Q & A with Melissa Stevens, MS, RD, LD, Nutrition Program Coordinator for Preventive Cardiology and Rehabilitation
Q: I've heard that Cleveland Clinic has a 3-day diet available for weight loss, cleansing, reducing cholesterol, and increasing energy. Is this true?
A: Despite a few sites on the World Wide Web, there is no Cleveland Clinic Diet, nor a Cleveland Clinic grapefruit diet. It truly is folklore, started several years ago. We all wish that weight loss and other health benefits could occur with simply making three days worth of dietary change. But severely restricting your calories, and including/excluding specific foods from the diet is not the way to long-term, sustained weight loss and health benefits.
The good news is that weight loss, improved heart health, and increased vitality can be realized when proper diet and lifestyle changes occur over the long-term! In fact, the Cleveland Clinic supports a healthy heart-minded Mediterranean diet to achieve both a healthy body weight and healthy heart. The traditional Mediterranean dietary practices that we support include eating minimally processed, plant-based foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and unsaturated fats like olives, olive oil, nuts, and seeds. In the Mediterranean way of eating, high fatty cuts of meat and dairy are minimized, and omega-3 rich fish is encouraged.
To find out more about the eating patterns that Miller Family Heart & Vascular Institute supports, please review additional articles from our website:
Weight loss success and a healthy heart depend upon a well-balanced diet with a variety of healthy food choices that fits in with your tastes. And don't forget to monitor your portion sizes and include regular physical activity to help you achieve your goals.
Additional information on prevention topics, including nutrition can be found in our Heart Guide; go to Resources for Patients and click on Prevention. For specific interventions that my help you achieve a healthy lifestyle, you may make an appointment with a Heart & Vascular Institute Preventive Cardiology dietitian, as well as obtain a full preventive evaluation by calling 800.223.2273, ext. 49353 or locally 216.444.9353. Or you may utilize our web-based online nutrition consultation.