For a while, every health article was raving about juice cleanses to lose weight, bloat, feel better and live longer. Then it became noted that juice cleanses really aren't so healthy because they tend to lack nutrition found in fruit and basically amount to sugar water. Plus, with so little nutritional value, drinking meals for days leaves people hungry and tired and headachy. The new soup cleanse technique promises to do away with many of the pitfalls of the more traditionally known juicing cleanse.

Soup cleansing or "souping" as it is known, is another liquid diet plan. In this updated cleanse variation you replace your usual solid meals with soups. Like a juice cleanse, you can order soups from companies (which usually offers greater variety), or go the diy route and make your own soups. Soups can be hot or cold, plant based or made from animal protein stock (think bone broth), depending on your diet needs.

Souping is a good way to kick off your weight loss before eventually returning to "regular food." With a soup cleanse, you can get your veggies and nutrition in your meal without a lot of calories, which helps you to lose weight. Unlike a juice cleanse, the nutrition stays in the vegetables because they are used whole so the fiber content remains the same and the addition of spices means extra nutritional power. Unless you're going for a berry gazpacho, soups are typically low in sugar so you don't get excess sugar, like you do from a juice cleanse.

The benefit of a soup cleanse is that you can manage to feel full with a lot fewer calories, but the fewer calories can also mean that you shouldn't do your usual high-energy workout on a soup day, but stick to something less intense, like walking or gentle yoga.

Whether you order from a company or decided to make your own soups, look for soups that are low in sugar and salt and primarily vegan. Pureed vegetable soups are delicious and don't need fattening cream.

[Image via Standard Market and Bustle]