The Cabbage Soup Diet Review

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SUMMARY

The Cabbage Soup Diet: What It Is

The Cabbage Soup Diet, sometimes referred to as The Mayo Clinic Diet, The Sacred Heart Diet, The Cabbage Diet, or 7 Day Cabbage Soup Diet, is a low-fat, high-fiber diet, devised from the idea that consuming large amounts of low-calorie cabbage soup for seven days can effect a total weight loss of 10 pounds (4.5 kg).

The Cabbage Soup Diet: Meal Plan

The Cabbage Soup Diet plan is, in fact, extremely strict. The whole idea of the plan revolves around the notion of consuming as much cabbage soup, each day, as possible (minimum of 2 bowls per day) plus additional foods like fruit, vegetables, skim milk, and meat –  enough to combat hunger.

No alcohol is allowed. On days when fruits are allowed, drinks are restricted to water and unsweetened beverages.

Here’s the basic program:

Day 1 – Cabbage Soup and Fruit

You can eat as many fruits as you like, EXCEPT bananas. You an also drink unsweetened teas, cranberry juice, and water.

Day 2 – Cabbage Soup and Vegetables

You can eat all fresh, raw, or cooked green vegetables you want BUT steer clear of dry beans, peas, and corn. Include baked potato with butter, along with your meals. Strictly no fruits.

Day 3 – Cabbage Soup and Fruit and Vegetables

You can eat as many fruits and/or vegetables as you want, BUT no baked potatoes. Bananas are not allowed. For your drinks, you can have anything unsweetened– coffee, tea, water, or cranberry juice.

Day 4 – Cabbage Soup and Bananas and Skim Milk

You can eat up to 8 bananas and drink as many glasses of skim milk as you want.

Day 5 – Cabbage Soup and Beef and Tomatoes

Drink 5-9 glasses of water. Eat as many as 6 fresh tomatoes. You can have 10-20 ounces of beef or broiled or baked chicken (remove the skin) or broiled fish.

Day 6 – Cabbage Soup and Beef and Vegetables

You can eat 2-3 steaks if you want, with green vegetables. No baked potatoes.

Day 7 - Cabbage Soup and Brown Rice, Vegetables, and Unsweetened Fruit Juices

You can have 2 cups of brown rice, as many vegetables as you want, and unsweetened fruit juices.

The diet should only be followed for 7 days at a time, with at least two weeks in between.

The Cabbage Soup Diet: The Original Cabbage Soup Recipe

1 head cabbage

2 green peppers

1-2 cans dried tomatoes

1 bunch celery

1 package Lipton Onion Soup Mix

1-2 cubes of vegetable broth, low sodium

1 liter water

Put all vegetables in a big pot and add water. Bring to a boil, add the soup mic, and then boil gently for 10 minutes. Cover. Simmer until all the vegetables are soft. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

The Cabbage Soup Diet: The Cabbage Soup Recipe Variations

As can be expected, several versions of the Cabbage Soup has sprung up. This is especially helpful to people who goes through the diet from time to time.

The ingredients listed in these variations must be added to the soup as it cooks or, in smaller amounts, directly to the bowl of cooked soup to add flavor.

Cabbage Soup Bombay

3 cucumbers, peeled and sliced
2 tsp tumeric, ground
2 tsp cumin, ground

Cabbage Soup Buena Vista

2 japaleno peppers, finely chopped
4 tsp chilli powder

Cabbage Soup Cassablanca

1/2 tsp curry powder
fresh mint leaves, chopped

Cabbage Soup Chanterelle

chanterelle mushrooms
thyme and rosemary
NOTE: do not add tomatoes in soup

Cabbage Soup Florence

3 cloves garlic, crushed
3/4 cup Italian parsley, chopped
4 fresh oregano leaves, crushed OR 1 tsp dried oregano

Cabbage Soup Honolulu

1-2 tsp ginger
1 tsp hot sauce

Cabbage Soup Munich

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1-2 tsp whole caraway seeds
3 springs fresh thyme, crushed OR 2 tsp dried thyme

Cabbage Soup Peking

shrimp or fish boullion
1 tbsp soy sauce
NOTE: do not add tomatoes in soup

Cabbage Soup South Western

cilantro, chopped
1/2 tsp chili powder

The Cabbage Soup Diet: How it Works

The Cabbage Soup Diet is a strictly ordered meal plan designed to effect drastic weight loss in 7 days. The diet is based on the principle of calorie and fat reduction. While dieters may lose the guaranteed 10 pounds, it will basically be because of the loss of water weight, not the fats.

In fact, there isn’t anything mystical about cabbage or the cabbage soup itself that promotes weight loss. However, it has been reported that the combination of the “superfoods” in the diet does the trick.

Also, the diet has been designed as a temporary solution to weight loss, to be done for a maximum of 7 days only. If to be used again, there should be a 2-week break to allow the body to rejuvenate.

The Cabbage Soup Diet: Advantages and Disadvantages

Advantages:

• Fast results (quick weight loss solution)
• Offers a wide variety of food
• Easy to follow
• Affordable

Disadvantages:

• Weight loss is but temporary
• The soup itself is tasteless
• Effects food cravings
• Time consuming, especially since you’ll be preparing your own meals
• Diet is not nutritionally balanced
• Monotonous
• High in salt

The Cabbage Soup Diet: According To Experts

Health experts agree that the Cabbage Soup Diet can, unfortunately, do more harm than good.

Connie Diekman, MED, RD, president of the American Dietetic Association, believes that the Cabbage Soup Diet is nothing but a quick fix that only results to water weight loss.

Spokesperson for the British Dietetic Association, Dale Rees, defines the Cabbage Soup Diet as a rigidly limiting diet that will ultimately cause abdominal discomfort and weariness. Rees added that the diet must only be done for a week; otherwise, it can lead to loss of lean tissue mass because the body will not only make use of the ready-to-burn fat storage but will also include the muscle in doing so. Furthermore, when the diet is over and the dieter starts eating normally, he.she will eventually gain back all the weight he/she has lost. This is because diets that reduce more than 1,000 calories a day significantly decreases the bodies metabolic rate, Rees reasoned.

Other medical experts suggested to not engage in the diet for more than a weak as it can result to malnourishment.

Not to mention that the cabbage soup is very hing in sodium content and over-all, the diet provides zero amount of protein.

The Cabbage Soup Diet: Bottomline

Like other fad diets, the Cabbage Soup Diet can work quite well on a short-term basis. Any diet that extremely restricts calorie intake without recommending a well-balanced diet and exercise will not produce lasting results. Therefore, it is important to re-assess your goals and seek professional help if necessary.

Because remember, health is wealth!