Clear Liquid Diet: 13 Tips to feel more energized, relaxed & less hungry

So you need to do a clear liquid diet?

Great, you’re in the right place.

Many people feel overwhelmed by eating only clear liquids for a day or more because they aren’t able to eat or drink their favorite foods.

That’s where this guide comes in.

It has 13 actionable tips you can use to make following your clear liquid diet easier.

Here they are:

1. Make a list of the foods you need to buy
2. Order your foods to increase your odds of success
3. Prepare your foods
4. Ask for help ahead of time
5. Go to bed early the night before
6. Drink these first
7. Sweeten the deal with your favorite clear beverage, gelatin or ice pops
8. Add some heartiness to your meal with some bone broth
9. Have some fun
10. Feeling tempted? Visualize your cravings away
11. Watch your food instead of your phone
12. Serve your drinks in smaller cups/mugs to feel fuller
13. Use the largest spoons you’ve got to feel more satisfied

But first, What is a Clear Liquid Diet?

As the name suggests, a clear liquid diet is composed of liquids that you can see through, and do not contain any solid food parts (ex: fruit pulp). It’s usually a recommended diet as a bowel prep for a day or more, before undergoing a medical procedure such as a colonoscopy, or gastric bypass surgery (Roux-en-y). The most common foods are clear fruit juices (cranberry juice, fruit punch, grape juice, apple juice), clear carbonated drinks (a clear soda like ginger ale), popsicles, clear broth, consomme, black coffee, and tea.

Part 1: Preparation (10-20 minutes)

These are the steps you will take before the actual day(s) you do your liquid diet.

1. Make a list of the foods you need to buy

Preparing ahead of time will eliminate some of the stress from restricting yourself to clear liquids only.

• Get a pen and paper to make a shopping list 
• Go to your kitchen to look for the following items: 
  • tea or coffee (preferably decaf)
  • 2x cartons of coconut water, or fruit juice, or clear carbonated drinks
  • 3x cartons of bone broth
  • 2x ice trays, and 
  • 2x boxes of organic gelatin. 
• Make a note of the items you don’t have to your shopping list. 

2. Order your foods to increase your odds of success

Make your prep easier on yourself and order your foods online:

• Grab the shopping list you made in the previous step
• Head over to Amazon.com, Walmart.com or your favorite online store 
• Complete your order
• Give yourself a high-five. 

3. Prepare your foods 

The single biggest challenge you’ll read about is how hungry people feel when they do a full liquid diet. So keep the right foods front and center and keep solid foods out of sight. 

• When your food arrives, set aside some time in your schedule to prepare them.
• Make ice pops: Grab one carton/bottle of your favorite clear juices (ex: apple juice, lemonade), or the coconut water and fill one or two ice trays.
• Make gelatin: Grab the box of gelatin, a large bowl, and follow the instructions on the box to make your gelatin. Leave it in the fridge overnight so it can be firm and ready for the next day.
• Hide solid foods: You’re not supposed to have solid foods (clear fluids only). So, make things easier for yourself. Pack your solid foods into plastic bags or containers, and then move them to the back of your fridge. Ask your loved ones or roommates to help you by hiding foods that can trigger your desire to snack. 

4. Ask for help ahead of time

If you know that you suffer from nausea or migraines when you don’t eat, please let your doctor know. They can provide you with home remedies or even medication you need to help you prepare for your procedure.

5. Go to bed early the night before

Getting a good night’s sleep is super important before you do your clear liquid diet. That’s because it will decrease your stress hormone levels, put you in a better mood, and make you feel less hungry.

• Open up your phone and set a “sleep alarm” for the night before you start your clear liquid diet. 
• When your alarm rings, encourage yourself to turn out the lights and go to sleep. If you don’t feel tired, do something that doesn’t involve a screen in or around the bed, like reading a book, listening to soft music, or playing an instrument.

Part 2: Feeding (breakfast, lunch, snacks, dinner)

Use the following steps as a guideline for your breakfast, snacks, lunch, and dinner. 

