The Cabbage Soup Diet
Is it Effective for Rapid Weight Loss?
Although there is no proof to support it, the Cabbage Soup diet is believed to have originated in a hospital where it was necessary for a few patients to shed some weight prior to surgery.
The Cabbage Soup diet has been known to be effective for rapid weight loss, without being very scientific or complicated.
What is the Cabbage Soup Diet?
The Cabbage Soup diet is a seven day plan aimed at weight loss in a short span of time. The diet requires consuming cabbage soup for seven days with every meal of the day.
The diet does allow consumption of fruits, vegetables and meat on specific days of the week, however, consuming cabbage soup with every meal is necessary. Cabbage soup is a negative calorie food item, which is why every meal should be started with the soup.
A typical Cabbage Soup diet would follow a regimen as given below:
- Day 1 – Cabbage soup and fruits (unlimited quantity and any fruit except for bananas)
- Day 2 – Cabbage soup and vegetables (a boiled potato with just a dash of butter is also allowed)
- Day 3 – Cabbage soup and a combination of fruits and vegetables (Except for bananas and potatoes)
- Day 4 – Cabbage soup, bananas and skimmed milk (A maximum of 8 bananas to be consumed through the day)
- Day 5 – Cabbage soup and beef (about 20 ounces) and tomatoes (maximum 6 tomatoes)
- Day 6 – Cabbage soup, beef and vegetables (Except potatoes, unlimited quantity of beef and vegetables)
- Day 7 – Cabbage soup, brown rice, vegetables (except potatoes) and fresh fruit juice
The diet is easy to follow and is quite healthy because it encourages the consumption of vegetables and motivates you to abstain from processed and junk food.
However, anyone who is considering following this diet would need to be disciplined and have a lot of willpower, since it can be a challenge to consume cabbage soup for seven days in a row.
It should also be kept in mind that this diet is not recommended as a long term diet since excessive consumption of cabbage can lead to flatulence and inadequate nutrition.
The Principles of the Cabbage Soup Diet
The Cabbage Soup diet is based on the concept of negative calorie foods. A negative calorie food is a food item in which the amount of calories that it contains is lower than the calories that are burnt while digesting the food.
Cabbage is known to be one of the best negative calorie foods since the delta between the calories that it contains and the calories that are burnt during digestion is one of the highest, which ensures a quick reduction in weight.
Is the Cabbage Soup Diet Effective for Weight Loss?
The Cabbage Soup diet curtails the amount of food that is consumed, which results in weight loss of anywhere between 5 to 50 pounds in a week. The Cabbage Soup diet can only be used as a temporary measure of weight loss due to the lack of nutrition and the boredom that dieters experience while they are on this diet plan.
Once the seven day Cabbage Soup diet has resulted in weight loss, other means of exercise and diet planning may be required to maintain the weight.
