Cabbage Soup - The Home Stretch…

We’re almost there! The final days of the Cabbage Soup Diet are winding down — and as I look back - I’ve definitely learned a few things about my eating habits. I have always considered myself a pretty healthy eater, but while I was on this plan, it occurred to me that I don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables. They’re usually on my plate, but probably not enough of them. This diet also helped me create different combinations of vegetables cooked in various ways with different spices. I guess when you’re stuck eating only veggies for a few days, the creative juices start to flow.

Talking with Karlie, she agreed. More fruits and veggies are the way to go. She made another valid point too. She has learned to be more aware of what she is actually putting into her mouth, and she’s making sure to drink more water, something she didn’t do before this diet.

So call it a “fad diet” if you will. But it did help the both of us “kick start” some better and healthier eating habits.

After the seven days on the Cabbage Soup Diet we have both lost five pounds — and as a result we are keeping better track of what we are eating, when we are eating and why and how it is prepared. There are more fruits and vegetables in our diet, lower carbohydrate intake, less sugar and more exercise. I have personally lost another four pounds keeping this healthy lifestyle.

Again, thank you to all who wrote in and supported us through this. And remember, if you have your own health question for Dr. Manny, please write in to drmanny@foxnews.com

Day 5 - Menu

Beef and Tomatoes Day!

You may have 10-20 ounces of beef and up to six fresh tomatoes. Drink at least 6 to 8 glasses of water this day to wash the uric acid from your body. Eat your soup at least once today. You may eat broiled or baked skinless chicken instead of beef. If you prefer, you can substitute broiled fish for the beef. Drink plenty of water and take a multivitamin.

Creative Creations: Using stewed tomatoes can sauce up your chicken or beef. Add some Italian seasonings for a different flavor. For dinner try chicken and tomato kabobs with some different seasonings.

Day 6 - Menu

Beef and Vegetables Day!

Eat all the beef and vegetables you want on this day. You can even have 2 or 3 steaks if you like. Eat a lot of of vegetables, making sure you have a lot of leafy green ones. No Baked Potato. Eat your soup at least once. Drink plenty of water and take a multivitamin.

Creative Creations: There are many ways to make your veggies taste good, on this day try different spices, grill them, boil them, eat them raw. You have endless options. For lunch or dinner you can make steak kabobs with grilled vegetables. Also, try sliced flank steak or grilled chicken over a green salad.

Day 7 - Menu

Brown Rice & Veggie Day!

You can eat as much brown rice and vegetables today. Be sure to eat your soup at least once this day. Drink plenty of water and take a multivitamin.

Creative Creations: Lost at what to have for breakfast? Again, using sweet spices like cinnamon or nutmeg can add a different flavor to your brown rice. For lunch or dinner, try sautéing a variety of vegetables and mix in brown rice with low sodium soy sauce in a wok to create a Asian style stir-fry. Remember to drink lots of water and/or unsweetened fruit juices.

Click here to see Days 1-4

All day Gwen Stefani’s song has been in my head… “Bananas - B-an-an-as”

Banana day wasn’t so bad, but the hardest thing I found was not having my “diet buddy.”

I think over the past few days, the most important thing I’ve learned is that support is everything. Doing a diet alone, the temptations shout out at you. Having a partner in crime to be there with you is a lot easier. My suggestion is, doing a diet, get a buddy!

Again, Karlie and I are only doing this for the seven days. We do not intend for this to be a long term plan. We are testing it out to see what all the hoopla is about. We love your comments, so keep them coming. Also, if you have your own health question for Dr. Manny (our beloved boss), please email them to DrManny@foxnews.com

Day 4 - Menu

Banana Day!

Eat as many as eight bananas and drink as many glasses of skim milk as you would like on this day. Remember to eat your soup. Supposedly this day will help lessen your desire for sweets. Drink plenty of water and take a multivitamin.

Creative Creations: Eating just bananas and milk all day can be weird and boring.  Try adding one banana with fat-free plain yogurt in a blender with cinnamon and a splash of milk… instant banana shake!

Click here to see all 5 days of the Cabbage Soup Diet

Craving - crav·ing (krā’vĭng) n. A consuming desire; a yearning.

It’s day 3, and Karlie and I have been experiencing some weird cravings. Sometimes things that we would never eat. We were walking down the street in Manhattan’s Chelsea area and to our surprise, a group of French tourists were eating what smelled like the best pizza in the world. We tried to get close to simply inhale the beautiful aroma of tomatoes, basil and cheese… oh wonderful cheese.

I found that smell became my worst enemy. Getting into the subway, a girl eating McDonald’s… walking through the Manhattan Mall, the sweet scents of Cinnabon… who is eating French Fries? Co-workers tried their hardest not to tempt us, but the delicious smells of Italian leftovers warmed up for lunch were tough to ignore. Maybe day 4 will be easier?

