One of the diets that has received considerable attention throughout the years is the Cabbage Soup Diet. The Cabbage Soup Diet like many other "fad diets" can be helpful in losing several pounds in a short period of time, but it is not the diet cure that most require for long term weight loss. Here is how the Cabbage Soup Diet works:

According the diet, you can lose up to 10 pounds in a 7 day period by primarily eating cabbage soup along with a small amount of other types of food. The key to the diet is cabbage soup. Since cabbage soup has an extremely low caloric content, your body consumes fewer calories over the one week period -ultimately helping you lose weight.

Seven Days of Cabbage Soup

The Cabbage Soup Diet as stated above takes place over a seven day period. Each day you will eat primarily cabbage soup along with an additional food item. Before looking at the diet schedule, here is a basic recipe for cabbage soup. Cabbage soup should include the following ingredients:

• Half a head of cabbage
• 12 cups of water
• Diced vegetables (can include celery, peppers, mushrooms, celery, etc.)
• Can include vegetable juice (such as V8) If you choose to add vegetable juice substitute the juice for the amount of water that you use
• Bouillon (optional)
• Season to taste

Cabbage Soup Diet Schedule

Following is a simple schedule for the one week diet:

Day One
On the first day, you are required to eat a few bowls of cabbage soup along with your choice of fruit. You can choose pretty much any type of fruit- with the exception of bananas which have a higher caloric content.

Day Two
On day two, you are required to eat a few bowls of cabbage soup along with a hearty helping of vegetables. In addition to a serving of vegetables you may include a baked potato. A small pat of butter is allowed.

Day Three
On the third day, you are required to eat cabbage soup (as much as you would like) and additional vegetables and fruits with the exception of potatoes and bananas.

Day Four
On the fourth day, you are required to eat cabbage soup (as much as you would like). In addition you can add skimmed milk (about one cup) along with about one eight to one quarter of a banana.

Day Five
On the fifth day, you are required to eat cabbage soup. In addition to the cabbage soup you should eat about six tomatoes and one serving of lean beef.

Day Six
On the sixth day, you are required to eat cabbage soup. In addition, you should eat two servings of vegetables (no potatoes) and one serving of lean beef.

Day Seven
On the seventh day, you are required to eat cabbage soup. In addition, you should eat vegetables (no potatoes) as well as a serving of brown rice.

Please note: While on the cabbage soup diet, make sure that you hydrate your body properly. About 8- 8 ounce glasses of water should be consumed each day. While water is always your best choice due to the fact that it has no calories, you can also choose decaffeinated teas or on occasion unsweetened juices -in small amounts.

Cabbage Soup Diet Pros

The Cabbage Soup Diet enforces a lowered caloric intake. Obviously, the fewer calories one consumes the more weight one can lose over a period of time. While seven days is a short amount of time to be on a diet, if your caloric intake is low for this pe iod, you can in theory lose five to ten pounds. It should also be noted that since the diet relies on mostly produce such as vegetables and fruits, one does not need to be concerned about taking dangerous supplements or processed products. This diet is opular with those that would like to lose a few pounds in a short period of time (for instance, to attend a wedding or to look good in a specific outfit).

Cabbage Soup Diet Cons

The Cabbage Soup Diet is not a good choice for everyone, primarily because it is not a long term solution for losing weight. While most people may be able to only eat cabbage soup for a short period of time, if continued long term, you would not receive nough vitamins and nutrients to keep your body and mind in optimal condition.

While this diet can help a small majority lose a few pounds in the short term, there are much better options available for those that would like to lose more than 5 to 10 pounds in the long run. As with any diet, talk with your doctor first.