The Clear Liquid Diet is a medical diet that has been used for years by doctors to help patients prepare for surgery. However, it has since been used by fitness and lifestyle enthusiasts who believe that the diet can also help them lose weight and push out excess calories or toxins from their bodies. But what exactly is the Clear Liquid Diet, and what results can be expected if it is used for weight loss?
What Is It?
As implied by its name, the Clear Liquid Diet consists of taking only clear liquids, which includes plain gelatin, broth, and water. This diet supposedly uses only easily digestible foods that leave no harmful residues in the body.
The Clear Liquid Diet is prescribed by doctors for people who will need to undergo some forms of surgery, or if a person has a problem with their digestive system. The Clear Liquid Diet contains only very few calories, which makes it attractive for fitness enthusiasts. However, doctors recommend that this diet should not be continued for more than several days, since the body still needs calories in order to function properly.
The diet is intended for people who should not have food in their stomach prior to a surgery, which might include a colonoscopy. It might even be recommended after surgery in order to help the body recover. The Clear Liquid Diet is not intended as a weight loss procedure.
What the Clear Liquid Diet does, however, is to keep a patient hydrated; provide the patient with some electrolytes that can aid in muscle movement and brain activity, such as potassium and sodium; and give the body some energy when a full diet is not yet possible.
How To Do It
A Clear Liquid Diet is relatively simple. Patients are allowed to eat foods such
as water; clear soda or cola; clear broth free from fats, such as consomme or bouillon; lemonade or fruit punches without pulp; fresh fruit juices without pulp, including cranberry, apple, and grape juices; honey; plain gelatin with no fruit bits, pulp, or coloring; ice popsicles without pulp or fruit bits; and plain tea or black coffee.
This diet has to be followed for every single meal for several days prior to major surgery, after major surgery, or due to a diagnosed digestive system disorder. Breakfast and dinner can consist of broth, gelatin, juice, and coffee or tea. Lunch can comprise juice, water, broth, and gelatin. Patients on the Clear Liquid Diet are allowed to have snacks such as fruit juices, gelatin, ice popsicles, coffee or tea, or cola.
Pros and Cons
The Clear Liquid Diet has been used by doctors to keep the digestive system clear, allowing it to carry out digestion without the strains of having to metabolize fibers, meat, and other solid foods. The diet keeps the body hydrated, but it cannot provide enough nutrients or calories, which can be harmful if the Clear Liquid Diet is used in the long term. It should be used only under the instructions of a doctor.
For fitness enthusiasts, the lack of calories is certainly an advantage. However,
the complete lack of other nutrients can put the body at risk for immune system breakdowns, malnutrition, and undernutrition if the Clear Liquid Diet is used other than for its intended purpose.
Side Effects
With a Clear Liquid Diet, users might feel lethargic and tired easily. They might
not be advised to exercise, and if they do, they can place themselves at greater risk of injury.
Results
Patients who have undergone the Clear Liquid Diet feel that they are indeed lighter in the abdomen. The Clear Liquid Diet also makes recovery easier as it can take away strains on the stomach, which can cause nausea or vomiting in post-surgery patients. Those who have tried it for none other than losing weight do find that they move bowels faster and lose a great deal of weight in a short time.
Other Reviews
Although the Clear Liquid Diet works, it is difficult to follow through, since it
should not be used for more than a few days. It can also make exercise difficult, as the body has very few calories to work with on command.
