Bodies By Design: Fad diets are destroying your results

Have you noticed how people jump on board with a popular fad diet, lose 5, 10 or even 20 pounds, only to gain it all back and then some. Why does this happen? It’s actually a simple concept, and once you understand it you will be forever saved from the tortures of yo-yo dieting.

Fad diets saddle you with unsustainable calorie restrictions and some even cut out entire food groups just to produce that short-lived drop in weight — a process that is actually harmful to your long-term metabolism. The fad diets also ignore one major component to shaping up: exercise.

You see, most fad diets operate on one age old premise: cut calories, cut calories, cut calories. By restricting the type and amount of food consumed, the fad dieter usually sees an immediate drop in weight. If only it stopped there.

But it doesn’t stop there. Life continues, and the fad dieter returns to their pre-diet eating habits — with one major difference in their body due to the sudden drop in pounds. Their calorie requirements have gotten smaller.

In practical terms this means that the dieter will begin gaining weight even though they are eating their normal pre-diet portions. And since exercise hasn’t become a part of their routine, the unneeded calories will result in pounds gained. So what’s a dieter to do? Find a new diet to follow — right? Wrong.

There is a way to drop pounds and firm your body, but you won’t read about it in the next diet book or hear it on the news. 

More: Bodies by Design: The truth behind weigh loss transformations

The solution to your fad dieting nightmare is a lifestyle change.

What is a lifestyle change? To change your lifestyle means to replace unhealthy habits with healthy ones, and to do so consistently. It isn’t something you do for a week or two, only to revert back your old ways. A lifestyle change redefines who you are.

I know this is starting to sound like some heavy stuff, but hear me out. Changing your lifestyle from one that is unhealthy to one that is healthy will be the best thing that you ever do for yourself. Trust me, I help people like you make this change every day with amazing results.

Fact: The shape of your body is the direct result of your current lifestyle.

So how do I change my lifestyle? That is a great question, and the answer is easier than you might think.

Most people who are unhappy with their bodies are really only holding on to a few bad habits. Once these destructive habits are identified and then replaced with healthy habits, their body naturally transforms from one that they loathe to one that they are proud of.

More: Bodies by Design: Creating a Nourish Bowl that’s better than takeout

In other words, to get the body that you want, simply determine your unhealthy habits and replace them with healthy ones.

Here are the most prevalent unhealthy habits:

You can lose weight and improve both your appearance and your health.

You can look and feel great.

You can transform yourself into the person that you’ve always wanted to be.

Don’t let another day go by that leaves you a slave to unhealthy habits. Take action now.

By the way, I should mention another deadly habit that destroys too many people’s dreams: procrastination.

Fred Sassani is the founder of Bodies By Design in Pflugerville, a nationally certified personal trainer and nutrition specialist. For more information about Bodies By Design, visit bbdforlife.com.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Bodies By Design: Fad diets are destroying your results

These Mediterranean Diet Cookbooks Make Eating Healthy So Easy

The 10 Best Mediterranean Diet Cookbooks in 2023fcafotodigital - Getty Images

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Just the thought of munching on warm sourdough bread, silky olive oil, and fresh salmon next to a sparkling turquoise body of water can instantly calm down your nervous system—and it turns out all of those things can help you live longer, too.

In a review published in Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition & Metabolic Care, researchers found that a Mediterranean style Diet—which focuses on eating healthy fats and whole foods such as fish, nuts, oils, and whole grains—can increase life expectancy, reduce the risk of major chronic disease, and improve quality of life and well-being.

Although moving to Greece would be a dream, you don't have to live near the Mediterranean Sea to reap all of the wonderful health benefits of this doctor-recommended diet—all you have to do is order a Mediterranean Diet cookbook and hit the kitchen.

The Mediterranean Diet, also known as the MedDiet, is not exactly a diet at all, says doctor, health coach, and ACE certified fitness and nutrition expert Tina Gupta, M.D. "It's more of an eating pattern common to those living in the Mediterranean regions of Italy, Greece, France and Spain," she explains. "This diet encompasses the daily eating habits and ways of living for those living in and around the Mediterranean sea."

It's more about what you can eat, as opposed to what you shouldn't have. Because it's less restrictive than your average diet, many people find that it's more easily adaptable, Gupta says. That being said, the Mediterranean Diet emphasizes eating healthy fats, fresh fish, and whole grains, with tasty foods on the menu such as:

Not only does the MedDiet consist of some pretty tasty foods, but it also boasts a number of health benefits that make it well worth adding it into your lifestyle. For the forth year in a row, the MedDiet has been ranked as the number one diet by U.S. News & World Report, and Gupta couldn't recommend it enough.

