In a world of ever increasing technological dependence, how does one merge their health with their online habits?

The answer to this comes in the form of Mitzi Dulan’s new diet, “The Pinterest Diet”. As a nutritionist for The Kansas City Royals, as well as private clients, Dulan looks at the world from a different perspective.“I first came up with the idea in 2012 when Royals players were asking me prior to the off-season (as usual) for recipe ideas. I would ask them if their wife was on Pinterest and most of them said yes. So, I told them to have their wives follow-me and to go onto my boards to see all of the great recipes that I have both created myself and also found from other blogs, etc,” Dulan explained her inspiration for the diet. After having to give this advice repeatedly, the idea hit her: why not combine her knowledge with the ever-growing Pinterest trend? Thus the “Pinterest Diet” was born.

I had the pleasure of reading Ms. Dulan’s book and it hit me: what better way to review a diet book then to go on the diet myself? Because I combined a healthy diet and social media, I saw the fruits of her efforts. One of the first things I asked Dulan was if I should see a doctor and she, of course, explained that any one should go see a doctor before they go on a new diet or exercise plan.

So I set a goal and created a Pinterest account. The Pinterest Diet outlines what kind of boards one should create: meals, workouts, equipment (everything from things for your kitchen to cute workout clothes), daily inspirations and a just for laughs board. I soon realized that following Mitzi is a great place to start. Searching through her boards when you are looking to start the diet (or even if you just want some healthy recipes) provides an easy access way to get to learn what is available on the site and provides you recipes you know you can trust.  

What makes the idea of combining Pinterest with a diet brilliant is that a diet isn’t just about the food you eat or the amount push-ups you do; the brilliance in the Pinterest Diet is that it is a complete lifestyle change. Our lifestyles are so intertwined with social media. We tweet, Facebook and Instagram everything. The internet is so part of everyone’s world that it only makes sense to have it be part of a lifestyle change; as I found, it is much easier to handle a change when you something that is part of your daily routine remains the same.

One of the basic rules of the diet is what Mitzi calls the “Pin Ten”. “Pin Ten” means that one must pin for ten minutes daily. It doesn’t matter what the pins are; whether the pins are quotes or recipes or just something that makes you laugh, this ten minutes can impact your mood and your mood (and ultimately your attitude) can help you lose weight and be more productive. She follows the rule herself and from first hand knowledge, I can tell you it makes a world of difference.

The diet is easy to follow and Dulan’s book includes sample meal plans so that one can get an idea what should be eaten for the day. This is helpful because as one explores Pinterest one discovers tons of recipes. Before you find your own favorite meals and snacks on Pinterest, the book is a starting point for healthy eating and guidance toward a lifestyle change. Additionally, the book contains sample workouts that explain what each move is and what the proper way to preform each move is. This is super helpful to people (like me) who hate the gym. Again, the book is a jumping off point that directs readers into the abyss of workout plans and targeted exercises on Pinterest.

Perhaps one of the most valuable pieces of Mitzi’s advice is something that so many of us ignore in our daily lives: the value of sleep. The book focuses on the importance of sleep. Because Dulan understands that people don’t get enough sleep or don’t sleep properly, she even explains what kinds of pillows to use depending on how you prefer to sleep.

Mitzi Dulan covers everything in her book to make sure that your time on the Pinterest Diet not only bears fruit but also helps keep you on the path to a long and healthy life. When I started the Pinterest Diet, I set a weight loss goal for myself. I have lost half of the weight I hoped to lose in the month since I started the diet and am sleeping better to boot.

The Pinterest Diet helps people to maintain the lifestyle change of a diet with minimum fuss and is fun as new things are added everyday to Pinterest by pinners across the globe; one need never grow bored of their workout or their meals because the site is constantly updated.