In recent years, the Mayo Clinic diet has been in the top five of US News and World Report's annual list of the most anticipated diets. The Mayo Clinic Diet for 2022 is also tied with WW (formerly Weight Watchers) for the best diet plan.
The Mayo Clinic Diet was first published in book form in 2010 and quickly became a New York Times bestseller. According to Mayo Clinic Press, its second edition was published in 2017 and the third is expected in 2023.
The diet was recently updated in January 2022 and is now called the "New Mayo Clinic Diet," but its main focus remains the same. Maintain a healthy lifestyle and lose weight using research-based and medical strategies. Mayo Clinic's new diet also includes a mobile app that provides habit-building tips, recipes, meal plans and home exercises.
"It's a way of taking a proven program that's been around for a long time and making it digitally available to more people," said Dr. Donald Hensrud, associate professor of nutrition and preventive medicine at the Mayo Clinic. The author of The Mayo Clinic Diet told TODAY.com.
He added in US News and World Report. "The basic principles of the diet have not changed and they should not, because we believe the logic and evidence are strong... The changes are related to how participants should administer and use the Mayo Clinic diet. We have a new online program where people can follow the diet, with interactive features designed to help you use it more effectively.
How does the Mayo Clinic diet work?
The Mayo Clinic diet focuses on creating new healthy habits and breaking old, unhealthy habits; Think of it as a "lifestyle approach," as the Mayo Clinic Diet puts it.
According to the book, the diet has two main principles.
Stick to an eating plan that is low in calories but high in foods you enjoy eating
Use physical activity to burn more calories
The Mayo Clinic diet is low in fat and calories and favors whole grains, fruits and vegetables.
The diet consists of two 12-week phases, with the option to continue for as long as support is desired. Your schedule can also be customized. You can choose a ketogenic, high-protein, vegetarian, or Mediterranean diet.
The first phase of the Mayo Clinic diet. lost
The "loss" phase initially lasts two weeks, but you can return at any time. In this phase, he focuses on the 15 habits that Mayo Clinic researchers have identified as critical to safe and healthy weight loss. The goal is to add five healthy habits, get rid of five unhealthy habits, and adopt five more habits. While this phase is designed to jumpstart weight loss, there's no calorie count and you can eat as many fruits and vegetables as you like.
"The more habits you change, the more weight you'll lose," says Hensrud.
In fact, you can reliably lose 6-10 pounds in a two-week Lose It cycle. "We think you've lost it! Phase is the healthiest way to lose weight," the book says.
Here are some healthy habits to try:
Eat a healthy but moderate breakfast.
Eat fruits and vegetables
eat whole grains
eat healthy fats
Exercise 30 minutes or more a day (including walking).
These are the habits you will try to break:
Eating added sugars
Snacks other than fruits and vegetables
Eating a lot of meat or full-fat dairy
eat while you watch tv
Go out to eat if you can't stick to your diet
Some additional habits include keeping a food, activity, and goal journal, exercising for more than an hour a day, and eating minimally processed foods.
The second phase of the Mayo Clinic diet. long life
After the first two weeks, you move into the "Live" phase, focusing on sustainable diet and lifestyle changes that you can stick with for the long term. This phase will last for the rest of your life. Once in a while, you can break some of the rules you followed during the loss phase and still lose 1-2 pounds per week.
In the "live" phase you count the portions of food (without measuring) and count, not the calories, the program teaches you how to do it. Based on his personal plan, he tries to eat a certain amount of food each day. Do you exercise regularly?
The Mayo Clinic Diet emphasizes food choices that align with the Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight Pyramid, where fruits and vegetables dominate the diet, followed by whole grains, carbohydrates, protein and dairy, healthy fats and, lastly, sweets. For example, on a 1,400-calorie-a-day plan, you might eat four or more servings of fruits and vegetables, five servings of carbohydrates, four servings of dairy or protein, and three servings of healthy fats. In addition to fruits and vegetables, some recommended foods include legumes, beans, whole wheat and bran flour, nuts, salmon, tuna, avocados, and olives.
"(The Mayo Clinic Diet) provides evidence-based advice," said Dr. Hensrud. "It's not hard, but being sustainable is practical, realistic and fun. This will help people manage their weight and improve their health in the process."
What does the Mayo Clinic dietary research say?
Dr. Eating more plant-based foods, as recommended by the diet, reduces the risk of heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.