"The Mediterranean Diet has been well studied, and the results show that it can help in reducing incidences for a number of diseases," she explains. "The MedDiet helps achieve weight loss, lowers insulin resistance, improves heart conditions, cancer prevention, and diabetes control and prevention (through lowered rates of insulin resistance), all while improving mortality rates."

Anyone can follow a Mediterranean Diet, Gupta says. Shopping at your local grocery store or farm for fresh, whole food products from the list is a great way to start. You can begin to slowly introduce some MedDiet foods into your meals, and then eventually commit over time.

"Initially, some individuals may find it hard because of increased fiber demands due to increased consumption of legumes and vegetables," Gupta says. "To avoid bloating and/or bowel habit changes, it is best advised to begin increasing these types of food gradually." Cooking your veggies instead of eating them raw can also help with bloating, as does soaking legumes overnight, Gupta says.

To start cooking up some mouth-watering meals, consider ordering a Mediterranean Diet cookbook from this list of top-rated and best-selling books on Amazon. With easy-to-follow recipes, you'll become an expert in the kitchen in no time. For delicious Mediterranean-style recipes, read on for the best Mediterranean Diet Cookbooks on Amazon for 2022.

Just the thought of munching on warm sourdough bread, silky olive oil, and fresh salmon next to a sparkling turquoise body of water can instantly calm down your nervous system—and it turns out those foods can help you live longer, too.

In a review published in Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition & Metabolic Care, researchers found that a Mediterranean diet—which focuses on eating healthy fats and whole foods such as fish, nuts, oils, and whole grains—can increase life expectancy, reduce the risk of major chronic disease, and improve quality of life and well-being.

Although moving to Greece would be a dream, you don't have to live near the Mediterranean Sea to reap all of the wonderful health benefits of this doctor-recommended diet—all you have to do is order a Mediterranean diet cookbook and hit the kitchen to get started.

With over 500 recipes, you'll never get bored of eating the same things with the The Complete Mediterranean Cookbook. Earning the top spot on Amazon's list of Mediterranean Diet cookbooks, you'll be able to create delicious recipes from Italy, Greece, Morocco, Egypt, Turkey, and so much more.

Shop Now

The Complete Mediterranean Cookbook

$19.74

amazon.com

Sometimes the time and effort that goes into cooking can deter you from homemade meals, enabling you to reach for the takeout menu. Well, the 30-Minute Mediterranean Diet Cookbook has simple, tasty meals you can create in less than an hour. Keri Gans, M.S., R.D.N., C.D.N., registered dietitian and author of The Small Change Diet, recommends it—and with thousands of five star ratings, Amazon shoppers are raving about it.

Shop Now

The 30-Minute Mediterranean Diet Cookbook

$16.19

amazon.com

Cooking satiating meals doesn't have to be super complex—this cookbook includes simple instructions using just 10 ingredients or less made under 30 minutes. From braised eggs with leeks and cauliflower to pomegranate and pistachio salad to lamb and feta meatballs, the whole family will love this MedDiet cookbook.

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Ottolenghi Simple: A Cookbook

$19.29

amazon.com

Meat and fish isn’t for everyone—but that doesn’t mean you can't hop on the Mediterranean Diet train. With this vegetarian-style cookbook, you'll be able to reap all of the wondrous benefits of the MedDiet, all while sticking to your plant-based diet. This budget-friendly cookbook boasts 40 easy-to-cook recipes, all dreamed up by a RD.

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The Vegiterranean Diet

$13.29

amazon.com

You won’t have to choose for being paleo and following a Mediterranean Diet, also—this cookbook blends the two eating plans (it’s dairy-free, refined sugar-free, and grain-free) to create 150 recipes. It also has two 30-day meal plans to help you create fun menus and stick to a goal.

Shop Now

Mediterranean Paleo Cooking

$20.48

amazon.com

The Mediterranean diet encourages fish and seafood, so cutting out meat while creating healthy meals and feeling good is a great option, especially when referring to The Pescatarian Cookbook. In addition to 75 recipes, you can score 3 one-week meal plans.

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The Pescatarian Cookbook: The Essential Kitchen Companion

$17.99

amazon.com

Aren’t Instant Pot meals the best? If you’re a beginner at cooking, let the Instant Pot do all of the work for you after tossing in simple ingredients from this “Editor's Pick” cookbook from Amazon. Inside you'll find delicious, one-pot meals featuring ingredients like chicken tagine, lamb meatballs, shrimp risotto, and so much more.

