Eileen Dutter, a highly regarded dietitian at Mayo Health in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, has highlighted the paramount importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. This involves regular exercise, a nutritionally balanced diet, and keeping at a healthy weight. Dutter’s advice comes as a response to a noticeable shift in people’s snacking habits towards the unhealthy end of the spectrum.

Planning for Healthier Snacking Habits

Dutter encourages individuals to plan their snacks meticulously, focusing on wholesome options like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins. The dietitian stresses the need to avoid impulsive eating and suggests removing unhealthy snacks from one’s immediate environment. Planning when and what to snack on can significantly promote healthier eating habits.

Tracking Food Intake and Exercise

Beyond what is consumed, Dutter underscores the importance of tracking food intake and physical exercise as an effective weight management strategy. She recommends the use of apps to assist in this process, emphasizing that it’s not about perfection but progress. Dutter notes that it can take up to 66 days for a behavior to become a habit, urging consistency and patience.

Managing Stress and Boredom Snacking

When it comes to snacking due to stress or boredom, Dutter’s advice is to opt for healthy, protein-rich snacks to curb cravings. She also promotes alternative activities such as taking walks or engaging in creative pursuits to distract from the urge to snack unnecessarily. Dutter’s guidance aims to help individuals cultivate healthier eating patterns and manage their weight effectively.

Mayo Health is actively involved in promoting a healthier lifestyle and combating obesity. Its Mayo Clinic Diet program is launching a weight loss telemedicine service named Mayo Clinic Diet Medical Weight Loss Rx program. The program offers direct access to weight loss medications, lab testing, clinical monitoring, insurance support, meal plan options, coaching, and education tools. This move is in line with the rising trend of direct-to-consumer telehealth startups that provide weight loss medications.