Mayo Clinic Egg & Grapefruit Diet

It seems every day we read about a new fad diet that claims to be "the one that really works." From the practical to the downright absurd, fad diets come and go. The Mayo Clinic Egg and Grapefruit Diet is a classic example. Despite the name, the Mayo Clinic has never approved nor endorsed the Egg and Grapefruit Diet.

The Egg and Grapefruit Diet

If you are interested in learning about this diet, there are some basic concepts behind how it theoretically can be effective in quick weight loss. The Egg and Grapefruit Diet restricts your total caloric intake to 800 calories per day. This is far less than the standard 1,200 to 1,300 calorie-per-day diets that are designed for quick weight loss.

Grapefruits are a thermogenic food, which means they have a negative caloric effect on your body. It takes more calories to digest than the fruit contains. In theory, the more grapefruits you eat, the more calories you burn. Grapefruits are considered healthy but may interact with certain medications such as cholesterol-lowering medicines (see sciencedaily.com article in References). Talk with your doctor before you begin any grapefruit diet.

Egg white proteins are considered one of the best quality proteins. Proteins have a biological value, which determines how efficiently a protein is used for growth. Milk, fish and beef have a biological value of 84.5, 76 and 74.3, respsctively. Eggs have a biological value of 93.7. Eggs may also help prevent blood clots, strokes and heart attacks.

Basic Meal Plan

The basic meal plan for this diet is fairly simple. For breakfast and lunch, eat half a grapefruit and two eggs. You can have two slices of bacon with your breakfast and a cucumber and tomato salad with your lunch. For dinner, have half a grapefruit and 4 to 6 ounces of lean meat. You are allowed one snack before bedtime, a glass of skim milk or tomato juice.

Follow a Balanced Diet

People that follow this diet plan can expect to lose 5 to 10 pounds in two weeks. However, this is a short-term fix, and most will put the weight back on.

To maintain a healthy body weight, eat a well-balanced, nutritious diet like the MyPyramid Plan created by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and exercise on a regular basis.