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Ideas for a Liquid Diet

Rahul Thadani
Here are some common ideas for a liquid diet that is useful for people who experience trouble while chewing or swallowing. Some people choose to follow the diet in order to lose weight quickly.
Liquid diets consist entirely of liquid items. The reasons people opt for it are many; either a medical situation that does not permit them to consume solid foods, or to cleanse their digestive tracts. On many occasions, people opt for it in order to shed a few extra pounds.
People who are extremely ill and have trouble chewing food or swallowing, are administered such diets on a very frequent basis. Ideas for it consist mostly of dairy products like milk, soup, and other such items.
These also come in handy for people who have recently undergone jaw surgery of some kind, as they cannot chew solid food for some time after the surgery. Even someone who has recently got a tongue piercing done, will be advised to follow a liquid diet for a few days.

For Weight Loss

As mentioned earlier, one can opt for it as a means of weight loss. This is a short-term solution and should be implemented for this purpose for not more than 4 - 5 days. As a result of following it, a person can end up losing anything between 3 - 8 pounds in a few days.
If you are opting for it for the purpose of losing weight, it is imperative that you consume liquids, that provide you with all the necessary nutrients for your body.

Foods to Eat

It goes without saying that there are very limited choices for a person on an all liquid appetite. There are some semi-liquid food items though, the consumption of which is deemed acceptable.
  • Any fruit juice or nectar.
  • Any kind of fruit punch.
  • Fruit purees.
  • Lemonade or lime juice.
  • Smooth ice cream without any fruit pieces.
  • Gelatin desserts.
  • Plain or flavored yogurt.
  • Plain soups.
  • Honey.
  • Any kind of syrup.
  • Jelly (any flavor).
  • Milk and other flavored milk products.
  • Milkshakes.

Soups

Out of all the items available, soups are considered to be the best. The amount of available nutrients is enough to sustain your body for days. The plus point is the number and variety of flavors available in the market.
The most important thing to remember is to maintain a steady intake of liquids throughout the day. A cabbage soup diet is a good example. It is important to spread out the intake of liquids to at least 3 times a day, at regular intervals, to keep your strength intact.

Drawbacks

These help you lose weight but there are many drawbacks as well. For patients who are ill, and have no choice, there is no way out. However, those who are following the diet by choice, should be well aware of its disadvantages and drawbacks.
The most obvious disadvantage is that once the diet is over, and the person goes back to consuming solid food, the weight that was lost in the process will be regained.
The body is also being deprived of many essential nutrients; and as a result, the individual may experience weakness or drowsiness. The general resistance and immunity of the body against several diseases will also be negatively affected.
It would be extremely helpful to consume some protein shakes or vitamin supplements along with a liquid diet, in order to maintain a healthy equilibrium of nutrients in the body.
Disclaimer: This is for informative purposes only and does not in any way attempt to replace the advice offered by an expert on the subject.