Many of the health benefits derived from a vegetarian diet have to do with creating a healthy environment in the bowels and stomach. Our digestive systems, from prehistory on, were designed to metabolize vegetable matter, more than animal products. Fruits, vegetables, legumes and nuts provide the kind of dietary fiber our digestive systems need to function properly. The Western diet that’s high in processed and refined flour and sugar, and in animal products that are laden with hormones and antibiotics, are actually anathema to our insides.

When the digestive system doesn’t function and work as it’s intended to, that leads to opportunistic diseases or changes in the DNA of cells in the stomach and colon. And there are more practical considerations as well. When we don’t get enough of the fiber we need, we incur a host of digestion and elimination problems, such as constipation and hemorrhoids that are a result of straining. These diseases and syndromes are much less evident in a vegetarian population than in a meat-eating population.

Other diseases of the bowel that occur less frequently in a vegetarian population include irritable bowel syndrome, and chronic ulcerative colitis, mostly likely due to the increased fiber content in a vegetarian diet. And of course a diet that’s higher in dietary fiber that comes from a vegetarian diet will decrease the likelihood or risk of colon cancer.

When you consider the risks that come with a diet that includes meat and animal products, and the benefits that come from a vegetarian diet, does the prospect of a steak or burger or bacon really sound that good to you? Doesn’t it at least make sense to reverse the portion sizes and proportions of meats to vegetables and side dishes? In other words, if you must continue to eat meat, then make meat your side dish, or just incidental to your meal, such as in a stir fry. Increasing the proportion of fruits and vegetables in your diet can only be good for you.

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Another diet program that is making the rounds in the American dieting circles is the cabbage soup diet.

From the name itself, the cabbage soup diet is a program that involves the cabbage soup as the central figure. It may seem absurd at first and quite different from other diet programs such as the Atkins diet and the South Beach diet but it actually has a rationale.

The cabbage soup diet is based on the assumption that diets that contain high fiber but low in fat can help the body lose weight. The cabbage soup is usually made of cabbage, onions and tomatoes. The soup is supposed to fat-burning as it has a high fiber content. In fact, the more soup that you take in each day, the more calories you will burn and the more pounds you will lose. The taste will be bland so it has to be taken in with other foods.

Unlike other diet programs, there are no restrictions in the food that you take in as long as you drink the cabbage soup with every meal. From low calorie vegetables to potatoes and beef, you can eat anything you want. Of course, dieters under the program are encouraged to take in fruits and vegetables as well as unsweetened fruit juices.

One guideline, however, that must be strictly met is the fact that all meals should be broiled, baked or boiled. No fried meals for the duration of the diet. Another guideline is to avoid alcohol, bread and other carbonated drinks that hastens weight gain.

One downside to the cabbage soup diet is the fact that it not for the long term. It can only be done for a period of seven days. By the end of the week, the person can lose as much as 15 pounds depending of course on the meal that he or she has eaten during the program and how much you have adhered to the guidelines. Beyond the prescribed week, continuing the program can be dangerous to ones health as too much weight will already be lost.

Because of this, dieters often use the cabbage soup diet if they need to lose weight fast. In fact, most people use the program to get into shape before they enroll in a long term diet program. Some get into the cabbage soup diet program when they need to lose extra pounds for a special occasion.

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