How to Make Cabbage Soup Diet

SERVINGS: 4

PREP TIME: 10 MINUTES

COOK TIME: 30 MINUTES

MEAL: LUNCH-DINNER

STYLE: WESTERN

PREPARATION: SOUP, BOILED

EAT IN: SPRING

FOR OCCASION: CLEANSE

How Does This Ayurvedic Recipe Improve Wellness?

CLINICAL AYURVEDIC REVIEW

Put the spring back in your step with this light yet satisfying soup. Cooked cabbage is not only gentle and sweet, it is a cleansing and delicious addition to any diet. After celebrations, social events, and "living it up" sometimes you just want to live the simple life. Cleansing Cabbage Soup is the answer!

The Cabbage Soup Diet

In the 1980s, eating a diet of exclusively cabbage soup became quite popular as more and more Americans began to struggle with weight problems. This diet was notoriously low in calories, but the fibrous nature of both cabbage and celery gave dieters the illusion of fullness, which is very appealing for those with an unruly appetite. Celery is actually a negative calorie food meaning celery contains less calories than are burned by your body trying to digest it. Unfortunately, though eating a diet of exclusively cabbage soup may be filling, it is basically a crash diet that can lead to a person into a "feast or famine" pattern. Extremely low calorie diets ultimately cause a yo-yo diet effect that ends in weight gain. As much as we love cabbage soup, and recommend it for cleansing & weight loss, we don't recommend you go on an exclusively cabbage soup diet. However, including cabbage soup in one's diet can offer a light, healthy, and gentle cleanse after too much heavy eating.

Reduce Water Weight

Both cabbage and celery have diuretic properties, meaning that they help flush excess water out of the body. Often people who have a lot of Kapha dosha, the body type ruled by water and earth, tend to retain water especially in the late spring time when the climate is rainy and soggy. This kind of weather makes Kapha people feel dull, lethargic, and low energy. Celery is a bright, crunchy diuretic that can help you say goodbye to heavy water retention and hello to renewed lightness & energy!

Getting Back on Track

If you've been off your diet and eating unhealthy foods lately, Cabbage is a safety food that can get you back on track. If you've been feeling heavy and lethargic due to excessively rich foods, cabbage is a light and satisfying option. If you've been sick lately, cabbage is nourishing and supportive fare to help you recover.

Spiced to Cleanse

Curry powder improves circulation and thins the blood, cleansing the lymphatic system as well as all vessels and tissues. Its ability to move the blood dries dampness and increases heat. Turmeric's ability to support the liver while cleansing the lymphatic system make it an ideal herb for spring cleansing (along with beets and dandelions). The laxative and circulatory qualities of garlic are useful in cleansing regimens. It is also an expectorant, which means it can help clear out the lungs.

Goitrogens & Cabbage

Raw cabbage is goitrogenic, which means that it can lower thyroid function which is not good for people who have hypothyroid. When it is cooked however, the goitrogens break down so that you can enjoy them in moderation even for those with a hypothyroid condition.

WHAT IS CABBAGE SOUP DIET?

The Cabbage Soup diet was famous in the faxlore of the 1980s. While Ayurveda does not encourage a cabbage soup mono-diet, cabbage soup can be a healthy addition to a well-rounded diet. Here is the Ayurvedic version.

AYURVEDA'S GUIDE TO VITALITY & WHOLESOME NOURISHMENT

Your Ayurvedic diet is tailored to your individual body and your specific imbalances. With an Ayurvedic diet you feel joy and satisfaction because what you are eating truly nourishes and balances you. Disease results from diets and lifestyles that are incompatible with your nature. By eating a personalized diet matched to your body, you experience optimal health. See How it Works.

See a complete list of all biocharacteristics.

