The Cabbage and Tomato Soup Diet, also called the 7-Day Diet or just the Cabbage Soup Diet, is a plan that uses a low-calorie soup as the basis of each meal. The nutrition- and calorie-limiting diet is a short-term method of losing weight quickly. The American Heart Association refers to The Cabbage Soup Diet as a fad diet that will not work for long-term weight loss.
Identification
The Cabbage and Tomato Soup Diet offers a seven-day menu plan that includes consuming cabbage and tomato soup at each meal. The soup ingredients include crushed tomatoes, tomato or vegetable juice, cabbage, green peppers, celery and green onions. You may want to include a package of onion soup mix, bouillon cubes and herbs to prevent a bland flavor. Including 2 cups of cabbage soup at each meal will fill your stomach with a low-calorie food to stimulate weight loss.
Seven-Day Menu
In addition to eating the cabbage soup and drinking a minimum of six to eight glasses of water each day, you can eat specific foods on each of the seven days to assist with weight loss. The first day allows you to consume any type of fruit except bananas. Day two of the diet includes the consumption of non-starchy vegetables and one baked potato with butter at the evening meal, but no fruit. On day three, include both fruits and vegetables. Day four allows you to consume skim milk and up to six bananas, but no other fruits and vegetables. On day five , you can increase your food consumption by eating six tomatoes and a 450g serving of lean meat or fish. Day six includes eating lean beef and vegetables at each meal. The final day of the Cabbage Soup Diet allows you to add brown rice, non-starchy vegetables and 100 percent fruit juice.
Function
The Cabbage and Tomato Soup Diet does not include magic foods that create a fast weight loss. This diet works solely because it is limited in calories. According to the University of Florida, a person must burn 3500 calories to lose one pound of weight. Health.com reports that The Cabbage Soup Diet's daily total is 1030 calories or less depending on the plan day. The low caloric intake during the seven diet days results in a fast -- but unlikely permanent -- weight loss.
Warning
The University of Florida reports that proponents of the Cabbage and Tomato Soup Diet claim that dieters may lose 10 to 15 lbs.during the seven-day plan. The majority of any weight lost is water that will return quickly after you complete the weight loss plan. Preparing the soup with the addition of the onion soup mix, bouillon and salt for flavoring increases the sodium content, which may cause problems with blood pressure and water retention in some people. Eating excessive cabbage may increase abdominal tenderness and the incidence of embarrassing flatulence.
Expert Insight
According to the American Heart Association, the best method of losing weight is to follow a balanced diet that includes fresh vegetables and fruit, low-fat dairy and whole grains along with regular, daily exercise. Cabbage is a healthy, green vegetable that is enjoyable when eaten in moderation. Prepare a lower sodium version of the cabbage soup and include it in your diet as a meal option on an occasional basis.
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