The Sacred Heart Diet is a very strict seven-day diet that consists mostly of a vegetable soup, along with some fruits and vegetables. (See the link in Resources below for a full outline of the Sacred Heart Diet.) There are claims that the diet originated at Sacred Heart Memorial Hospital in Maryland as a way to help cardiac patients lose weight quickly, but this is a myth: Neither Sacred Heart Memorial Hospital nor the American Heart Association endorse the Sacred Heart Diet. The Sacred Heart Diet soup is a vegetable soup with a beef-broth base. It's low in calories and high in nutrition. While the Sacred Heart Diet is not recommended by medical professionals, making the soup part of a broader low-fat, balanced diet can help you manage your weight.

Chop celery, string beans, bell peppers, carrots and green onions.

Heat vegetable oil in a large soup pot. Saute the celery, green onions and carrots until they begin to soften.

Add the string beans to the pot, and saute the mixture until it browns. Add stewed tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper.

Fill the pot with cold water (or beef broth) until it amply covers the vegetables, about eight quarts. Bring to a boil, then simmer.

Throw in a beef bouillon cube if you filled the pot with water. Add a package of instant chicken-soup mix, like an envelope of Lipton's, for example. Let the soup simmer, covered, for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Add freshly chopped parsley before serving.