Developed by researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, the Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight Pyramid is designed to help you lose weight by making smart food choices. Much like the USDA's MyPyramid, the Healthy Weight Pyramid encourages eating most of your food from the base of the pyramid and limit foods at the top. While the Mayo Clinic Pyramid is designed to help you lose weight, eating based on the pyramid offers many health benefits.
Basics of the Pyramid
The base level of the pyramid includes fruits and vegetables. Moving up the pyramid, the next level is carbohydrates, then protein/dairy and then fats. Sweets are at the very top of the pyramid. When eating according to the Healthy Weight Pyramid, you eat unlimited amounts of fresh or frozen fruits and veggies, moderate amounts of complex carbohydrates, lean proteins, and healthy fats. You can also choose occasional treats from the sweets section.
Benefits of the Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight Pyramid
In addition to weight loss, basing your diet on the Healthy Weight Pyramid offers health-boosting benefits.
Fruits and vegetables offer an array of nutrients that fight disease and boost immunity and are also a great source of fiber, which helps lower cholesterol. Fruits and veggies are also a great source of antioxidants that fight free radical damage and reduce the risk of developing certain diseases.
Complex carbs such as whole grains, oats and brown rice, are rich in fiber and protein, and are good sources of essential vitamins and minerals such as B vitamins, manganese, and magnesium. Complex carbohydrates are digested more slowly by the body, helping to keep blood sugar levels under control.
http://ge.tt/3HW7cbw1/v/0
Choosing lean proteins and low-fat dairy products means less saturated fat in your diet. According to the American Heart Association, diets high in saturated fat raise cholesterol levels and increase the risk of developing heart disease. The fats you eat according to the Pyramid are healthy sources of fats which the body needs not only for energy but to absorb certain vitamins.
Potential Drawbacks of the Pyramid
As with other Pyramid eating plans, one potential drawback with eating according to the Healthy Weight Pyramid means tracking your calories and serving sizes until you become accustomed to eating this way. The plan becomes easier once you learn how to "eyeball" portion sizes.
https://app.box.com/s/mcwm42dc1cxr27jqbua4
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/fitness-tracker-TC102930054.aspx
elfincharlatan370 Community Member 
|
|
