by L. Talbot

Created on: April 23, 2008   Last Updated: April 29, 2008

You can expect to lose two things on the Cabbage Soup Diet: weight and friends. Okay, that's not entirely true. You can expect to lose between six to twenty pounds in a week. You may avoid losing friends as long as you always have access to an open window.

The Cabbage Soup Diet is the latest miracle weight loss plan on the market, but it's not new. Versions of it have been around for years under names like "The Sacred Heart Diet," the "TJ Miracle Soup Plan," and the extremely appetizing sounding "Military Cabbage Soup Diet."

There are different variations on this plan, but there are several common elements, too.
The diet is only to be followed for one week. It's not like Atkins diet which is a lifestyle change. For one week on the Cabbage Soup Diet, you eat a different selection of foods. The only common element is cabbage soup. There is a different "taste" for each day.

Day One: Eat all the fruit (except bananas) you want. Drink your fill of water, unsweetened teas and cranberry juice.

Day Two: Vegetable Day. You can have all the raw, fresh vegetables you can handle. Stick to the green, leafy variety. For dinner you can reward yourself with a big baked potato...and cabbage soup.

Day Three: Combination of days one and two. Eat all the green leafy vegetables, fruits (no bananas) and all the cabbage soup you can handle.

Day Four: It's all about the long neglected bananas. Today you can eat up to eight bananas with skim milk. If you have any room left, you can have some cabbage soup.

Day Five: Time for meat and tomatoes. We're talking up to twenty ounces of beef...or skinless chicken...or broiled fish and (guess what?) cabbage soup.

Day Six: This will be a favorite with people who like to eat, especially the guys. You can have all the beef you can eat and LOTS of green leafy vegetables. Don't forget your cabbage soup.

Day Seven: This day is reserved for brown rice, unsweetened fruit juices and vegetables along with one last helping of (think of it as the "Hallelujah Bowl") cabbage soup.

By the end of your Cabbage Soup Diet week, you can expect to lose between 6 and 20 pounds, if you have stuck to the plan.

The Cabbage Soup recipe varies but the basics are: six large green onions, a couple of green peppers, a can of tomatoes, three carrots, a can of mushrooms, a bunch of celery and a half head of cabbage. Add about twelve cups of water (or V8 juice) to complete the recipe. You may also want to add a little curry or cayenne pepper for zip.

Nutritionists hasten to emphasize that this diet doesn't have the nutrients to sustain a time period longer than a week. Some dieters report upset stomachs and many complain about the frequent need to turn down the car windows. Complex carbohydrates, like those found in high fiber foods like cabbage, inevitably lead to gas. Lots of gas.

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