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The Cambridge Diet® has developed from its origins as a very low calorie diet (VLCD) and is now used as both a VLCD and as the foundation for a range of weight management programmes from 415kcal to 1500kcal per day. All the programmes are based around a nutritionally complete formula food providing 100% of the Recommended Daily Allowance of all vitamins, minerals and trace elements available in a range of flavours in powder, liquid and bar form.
We believe it is the 'Perfect Diet' because it is:
The Cambridge Diet tastes good and comes in a number of different formats:
Cambridge is available in a number of flavours, each representing a balancd meal of at least 137 kcal.
Everyone who uses Cambridge should follow the four stages of every programme: Preparation, Weight loss, Stabilisation and Maintenance. This will help to ensure that you will successfully manage your weight - over the long-term.
The Cambridge Diet is only available through independent Cambridge Counsellors who provide a personal screening and advisory service prior to purchasing the products - a major factor in maintaining motivation and achieving success. The Counsellors are accredited after a period of training and they agree to follow a Code of Conduct when dealing with customers.
Click here to find your closest Counsellor in the UK or click here to find distributors in other countries.
Cambridge Diet Programmes are based on nutritionally-balanced sachets, bars and Tetra Briks.
Sachets Each sachet contains about 138kcal of powder, which is mixed with water (cold or hot) to provide sweet-flavoured shakes or soups. Each sachet, or serving, produces a Cambridge meal when mixed with 227ml (half pint) water - either hot or cold. Sachets are sold in cartons of 21 servings.
Flavours: Banana, Butterscotch, Chocolate, Chocolate Mint, Fruits of the Forest, Strawberry, Toffee and Walnut, Vanilla, Broccoli and Cheese, Chicken and Mushroom, Oriental Chilli, Spicy Tomato, Vegetable.
Lactose-Free sachets are available in these flavours: Chocolate, Chocolate Orange, Cappuccino, Vanilla, Mushroom, Leek and Potato.
Click for a typical formulation of a sweet flavoured sachet. These may vary in other countries due to local guidelines.
Bars For those who miss chewing, one of your Cambridge meals each day can be in the form of a chocolate-covered meal bar. Some people cut the bars into smaller pieces which then allows them to "snack" throughout the day.
Flavours: Caramel, Chocolate, Orange, Toffee, Cranberry Crunch, Peanut Crunch.
Bars have additional carbohydrate, so only 1 should be taken per day. To make up for loss of fluid, we recommend that an extra 227ml (half pint) water is drunk with meal bar.
Tetra Briks The Cambridge solution is also available in two ready-to-drink flavours. These are in sealed cartons, complete with a straw, for the ultimate in convenience.
Flavours: Banana Bliss, Chocolate Velvet
To make up for them having less fluid (200ml), we recommend that an extra 227ml (half pint) water is drunk with every Tetra Brik.
Mousses The addition of Mix-a-Mousse granules will transform ANY sweet flavour into a meal you can eat! The Mix-a-Mousse makes a delicious mousse out of your favourite flavours, and adds just 20 calories to each serving.
'Cambridge', 'Cambridge Diet', 'The Cambridge Diet', the 'Mortar Board' device, 'Tetra-Brik', 'Mix-a-Mousse', 'Tried, Tested & Trusted Worldwide', 'Fibre 89', 'Cambridge Health & Weight Plan', 'neuCD', 'Het Cambridge Dieet' , 'Fitness with Cambridge' and combinations / translations thereof are trade marks or registered trade marks of Cambridge Nutritional Foods Ltd or associated companies, in the UK and elsewhere, and must not be used without permission.
We recommend that you should always consult your doctor before commencing any diet programme, but, with the Cambridge Diet it is essential that you get your doctor's signed confirmation of any medication or medical condition before you can start any Cambridge programme. Your Counsellor will explain this when you visit them for the first time. This is a requirement; your doctor might, for example, want to adjust your medication where appropriate as your weight reduces.
Preparation
Your first meeting with a Counsellor will establish a number of important factors: whether the time is right - and the programme you should follow.
Although you may want to manage your weight, this may not be the time: your background – employment, family circumstances; weight history – will all have an impact. You will need the full support of friends and family.
Getting Ready
Use the preparation phase to reduce food intake gradually, especially if you will use ‘Sole Source’ or 'Sole Source Plus' to lose weight. Reduce the levels of carbohydrate, fats and sugar before you start.
