Mayo Clinic Diet

The Mayo Clinic Diet continues to cause considerable confusion. This is not an "official" Mayo Clinic Diet. The Mayo Clinic health center (based in Rochester, USA) categorically states that it had never endorsed any diet plan until December 2005, when it was announced that the official Mayo Clinic Plan was available via the Internet.

The clinic does however provide a number of guidelines for healthy eating - including the new Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight Pyramid (aka Mayo Clinic Food Pyramid).

What is the unofficial "Mayo Clinic Diet"?

What was supposedly the Mayo Clinic Diet is a fad or crash diet. It is based around grapefruit, lots of salad and protein, and little carbohydrates. Weight loss was supposed to be in the region of 50-55 pounds in 10 weeks.

Mayo Clinic Diet - Meal Plan

12 days on - 2 days off

Breakfast
1/2 Grapefruit or 4 oz. Grapefruit Juice (unsweetened)
2 Eggs (any style)
2 Slices Bacon

Lunch
1/2 Grapefruit or 4 oz. Grapefruit Juice (unsweetened)
Meat (any style, any amount)
Salad (any kind of dressing)

Dinner
1/2 Grapefruit or 4 oz. Grapefruit Juice (unsweetened)
Meat (any style, any amount) (fish may be substituted for meat)
Vegetables (any green, yellow, or red vegetables cooked in butter or any seasoning)

Bed Time Snack

1 glass tomato juice or 1 glass Skim milk

Vegetables Allowed
Red onions, green onions, bell peppers, radishes, cucumbers, broccoli, spinach, lettuce, cabbage, carrots, peas.

Vegetables to Avoid
White onions, potatoes, celery.

Instructions

1. At any meal you may eat until you are full - until you can’t eat any more.
2. Don’t eliminate anything from the diet, especially don’t skip bacon at breakfast or omit salads. It is the combination of foods that burn fat.
3. The grapefruit is important because it acts as a catalyst that starts the burning process.
4. Cut down on caffeine - it affects the insulin balance that hinders the burning process. Try to limit to 1 cup per meal at mealtime.
5. Don’t eat between meals. If you eat the combination of food suggested you will not be hungry.
6. Note that the diet completely eliminates sugar and starches, which are lipids and form fat. Fat doesn’t form fat; it helps burn it. You can fry food in butter and use butter generously on vegetables.
7. Do not eat desserts, bread, and white vegetables or sweet potatoes. You may double or triple helpings of meat, salad, or vegetables. Eat until you are stuffed. The more you eat of the proper combination of food, the more you lose.

See Also

The Official Mayo Clinic Plan
MayoClinic.com - Health information from the Official Mayo Clinic.
MayoClinic.org - Official site of the actual Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minneapolis, USA.
Fad Diets - Article about Fad or Crash Diets.