INCREASES Increases These Biocharacteristics (Gunas) Functional Ayurveda helps you assess imbalances through 20 main biocharacteristics (gunas). Aggravating these characteristics weakens your body and causes imbalance. By knowing which characteristics are habitually imbalanced in your body, you will be able to identify and correct imbalances before you get sick. Every characteristic has an opposite which balances it (i.e. hot balances cold). You restore balance by favoring diet and lifestyle choices that increase the opposite characteristic. Learn More	CLEAR ABOUT CLEAR BIOCHARACTERISTIC Clear refers to anything that cleanses or flushes out wastes, or that digests ama. LEARN MORE ABOUT CLEAR DRY ABOUT DRY BIOCHARACTERISTIC Dry is identified by lack of moisture, lack of fat, or anything that causes diuresis. LEARN MORE ABOUT DRY LIQUEFIED ABOUT LIQUEFIED BIOCHARACTERISTIC Substances that thin fluids (lower viscosity of blood plasma). These may include blood thinners or mucolytic herbs. LEARN MORE ABOUT LIQUEFIED LIGHT ABOUT LIGHT BIOCHARACTERISTIC Lightness is identified by reduced weight. LEARN MORE ABOUT LIGHT EASY ABOUT EASY BIOCHARACTERISTIC Easy refers to anything easy to digest, or digests quickly. LEARN MORE ABOUT EASY
DOSHAS The Three Doshas / Body Types According to the biocharacteristic theory of medicine, people tend to get sick, over and over again, due to habitual causes and imbalances that are unique to the person. Your body type summarizes this tendency, showing you the 'type' of conditions and imbalances that frequently challenge your health & wellness. Using body type, you can also identify remedies likely to improve your strength and resiliency. Your body type identifies physical and mental characteristics as well as your personal strengths and weaknesses. The calculation of your body type is based on your medical history. The 3 functional body types (doshas), are Catabolic (Vata), Metabolic (Pitta), and Anabolic (Kapha). Catabolic individuals tend to break down body mass into energy. They are easily stimulated, hyperactive, underweight and dry. Metabolic individuals tend to burn or use energy. They tend to be rosy-cheeked, easily irritated, focused, driven, and easily inflamed. Anabolic individuals tend to store energy as body mass. If they store too much energy, they could gain weight easily and have congestion. Anabolic people tend to be stable and grounded. Learn More	PACIFIES AGGRAVATES
HERBAL ACTIONS (see all)	Medicinal Benefits, Uses & Herbal Actions of Cabbage Soup Diet Experiences are Personal Experiences vary according to the person and constitution. Individual results may vary. The list of herbal-actions below has not be approved by the FDA and should not be used to treat a medical condition. Digestion: Digestive DIGESTIVE Herbs that encourage healthy digestion. SEE ALL 'DIGESTIVE' FOODS / HERBS , Carminative CARMINATIVE Stimulates the release of gas. Helpful for bloating or cramping abdominal pain. Propels food downward. Carminatives typically expel gas by relaxing the muscles of the intestines. SEE ALL 'CARMINATIVE' FOODS / HERBS Bowel Health: General Laxative GENERAL-LAXATIVE Promotes a bowel movement. General laxative is an umbrella term that refers to several different types of laxatives... SEE ALL 'GENERAL-LAXATIVE' FOODS / HERBS , Stool Softener STOOL-SOFTENER An herb that softens stool that is hard and difficult to pass. They are the safest and most gentle type of laxative. Some foods are even stool softeners, such as warm milk with ghee. SEE ALL 'STOOL-SOFTENER' FOODS / HERBS Cleanse & Detox: Detoxicant DETOXICANT An herb that decongests or dislodges toxins from the body and the lymphatic, transforming or altering fluids to a more healthy state. SEE ALL 'DETOXICANT' FOODS / HERBS , Burns Toxins BURNS-TOXINS An herb that detoxifies by helping your body metabolize toxins, as opposed to eliminating them. SEE ALL 'BURNS-TOXINS' FOODS / HERBS Skin Care & Beauty: Diaphoretic DIAPHORETIC An herb that induces sweating, often by dilating blood vessels close to the skin. SEE ALL 'DIAPHORETIC' FOODS / HERBS Respiratory-Health: Soothes Throat SOOTHES-THROAT Soothes throat discomfort, including from a sore or ticklish throat. SEE ALL 'SOOTHES-THROAT' FOODS / HERBS , Flushes Sinuses FLUSHES-SINUSES An herb that relieves sinus congestion by flushing out mucus. SEE ALL 'FLUSHES-SINUSES' FOODS / HERBS Immune System: Anti Inflammatory ANTI-INFLAMMATORY Reduces inflammation in the body. Different herbs and carriers target different body systems. SEE ALL 'ANTI-INFLAMMATORY' FOODS / HERBS , Flushes Membranes FLUSHES-MEMBRANES Herbs in this category stimulate mucus membranes to release fluids, flushing them out. SEE ALL 'FLUSHES-MEMBRANES' FOODS / HERBS Heart & Circulation: Refrigerant REFRIGERANT An herb or substance that strongly cools the body. Can be helpful in cases of heat conditions. SEE ALL 'REFRIGERANT' FOODS / HERBS , Vasodilator VASODILATOR A vasodilator is an herb that widens the blood vessels by the relaxation of smooth muscle cells within the vessel walls, thereby increasing circulation systemically or to a local area. SEE ALL 'VASODILATOR' FOODS / HERBS Kidney & Urinary: Diuretic DIURETIC Herbs that promote urine formation, thereby flushing the kidneys and urinary tract while eliminating any excess water retention. As diuretics reduce water retention, they are often used to reduce blood pressure. SEE ALL 'DIURETIC' FOODS / HERBS Liver & Gallbladder: Cholagogue CHOLAGOGUE Cholagogues stimulate the production & release of bile from the liver & gallbladder. This refreshes and cleanses these organs, as well as increases bile in the small intestines. SEE ALL 'CHOLAGOGUE' FOODS / HERBS Reproductive Health: Galactagogue GALACTAGOGUE Increases production of breast milk, often by raising prolactin and diaphoresis. SEE ALL 'GALACTAGOGUE' FOODS / HERBS

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Herb Supplements with a Similar Nature to Cabbage Soup Diet

Joyful Belly is a recognized school of biocharacteristics medicine.