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Mediterranean Instant Pot: Easy, Inspired Meals for Eating Well

$22.99

amazon.com

Yes, it’s really possible to cook up a chef-style dinner for the whole family using just five ingredients or less. This beginner-friendly cookbook is packed with over 100 Mediterranean Diet recipes for every kind of meal throughout the day. It even allows you to switch up your proteins throughout meals, ensuring everyone finds something they like on the menu.

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5 Ingredient Mediterranean Cookbook: 101 Easy & Flavorful Recipes for Every Day

$36.89

amazon.com

Cooking for two? This MedDiet cookbook is packed with recipes portioned for two servings, so you always have the perfect amount for you and your boo. You'll look forward to trying their Greek grilled eggplant, kale salad with quinoa, and chickpea and roasted root veggies and baked halibut any night of the week.

Shop Now

The Mediterranean Diet Cookbook for Two: Quick, Easy and Healthy Recipes That Are Perfect for Any Night at Home

$9.99

amazon.com

Start off the most important meal of the day right with a healthy recipe from this Mediterranean diet breakfast cookbook. This popular cookbook features low sugar recipes centered around fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and dairy products, while minimizing read meats. You’ll seriously look forward to making them—and eating them too!

Shop Now

Mediterranean Diet Breakfast Cookbook: Easy and Tasty Breakfast Recipes for Your Dietary Life and a Healthy Weight Loss

$153.99

amazon.com

While it seems simple enough, the best Mediterranean diet cookbook truly is one that contains recipes you will be able to cook and enjoy. While you’re looking for a new MedDiet cookbook to buy, consider the following tips:

Look at the ingredients: If most of the recipes seem to contain that one flavor you just can’t stand, or an ingredient that is expensive or inaccessible, the cookbook won’t be a good fit for you. Think about what’s available at your local grocery store and your food budget.

Consider the length of time per recipe: Life gets busy, and if you are someone who needs quick recipes for dinner with a short amount of prep-time, then a cookbook filled with lengthy, intricate recipes is not for you.

Prevention - Hearst Owned

Not only does the MedDiet consist of some pretty tasty foods, but it also boasts a number of health benefits that make it well worth adding it into your lifestyle. For the sixth year in a row, the MedDiet has been ranked as the number one diet by the U.S. News & World Report, and Gupta couldn't recommend it enough.

“The Mediterranean diet has been well studied, and the results show that it can help in reducing incidences for a number of diseases,” Gupta explains. “The MedDiet helps achieve weight loss, lowers insulin resistance, improves heart conditions, cancer prevention, and diabetes control and prevention (through lowered rates of insulin resistance), all while improving mortality rates.”

Gans also boasted about the benefits of a MedDiet. “A Mediterranean diet has many, many benefits, including may help decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and certain cancers,” she says. “It has also been associated with healthy aging and increased longevity.”

Prevention - Hearst Owned

Janet Brill, P.h.D., R.D.N., F.A.N.D., registered dietitian and author of Cholesterol Down, says the traditional Mediterranean diet is largely plant-based—which is great news for vegetarians. “It is built on a variety of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, and extra virgin olive oil as the main source of dietary fat.” Brill says. “Moderate amounts of fish and seafood, yogurt and red wine with meals is also part of the eating plan.”

The Mediterranean Diet also emphasizes eating healthy fats, fresh fish, and whole grains, with tasty foods on the menu such as:

Prevention - Hearst Owned

Shopping at your local grocery store or farm for fresh, whole food products from the list is a great way to start. You can begin to slowly introduce some MedDiet foods into your meals, and then eventually commit over time.

“Initially, some individuals may find it hard because of increased fiber demands due to increased consumption of legumes and vegetables,” Gupta says. “To avoid bloating and/or bowel habit changes, it is best advised to begin increasing these types of food gradually.” Cooking your veggies instead of eating them raw can also help with bloating, as does soaking legumes overnight, Gupta says.

Prevention - Hearst Owned

If you’re wondering whether a Mediterranean diet is right for you, you’re in luck—the MedDiet is an overall healthy diet that everyone can experience the benefits from. “The Mediterranean diet has long been celebrated as the gold standard of healthy diets for its highly palatable nature and favorable impact on the prevention of chronic diseases, promotion of greater longevity, and quality of life,” Brill says. “All human beings can benefit from eating a plant-based Mediterranean diet, filled with health-promoting polyphenols, [which are] plant-based chemicals with high antioxidant or disease prevention properties.”

