Diet and Nutrition

The Mayo Clinic Diet Launches Today, Presenting a Customizable Weight Loss Plan Online That Gets it Right

the mayo clinic diet

The Mayo Clinic, long heralded for their compassionate treatment of patients, can now add “diet guru” to its list of accolades. If you think an acclaimed medical facility has the upper hand when it comes to creating a comprehensive weight loss website, you’d be right. The Mayo Clinic Diet is weight loss done right.

The focus is on changing habits for a lifetime

The Mayo Clinic Diet, a personalized plan developed by doctors and nutritionists, is split in to two phases, “Lose It!” and “Live It!” The first phase is a “jump-start” helping you lose up to 6-10 pounds over a two-week period in a safe and healthy way. The “Live It!” phase is intended to help you lose 1-2 pounds per week until you’ve hit your weight loss goal, a widely recommended rate of weight loss, and then guides you on how to sustain it for a life.

Last week I took the diet for a little spin. After creating my personal account with a bit of pertinent data about my height, weight, activity level and weight loss goal (confidential, thank you very much), I was pleasantly surprised to see how quickly the entire plan was created for me. Once the system calculated my optimum calorie intake for weight loss, it simultaneously delivered weeks worth of meal plans and recipes to help me reach my goal.

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Kara Allbaugh Lost 80 Pounds – “I Was a Food Addict and then Something Shifted. I’m So Glad.”

My name is Kara, I’m from Nebraska, and I was a food addict. This was my first introduction to Kara Allbaugh, this week’s True Weight Loss Story inspiration. When I received Kara’s email I was struck by her honesty and touched by her story. This mama said, “No more. I’m worthy,” and then she put in the hard work to lose 80 pounds.

Kara Allbaugh 1

More from Kara in her own words –

Tell me when your weight struggles began. After I finished with school and settled down, it seemed like a downhill slide from there. When I got pregnant, I just gave up on how I looked. I just assumed that’s what happens.

What habits specifically led you to gain weight? I thought I needed to eat for two, and I did. Fast food became an addiction.

What caused you to realize you needed to change? Wow, so many things. My biggest reason was that I wanted to stop being miserable. I didn’t want to be trapped in a flabby body anymore. I wanted to wear anything I wanted, not search forever for something that might make my body look cute.

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Apple’s Health App Confirmed; to Sync with Nike+, Mayo Clinic, and More

Apple HealthKit Screenshot

Remember a few months ago when we speculated about the release of a new Apple product for tracking all things health? This month, Apple Insider confirms its upcoming release.

HealthKit and its related app, simply named “Health,” will collect and store a variety of personal health data. Apple’s Senior Vice President Craig Federighi “took the wraps” off Apple’s response to the growing trend of tech-based health tracking devices. “Health” is an app that can track and store steps taken, blood pressure, blood sugar (key for diabetics!), quantity of sleep, and many other metrics.

One of Apple’s first partners on the project is Nike and their digital interface Nike+, who previously quantified activity through their own NikeFuel and the FuelBand–their response to the FitBit.

The Only Fitness Tracker Review Guide You Need (more…)

Jillian is Out, Two New Coaches are in. Biggest Loser Shakes it up for Season 16

jessie pavelka jennifer widestromThe season premiere of The Biggest Loser is still 71 long days away but NBC is already announcing big changes for the 16th year. This year, Jillian fans will mourn her departure as two new J-name trainers take center stage.

Why, Jillian? Why?

On June 25, NBC announced the news of Jillian’s departure saying, “The Biggest Loser and Jillian Michaels have decided to part ways and she will not be returning for season 16 when it airs in the fall.”

This will be Jillian’s third exit from the popular weight loss program.

Whoa! Jillian Michaels Exposes Nude Figure in Shape Magazine July Issue

New Coaches? Hold me. I don’t even know.

In Jillian’s absence, NBC will have big shoes to fill, and evidently it takes two new coaches to do it. With the addition of Jessie Pavelka and Jennifer Widestrom, the coach tally climbs to four. Dolvett Quince, Bob Harper, and host Alison Sweeney have all signed on for season 16.

This will be just the second time in BL history that four coaches have been available to help contestants. (more…)

The 4 Keys to Real Fitness Start with Strength Training and Food Quantity, Says Trainer Pamela Hernandez

For those of you looking to get off the diet roller coaster, get back to the basics, and develop a balanced and sustainable lifestyle to get you feeling your best, health coach and personal trainer Pamela Hernandez has released an ebook just for you: The 4 Keys to Real Fitness.

Pamela Hernandez is an ACSM Certified Personal Trainer and ACE Certified Health Coach (who is also a long-time partner of DietsInReview.com) with a thriving practice in Springfield, MO, where she is the owner of Thrive Personal Fitness. We spoke with her about her no-frills, easy-to-follow guidelines to a healthier, happier life, and how her personal life experiences support her clients.

pamela hernandez real fitness

“I’ve always wanted to help empower women,” says Hernandez. “Fitness gave me the strength and confidence to pursue my dreams. I want other women to feel strong and capable of doing anything they wish.”

No matter the age or experience level, Pamela has found four essential components to fitness success, which she describes in her new e-book. These elements aren’t groundbreaking, “but when they are applied with the right mindset they work every time.” (more…)

Feed Your Kids Whole Grains. According to Science, They’ll Eat Them

It’s assumed that kids will turn up their noses at whole-grain foods like oats, whole wheat bread, and brown rice if offered to them, but that may not be the case.

girl eating popcorn

In another strike against “kid food,” a new study from the University of Florida indicates kids will eat whole grains if they’re offered. In fact, they’ll eat them in equal amounts to foods containing refined-grains, especially if they’re snack foods.

