Does the Mayo Clinic diet really work?
The Mayo Clinic Diet is a low-carb diet high in fiber and protein. It emphasizes fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. While the obvious goal of the diet is weight loss, the Mayo Clinic suggests that this diet might also help clear up your skin, fight fatigue and even improve your mood and self-esteem! This article will give you a brief overview of this type of diet to make an educated decision as to whether it could work for you.
What is it?
The Mayo Clinic Diet is a long-term weight management program developing a team of experts at Mayo Clinic. The Mayo Clinic Diet is created to help you reshape your lifestyle by adopting healthy new habits and avoiding unhealthy old ones. The goal is to make easy, pleasurable changes that will result in a healthy weight that people can maintain for the rest of their life.
The Mayo Clinic Diet is intended to help you lose weight and adopt healthy habits, including eating more vegetables and fruits, drinking more water, avoiding sugary and fatty foods, and exercising more often.
Who created it?
Weight-loss experts developed the Mayo Clinic Diet at the Mayo Clinic, one of the top hospital systems in the United States. The Mayo Clinic introduced a diet in 2010 that became a New York Times bestseller and has been a popular weight-loss choice ever since.
The most recently updated 2017 mayo clinic diet book by Donald Hensrud, M.D., M.P.H. was based on the original Mayo Clinic Diet book first published in 1949 with a separate journal, and a membership website is presently available.
Also, Donald Hensrud, M.D., M.P.H. has written and lectured widely on lifestyle- and nutrition-related topics and has authored and helped publish several books, including the best-selling book “The Mayo Clinic Diet” and two award-winning cookbooks.
Was it really created by the Mayo Clinic?
It’s based on the latest medical research, and it’s been used successfully for years to treat people with a variety of conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. The Mayo Clinic diet is also backed by numerous clinical trials, which have shown that following its principles can help you lose weight.
It’s necessary to note that the Mayo Clinic diet isn’t just about losing weight — it’s about eating healthier foods that leave you feeling full longer than foods high in processed sugars and refined carbs. That means you’ll get more vitamins and nutrients from your meals, so you’ll be healthier overall.
How much does this diet cost?
Though it was stated on the official website of the Mayo Clinic that their diet plans don’t require a paid membership, however, to have access to their rigorous weight loss programs, you may have to pay for that.
And the plans are categorized into four sections that include a one-time payment:
- A Monthly plan ($49.99/month OR $11.54/Week)
- 3-Month plans ($39.99/month OR $9.92/week)
- 6 months plan ($29.99/month OR $6.92/week)
- 12 months plan ($19.99/month OR #4.61/ week)
All the four plans have the same packages that include:
- Access to the brand new Mayo Clinic Diet
- New and easy-to-use member website
- Scientifically proven weight loss plan from Mayo Clinic
- Easy, delicious meal plans that suit your eating style
- 100s of healthy recipes and meal ideas
- Practical exercise plans you can do at home
- Reminders and tracking tools to keep you motivated
- Printable grocery list
- Private online member group
What is the theory behind it?
Mayo Clinic Diet is a low-carbohydrate, high-protein diet. It recommends eating lots of vegetables and fruits while reducing your carbohydrates, sugar, and saturated fat intake. Mayo Clinic Diet is based on the concept that people have specific nutritional needs based on their age, gender, and activity level. The diet recommends eating until you’re full but not eating when you’re not hungry.
The main focus of the Mayo Clinic Diet is to help you lose weight by eating a variety of whole foods and cutting back on processed foods. The diet emphasizes eating fresh vegetables and fruits, whole grains such as brown rice or quinoa, lean meats like fish or chicken breast (without skin), legumes like black beans or lentils, nuts, and seeds.
You’re also encouraged to avoid sugary beverages and alcohol completely since they can slow down your metabolism and weight gain over time. You’ll want to keep track of how many calories you’re consuming each day so that you don’t go over 1,200 calories per day for women or 1,600 calories per day for men (the amount varies depending on your activity level).
How well does the Mayo Clinic diet work?
The diet itself is not a new concept. Similar diets have been around for years, including the Atkins and South Beach diets, both low-carb plans. But there’s no evidence that any one of these plans works better than another.
Research suggests that any diet plan can work if it helps you lose weight and keep it off over time. However, understanding your genetic makeup via a DNA test is a sure bet for quick weight loss.
What are the different phases of the diet?
The Mayo Clinic weight loss program is a two-phase process. The first phase focuses on losing weight, while the second and equally important phase is about sustaining that lost weight.
- The first one is called “Lose It:
This is a two-week phase in which members learn to adopt five healthy habits and dispose of five unhealthy habits. The average weight loss during this phase is 6 to 10 pounds.
- The second phase is called “Live It!”
This phase designs a lifelong approach to health and builds on the healthy habits established during the first phase.
It teaches patients how to choose options from each of these five food groups like food choices, portion sizes, menu planning, physical activity, exercise, and being physically active to achieve and maintain a healthy weight.
What do I eat on this diet?
The Mayo Clinic Diet is based on the Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight Pyramid, which separates food into five categories based on their energy density. The first tier includes the lowest-calorie foods and should form the basis of a healthy diet.
As you move up the pyramid, the food groups become higher in energy density or are more calories dense and should be included less frequently and in smaller portions. You should limit upper-tier foods if you’re trying to lose weight.
- Category 1:
The New Mayo Clinic Diet encourages the intake of fruits and vegetables, so members do not have to worry about feeling starved because they are on a ‘diet.
- Category 2:
This consists of carbohydrates like brown rice, oats, whole grain pasta, and whole wheat bread. These should consume moderate amounts.
- Category 3:
This emphasizes the importance of protein and dairy, which should consume in moderation. Protein sources include legumes, fish, lean meat, and low-fat dairy products.
- Category 4:
This Emphasizes that Healthy fats—including avocados, nuts, canola, and olive oil—may be consumed in moderation.
- Category 5:
This category allows you to occasionally enjoy candy and other processed sweets, but they should be eaten in small amounts.
Lists of Foods to limit or avoid on the Mayo Clinic diet
Alcohol and added sugars are prohibited during the first two weeks of the Mayo Clinic Diet but after that time. You can have up to 75 calories of sweets or alcoholic beverages per day.
These include:
- Processed Fruits
- Starchy vegetables,
- Carbohydrates like white flour, white bread, pasta, and refined sugars.
- Protein-like meats are those that are high in saturated fats.
- Dairies like full-fat milk, cheese, and yogurt
- Saturated fats.
- Processed foods
- Artificial Sweeteners
The pros and cons
The pros:
- It encourages eating plant-based foods
- It emphasizes fitness workouts at least 30 minutes a day.
- That helps in weight loss
- The guidelines are easy to follow.
- No process foods allow this diet
- It improved overall body health if followed accordingly.
The cons:
- Eating out can be difficult on this diet
- The first phase may be too restrictive
- Mayo clinic diet restricted snacks to only fruits and vegetables.
- You may be responsible for planning your meals yourself by following the guidelines.
- Some ingredients may be costly and time-consuming to prepare.
Bottom line
The Mayo Clinic diet provides a way to eat that lowers your risk of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. If followed carefully, this way of eating promotes quick weight loss or weight management while still allowing a person to enjoy their favorite foods and beverages.
However, you can make your weight loss goals more convenient by finding out your true genetic makeup regarding this diet. Are you struggling with your weight?
Do you want to understand why some members of your family are slim while others are overweight? Millions of people still don’t know their real genetic makeup, which is why they’re going through many diseases and conditions.
The Mayo clinic can’t recommend a diet based on the genes, but the only way to know if this diet is right for you is if you take a DNA test.
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