by THE MEDICAL DIET It was big back in the late 80s, but versions of the plan still exist and thrive on social media. And it really is two types of liquid diets you need to know about.
The first time is one you’re familiar with if you’ve ever woken up from surgery and tried to grab a snack only to be served a tray of Styrofoam Jell-O cups and chicken broth.
Your healthcare provider may put you on an easy-to-swallow, easy-to-digest liquid diet when you are dealing with certain health issues, such as preparing for or recovering from a medical procedure or having difficulty chewing or swallowing food. These diets are designed to reduce risks associated with these conditions, especially the risk of vomiting or choking, says Katherine Basbaum, MS, RD, UVA Health Clinical Dietitian.
Doesn’t matter can do you eat a liquid diet? There are two types of liquid diets: the very restrictive clear liquid diet and the less restrictive total liquid diet. On a clear liquid diet, you’re in a boring rotation of broth, Jell-O, and maybe a bit of apple juice. On a full liquid diet, you have many more options. You can basically eat any food that is pureed thin and smooth enough to be slurped through a straw.
Healthcare providers carefully prescribe these diets based on patient needs. You may also have heard of a friend (or social media influencer) doing a DIY liquid-only diet.
These effects tell you that a liquid diet is a challenging yet effective way to lose weight fast, reduce inflammation, and cleanse your body of disease-causing toxins. It’s not a long-term solution, they admit, but it’s a baseline “reset” that can help you recover from bad eating habits or start new, better ones.
“I have a fair number of patients who come to me and say, ‘Well, what about a liquid diet?'” says Basbaum. Many think it will be an easy way to lose weight, she says, but the truth is much more complicated. Here’s what you should know about liquid diets, when they’re recommended, and why they’re probably best left to the experts.
What is the liquid diet?
Remember in science class when you learned about the states of matter: solid, liquid, and gas? (And plasma, but we don’t eat that).
On a liquid diet, you only eat liquids, nothing solid or chunks that require you to chew.
What can you eat on a liquid diet?
A clear liquid diet is very restrictive, limiting you to clear juices like apple juice, Jell-O, and clear broths like chicken broth. If the liquid is opaque, meaning you can’t see through it, it’s off the menu.
A complete liquid diet, on the other hand, presents many other options.
“A whole liquid is basically anything that’s smooth and blended and pure, so if you think about yogurt, as long as there’s no chunks in it, rice soup with a creamy mixture or applesauce or some other pureed fruit , ice cream, milkshakes, anything that’s pretty smooth but you could almost drink in three big sips if you had to,” says Basbaum.
A complete liquid diet allows patients to take in more substantial nutrition than the clear version, Basbaum says.
“We have the ability to get more key nutrients in a whole liquid diet compared to a clear one, which really only has a few calories and a little bit of sugar or carbohydrates,” she says.
Is a liquid diet good for you?
If a healthcare provider recommends a liquid diet, then yes, it is in your best interest.
Liquid diets are common before surgery. Anesthesia can cause nausea, and your surgeon doesn’t want you to vomit on the table. There is a risk that you could choke on your own vomit when you are knocked out. For certain procedures, especially in gastroenterology, the surgeon also needs your stomach to be empty to help them do their job.
After surgery, you can still experience nausea, especially if your intestines were the target of the operation.
“We want to give the body a chance to return to baseline,” says Basbaum.
Usually, that means starting with a clear liquid diet, switching to a full liquid diet, and then moving back to regular foods.
Another common reason for a liquid diet is dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing. Strokes and other conditions affecting the nervous system, certain cancers of the mouth and esophagus, or gastroesophageal reflux disease can cause dysphagia.
When you can’t swallow your food properly, you are at increased risk of aspiration, or accidentally inhaling food into your lungs instead of swallowing it into your intestines. Whole liquid diets are usually recommended for people with swallowing problems because they allow for much more nutrition than clear liquid diets, which is especially important if one wants to follow the diet long-term.
Sometimes the reason for a liquid diet is dental problems. Someone who has lost their teeth, for example, may need a liquid diet because they can’t chew, says Basbaum.
Liquid diets for weight loss are more complicated. A doctor may recommend one in limited circumstances, for example for patients preparing for bariatric surgery. Researchers have done several studies where people on very specific short-term liquid diets, monitored by health care professionals throughout the journey, lose weight. But the help of the pros is essential to ensure that the plan is safe and effective.
“They have this whole team that is weaning them off the liquid diet and moving them toward maintenance, regular food, and the right amount of protein and calories to promote weight loss,” says Basbaum.
But want it on your own, or after some “cleanse” or another fad diet? That’s probably not smart. “DIY is a big red flag for a liquid diet,” says Basbaum.
For one, it would be very difficult to get all the nutrients you need from a liquid diet and safely transition back to regular food.
“Somebody could put themselves on a liquid juice diet or whatever for two or three weeks and lose 20 pounds, and the next thing you know they’re in the hospital for any number of deficiency-related reasons. nutritious,” she says.
The plan may also backfire altogether because eating a liquid diet alone is not satisfactory.
“When you’re consuming your calories through a liquid, like a shake or juice or something blended, your brain isn’t registering the fullness and satiety that it would if you’d actually eaten,” says Basbaum.
You miss out on the chewing and swallowing stages, breaking down the food in your stomach, and other digestive processes.
“So what can happen is that people on these liquid diets don’t feel as satisfied as they would if they consumed the same amount of calories from real food, whole grains, fruit and vegetables, lean proteins, whatever,” she says. You may feel so hungry that you take in more calories than you intended.
In addition, on a liquid diet, it is difficult to get enough fiber, an important nutrient for weight management, and many other things, like bowel regularity, she says.
The bottom line: If you want a safe, effective weight loss plan, talk to your primary care doctor and consider hiring a registered dietitian who can help you develop a personalized approach.
How long should you be on a liquid diet, and when should you stop?
When liquid diets are prescribed around surgery, they are usually only recommended for a few days. You will usually be allowed to resume your normal diet somewhere between one and three days after your procedure. By that point, you probably need to eat some protein and fat to help your body heal from surgery, Basbaum says.
For people with dysphagia, a full liquid diet can last much longer. Dysphagia can sometimes be improved with interventions such as speech therapy. In other cases, a patient with dysphagia may need to follow a liquid diet forever. The same may be true for edentulous patients.
If you are put on a liquid diet, check in with your healthcare provider to see how long to continue.
Julie Stewart is a writer and content strategist whose work has also been featured Health, and Women’s Health, Daily Health, Welfare, and Shape.
