A liquid diet involves taking clear liquids. Water, bone broth, or juices without pulp are the foods that physicians allow. Going on an unsupervised liquid diet for weight loss is not suggested. However, if your physician permit, you can use this diet for no more than one day to flush out toxins and improve metabolism. Do not follow it for more than one day as it cannot be safe.
What Is A Liquid Diet?
Table of Contents
Liquid diets also called clear liquid diets are low-calorie foods that are liquid at room temperature. You can either change one or two meals of a day with liquid foods or two meals of your day with liquid foods or go on a complete liquid diet. In a liquid diet, you will be eating calories in liquid form.
You can make juice from veggies, and fruits, and make smoothies or soup.
How Do Liquid Diets Aid In Weight Loss?
Liquid diets are the best go-to-diets for several dieters. It is because they help to save time, enhance metabolic rate, support the digestive system, improve metabolic rate, detoxify the body, and lead to weight loss and good overall health. Here are the liquid diets that could help weight loss.
Low In Calories
Liquid diets are low in calories as they have watery fluids. Research in The-American-Journal-of-Clinical-Nutrition showed that very fewer calorie diets, including a liquid diet having no more than 500 calories per day, could be very effective in lowering weight. This type of diet could work well compared to a low-calorie diet or a limited normal food diet.
When you eat fewer calories, your body will begin using more stored glycogen or fat as the fuel source. It could lead to weight loss.
Detoxify Your Body
Liquid diets are a good way to detoxify your body. The broths, juices, and smoothies are rich in minerals, vitamins, and dietary fiber. The dietary fiber helps to cleanse the digestive tract and enhance gastrointestinal health. Both these actions could have a good impact on weight loss.
Nutritious
Liquid food in the smoothie or juice form offers rich nutrition. Remember to consume the smoothie or juice instantly if you utilize a centrifugal blender. Returning your dinner meal with low-calorie liquid food improves body composition parameters and may also help in weight loss.
Easy On The Digestive System
Smoothies, Juices, or broths are easy for the digestive system. They help in proper digestion, excretion, and absorption. Moreover, the little dietary fiber and water in the liquid diet by adding pulp in smoothies or juices can keep you complete for a long duration.
Convenient
You do not need to wait for the pan to heat up or scroll from recipes on the internet. You may simply add some ingredients into a blender, and your lunch, breakfast, or dinner is ready. It is a major benefit, more so if we tend to skip a meal or order unhealthy food as cooking could be a time taking process. Starving on or consuming unhealthy could only cause weight gain in the long run.
Types Of Liquid Diets for Weight Loss
For beginners, following a liquid diet can be difficult. Also, if you are not feeling comfortable on a completely liquid diet, you need an alternative.
Detox Liquid Diet
Cleansing or detox liquid diets got popular in recent years. They may help to detoxify your body, and you may notice some results when you follow a liquid diet once a week for one month.
During this diet, you will only consume fruit juices and vegetables with herbs each day. It will not only be a new experience but also can be refreshing.
A few examples of cleansing or detox liquid diets are water fast and the master cleanse.
However, research on detox diets is limited. We recommend you talk with your physician about the safety of such diets.
Â
Medical Liquid Diet
This die is not suitable for weight loss. You need extra attention and supervision by a physician. This liquid diet is recommended by a physician to prep a patient for surgery in the future or help them recover from an injury. This diet could also be recommended to ease the digestion problem.
Medically suggested liquid diets need the patients to be on a clear liquid diet. They can only consume broth, water, popsicle, apple juice, teas, and syrup.
Meal Replacement Liquid Diet
Meal replacement liquid shakes or foods are low in calories and could be effective for weight loss. Some liquid meal replacement products have high fiber and protein and are low in fat. These could be very effective in normalizing appetite and preventing hunger pangs. Some research recommends that liquid meal change diets could be more satiating than solid meal replacement diets.
The juices or shakes that you consume in the place of a full lunch or breakfast are usually low in calories. They can also consist of all the macronutrients like carbs, fat, and protein and most micronutrients like minerals and vitamins. These products are particularly created to change solid foods, which may get higher total calories to count each serving.
