All About the Mayo Clinic Diet

Did you already give up on your new year’s resolution to lose weight? Guess what? Every day offers a unique opportunity to make a fresh start. Maybe you didn’t fail your diet — it failed you.

Overly restrictive meal plans can leave you feeling deprived. Regulating particular foods to a naughty list can make you crave them more than ever. Once you begin seeing your food choices like a series of options, you’ll select better ones. The Mayo Clinic diet can help you learn healthier eating habits for life.

What Makes the Mayo Clinic Diet Unique? 

The Mayo Clinic diet towers above many other nutrition plans because of the tremendous amount of medical research behind it. Rather than acting like a fad-based lifestyle, this meal plan emphasizes making simple, healthy, pleasurable changes that you can maintain for a lifetime. The Mayo Clinic has helped people improve their well-being for over 100 years, and the experts who created this plan include specialists from fields like preventative health and psychology, nutrition and weight management, and more.

Nine Things to Know About the Mayo Clinic Diet

Unlike some diets that you abandon once you lose the desired pounds, the Mayo Clinic regimen lasts for life. Don’t let that frighten you away, however. Read on to discover how this eating plan can fit any lifestyle with minimal risks:

You Can Customize It

Are you a vegan? Do you avoid sodium due to cardiovascular issues? If so, you might think that popular meal plans won’t work for you. Think again! You can customize the Mayo Clinic diet to suit nearly any lifestyle. Remember, you’re focusing on making healthy choices, not designating foods into “good” or “bad” categories. Therefore, you can get your protein servings from vegan sources. You can fulfill all your food group needs without additives, too.

You Avoid Packaging Chemicals 

The Mayo Clinic diet emphasizes reducing your consumption of processed foods. This reduction decreases your cancer risk by minimizing your exposure to toxic chemicals. For example, did you know that microwave popcorn bags contain a substance called perfluorooctanoic acid, which is a carcinogen linked to testicular and kidney cancer? By minimizing the quantities of such foods, you improve your overall health significantly.

You Reduce Processed Meats 

The International Agency for Research on Cancer categorizes processed meats as carcinogens and red meat as a probable cancer-causing agent. During the curing process, the chemical changes can increase your potential chances of contracting various forms of the disease, particularly in your intestines and colon. Since the Mayo Clinic regimen emphasizes eating vegetables and fruits first, you’ll reduce your consumption of these meats without depriving yourself of the occasional indulgence

You Lower Your Sodium Intake 

If you have cardiovascular issues, you probably monitor your sodium intake. Once again, going for a plant-forward approach wins the day with the Mayo Clinic diet. Many vegetables and fruits are high in potassium, a mineral that helps your kidneys flush excess sodium out of your body. If you want an added boost of the good stuff, try drinking fruit-infused water. You’ll get extra vitamins and minerals without the excess calories.

You Enjoy More Veggies 

The Mayo Clinic diet prompts you to consume four or more servings of vegetables daily, along with three servings of fruit. If you are on a maintenance tier or have higher caloric needs, you meet the majority of them by increasing the consumption of these food groups. Vegetables and fruits contain phytonutrients, which are chemicals produced by plants that give them their vivid hues. Many of them possess qualities that benefit human health.

You Consume Healthy Grains 

Are you a member of the gluten-free bunch, either out of necessity — like celiac disease — or preference? The Mayo Clinic diet emphasizes healthy, whole grains, but you don’t have to consume wheat. You can opt for ancient grains, such as quinoa or amaranth. If your body tolerates them, you can also have gluten-free oats as part of a nutritious breakfast.

You Get Lean Protein

Because the Mayo Clinic lifestyle is eminently customizable, you can get your protein from any lean source you prefer. If you’re a vegetarian or a vegan, you can consume nuts and healthy seeds like hemp seeds to get your amino acids. You can also consume deep greens like Swiss chard and spinach. Those who do choose to consume animal products can enjoy lean meats, such as fish.

You Can Have Healthy Fats 

If you still think dieting means cutting out fat, think again. Certain fats, including omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, benefit, not harm, your heart health. You’ll consume foods like avocado — go ahead and order that toast! You can also indulge in extra virgin olive oil and other healthy oils, such as sunflower oil, for stir-frys and salad dressings.

Improve Your Health and Well-Being with the Mayo Clinic Diet 

The Mayo Clinic diet is medically sound and offers a host of benefits. Why not give it a go today? You have nothing to lose and a world of fabulous feelings to claim.