Seems like Souping is the new Juicing. Hey, why starve and deprive yourself by drinking juice greens when you could have a comforting, warm, and filling bowl of soup? A-listers like Gwyneth Paltrow and Jennifer Aniston claim to  be soup cleanse devotees, with Paltrow pitching Soup Cleansing on Goop. Actor Michael Chiklis had such great results doing a Soup Cleanse to prep for a spot on American Horror Story: Freak Show that he became an investor in Soupure, a popular Soup Cleanse delivery program.

“You don’t feel deprived at all. You’re just eating really clean, good food that’s delicious.” who lost 14 pounds in two weeks “Souping,” states Chiklis.

Like juice cleanses, soup cleanses typically last one to three days and promise you a reset. By ditching added sugars, dairy, and gluten and eating mainly vegetable soups, you give your digestive system a break.

You'll feel full thanks to fiber. The biggest benefit soup has over juice is fiber. Juices are pure carbs or sugar. "Juices lack the fiber of whole fruits and vegetables found in soups that slow sugar absorption," says Registered Dietician, Julieanna Hever. "A fiber shortage will quickly have your stomach rumbling with hunger pains within an hour. Soups, on the other hand, are associated with satiety."

Real downsides to consider. "Detoxing" has very little science behind it, and the jury is still out whether our liver and kidneys, which naturally cleanse the body all the time, need help. Committing to a soup cleanse for a few days is likely fine, but going any longer without protein can lead to a loss of muscle mass and a sluggish metabolism.

Sticker Shock. One day of Souping will run you at least $50! Try making your own from our SOUPer Slim recipe eBook instead.

Eating soup may help foster more mindful eating. Juice/liquid cleanses are basically crash diets disguised as a spiritual toxin flushes. You don't really need to detox or cleanse—that’s what bowels and livers are for. Juice is high in sugar, and processing removes a big part of the healthful benefits of the fruits and vegetables including the skins and the pulp that act as roughage—not to mention important vitamins and minerals that are lost. It's not a viable, long term weight-loss method, because the minute you eat normal food again and up your calories you'll just gain it ALL back. And that lovely euphoric rush you often feel on cleansing? That's probably your body in starvation mode.

Bottom line: Soup is food. It’s incredibly satiating, and incredibly nutrient, vitamin, and fiber rich. It’s REAL food that will fill you up—not out.

SOUPer Slim Master Cleanse Vegetable Kale Soup

Ingredients

1 T. olive oil

1 T. garlic powder or 2 cloves, minced

1 extra-large Spanish onion, diced

1 large green or red pepper, diced

8 ounce package of button mushrooms, quartered

1 T. + 1 tsp. Italian seasonings herb mix, to taste

1½ tsp. freshly ground pepper

2 tsp. sea salt

2, 8-ounce cans low-sodium, nonfat chicken, beef, or vegetable broth

2 medium zucchini, diced

1 medium yellow squash, diced

32 ounce can Italian plum tomatoes, cut (I like San Marzano)

4-5 large carrots, peeled and diced

3 cups Black, Tuscan Kale, washed well, stems removed and cut in 1” pieces.

1 large handful green beans, diced

½ cup parsley, chopped 

DIRECTIONS
1.  In 8-10 quart sauce, pan sauté onions, peppers, and garlic in olive oil until golden.  Add mushrooms and sauté until golden and dry.

2.  Add the rest of the ingredients except kale, and simmer for 35 minutes. Add cut kale and continue to simmer for another 10 minutes.

For a complete dinner, add 3-4 hard-boiled egg whites, egg white omelet, or 4 ounces of baked, broiled, or grilled poultry, fish, or meat.

Yields: 11 servings.  Serving size: 1 cup. Nutritional content: 78 Calories, 2g fat, 0g saturated fat, 3g protein, 15g carbohydrates, 3g fiber, 237mg sodium.   Stores well in fridge for up to 1 week.  Freezes well in individual-size servings.  This soup may be made Kosher or Vegan.

 Want to try a Soup Cleanse? CLICK HERE to purchase The SOUPer Slim Cleanse Meal Plan eBook filled with easy soup recipes that you can make in batches and easily freeze to store. At ONLY $12.95, it won't bust your budget.