Â
Liquid Diet – Detox Liquid Diet Chart for Weight loss
| MEALS | WHAT TO DRINK |
| Early Morning: (6:00 a.m.) | Drink 1 cup of water with half lime juice |
| Breakfast: (7:00 a.m.) | Orange, melon seed powder, pomegranate, and a mint smoothie |
| Mid Morning: (10:00 a.m.) | Apple juice |
| Lunch: (12:30 p.m.) | Have 1 cup of chicken broth and Cucumber soup |
| Post-lunch: (3:30 p.m.) | Herbal tea or Buttermilk |
| Dinner: (7:00 p.m.) | Mushroom soup or Blended squash |
| Tip: Consume flavored water to prevent hunger
You can have an alternative liquid diet chart that may suit your requirements. |
|
Meal Replacement Liquid Diet Chart
| MEALS | WHAT TO DRINK |
| Early Morning: (6:00 a.m.)
|
Have one cup of water with half lemon juice |
| Breakfast: (7:00 a.m.) | oatmeal, Blueberry, dates, milk smoothie or meal replacement shake with low-calorie, 2 almonds |
| Mid Morning: (10:00 a.m.) | 1 cup green tea or 1 glass egg nog |
| Lunch: (12:30 p.m.) | lentil soup or Mushroom with one glass of vegetable juice (using pulp) |
| Post-lunch: (3:30 p.m.) | nut powder and Buttermilk |
| Dinner: (7:00 p.m.) | Vegetable broth with chicken/grilled fish/meal replacement shake with low-calorie |
How It Works
The complete liquid diet permits you to drink clear fluids and thicker ones, fruit juice, milk, shakes, and smoothies. Your physician may also provide your permission to get other foods, like pureed fruits or yogurt, so long as there are no solid pieces or lumps.
You will have only these options during a complete liquid diet, which can make it difficult to have enough nutrients and calories every day. You will need to follow your physician’s instructions nearly to ensure you are still having all the nutrients your body requires.
A registered nutritionist or dietitian can be a good resource, especially if you get extra dietary restrictions or food allergies.
Duration
The complete liquid diet is commonly prescribed for some days to help you change back to a normal diet. It is rarely utilized for longer than two weeks. Exceptions may be allowed for people who are trying for bariatric surgery ( weight loss), recovering from a fractured jaw, or using the diet to manage flare-ups of some health conditions such as Crohn’s disease.
Because of its restrictive nature, you should be monitored by a physician when on a completely liquid diet for more than some days.
What to Eat
You will get your choice of drink on a completely liquid diet. With the suitable tools, you can also make additional solid foods diet-friendly. Thinning, melting, and pureeing fruits, vegetables, meat, and cheese can help you keep nourished and satisfied.
The following compliant foods are permitted in a complete liquid diet. Non-compliant food items are not allowed because they are solid or they have a dense and lumpy texture.
Compliant Foods
Fruit and vegetable juice without pulp
Soft drinks
Broth
Coffee, tea
electrolyte-replacement Sports drinks, drinks
dairy-free milk alternatives or Milk(soy, almond)
malts, Milkshakes, smoothies
syrup, Honey, sugar
creamed or Clear soups (strained, thinned, or no solids)
thinned, and Gelatin custard
ice cream, Ice pops, sorbet, frozen yogurt,(no candy, nuts, solid coatings/toppings)
Yogurt (Greek or regular; no seeds, granola, fruit chunks)
Melted cheese
Dry milk, Powdered protein, and other nutritional supplements
Liquid form dietary supplements (Ensure, Glucerna, Boost)
Non-Compliant Foods
Meat (thinned, unless puréed, and strained)
Meat substitutes, tofu
seeds and nuts
vegetables and raw fruits
solid cheese
mashes or soft foods like potatoes
Bread
rice or whole pasta
granola, oats, or cereals
Applesauce
Crackers, potato chips, popcorn, pretzels
cookies, cakes, pastries, and muffins
chewy or hard candy
All other solid foods particularly allowed by your healthcare provider
Juices:
Vegetables and fruit juice is allowed on a complete liquid diet as long as it has been strained to remove any pulp. You may need to skip any high fiber juice like prune juice altogether. Preparing your juice with a high-speed blender or juicer helps you control the thickness. Or, pour the juice through a mesh sieve or tea strainer to skip rescue.
Vegetables
Mashed potatoes and different types of vegetable mash are commonly not approved but can be if they are very thinned. You can blend them with gravy, butter, or sauces, season to taste, and thin them with water and broth. They should be no thicker than any smoothie when you are done.