Begin one or two steps above your weight loss programme. For example, if Step 2 (810 kcal) were going to be used for weight loss, start on Step 4 (1200 kcal) for three days, then move down to Step 3 (1000 kcal) for four days before starting the weight loss proper.
Gradually increase the amount of water you drink - especially important for those who have a history of constipation. This kind of structured preparation is far better that the common scenario of starting a diet at 7am on a Monday morning – after one last massive fling over the weekend! This is just about the worse thing anyone could do, because decreasing carbohydrate intake so sharply could lead to withdrawal symptoms, including headaches and can increase tiredness and hunger. It is also very unhelpful because it will load glycogen stores and delay real weight loss.
Get Serious
Making a serious attempt to manage your weight is a big undertaking and represents a huge change in lifestyle. Use this stage to pinpoint the causes of your overweight: record typical daily intake; levels of activity; type of lifestyle – whether your job keeps you confined to a desk or a car, etc. Your Counsellor will help to identify those factors which can be changed, and will help you decide whether now is the time to change.
Losing weight is probably the easiest part of the weight management process. Having chosen the day, look forward to it with pleasure. Try and stick to the chosen Cambridge programme and the menu.
Sole Source (Step 1)
On the Sole Source programme, you will have three (or four if you are a man or above 5ft 8in) Cambridge meals every day – and no other food! You should also drink plenty of water (We recommend at least eight glasses per day).
| Allowable fluids: | Forbidden fluids: |
| black tea or coffee, tap or bottled water, which can be still or sparkling, but should not contain fruit flavouring |
alcoholic beverages, milky tea or coffee, pure fruit juices and any drink containing sugar or calories. |
The first few days will be exciting, as you lose weight every day. It is highly motivating to continue. You will feel better and healthier than you have ever felt in your life because your body is receiving everything it needs.
You may feel hungry during the first three days, particularly during the evening. Either do something to keep your mind very occupied or go to bed early with a good book (or partner!). After a few days you will not feel hungry at all. Remember that if you do eat you will feel very hungry, because any extra food will stimulate your appetite. Make a commitment to lose weight and be determined!
First Weeks
After a few days you will not feel hungry at all. In fact, you feel wonderful. But losing weight can be frustrating and your Cambridge Counsellor can be a great help and may make the difference between success and failure. If you have any problems or want advice, it is part of the CounsellorÕs job to help you.
You can indulge in all your normal activities but you don't overdo it. If you feel tired, then take a rest. You should weigh yourself every day at the same time, usually in the morning. You will be delighted with your progress and be very excited with it. This is the real motivation that makes you want to continue.
You may experience several days when you do not lose weight. Do not become discouraged. It is very likely that you are losing fat but retaining water ; this is a process known as plateauing. You may be losing girth faster than weight, which is why we recommend that you use a tape measure to record your vital dimensions in addition to your weight.
Have faith in the diet because the weight-loss will restart once you lose the water you have been retaining.
Stabilisation - The last few kilos
The higher-level Cambridge programmes - from 790 to 1500cal - can be used for stabilisation as well as weight loss. In Stabilisation, you will supplement Cambridge meals with selected foods. This will help to ensure long-term weight maintenance, but will also prevent short-term weight regain. This stabilisation builds towards the final level of energy intake required to achieve a long-term stable weight.
Stabilisation should not be hurried. A minimum of a week should be spent on each Step – two weeks is better. The basic plan is to start stabilisation on the step above that which was used to lose weight. For example, if you used the Sole Source programme (Step 1) to lose weight, you should start stabilisation with 'Add a Meal', then move to Step 2 – 790 kcal and so on. The longer you spend at this phase, the more successful you will be in achieving a long-term stable – and maintainable – weight.
If the recommendations are followed to the letter then you should continue to shed a little more weight during this period of stabilisation. For this reason, there is no need to go below target weight to allow for rebound weight-gain as there will be none once weight loss has stopped
Weight Maintenance
Maintenance usually begins when weight loss stops, and can start at about 1500 kcal per day. However, it will vary because the recommended daily energy intake figures are 2000 kcal for women and 2500 kcal for men, so some people may still lose some weight if their intake is below these levels.
