,alcohol is out, and you should drink plenty of water and on fruit eating days, drink fruit juice too.

At the end of this week you will definitely have lost weight. Some sources claim that you can lose as much as 10 pounds. The problem is that most of the weight lost will be fluids, which are gained back within a short space of time, so this isn't going to result in much long term weight loss. However, if you just have to get a bit of weight off before that special occasion, and if you time it right, this could be the solution for you, especially if you like cabbage! By the way, if you don't like cabbage, there is no reason not to leave the cabbage out altogether and use just the other vegetables!

What do medical authorities think of this diet? Most authorities agree that although it isn't balanced, the Cabbage Soup diet will also not harm healthy adults as long as it is followed for no longer than one week. As with all diets, you should consult your doctor before beginning.