Grains
Cooked cereals can be thinned with milk, or water, then strained. Farina and rice cereal are also easy to think this way. If you are trying to include nutrition, make your cereal with whole milk or creamer instead of skim milk or water.
Milk
Lactose-free alternatives or milk are approved. Drink your favorite by the glass or include it in shakes or smoothies for extra nutrition. Powdered milk can be included in soups, cereals, and eggs to promote protein.
Cottage cheese and Yogurt
Regular yogurt can be helpful as a base for liquid meals with a sweet taste and greek yogurt can be the best base for extra savory recipes. Cottage cheese is easy to mix into a liquid meal, and most shredded cheese will melt easily with some heat.
Butter
While you are limited to a complete liquid diet, utilize margarine or butter as often as you can to include calories and fat in your meals.
Protein
Meat is approved in a baby food consistency. Combine meat with potato flakes and milk before or after cooking to give it a good consistency for a liquid diet.
Nut butter
Nut butter is the best source of healthy protein and fats that can be easily included in smoothies or shakes
Eggs
Egg whites, eggs, or egg substitutes can be made soft and mixed into liquid metal.
Dessert
Ice cream and ice pop that melt at room temperature are approved on a liquid diet as long as they do not have candy, nuts, or other hard pieces. Gelatine cups are allowed as is. Custards and puddings can be thinned to liquid consistency using milk. If you need to include calories, try topping pudding, ice cream, milkshakes, or malts with fruit that is blended with whipped cream.
Beverages
Any clear broths other drinks or pulp-free juices are approved on a complete liquid diet. You can use half and half, milk, and non-dairy creamer to include calories in tea or coffee. Other hot beverages like chai, cider, and milk-based espresso drinks are also approved as long as they do not have solid pieces like mulling spices, or chocolate flakes.
Recommended Timing
It is a challenge in a liquid diet is finding whether you have consumed enough nutrition on a specific day. As a general rule, get enough to feel good. If you experience any digestive diseases or are healing from surgery or disease, it is not uncommon to feel full.
The distress may set in before you have got enough calories to be completely nourished.
Begin by drinking as much as you can every 15 minutes. Try taking a sip from a small glass rather than drinking larger amounts in one sitting. You may need to plan liquid meals as often as 6-8 times a day.
Cooking Tips
The most effortless way to liquid soft food to prepare it suitable for a complete liquid diet is to include water. If food doesn’t form a drink at normal temperature, as ice pops would, try some extra heat
Dairy items like shredded cheese can be dissolved in the microwave and included in a saucepan or soups on the stovetop.
Kitchen tools like food processors can be a great help if you will be creating liquid meals for yourself at home. A blender is useful as you puree veggies and fruits. You can also use it on a lower setting to easily and thicker foods like oatmeal into a safe consistency. Potato, Pasta, and rice can be cooked until they become soft, then melted with water, gravy, and butter. You can also use milk or water and heat to soften crackers, which can then be included in broth or soup.
Benefits of Liquid Diets
The possible benefits of liquid diets have weight loss, an increased metabolic rate, body detoxification, and improved organ function among others.
Weight Loss
The primary reason for most people going over a liquid diet is the weight loss goal. By drastically lowering caloric consumption, often by more than 50%, you will create a calorie deficiency in the body meaning that more calories are being burned than are being eaten. It is the foundation of weight loss and can be easily got sometimes up to one pound each day on a liquid diet.
Boosted Metabolism
When your body is denied calories, the metabolism will slow down to save energy, which typically is not the best thing. However, it can train your body to work extra efficiently with a lowered level of calories. Unfortunately, different people report their metabolism-speeding back upward after the diet is over, leading the weight to go back and improvement of the metabolism to be lowered.
Eliminate Toxins
When we consume solid foods, the body works to remove toxins and make efforts to dissolve those foods. On a liquid diet, more of a focus is on the detoxifying organs of your body, making them cleanse the system and importantly play catch up. More liquid helps to remove the bladder and kidneys and remove stored toxins in the digestive tracts and colon.
Improved Organ Function
Fruits and vegetable juices are important during a liquid diet, which will offer the body more vitamins, nutrients, and minerals. It can enhance the function of all your organ systems, including the nervous system.
Are Liquid Diets Effective and Safe?