While everyone can reap the benefits of a Mediterranean diet, people with cardiovascular issues or high blood pressure may want to consider switching over to this eating plan. Research shows that following a Mediterranean diet can help decrease the risk of heart disease or lower your blood pressure.

Gans agrees that the MedDiet is a well-balanced healthy eating plan for almost anyone, but people with certain food restrictions may have to adjust the diet accordingly or speak to a professional. “Of course, there may be parts of it that should be avoided based on food intolerances, such as a person who is lactose intolerant would not consume yogurt or most dairy.” Gans says. “A person with celiac disease or a gluten intolerance would avoid all gluten-containing foods, such as 100% whole wheat bread or pasta. The diet may need to be altered for other medical conditions and should be discussed with a registered dietitian and/or primary care physician.”

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We consulted Tina Gupta, M.B.B.S., B.S.c., A.C.E., certified fitness and nutrition expert; Keri Gans, M.S., R.D.N., C.D.N., registered dietitian and author of The Small Change Diet; and Janet Brill, P.h.D., R.D.N., F.A.N.D., registered dietitian and author of Cholesterol Down. We also conducted our own research and sifted through tons of online reviews to find the best Mediterranean diet cookbooks.

Prevention - Hearst Owned

For more than 70 years, Prevention has been a leading provider of trustworthy health information, empowering readers with practical strategies to improve their physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Our editors interview medical experts to help guide our health-focused product selections. Additionally, Prevention also examines hundreds of reviews—and often conducts personal testing done by our staff—to help you make informed decisions.

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Eat Well

When Kate Mendenhall was a little girl she had dreams of what she would do one day.

“I didn’t grow up on a farm, but I always wanted to be a farmer, I think,” Kate said. “You know, just riding the bus to school every day, I saw all the farming around me and it just looked really cool. I loved being outside. There was a little working farm with a small herd of beef cows and nice pasture management, and I just thought, ‘Oh, wouldn’t that just be the dream life?’”

Kate is now living that dream on her farm in the Iowa Great Lakes with her business — Okoboji Organics. She raises pigs, chickens and turkeys.

A native of the Iowa Great Lakes, Kate graduated from Spirit Lake in 1997 and went to study biology at Bowdoin College in Maine, where she raced sailboats as a D1 athlete.

Her love of sailing, which she learned to do right on the waters of the Iowa Great Lakes, brought her to Maine, and in Maine she found organic farming.

“It was a perfect blend of my interests in conservation and nature and animals and food and farming,” Kate said.

While she always dreamed of the farm life, Kate was influenced from an early age to study and appreciate nature in such a way that it is an essential part of who she is. And she credits all of that to her mother.

“My mom studied biology in graduate school, and so she always had us outside looking at stuff, learning about native plants, and I also share that love,” Kate said.

Another thing that made an impact on Kate is that she grew up during the farming crisis of the 1980s and it affected how she viewed farming and agriculture.

“I learned a lot about the farm crisis, which actually had really impacted me and I think made me really interested in agriculture. Growing up in the ‘80s, I saw it firsthand and by the time I graduated from high school, almost none of my friends lived on farms anymore,” Kate said. “And you could just kind of feel the depression. So a part of me was thinking that I wanted to figure out how families can stay on farms in Iowa.”

That’s the point where her two interests, farming and conservation, found a common focus — organic farming.

“It just seemed that organic farming was a solution, where families could still maintain smaller farms. They had more autonomy, because they were building a market and they could still farm in concert with nature. So it’s two passions of mine that came together,” Kate said.

She went on to learn all about organic farming while she was in graduate school. Kate designed her own graduate program through Goddard College in Vermont to study organic farming around the world.

Mexico, Chile, New Zealand, Australia, Japan, the United Kingdom, Spain and Italy opened Kate’s eyes to how organic farming was being done successfully outside of our borders.

“What it allowed me to do is volunteer on organic farms in eight different countries over three semesters. So I bring my hiking backpack and my computer and my books, and I would interview farmers and I would learn practical skills from them,” Kate said. “I would bring a bunch of books and reading material, but I’d also get to discuss it with them and then their friends.”

After earning her masters, Kate put her study to practice in upstate New York. But she felt the call of home.