6. Drink these first

• Drink water: Head to the kitchen, fill a tall glass of water, and drink it to trick your belly into feeling full. Drinking water will also aid adequate hydration and make the flavor of whatever you are about to taste more flavorful. 
• Use a small mug for your coffee: Next, grab the smallest mug (more on this later) you have to enjoy some decaffeinated coffee or tea. Drinking decaffeinated drinks has been shown to decrease hunger. Plus, they won’t make you dehydrated like the caffeinated kind, nor will it make you feel jittery. Choose a herbal tea for your evening meals because they have little to no caffeine. 
• Do not add milk or cream: Drink your coffee or tea black. Feel free to add your favorite sweetener like honey, stevia or sugar.

7. Sweeten the deal with your favorite clear beverage, gelatin or ice pops

Now that you’re hydrated, it’s time to have some fun with the clear tasty options you’ve prepared.

• Eat your gelatin and ice pops – Gelatin is fun to eat, and the feeling of chewing on something helps you feel more satisfied. The same goes for the ice pops. Enjoy every spoonful or bite of texture and flavor.
• Be mindful when you eat – This means placing your attention on what you’re eating instead of other things like your phone.
• Drink your juice – Serve your coconut water or juice in a small cup or mug, and enjoy.

8. Add some heartiness to your meal with some bone broth

High-quality bone broth is excellent because it can help you feel full and keep you nourished thanks to its high protein content. Many people complain about suffering from headaches, migraines, nausea, and weakness during their liquid diet fast. And it’s believed that a lack of nutrients or dehydration causes most of these symptoms. 

• Take one box of bone broth. 
• Cut it open and pour it into 2 to 3 small mugs. 
• Pop them in the microwave for 1 to 4 minutes. 
• Take them out and sip them slowly while you enjoy the flavors and aromas. 
• Spice up your bone broth with Ginger. It can help decrease hunger in some people and adds flavor and aroma to your broth. Other spices you can add are turmeric, garlic, and black pepper.

Part 3: Relax & Recharge

Give yourself permission to stay in your pajamas or put on some sweats because feeling warm and cozy can help you feel less stressed, which can help you get through the day.

9. Have some fun

Hopefully, you’ve taken the day off to prepare for your procedure (ex: colonoscopy). If so, this is a great time to enjoy the movies, shows, music, or video games that make you happy.

• Watch some comedies or play some video games. Just stay away from stuff that can make you feel sad, angry, or depressed.
• Call your cheerleaders:
  • Get over the afternoon hump, by calling someone you know can cheer you up.
  • If you haven’t scheduled the call, just pull out your phone now and call that person you know has your back.
  • When they pick up say, “Hey, I’m calling you because you always make me feel great.”
  • We’ll the rest up to you.

10. Feeling tempted? Visualize your cravings away 

Visualizing something instead of eating it, can curb your cravings.

• Set a timer from 5 to 20 minutes (depends on how comfortable you are with this).
• Open this link to play relaxing music and plug in your headphones.
• Sit comfortably.
• Close your eyes and take a deep breath.
• Visualize yourself eating the stuff you’re not supposed to have today for a few minutes, and keep breathing naturally.
• Do this until your timer rings.
• Reward yourself with a warm cup of bone broth, or any of the other clear liquid foods you’ve prepared for yourself. 

Part 4: Tips to help you nail your liquid diet

11. Serve your drinks in smaller cups/mugs to feel fuller

Eating on smaller plates has been shown to help you eat less. Similarly, it might help if you also serve your coffee, broth, coconut water, and other drinks recommended here in small cups/mugs.

12. Watch your food instead of your phone 

Whenever you decide to eat, head to the kitchen, grab your food, and sit at your dining table. Turn off your phone and enjoy your meal. When you do this, you are less likely to want to eat more, which will also help you to break up your day.

13. Use the largest spoons you’ve got to feel more satisfied

Yes, we said you should use small cups and mugs, but you also recommend using larger spoons. People who eat with larger forks can curb their hunger by up to 10%, so why not give a bigger spoon a try?

Good luck to you on completing your clear liquid diet

These tips will help you to feel satiated, happy, and relaxed while you do your liquid diet. We hope you find these to be helpful and wish you a speedy recovery for your procedure.