There is a considerable amount of debate about liquid diets, as the effects can differ widely between individuals. As mentioned above, one of the primary goals of an individual on a liquid diet is weight loss, but this diet is called to create temporary results in some people. A lot of the loss you felt on a liquid diet is water weight, or it is because of a major calorie deficiency. In several cases, when you return to your normal dietary patterns, the weight you lower may be quick to go back. However, those who manage healthier dietary habits following a liquid diet stint may notice more long-term effects. The short-term effects are clear, although some of the claims of health benefits are discussed in academic circles.
In terms of safety, some concerns should be evaluated, such as constipation, which is a loss of lean muscle mass, and signs of caloric deficiency and nutrients. When liquid diets are followed healthy, many of these symptoms can be skipped.
Constipation
When you remove solid foods, especially the pulp and skin from vegetables and fruits, you are lowering more dietary fiber in your diet. It can lead to a slower digestive process, also constipation, cramping, bloating, and stomach discomfort.
Nutrient Deficiency:
While removing back calories is natural for a liquid diet, removing more daily nutrients can lead to side effects like stomach discomfort, fatigue, muscle weakness, cognitive confusion, and headaches.
Muscle Mass
During a liquid diet, your body may start using your lean muscle mass as a source of energy. For most people, who work hard to create their muscle mass, it is an unwanted side effect, especially of an extra liquid diet.
Side Effects
If you need to be on a completely liquid diet for more than some days, you may get constipated from less fiber. Your physician may suggest you the counter powdered fiber supplement, such as Metamucil, to your liquid food. It is also not uncommon to get frequent, loose stools on a complete liquid diet simply due to you not eating solids. As you start to go back to a solid food diet, your bowel moves should manage accordingly. Weight loss can be sudden and effective, even if you are not following the liquid diet for more time. You should begin regaining your weight soon after you begin eating extra calories again. Because you are eating fewer calories, minerals, and vitamins, you may feel irritable, fatigued, depressed, or generally not well. Do not hesitate to tell your physician if these signs make you not comfortable.
How Much Protein Powder Should A Person Include In Their Liquid Diet?
Most people following a liquid diet can eat enough protein for the diet duration, but including protein powder can help to meet this requirement. The common protein recommendation for a complete diet is at least 45 gm of protein each day. If you are not able to have this much, include protein powder in meals to make up the difference.
Â
How Long Can Someone Safely Follow A Complete Liquid Diet?
How long someone should follow a liquid diet depends on the individual, but most people only require it for 5-days to 2 weeks. A dietitian or physician must supervise the diet.
How Much Liquid Should An Individual Consume Every Day On A Liquid Diet?
Adults should take 2-3 quarts of liquid every day on a liquid diet.
Full Liquid Diet vs. Other Diets
A complete liquid diet is the same as other diets utilized to treat digestive diseases or help you prepare for surgery. However, there are some important differences.
Clear Liquid Diet
A complete liquid diet is the same as a clean diet, which is often important before surgery and needs part of the preparation for a colonoscopy. The main distinction is that a clear liquid diet only permits fluids that are free of particles like pulp-free apple juice, water, and broth. Bullion and other juices may be alright as long as they have been strained. Thick fluids are allowed.
Mechanical Soft and Puréed Diets
The mechanical soft diet is the same as the full liquid diet but has one important difference. During a mechanical soft diet, foods are drawn based on their texture or texture, not their type. While following a soft diet, you may need to skip foods that have high fiber or fat even if they are easily chewable. A mechanical soft diet is typically suggested if you are healing from a surgery or injury involving your jaw, mouth, or throat. A soft diet allows your digestive system to rest after surgery or illness. A soft or mechanical diet may be suggested for you as you go from a liquid diet back to a normal solid food diet.
Dysphagia Diet
If you get difficulty swallowing because of dysphagia, your physician may suggest a special, and 3 stage diet to help you get back to a solid food diet.
During stage one, you will only consume food that does not need chewing, like yogurt.
During stage two, you can include foods that only need some chewing like soft-boiled eggs.
In stage 3, you can include veggies and fruits that have been chopped or mashed.
After you passed through each of the three stages, you will be ready for continuing a solid food diet.
Final Thought
If you are comfortable, then you can follow a detox diet for a day. But for weight loss, it is suggested to go on a meal replacement diet. It will assure that you have the benefits of solid food and liquid broth or juices. If weight loss is your aim, you may wish to skip the medically suggested liquid diet.