The real danger is – after the 'exciting' weight loss phase – that all the old reasons for being overweight could return. The Cambridge four-stage process helps you to understand the reasons for your original overweight, and the stabilisation adds selected healthy food choices. In the maintenance stage, you can continue this healthy eating and increasing the levels of activity. Many people continue to use Cambridge once or twice a day – not only to control energy intake but to carry on getting the benefits of good nutrition.
Keep a regular check on your weight. When your body weight is increased by more than five pounds above your ideal weight, it is time to take prompt action. This can be done by cutting out a conventional meal and having a Cambridge meal instead. As time goes by, people who have been plagued by being overweight for most of their lives become slim, and attain great confidence. The Cambridge Diet is a very powerful tool with which you can control your weight.
Cutting Down on the Calories
• Avoid fat • Restrict salt • Eat fibre • Restrict sugar • Restrict Alcohol
• Avoid Fast Food • Eat Healthy foods
A Permanent Change
One of the most severe criticisms of the Cambridge Diet made by some psychologists and hospital dieticians, is that it does not change people's eating habits in the long term and is therefore useless, particularly for maintaining weight-loss. To these armchair critics it is just another fad diet. Nothing could be further from the truth as anyone can vouch who has used the diet as a sole source of nutrition for several weeks.
For the first time one realises that vast quantities of food are not indispensable to life. It trains you to live without having food continually on your mind and the experience has a beneficial effect on most people. There is ample proof that the Cambridge stabilisation maintenance plan achieves excellent results in returning the dieter to long-term healthy eating principles
The Cambridge Diet is a flexible product that can be used as the Sole Source of nutrition for fast, predictable weight loss with nutritional assurance with conventional food for more gradual weight loss or with food for weight maintenance or nutritional supplementation.
Sole Source of Nutrition
If you decide to use the Cambridge Diet as the sole source of nutrition, it is essential to take no fewer than three full portions, and to drink at least 2.3 litres (4 pints) of calorie-free liquid each day, in addition to the water used to mix your Cambridge meals. You are allowed to follow the Sole Source programme for a maximum of four weeks at a time.
Notes: To be sure of obtaining your complete nutritional requirements, you should take four portions if you are a woman over 173cm (5ft 8in) tall or a man. A portion can be a drink or soup sachet, a ready-to-drink Tetra Brik, or a Cambridge bar. No more than one meal per day should be a bar. Water, black coffee or tea; add a further 200ml (qtr pint) for each Tetra Brik or meal bar you use instead of a sachet.
Your Counsellor will advise you how to proceed if you have further weight to lose or if you are ready to maintain your new target weight.
These steps are also important if you begin with the Sole Source programme: once you have reached BMI 25, you move up to Step 1 - 790 Calories. You may also use The Cambridge Diet together with conventional food to lose weight more gradually.
In any of these cases, you should follow the eating advice which your Counsellor will give you.
The typical contents of a Cambridge Diet sachet in the U.K.
| Ingredient |
per 100ml mix
|
per 40g serving
|
per 3
servings |
per 4
serving |
|||||
| Energy kJ |
219
|
- |
585
|
- |
1754
|
- |
2329
|
- | |
| Energy kcal |
