About the Cambridge Diet

It is estimated that, in the United States, approximately one out of every five people is heavy enough to be classified as obese. As obesity rates rise, so do health concerns. One way that people seek to reclaim their health is by losing excess weight; this is true even if the amount of weight that needs to be lost isn't significant enough to label a person as obese. Dieting is always a popular way to try to lose weight. One diet that people can try is the Cambridge diet.

Definition

• The Cambridge diet is a very low calorie diet. It offers plans that start as low as only 415 calories a day and which go up to only 1,500 calories a day. The diet is promoted as healthy despite the extreme restriction in caloric intake due to the fact that the diet foods included in the Cambridge diet are supposed to contain 100 percent of the RDAs for vitamins, trace elements and minerals.

Foods

• Much of the Cambridge diet consists of powders. These powders come in individual sachets, and they can be used to make soups, milkshakes and other dishes. The diet also includes chocolate-covered meal bars, mousses and porridge. All of the products offered in the Cambridge diet come in a variety of flavors that can meet the tastes of the individual.

Steps

• Counselors and proponents of the Cambridge diet recommend that, when using the diet, users follow four dietary steps. These steps include preparation (getting ready for the diet in a healthy way), weight loss (shedding excess pounds), stabilization (reaching a point where weight does not fluctuate up or down and is healthy) and maintenance (keeping off the pounds lost).

Methods

• The Cambridge diet can be used in two ways. It can be used as the sole source of your daily nutrition, or you can combine it with other foods, in which case you won't lose weight as fast. If you choose to make the Cambridge diet your sole nutrition source, you must consume at least three portions of Cambridge diet foods per day and have four pints of liquids, and you must introduce regular foods again after a month.

Precautions

• Certain individuals should not embark on the Cambridge diet because of health risks. Those with medical conditions such as diabetes and pregnancy, for instance, should not attempt the diet because of metabolic/caloric needs. Some individuals who are on medications such as lithium may try only certain programs within the Cambridge diet (i.e., those programs that include more than 1,000 calories per day). Additionally, if you are taking medications, you should consult with your physician first, since a reduction in calories may have an impact on how a medication dosage impacts your body.

Restrictions

• Because the Cambridge diet is a very low calorie diet, certain foods and drinks shouldn't be consumed when you are following the diet. These include alcoholic beverages or any fruit juice that contains sugar. Milky tea and coffee also are not recommended.