“I always still wanted to be a farmer, but it really wasn’t until I was working in upstate New York, helping farmers there for 10 years, and watching kids leave Brooklyn and start small farms in

Hudson Valley that I said, ‘Well, shoot, if these New Yorkers can do it, surely this Iowa girl can figure it out,” Kate said. “So we had our son, who was 18 months at the time, and we decided to move back. If I was going to farm, I wanted to invest in Iowa farmland.”

She started looking around for some farmland back in her hometown. She found a perfect little farm and some local curiosity.

Organic farming was gaining in popularity, but was still uncommon in northwest Iowa at that time.

“I’m still only one of three certified organic farmers in the county,” Kate said.

She found her slice of heaven in Okoboji. It’s 20 acres and is protected from aerial spraying by residential and conservation land.

And thus her childhood dream of becoming a farmer came to life with her business Okoboji Organics.

In 2017, they did cover crops on the 17.5-acre pasture and built the barn. The space is multipurpose as it gives them a spot to process their own turkeys and chickens. It also houses the farm store and Kate’s office.

The farm was certified organic in 2019 and the animals they raise were certified organic in 2021.

Okoboji Organics raises chickens, turkeys and pigs on certified organic pastures. They raise eight to 12 pigs outside on pasture during the summer. They get moved to a new perennial pasture twice a week using a technique called intensive rotational grazing. According to Kate, this type of grazing rotation has benefits for both the animals and the environment. It helps improve soil health and helps support good water quality.

“We have a lot of native grass planted in our pasture, so it allows me to support native habitat. We have monarchs here all the time. Lots of milkweed sprinkled throughout the pasture. We have a prairie strip in our buffer zone at the top and I’m also really interested in different innovative ways where ruminants could benefit from prairie grass and use our native species to farm,” Kate said.

About 300 chickens each year, 100 at a time, are raised on the farm as well and they get moved twice a day. They also raise about 30 turkeys each season. In addition to living off the pasture, the farm also buys organic feed from Blue Stem Enterprises in Webster City, which is a female-owned organic feed mill. Kate’s kids, Eli and Hattie, manage the eggs they produce and sell, though they aren’t certified organic. Any noncertified organic meat they sell is marketed under the sister brand, Okoboji Pastures.

“We butcher the turkeys and the chickens here at the farm, so we sell those from our farm store, and they’re really delicious and popular, and then the pigs take about six months. We buy feeder pigs and raise them until they’re market weight, and then we sell those as whole, halves or quarters, and then whatever is leftover, we make into retail cuts and sell those from our farm store,” Kate explained.

The farm store is open for the summer months and they take preorders for their chickens and turkeys through their website’s online form. Make a note — they sell out quickly.

When asked what are the benefits to eating organically, Kate’s answer, apart from the obvious benefits for the planet, is one that will surely please your taste buds — flavor.

“First of all, they’re so delicious, because they live outside, they’re getting all the benefits from the sun and the elements. They’re eating a really diverse diet, so you can really tell the difference in the eggs, that the yolks are brilliant orange and they stand up really well in the pan,” Kate said. “You can tell the taste in the chickens and the pork. Pork, chicken and turkey really reflect the taste of what those animals are eating in their environment. It really helps the flavor, and they’re really healthy, because they’re breathing in fresh air. They get so much fresh pasture every day and they’re just happy, so they have very low stress, which also can affect the taste of the meat.”

In addition to being a working farm, Kate hopes that Okoboji Organics can also be a place for education so people and kids can come see where their food comes from up close.

“I think it’s surprising how many kids live here and really have never been on a working farm before, so it’s a great opportunity just to see what it’s like, see how your food’s raised,” Kate said.

When the snow comes and there aren’t any animals left on the farm, Kate still keeps busy.

In the off season, Kate continues to do advocacy work for organic farmers in her role as the executive director of the national Organic Farmers Association, which advocates for what organic farmers need at their level.

“What I do is every year we poll all the 19,000 certified organic farmers to find out what are their policy needs and then we represent that in Washington, DC. So I have a policy director in DC who organizes our policy, but also does some lobbying for us,” Kate said. “This year we are working hard on the Farm Bill to make sure that organic farmers are represented in agriculture, that they’re having access to all of the conservation programs and crop insurance at levels that represent their needs.”

For Kate, being able to be doing what she always dreamed of from when she was a little girl in her hometown means everything.

“My parents grew up here. I grew up here. Bringing my family to Iowa was something that was really important to me and I want Iowa to be a beautiful, healthy place for my kids and for everyone who lives here to thrive,” Kate said. “And organic farming for me really does that. It gives families a market that can sustain them on a smaller piece of land, and all of the principles and practices embedded in organic are really good for the environment.”