No one desires to expose themselves to unnecessary health risks from a diet. Not only should a good diet provide adequate amounts of calories, but it should also not fall short on essential nutrients obtained from different food groups.
Health experts and nutritionists have made great efforts in recommending several diets which are:
- Nutritious
- Easy to follow
- Protective against heart disease and diabetes
- Effective for weight loss
In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the top 10 diets recommended by doctors and nutritionists:
1. Mediterranean Diet
This diet focuses on weight control, low consumption of sugar, red meat, and saturated fat but high in nuts, produce, and other beneficial food. The Mediterranean diet offers lots of benefits including cancer prevention, weight loss, prevention and control of diabetes along with brain and heart health. Follow the Mediterranean diet if you want to keep excess weight off as you avoid any chronic disease.
2. DASH diet
The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet is ideal for preventing or stopping high blood pressure. Promoted by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, it underscores the foods you were told to eat – such as whole grains, fruits, lean proteins, veggies, low-fat dairy – since they contain lots of calcium, protein, fiber, and potassium, renowned blood-pressure deflating nutrients.
3. The Flexitarian Diet
The Flexitarian (flexible and vegetarian) diet focuses on the benefits derived from living a veggie’s lifestyle. It involves eating more plants and less meat. Adherents to this diet are bound to lose weight, lower the risk of developing heart disease, and improving their overall health.
4. MIND Diet
This diet is a combination of two proven diets – i.e., Mediterranean and DASH – and aims at foods in each of these diets, especially those that affect brain health. It involves eating more berries, nuts, and leafy greens to minimize the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. The MIND – Mediterranean-DASH Intervention of Neurodegenerative Delay – was created at Rush University Medical Center.
5. BRAT Diet
This one is a short-term diet that is meant to treat an acute condition. It is not commonly used for weight loss. The BRAT (Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, and Toast) diet is recommended for people with stomach illness such as vomiting, nausea, and diarrhea. It involves eating bland foods that are low in fiber such as broth, crackers, weak tea, cream of wheat or oatmeal, boiled potatoes, etc.
6. Mayo Clinic Diet
This focuses on the combination of a healthier lifestyle and weight loss as the common goal. It involves recalibrating your eating habits by breaking any bad one you may have and replacing them with the good ones, thanks to the unique food pyramid made available by Mayo Clinic. The diet focuses on veggies, whole grain, and fruits. Foods with low energy density are great.
7. TLC diet
The TLC (Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes) diet was developed to eliminate cholesterol from any heart-healthy eating regimen. It involves eating a lot of fruits and veggies, cereals, pasta, lean meats, etc.
8. Nordic Diet
The Nordic diet has to do with eating more vegetables, whole grains, fish, and fruits every day. Food additives are to be avoided at all costs. This diet was developed to transform Nordic cuisine while improving people’s health.
9. Volumetrics Diet
This diet involves making choices to combat hunger by cutting out the energy density of your meals. Foods are divided into four categories: very low-density, low-density, medium density, and high-density. Each group has foods that are specific to them such as veggies, breakfast cereal, legumes, low-fat meat, etc.
10. Weight Watchers Diet
This diet is designed for those who want to lose weight and live healthier lives as well. It is built on the SmartPoints system that assigns every beverage and food a point value which is based significantly on its nutrition. It comes with a lot of support from a dedicated community.