52
|
138
|
415
|
554
|
|||||
| Protein |
5.4
|
g |
14.4
|
g |
43.2
|
g |
57.6
|
g | |
| Carb |
5.3
|
g |
14.1
|
g |
42.4
|
g |
56.5
|
g | |
|
of which
|
sugars |
4.8
|
g |
12.8
|
g |
38.4
|
g |
51.2
|
g |
| polyols |
0.0
|
g |
0.0
|
g |
0.0
|
g |
0.0
|
g | |
| starch |
0.5
|
g |
1.3
|
g |
4.0
|
g |
5.3
|
g | |
| Fat |
1.0
|
g |
2.7
|
g |
8.1
|
g |
10.8
|
g | |
|
of which
|
saturates |
0.2
|
g |
0.5
|
g |
1.5
|
g |
2.0
|
g |
| mono-unsaturates |
0.2
|
g |
0.4
|
g |
1.2
|
g |
1.7
|
g | |
| polyunsaturates |
0.4
|
g |
1.1
|
g |
3.4
|
g |
4.5
|
g | |
| cholesterol |
0.9
|
mg |
2.4
|
mg |
7.2
|
mg |
9.6
|
mg | |
| Fibre |
0.9
|
g |
2.5
|
g |
7.6
|
g |
10.1
|
g | |
| Ingredient |
per 40g
serving |
per 3
servings |
% of RDA
|
per 4
serving |
|||
| Sodium |
0.5
|
g |
1.5
|
g |
|
2.0
|
g |
| Vitamin A |
266.7
|
mcg |
800.0
|
mcg |
100
|
1066.7
|
mcg |
| Vitamin D |
1.7
|
mcg |
5.0
|
mcg |
100
|
6.6
|
mcg |
| Vitamin E |
3.3
|
mg |
10.0
|
mg |
100
|
13.3
|
mg |
| Vitamin C |
20.0
|
mg |
60.0
|
mg |
100
|
80.0
|
mg |
| Thiamin |
0.5
|
mg |
1.4
|
mg |
100
|
1.9
|
mg |
| Riboflavin |
0.5
|
mg |
1.6
|
mg |
100
|
2.1
|
mg |
| Niacin |
6.0
|
mg |
18.0
|
mg |
100
|
24.0
|
mg |
| Vitamin B6 |
0.7
|
mg |
2.0
|
mg |
100
|
2.7
|
mg |
| Folacin |
66.7
|
mcg |
200.0
|
mcg |
100
|
266.7
|
mcg |
| Vitamin B12 |
0.7
|
mcg |
2.0
|
mcg |
200
|
2.7
|
mcg |
| Biotin |
0.05
|
mg |
0.15
|
mg |
100
|
0.2
|
mg |
| Pantothenic Acid |
2.0
|
mg |
6.0
|
mg |
100
|
8.0
|
mg |
| Vitamin K |
40.0
|
mcg |
120.0
|
mcg |
*
|
160.0
|
mcg |
| Calcium |
304.0
|
mg |
912.0
|
mg |
114
|
1216.0
|
mg |
| Phosphorous |
336.0
|
mg |
1008.0
|
mg |
126
|
1344.0
|
mg |
| Iron |
4.7
|
mg |
14.0
|
mg |
100
|
18.6
|
mg |
| Magnesium |
100.0
|
mg |
300.0
|
mg |
100
|
400.0
|
mg |
| Zinc |
5.0
|
mg |
15.0
|
mg |
100
|
20.0
|
mg |
| Iodine |
50.0
|
mcg |
150.0
|
mcg |
100
|
200.0
|
mcg |
| Potassium |
0.8
|
g |
2.5
|
g |
*
|
3.4
|
g |
| Chloride |
0.7
|
g |
2.0
|
g |
*
|
2.7
|
g |
| Copper |
1.0
|
mg |
3.0
|
mg |
*
|
4.0
|
mg |
| Manganese |
1.3
|
mg |
3.9
|
mg |
*
|
5.2
|
mg |
| Selenium |
40.0
|
mcg |
120.0
|
mcg |
*
|
160.0
|
mcg |
| Molybdenum |
80.0
|
mcg |
240.0
|
mcg |
*
|
320.0
|
mcg |
| Chromium |
40.0
|
mcg |
120.0
|
mcg |
*
|
160.0
|
mcg |
Each serving also contains 1g linoleic acid and 0.13g of linolenic acid
Each drink or soup provides at least 33% of the Recommended Daily Allowance given for vitamins and trace minerals in Council Directive 90/496/EEC
* No RDA given in Council Directive 90/496/EEC
This nutritional information will vary slightly in different countries to meet local regulations and requirements.
Anyone who is considering any weight loss programme should consult their doctor before they start.
For the purposes of weight loss using the Cambridge Diet, Cambridge has identified four safety categories of medical condition and medication:
|
A
|
Contraindicated | you should not use ANY programme |
|
B
|
Not Low Calorie | only use programmes above 1000kcal per day |
|
C
|
Special Precautions | you can use any programme, although your doctor may need to adjust medication |
|
D
|
Other Medication | you can use any programme |
If you are in any doubts or have any questions concerning any related medical matter, first check the Frequently Asked Questions section of the website. Or send an e-mail to our Medical Information Officer
A - ContraindicatedMedical Condition:
The Cambridge Diet should not be used in any weight loss programme by the following people:
Insulin
Insulin is used to treat Type 1 diabetes. No Cambridge weight loss programmes should be followed by insulin dependent diabetics because of the problems of regulating blood sugar levels. Few insulin dependent diabetics are overweight.