Behavior control or self-regulation can also help with weight control. That's because they connect you with what you do and what works for you. For example, by tracking what you eat, you can see if you're eating enough fruits and vegetables or if your portions are too large.
Samantha Cassetti, a New York-based registered dietitian and co-author of Sugar Shock, told TODAY.com, "Many studies have shown that these tools help people manage their weight." "These are the ones that make you feel better emotionally and physically."
Other studies on foods that the Mayo Clinic diet highlights or promotes also support the benefits. A recent study in JAMA Neurology found that consuming more than 20 percent of your calories from highly processed foods, as recommended by the program, increases your risk of dementia. Consuming large amounts of highly processed foods is linked to cancer, death (mainly from heart disease), and poor mental health. Another 2021 study in the journal Neurology found that eating fewer fruits, vegetables, and beans (the three foods recommended in the Mayo Clinic diet) also increases your risk of dementia.
Regular exercise, another principle of the Mayo Clinic diet, has many benefits. Research shows that it can improve brain health, mood and life expectancy, as well as strengthen bones and muscles and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and some cancers, according to the CDC.
Is the Mayo Clinic diet a good option for you?
"This diet promotes healthy foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, helping you form healthier habits," says Cassetti. "There is so much to do."
The two-week Lose It phase may seem restrictive, but it can also speed up weight loss.
"It's a pretty short time to see some success and make long-term lifestyle changes," Hensrud said. Even if the loss phase is not sustainable in the long term, it can give people confidence. "At first, when people start to change their habits, it's scary. Once they start doing it and they see themselves losing weight, they feel empowered. They've been doing it for a long time," he said.
So if you want to jump ahead two weeks, this diet might be a good fit for you.
"You have a good chance of losing weight because your eating habits have changed significantly, which will motivate you to take the next step, where you'll find out what's in it for the long haul," says Cassetti.
This diet can be challenging for people who want to completely change their eating habits or take a low-calorie, low-fat approach. "It's good to hear that their health behaviors are getting a little longer," says Cassetti. "But you still have to feel like it can fit into your lifestyle."
If the diet is causing disordered eating habits, you may want to look at a different approach.
Depending on how long you join, you'll pay between $20 and $50 a month for the program. There is also a book based on the project.
What do you eat on the Mayo Clinic diet?
The Mayo Clinic diet emphasizes fruits and vegetables, whole grains and healthy fats, such as olive oil and avocados, and smaller amounts of meat, cheese and eggs.
There are six eating establishments.
The Mayo Clinic Original Diet is designed to be familiar and easy to follow.
A simple diet that emphasizes efficiency and small amounts of ingredients. It is also cheaper.
The high protein content provides a balance of protein in your meals to help control hunger.
A healthy, high-fat, low-carb ketogenic diet that favors olive oil, avocados, nuts, and seeds.
Vegetable proteins, eggs and dairy products, as well as beans and soy.
Mediterranean, of plant origin and includes fish and meat.
On a normal day you can eat:
Breakfast. whole wheat toast with ricotta, strawberries and almonds.
lunch Mexican-inspired bowl with squash, bell peppers, onions, olive oil, egg, brown rice, black beans, tomatoes, and spinach.
Dinner: salmon with cucumbers and tomato sauce.
Snack: Unlimited fruits and vegetables.
The Mayo Clinic diet is similar.
The Mediterranean diet, which also emphasizes whole plant foods.
The DASH diet, or Dietary Approaches to Stop High Blood Pressure, aims to reduce or control high blood pressure.
The MIND diet combines the Mediterranean and DASH diets to promote brain health.
The flexitarian diet, especially the vegetarian diet, is based on meat.
The Blue Zone Diet is a plant-based diet based on the food choices of the world's longest-lived people.
Is the Mayo Clinic diet effective in the long term?
The "live" phase of the Mayo Clinic diet involves healthy eating and lifestyle changes that you can maintain for a lifetime.
"People often say they're 'dieting' to lose weight." "It often involves paying close attention to what you can't eat, and it's a negative experience," the book's introduction explains.
On the other hand, the Mayo Clinic book is not a "re-"diet. "The program is designed to be practical and fun, so you'll be following it for a long time."
US News & World Report rated the Mayo Clinic diet 3.42 out of 5 for long-term weight loss. The app also has the most four and five star reviews (out of five) on Trustpilot.com.
Talk to your doctor before starting the Mayo Clinic diet or any other diet. Your doctor or registered dietitian can recommend the best diet for your health needs.
This article was originally published on TODAY.com