The Mediterranean Diet Weight Loss Solution: Day Six

The Mediterranean Diet Weight Loss Solution: Day Six

Happy Saturday! I hope you are having a great start to your weekend–and to November! Today we are heading into the homestretch of our seven-day review of The Mediterranean Diet Weight Loss Solution: The 28 Day Kick-Start Plan for Lasting Weight Loss by Julene Stassou, MS, RD. It has been a busy week in the kitchen, to be sure, but I’ve enjoyed testing and tasting new recipes and meal ideas inspired by the sunny Mediterranean!

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The Mediterranean Diet Weight Loss Solution: Day Five

The Mediterranean Diet Weight Loss Solution: Day Five

Welcome back to The Diet Oracle! It is Friday and we are on Day Five of our little Mediterranean excursion. For the last several days, we have been taking an in depth look at The Mediterranean Diet Weight Loss Solution: The 28 Day Kick-Start Plan for Lasting Weight Loss by Julene Stassou, MS, RD. Putting on my Dutiful Dieter hat, I’ve been faithfully following Stassou’s plan in order to give you a little taste of what this diet is like and what sort of results you could expect.

Thus far, this book has a lot going for it! Many of the recipes have been delicious and worth making again. Yeah, there have been a few bombs, but I’ve tested enough diet and cookbooks to know this is really par for the course. Stassou has done a great job of putting together meal plans that are filling, nourishing, and (mostly) tasty all while keeping calories low enough for steady weight loss. Though my final weigh in for the week isn’t for a couple days, I can say with confidence even now that following her plan will help you drop pounds.

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The Mediterranean Diet Weight Loss Solution: Day Four

The Mediterranean Diet Weight Loss Solution: Day Four

Welcome back to The Diet Oracle! We are officially at the half-way point of our week-long test drive of The Mediterranean Diet Weight Loss Solution: The 28 Day Kick-Start Plan for Lasting Weight Loss by Julene Stassou, MS, RD. If you’re just joining us, be sure to check my previous posts for Days One, Two, and Three as well as more information about Mediterranean diets and their potential benefits!

So far the week has had its ups and downs, hasn’t it? Some of the recipes have been absolutely delicious–full of flavor and a feast for the eyes! Others? Not so much. So what will today’s menu bring to the table? Let’s jump right in and take a look at today’s food log!

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The Mediterranean Diet Weight Loss Solution: Day Three

The Mediterranean Diet Weight Loss Solution: Day Three

Welcome back to The Diet Oracle! We are on Day Three of our week-long venture into The Mediterranean Diet Weight Loss Solution and thus far, it has been a mixed bag, my friends. Day One offered up some great recipes that were both tasty and satisfying. Day Two? Well, Day Two had some trouble in the flavor department. However! Day Three is a new day and steak is on the menu! So let’s get right to the food log and see how it all went.

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The Mediterranean Diet Weight Loss Solution: Day Two

The Mediterranean Diet Weight Loss Solution: Day Two

It is Day Two of our seven day trial run of The Mediterranean Diet Weight Loss Solution! This is a weight loss plan that promises to help you ‘kick-start your new diet and lose weight in just 28 days’ with Mediterranean-style fare. So let’s put that promise to the test! For the next seven days, you’ll get a front row seat as I follow the meal plan, test the recipes, and log every bite so that I can share with you, dear readers, my honest-to-goodness opinion of this plan.

Day One was full of flavor (and time spent in the kitchen); how will Day Two go? Let’s get right to the food log and see how it went!

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The Mediterranean Diet Weight Loss Solution: Day One

The Mediterranean Diet Weight Loss Solution: Day One

Welcome back to The Diet Oracle! It is a new week and today we are jumping headfirst into The Mediterranean Diet Weight Loss Solution: The 28 Day Kick-Start Plan for Lasting Weight Loss by Julene Stassou, MS, RD. I don’t know about you, but I am excited to dig in and put this Mediterranean meal plan to the test!