One of the authors of the study, Allyson Radford, said, “We tried to choose foods we thought kids would enjoy, such as cereal bars, macaroni and cheese and SunChips and found that they ate the ready-to-eat snack foods the most.”

“We were interested to see if they would eat the whole-grain foods as much as the refined-grain foods, and so we were pleasantly surprised that they would eat the same amount whether the food was whole or refined.” (more…)

5 Gorgeous Flowers that are Good Enough to Eat

flower salad

Flowers are so gorgeous. They smell so beautiful, they brighten up any room, and they are incredibly symbolic. But did you also know you can eat flowers? I know, it is a crazy concept to imagine eating a flower, but I promise there are some good ones out there! Follow along to decide which flowers you can eat tonight!

arugala

Arugula

Yes, arugula is a technically a flower. Though it is usually thought of as a type of lettuce—and is typically used as a slightly bitter alternative to other salad greens—arugula is actually a floral. If you grow your own, these flowers will appear as the plant matures. In fact, once flowers appear your arugula may be too bitter to eat, but the flowers are still edible. The plant is high in fiber and antioxidants, so chow down. (more…)

4 Things Bob Greene Does Before Every Outdoor Summer Workout

summer run

By Bob Greene for TheBestLife.com

Planning on taking your workout outdoors this summer? Great idea! I’ve always been a big fan of exercising outdoors. The changing scenery can be stimulating, the breezes are refreshing and being out in nature is mood boosting.

But before you head outside, make sure to take the proper precautions so you don’t get burned. Here are four things I do before every outdoor workout:

Plan ahead. If I know it’s going to be a particularly hot or humid day, I plan my workouts for early morning or early evening. That way, I can avoid being outside during the warmest part of the day—between 10 am and 4 pm. If you can only exercise during these times you have a few options:

  • Do something in the shade, like a hike or bike ride on a tree-lined route.

Win This Big ‘Ole Applegate Weinervention Sweepstakes to Save Your Hot Dog Lovin’ Soul

This sweepstakes is done in partnership with Applegate, but is not sponsored. We were provided complimentary product for review, but were not obligated to enjoy the ever loving heck out of it. Since we did, they said we could share the love with you.

kacy applegate

Hot dogs. Bare feet. Summertime. It’s a perfect recipe for the best three months of the year.

Unfortunately, the recipe in most hot dogs looks more like the seedy bowels of a dark, cold winter. Who knows what is actually in those things?!

But the folks at Applegate get it right. Super right. It’s like they invented the hot dog. Sadly, they did not. They did, however, make them so much better. Like way better, better enough that you won’t cringe watching your kids bite in to them.

applegate hot dogs

“Looking more like strawberry frosting than blended meat and bone bits…” writes Treehugger about what’s actually inside the standard hot dog, “the country’s most beloved tube of meat.” There’s mechanically separated meat (or pink slime) from a few animals that could include cow, pig, chicken, or turkey. Don’t forget the corn syrup, flavor additives, tons of sodium, and a whole host of other preservatives and the like. Yuck.

Applegate Naturals Beef Hot Dogs are “cleaner weiners.” They have a super simple list of uncured beef, water, and six seasonings. That’s it! Even my four-year-old can digest this list (and so can her tummy!). They’re tasty and juicy, the way a hot dog should be. They also don’t have that typical gnarly hot dog smell, phew! We felt better eating these since they weren’t stocked with nasty junk. (more…)

Work it Off: 3 Ways to Burn Off a 569 Calorie Plate of Nachos

Everyone has that dark room food. The one they should literally eat in a dark room in order to hide the finger licking, the hunching over the plate, and the single-minded focus. For some people it’s pizza. For others it’s donuts. For me it’s nachos.

nachos

I didn’t mean to eat a whole plate of them. In fact, I had fresh veggies for a salad in my fridge. But I met friends for happy hour and one thing led to another… All of a sudden I was carrying an extra 569 calories. Eek!

How could I have burned off all those extra calories? (more…)

Crystal and Lior Collins Lost A Combined Weight of Almost 200 Pounds – “We Finally Found the Perfect Balance”

Sometimes in life you meet that special person who fills your heart in all the right places, and you find that you want to be with them all the time. It didn’t take long for Crystal and Lior Collins to find this cozy place. Unfortunately, cozy became sedentary, and they both resumed old patterns of unhealthy eating.

After an embarrassing party epiphany, they decided to take the weight off the way they had put it on, together. Now, they have a combined weight loss of almost 200 pounds.

Crystal and Lior Collins

Crystal admits she and her husband, Lior, both struggled with weight problems in middle and high school. “Separately we were able to lose weight,” she said. “So when we started dating in 2003, we were finally under control in the weight department.” Unfortunately, the couple spent their free time focusing on what Crystal calls their only hobbies, “eating and drinking.”

The Wii Fit Voice Is Harsh

The pair knew they were eating too much and not getting enough activity but nothing spurred them into changing their habits. In 2024, while visiting with friends, Crystal became fascinated by their new Wii Fit gaming system. Eager to try it out, Crystal stepped on the pad, only to hear the machine say, “Oh. You’re obese.” Lior wouldn’t go near it.

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