by: Kirsten Hawkins

If you have just a little weight to lose, and want to take it off
fast (say, so you can fit into those great pants for your cousin's
wedding), there are a number of diets that you can use. Most of
these wouldn't be recommended for long-term weight loss, as they
substantially restrict your intake of some essential nutrients, so
using them habitually may not be healthy. But if you're normal diet
is healthy, and you just want a quick boost to drop 8-10 pounds
quickly, or to kick off a new diet with a bang, the Cabbage Soup
Diet actually works.

The cabbage soup diet has been around for nearly 30 years. It's
based on the notion that your body actually uses more calories to
digest cabbage than the amount that it derives from cabbage. It's a
so-called 'negative calorie diet', and includes many foods that,
like cabbage, are high in fiber and very low in calories.

The base of the cabbage soup diet is - what else? Cabbage soup.
There are several recipes for cabbage soup available. Essentially,
the soup is made with onions, peppers, mushrooms, carrots, cabbage,
celery and spices to taste. You'll be eating the soup every day - as
much of it as you want.

In addition, there is a seven day routine of foods to supplement the
cabbage soup.

Day One: All the fruit you want (except bananas) along with all the
soup that you want. No caffeinated beverages or sodas. Drink only
water, tea and cranberry juice.

Day Two: Eat all the vegetables that you want, but avoid dried
beans, peas and corn. Eat veggies raw, fresh or cooked. No fats, no
sauces, no butter. At dinner, you may have one baked potato with
butter - and of course, all the cabbage soup that you want!

Day Three: Eat all the fruits and veggies that you want from day two
and day three - but NO baked potato.

Day Four: Bananas and skim milk - yes, all the skim milk you want,
plus up to eight bananas, along with -- you guessed it, all the
cabbage soup you want.

Day Five: Eat ten to twenty ounces of beef (or skinless chicken, or
broiled fish). Drink at least 10 glasses of water, and eat up to six
fresh tomatoes. (if you substitute for the beef today, you may not
tomorrow)

Day Six: Eat all the beef, vegetables and cabbage soup that you
want. No baked potato. Lots of leafy green vegetables.

Day Seven: You can have all the unsweetened fruit juices, brown
rice, and vegetables that you want - and at least one bowl of soup.

That's it. Remember - this diet is NOT recommended for long term
weight loss, or long term use. It doesn't contain enough complex
carbohydrates to be healthy for longer than a few days. But if you
just need a jump-start or a quick fix, it's a good way to pick up
the pace for a week.

About the author:
Kirsten Hawkins is a nutrition and health expert from Nashville, TN.
Visit http://www.popular-diets.com/for more great nutrition,
well-being, and vitamin tips as well as reviews and comments on
popular diets.