So let me tell you how this is going to work. For seven days, I will be following Stassou’s comprehensive weight loss and wellness plan, blogging each day and sharing with you my experiences. Grocery shopping, meal prep, cooking, recipe testing, food logs–you’ll get a front row seat for it all as I commit an entire week to this Mediterranean diet plan and dish out my candid opinions every step of the way.

Though Stassou offers 6 weeks of complete meal plans with handy grocery lists and meal prep tips, I’m going to wiggle things around a bit and puzzle together my own Mediterranean meal plan using her blank meal planning sheet. I’ll simply plug in her various meal options and make my own grocery list. Yes, this will cost me extra time, but I’m good with that. To be honest, I want to pick meal choices my family will most likely enjoy and this also gives me the chance to test out as many recipes as possible.

With that said, let’s get right into Day One!

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The Mediterranean Diet Weight Loss Solution: At a Glance

The Mediterranean Diet Weight Loss Solution: At a Glance

Do you ever feel overwhelmed by all the diets out there? Oh my word, there are just. so. many. Losing weight is tough enough, let alone trying to figure out which diet will actually deliver on its promises! Here at The Diet Oracle, one of my goals is to help you sift through all the hype and nonsense and find the plan that will work best for you. As I’ve said before, everyone is different and there really is no single ‘right way’ to lose weight.

That being said, let’s get right to our current diet du jour, The Mediterranean Diet Weight Loss Solution: The 28 Day Kick-Start Plan for Lasting Weight Loss by Julene Stassou, MS, RD. (If you’ve missed my previous posts, take a minute to learn more about Mediterranean-style diets and the research supporting them!) Stassou promises that if you’re looking to make real lifestyle change with lasting results, the Mediterranean diet (and, of course, her book!) will help you to lose weight and reach your goals.

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The Mediterranean Diet: A Research Roundup!

The Mediterranean Diet: A Research Roundup!

Hello and welcome back to The Diet Oracle! In our latest diet review, we’ve been taking an up-close-and-personal look at the Mediterranean diet–what it entails, the promised benefits, and whether it can really deliver weight loss success. If you’ve ever wondered whether this diet is worth all the buzz, then keep on reading!

As a dietitian, I am always on the lookout for nutrition books that provide both solid science as well as clear, goal-oriented action plans. I want the questions how? and why? answered in ways the average person can understand without false promises and bogus claims. This month, we’ve been taking the microscope to The Mediterranean Diet Weight Loss Solution: The 28 Day Kick-Start Plan for Lasting Weight Loss by Julene Stassou, MS, RD.

So how does The Mediterranean Diet Weight Loss Solution measure up? And does the research really back up all the claims? Let’s find out!

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A few thoughts on nutrition research

A few thoughts on nutrition research

As I sat down to start what I thought would be a post on the latest research regarding the Mediterranean diet, I quickly realized that I should first share with you my thoughts on nutrition research and the extent to which it can be trusted.

As a dietitian, I am always eager to read the latest and greatest on all things food science and human nutrition, but let me make one thing clear: this field of study most definitely has its limitations.

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What is a Mediterranean Diet?

What is a Mediterranean Diet?

Like many of you, I have always had a soft spot for Mediterranean cuisine. I have countless cookbooks lining my shelves (okay, 115 last time I checked), and these are by far the most loved, if love can be measured by splattered pages and scribbled notes in the margins. Whether it be boeuf Bourguignon, gnocchi verdi, or souvlakia me kota covered with tzatziki, the bright colors and bold flavors create a menu that looks as good as it tastes. Both nutritious and delicious, it is hard to beat a Mediterranean Diet!

Interest in the Mediterranean way of eating was piqued in the 1960’s when someone noticed that heart disease caused fewer deaths in this region than in the United States and northern Europe. With emerging evidence and awareness that lifestyle choices could make a lasting impact on health and longevity, researchers began taking a closer look. Since that time, studies have shown the many and varied health benefits of the Mediterranean diet–from lowering blood pressure and heart disease risk to weight loss and improved wellness.

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