Is this truly a Cabbage Diet – is it worth considering it as an option?

The Capuchin diet is a shortened, yet highly promising dietary plan. It goes by many names, the most popular of which is the presidential diet, Swedish or Canadian diet. The main aim of this diet (similar to other alternative weight loss diets) is to rapidly decrease a substantial portion of one's weight in a very short time frame. Hence, this plan is particularly appealing to individuals who require immediate results and lack the time for sensible weight reduction. The Capuchin diet gained popularity a few years ago. It is likely that the former Polish president Aleksander Kwaśniewski was a fervent advocate of it and was able to shed his excess weight thanks to this diet. Thus, the name presidential diet.

Cabbage constitutes the primary ingredient of this diet due to its low energy value. The creators of the cabbage diet believe that it can be consumed without any restrictions, while recommending the consumption of as much cabbage soup as possible. This is explained by the fact that 100 g of cabbage contains only 25 calories. White cabbage also contains a small amount of carbohydrates, 5.8 g/100 g, with a high content of dietary fiber, 2.5 g/100 g. However, it is essential to prepare meals appropriately, as the diet allows the consumption of vegetable soup based on cabbage, but traditional sauerkraut with the addition of meat and fat is a strictly forbidden product. It is also worth noting that the food list of the cabbage diet is extremely monotonous, as all mono-ingredient diets, due to the limited number of allowed products during their use, are not diverse. The basic meal of this diet is cabbage soup, which can be eaten without major restrictions. The recipe for it can be found below.

Ingredients: 1 piece of white cabbage (about 2000 g used), 6 pieces of chopped onions (500 g), 200 g red bell pepper, 200 g yellow bell pepper, 400 g celery stalks, 6 fresh tomatoes (850 g), 1 teaspoon of rapeseed oil (10 g), spices: cayenne pepper, black pepper, garlic, turmeric, copper and basil (very important, no cooking salt added).

We clean and wash the vegetables, then chop them into small pieces. We fry all except the onions in a hot pan with rapeseed oil. When the other vegetables become soft, we add the onion. Once all the ingredients are soft, we put them in a pot of water and cook them for about 1,5 hours, stirring the contents regularly. At the end, we add the spices to taste. It is very important to remember not to use salt. To avoid boredom, we can serve the soup as a cream or add other low-calorie vegetables. The nutritional value of a portion of soup is: – Protein: 7,2 g, – Fats: 2,4 g, – Carbohydrates: 28,4 g, – Fiber: 10,2 g. The total caloric content of a portion of soup is 147 kcal. The cabbage diet is characterized by a high fiber content, so it is important to properly hydrate the body. It is recommended to drink at least 2 liters of fluids per day. To vary the diet, you can also reach for natural vegetable juices, herbal teas, green tea and coffee. However, it is important to avoid sugar, as the cabbage diet excludes it. The creators of the cabbage diet point out that impressive results (minus 3–6 kg per week) can only be achieved if it is followed throughout the week.

The first day of the Capuchin Cress Diet begins with breakfast, which consists of a pre-prepared soup. The lunch looks similar. In between, we have snacks in the form of raw vegetables and green tea and mineral water. The second day starts with breakfast, we recommend vegetables cooked in pairs or raw. It can be any vegetable except strawberries and corn. It is also important to avoid eating any fruit on that day. At dinner, we eat the raw cape, and at dinner, we also start with two salted potatoes without the salted banana extract. The third day of the Capuchin Cress Diet begins with a bowl of soup. On this day, we also gradually introduce fruits, which are the basis of the second breakfast and the afternoon snack. The most effective is the consumption of fruits with a high fiber content, such as grapefruits and oranges. Bananas are excluded in this phase! If the afternoon snack was not filling enough, you can have a bowl of soup for dinner. If you are full, you can skip the last meal. The fourth day of the Capuchin Cress Diet allows for a greater variety in our meals. Breakfast traditionally consists of soup, for the second course and lunch, we introduce the previously forbidden bananas. For dinner on this day, it is recommended to drink 2 liters of low-fat milk or buttermilk and dilute them with 4 glasses of mineral water. The fifth day begins with the standard soup. On this day, lean meat also appears in the menu. It is recommended to prepare once about 200 g of lean beef or chicken breast fillet. For dinner, you should eat 6 medium-sized tomatoes, which you drink with at least 4 glasses of liquid (mineral water or tea). The penultimate day of the diet begins with soup. For lunch, you should steam a portion of 200 g of lean meat or fish. Dinner consists of a large bowl of finely chopped green vegetables (salad, pepper, onion, broccoli). The seventh and last day of the diet begins with the standard soup. For lunch, we cook brown rice and serve it with low-calorie vegetables. The dinner on the seventh day consists of several glasses of fruit juice (without sugar) and several glasses of unsweetened mineral water.

The Capuchin diet, despite its popularity, is not the recommended approach to weight loss by dietitians and medical specialists. Its position among alternative diets is mainly due to its low price and ease of use. Another advantage is the short time required to achieve the desired goal. The effects of this diet are positive, but they can negatively impact our health, as the weight loss after the end of the diet returns. Before starting the Capuchin diet, it is important to consider the associated risks. The rapid loss of kilograms, resulting from a significant caloric deficit, is a non-physiological process. The main disadvantages of the Capuchin diet include the frequent yo-yo effect and monotony - not everyone can get used to the taste and smell of cabbage soups. People who follow the Capuchin diet also often complain about urinating too often, as cabbage has strong diuretic properties. The vegetable also contains large amounts of bloating substances, which stimulate digestion. Apart from unpleasant digestive problems, the Capuchin diet also causes fatigue, irritability, general weakness, and may cause headaches. There are many conflicting opinions about this diet. It has many supporters and opponents. The effect of this diet is often only temporary. The yo-yo effect is a common phenomenon in this case. Considering the popularity of this diet, it is surprising that there are only a few scientific publications and studies confirming its effectiveness. Those who want to lose weight in a reasonable way without the yo-yo effect should seriously consider appropriate dietary habits. The lack of scientific evidence for the effectiveness of this diet may mean that it is not taken seriously in the medical community. The Capuchin diet should not be used by children and adolescents, pregnant and breastfeeding women, people with weakened immunity, as well as those with significant obesity. Considering all the opinions about this diet, it can be concluded that the Capuchin diet is not a recommended method for weight loss.