Anti-Obesity Drugs
It is unnecessary for these drugs to be taken when a Cambridge weight-loss programme is followed. If the drugs are not discontinued, then the Cambridge Diet must not be used.
Anyone taking these medicines must not take the Cambridge Diet Sole Source, 790 or 1000 kcal programmes. This category includes
Anti-coagulants
Anti-coagulants, antithrombotics and fibrolytics all reduce the clotting time of blood. They are frequently prescribed following open heart surgery, heart attacks, deep vein thrombosis, arterial thrombosis.
Anti-arrhythmia (Digoxin)
This medicine is used to correct irregularities in the heart rate associated with heart failure. The blood levels of this medicine are normally difficult to balance. A reduced calorie intake could increase this instability by allowing more rapid absorption.
Anti-convulsants
Anti-convulsant drugs are used to treat epilepsy and seizures.
Lithium
Lithium is used to treat severe psychiatric disorders. A reduced calorie intake will increase the absorption rate of this drug which may alter the blood levels. As a constant level is essential for successful treatment and to prevent toxic effects occurring, it should not be used with the Cambridge Diet.
Because of the low calorific level in the Cambridge Diet, people taking certain medicines may need their doctor to adjust the dosage level. In some cases, the doctor may need to discontinue medication completely. Customers in this group should have their progress monitored by their doctor.
Every customer taking one of the medicines which falls into the ‘Special Precautions’ category must get the doctor’s signature of confirmation on the MRF. The counsellor should ask the customer to remind the doctor of the name of the medicine being taken.
Anti-hypertensives
Anti-hypertensive drugs are used to reduce all grades of raised blood pressure. This group includes beta-blockers, ace inhibitors, calcium antagonists, vasodilators, alphablockers, central alpha agonists and diuretics.
Diuretics
Diuretics (water tablets) are frequently used for the treatment of mild to moderate high blood pressure (hypertension). It is advisable for the doctor to stop a customer’s diuretic medication before the Cambridge Diet is begun
Oral hypoglycaemics
These are given to treat Type II (maturity onset) diabetes. Customers on anti-diabetic tablets should ideally have their medication discontinued by their doctor while on the Cambridge Diet sole source
Gout prevention
All VLCDs produce a rise in serum uric acid levels during the first two weeks, which may lead to an acute attack of gout in known sufferers. Preventative treatment with one of the uricosuric agents listed below should be given concurrently with the Cambridge Diet from the day of commencement.
All other medications can be used with all the Cambridge weight-loss programmes. However, Counsellors should still get the customer to ask for their doctor’s signed confirmation that the information stated on the MRF is correct. This does not apply to the contraceptive pill and HRT - see below.
Anti-depressants
Severe depression is a contraindication for the sole source programme so check that any customer on anti-depressant medication is only mildly depressed.
Thyroid & Anti-Thyroid
The medication in this section is designed either to replace deficient thyroid hormones or to block thyroid hormone production. As far as the Cambridge Diet is concerned, they are considered together. Thyroid control does not have to be perfect and users can take all Cambridge programmes. However, it would be sensible to delay use of the Diet until the customer has settled on the medication for 2 months or so.
Steroids
Although these may be taken in conjunction with the Cambridge Diet, customers may experience a lower rate of weight loss.
Anti-arthritics
These are known as NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) and are widely prescribed for the treatment of rheumatoid and osteo-arthritis, gout, rheumatic pain, sports injuries and general aches and pains.
Antibiotics
Antibiotics are prescribed to treat all kinds of infection, from bronchitis to a septic finger. Always check the underlying medical condition - anyone with a serious infection should not be contemplating weight loss until they are fully recovered.
Contraceptives
The Pill
The contraceptive pill is used to prevent conception. They are almost always prescribed under their trade names and most women are well aware if they are taking one of them.
The Cap
Women using the contraceptive cap should be advised to see their family planning advisor every time there is a weight change of 3Kg (7lbs) to check whether a different size is required.
Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
Hormonal medicines are sometimes given to treat more serious conditions, such as breast, kidney or prostate cancer. In such cases it is absolutely essential to consult the doctor and get his or her signature of approval. If in doubt, insist on the doctor’s signature.