Does the Cabbage Soup diet work?
What is the Cabbage Soup Diet?
Vegetable soup, anyone? If it promises up to 15 lbs. off in seven days, then why not?
Despite the bland taste, this 7-day soup diet is a popular choice in the market because of its low-calorie, high-fiber content.
You can eat all the cabbage soup you want, matched with other vegetables or fruits, and even a little meat. This diet has to be matched with 7-8 glasses of water a day and multivitamin supplement.
Because of its eat-all-you-can, quick-results promise, it has been labeled as a fad diet.
The fad was popularized in the 1997 book � The New Cabbage Soup Diet � by Margaret Danbrot. From then on, several cabbage soup diet books and recipes have also been introduced in the market.
How does it work?
Several cabbage soup recipes are available in the internet. There are a variety of choices per seven-day plan.
Advocates advise that dieters stick to a particular plan, and not mix and match the different plans.
Food that can be matched with cabbage varies slightly, and are sometimes criticized for being "strange" combinations. Among the low-calorie vegetables that can be matched with the soup include onions, and tomatoes, flavored with bouillon, onion soup mix, and tomato juice. Tea and milk are also part of the 7-day menu.
At a specific day within the week, there are specific foods that must be matched with the soup. Generally, a little amount of meat is suggested in the latter days of the week. .
Pros and Cons of the Cabbage Soup Diet:
The diversity of diet plans in the market today indicates that there are simply no fool-proof approach to weight loss. The Cabbage Soup diet has its share of advantages and disadvantages.
Pros:
+ Quick results -- 7 days only
It promises results in days and not months unlike other diet plans. Furthermore, it encourages eating, and no strenuous activity, like exercise, at all.
Its advocates argue that the results are obvious from day 1. People who see results at once are encouraged to lose weight some more. This is their explanation for the sure-fire guarantee.
+ Affordable and easy-to-follow diet plan
You can get yourself into the diet plan easily with its affordable and easy-to-follow recipes, which can be prepared to suit your taste. Furthermore, there's no starvation because you eat all the soup you want.
Furthermore, some say this is a good step in encouraging people to eat those once-dreaded vegetables.
Cons:
- Temporary, short-term solution
Its almost instantaneous promise of quick results is a glaring target of criticism. Critics say this diet plan, which does not have any maintenance, is not suited for long-term weight loss.
To sustain the program is not wise also that's why even author Danbrot does not suggest in her book to follow through the plan after seven days (source: http://www.fcs.okstate.edu/food/nutrition/issues/fad-diets/majic-cont.htm) .
In 1998, the British Dietetic Association (source: www.bda.uk.com/Downloads/Forget_Cabbage_Soup.pdf) warned that short-term diet solutions, like the Cabbage Soup diet, is not the answer to Britains obesity problems. Instead, the industry association is suggesting a program of treatment from research by a multi-disciplinary team of health professionals.
Even then, cabbage soup dieters claim that the quick turnaround is enough to get them going on a moderate long-term eating plan.
- Not enough nutrients
The diet plan also does not provide all the nutritional values needed by the body (source: http://www.healthyweightforum.org/eng/diets/cabbage-soup-diet).
Diets based on one food alone is said to be dangerous (source: http://healthed.tamu.edu/pdfs/Nutrition/Fad%20Diets.pdf). Critics argue that naturally, you lose weight because you don't like the monotony of food so you only eat little or don't eat at all. Furthermore, you are not getting enough nutrients that your body needs. And this is not a healthy eating habit.
+ No exercise is not also good
Eating alone, without exercise, is also not advisable. Given that the plan does not have maintenance, some argue that the lost weight can easily be regained. Furthermore, the muscles also need a little stretching.
The British Dietetic Association also suggests � a sustained increase in physical activity.�
As with any other diet plan, care is required. Consult your doctor if you have any health concerns.
Summary of Pros and Cons:
|
Pros |
Cons |
|
Quick results in 7 days |
Short-term solution only |
|
Affordable, easy-to-follow recipes |
Not nutritionally balanced |
|
Encourages eating vegetables |
Exercise is also needed |
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