The Real Life Diet

The Real Life Diet was the brainchild of Maryon Stewart, who outlines the diet in the book of the same name. The focus of the diet is on balancing nutrition, lowering stress and meeting emotional needs. The diet plan has become very popular throughout the United Kingdom and Australia.

Biography

Maryon Stewart has been a pioneer in natural medicine in the United Kingdom and Australia for more than 20 years. In 1984, after studying preventive dentistry and nutrition at the Royal Dentistry Hospital in London, Stewart founded a women's health advisory service that became the Natural Health Advisory Service and now provides information to men and women. She is the author of 25 self-help books and co-authored a number of medical papers. She has a UK television show and often lectures to the public and medical professionals.

Significance

According to the Natural Health Advisory Service, Maryon Stewart maintains that the primary reason that weight-loss diets fail is that they do not address the underlying problems. She says that unless you have the tools to get your life in balance, you will quickly regain lost pounds. An unbalanced life also can lead to depression, insomnia and low sex drive.

Function

Through the Real Life Diet, Stewart aims to provide the knowledge and tools you need to restore balance in all aspects of your life by maintaining adequate nutrition, reducing stress and dealing with emotional issues. The goal is a healthy, stable weight; improvement of hair and skin; healthy self-esteem; a regular sleep pattern; good overall health; and an improved libido.

Prevention/Solution

The Real Life Diet book has two main parts. The first, titled "Getting Aware," provides tools for you to assess your diet, understand your food cravings, assess your fitness level and boost their libido. The second section, titled "Maryon's Real Life Diet in Action," covers the stages of the diet, suggested menus and a selection of Real Life Diet recipes. Appendices cover nutrition, healthy food shopping and a weekly diary.

Features

To help you get started on the Real Life Diet, the book opens with a series of questionnaires about current exercise and eating habits. To help you maintain a healthy diet, there is a section explaining food nutrition and offering lists of healthy alternatives to foods that are high in fat, such as replacing meat with tofu products.