Day 3 - Menu

Fruit and Vegetable Day!

Eat all the soup, fruits and vegetables you want. No Baked Potato. Drink plenty of water and take a multivitamin.

Creative Creations: Try a green salad with fruits like berries, apples, and pears on top. Missing salad dressing? Squeeze fresh lemon on top instead. And if you are craving meat, try grilling some Portobello mushrooms with non-fat olive oil spray over a bed of spinach!

Click here to see all 5 days of the Cabbage Soup Diet

Cabbage Soup Day 2

Just in case you were wondering, Karlie and I did have a plan when we started the cabbage soup diet. First we thought seven days wasn’t so bad. For Karlie, well she felt she was eating kind of “bad.” She was going out to lunch and dinner a lot and wanted to do a sort of detox to get back on track. For me, I wanted to kick start a healthy eating plan and try to drop a few pounds. We thought we would try this out and see what happened.

Day 2 - Menu:

Vegetable Day!

Eat all the vegetables you want - fresh, raw, or cooked vegetables of your choice. Stay away from dry beans, peas and sweet corn. Reward yourself with a big baked potato with butter for dinner. Eat as much soup as you like but no fruit for today. Drink plenty of water and take a multivitamin.

Creative Creations: Be creative with your veggies! Think it might be hard eating vegetables for breakfast? Try baking butternut squash pieces with a sprinkle of cinnamon. For lunch, try sautéing a combination of vegetables together with a diced tomato sauce.

For dinner, add some steamed broccoli on top of your baked potato.

Click here to see all 5 days of the Cabbage Soup Diet

What is the Cabbage Soup Diet?

The Cabbage Soup Diet is a weight loss program designed around heavy consumption of a low-calorie soup over the course of seven days. However, it is important to note that this is not intended as a long-term regimen.

Seen by many as a “fad diet,” this plan promises to slim you down by 10 pounds in just one week. How is that done? With the combination of low-fat, low-calorie cabbage soup, as much as you want each day, interesting food combinations, plenty of water, no sugar beverages and absolutely no alcohol.

Though the origins of this ‘fad’ are unknown, many have claimed that the diet was designed for obese heart-surgery patients who needed to lose weight quickly before surgery to reduce complication risk during their procedure.

Dieters may see this plan as a great way to “kick-start” a healthy lifestyle or to lose weight quickly before a big event or vacation, but there are some possible set-backs to keep in mind. Some may find that the soup is bland. Others have reported feeling light-headed, weak, and have suffered from decreased concentration. And remember, cabbage and some of the vegetables in the soup may give you excessive gas and abdominal pain.

Making the mix - The Cabbage Soup Recipe

• 6 large green onions
• 2 green peppers
• 1 or 2 cans of tomatoes (diced or whole)
• 3 Carrots
• 1 Container (10 oz. or so) Mushrooms
• 1 bunch of celery
• Half a head of cabbage
• 1 package Lipton soup mix
• 1 or 2 cubes of bouillon (optional)
• 1 48oz can V8 juice (optional)

Season to taste with salt, pepper, parsley, curry, garlic powder, etc.

Directions:

Slice green onions, put in a pot and start to sauté with cooking spray.

Cut green pepper stem end off and cut in half, take the seeds and membrane out. Cut the green pepper into bite size pieces and add to pot.

Take the outer leaf layers off the cabbage, cut into bite size pieces, add to pot.

Clean carrots, cut into bite size pieces, and add to pot.

Slice mushrooms into thick slices, add to pot.

If you would like a spicy soup, add a small amount of curry or cayenne pepper now.

You can use beef or chicken bouillon cubes for seasoning. These have all the salt and flavors you will need.

Use about 12 cups of water (or 8 cups and the V8 juice), cover and put heat on low. Let soup cook for a long time - two hours works well. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Creative Creations: Do not add the seasonings until you are ready to eat the soup, that way you can create a different taste each time you eat your soup. Try crushed red pepper, garlic, chili powder, curry, or cumin for a different flavor.

Day 1 - Menu:

Fruit Day!

Eat all of the fruit you want (except bananas) and your soup. Drink only unsweetened teas, cranberry juice, or black coffee. Drink plenty of water and take a multivitamin.

Creative Creations: Make a fruit salad with some tropical fruit like pineapple, mango, melon, etc. One large bowl could be a meal!

Cut up your fruit before hand to help you organize your day and to snack on when you are hungry.

Try fruits you normally don’t have everyday to keep your diet interesting.

Click here to see all 5 days of the Cabbage Soup Diet