Before 2005 there was fad diet that "borrowed" the name Mayo Clinic but was not associated with the Mayo Clinic. This fad diet was a 12-day program that suggested eating grapefruit at every meal and promised dramatic weight loss. Other versions were based on eating cabbage soup with every meal. But in 2005 an official "Mayo Clinic Plan" was released that is based on a healthy food pyramid and long-term lifestyle changes.
The Fad Mayo Clinic Diet
This fad diet goes by many names: the cabbage soup diet, the Sacred Heart diet, the Mayo Clinic Diet, and the grapefruit diet are just a few. Based on a 12-day eating plan, it's a high-fat, high-protein diet that includes a few vegetables but excludes all sugars and starches. Breakfast is bacon and eggs and 1/2 a grapefruit; lunch is any amount of meat, a salad with approved vegetables and a 1/2 grapefruit; dinner is any quantity of meat or seafood, vegetables sauteed in butter and 1/2 grapefruit. You're allowed a glass of skim milk or tomato juice before bed. No other foods are acceptable.
The Official Mayo Clinic Plan
According to the Mayo Clinic, long-term weight loss means adopting healthy habits that you can live with. The diet is broken into two distinct phases, "Lose It!" is an intense two-week phase designed to build momentum and help you see results right away. You may be able to lose between 6 and 10 lbs in the first two weeks. Then you'll move into "Live It!" which aims to keep you losing between 1 and 2 lbs every week until you reach your goal weight. Exercise is an important part of the Mayo Clinic plan. Although you may need to start slowly, the plan calls for between 30 and 60 minutes of moderate to intense physical activity most days of the week.
Mayo Clinic Food Pyramid
The Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight Pyramid is the basis of the diet. At the foundation of the pyramid are vegetables and fruits --- the official Mayo Clinic diet recommends unlimited fruits and vegetables with a minimum of four vegetable and three fruit servings. Carbohydrates are limited to between four and eight servings daily. Protein and dairy form one category, and you're allowed between three and seven servings each day. Eat three to five servings of healthy fats daily, and at the very top of the pyramid are sweets, which should be limited to no more than 75 calories per day.
Calories and Weight Loss
The Mayo Clinic diet plan is a healthy balanced diet that emphasizes high-fiber foods rich in vitamins and minerals. But to lose weight, you'll need to eat fewer calories than your body uses. If you create a calorie deficit, your body will convert stored fat into energy and you'll lose weight. Even eating healthy foods, you need to practice portion control and count calories to ensure weight loss. In addition to weight loss, the Mayo Clinic plan can help lower cholesterol and blood pressure levels and reduce your risk for type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
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