Planning to start a new life? Next month, from Monday, or maybe even today? Especially for you, we studied the recommendations of the best nutrition experts, who chose the best diets and rejected the unsuitable ones.
The American magazine US News & World Report once again published a list of the best diets. To do this, experts analyzed 39 different nutrition systems, selecting for rating those that really work and at the same time do not harm health.
The Mediterranean diet is the best diet
For the fourth year in a row, the Mediterranean diet has become the leader, which has long established itself as one of the most correct approaches to nutrition. A diet rich in protein, and healthy fatty acids – they are supposed to be obtained from olive oil and fish, complex carbohydrates, good for the heart and blood vessels, helps maintain a normal weight, and, if necessary, lose extra pounds.
An added bonus of the Mediterranean diet is red wine, which contains resveratrol, a proven antioxidant. It is believed that it is able to slow down aging and prolong life.
The Mediterranean diet has made several lists at once. It can be found among the best healthy diets, the easiest diets to follow, the best diets for diabetics, and the best heart-healthy diets.
The effectiveness and benefits of the Mediterranean diet have been proven by scientific studies: people who adhered to this nutrition system were able to lose extra pounds in six months. Even better were the results of those who additionally engaged in physical education.
Flexitarian Diet
Flexible vegetarianism is another food system that has made it into the top three healthiest diets. Followers of flexitarianism eat mostly plant foods but do not completely refuse meat – with this food system, both chicken and beef are allowed, albeit in small quantities. Flexitarians eat enough vegetables and fruits, and most of us usually have problems with this. This means that they consume a lot of fiber, which is good for digestion.
Scientists who have studied the benefits of the flexitarian diet have concluded that such a flexible vegetarian diet is much more beneficial than a regular meat diet or an all-vegetarian diet. People who adhered to flexitarianism maintained their weight in the normal range or lost weight, and such a diet also allowed them to fight high blood pressure and reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
The authors, however, note that flexitarianism brings more benefits to men than to women – the male body, due to the peculiarities of physiology in general, needs more meat and protein.
Vegetarianism
It is difficult to call vegetarianism a diet in the full sense of the word. It’s more of a philosophy and a way of life than just a food system. However, experts have added vegetarianism to their list based on the results of recent scientific research.
And there really is something to pay attention to a vegetarian diet without meat and animal products helps to reduce weight. This is mainly due to the fact that the foods consumed are rich in fiber – they make you feel full for a long time, but at the same time do not contain too many calories. In addition, a vegetarian diet reduces the risk of developing heart disease by 25% and the likelihood of developing any cancer by 8%.
However, it is important to remember that vegetarianism does not at all imply strict restrictions on portion size – eating a cabbage leaf all day is unacceptable, and such a diet can seriously harm than bring at least some benefit.
The Worst Diets of 2021
Scientists not only praised the best nutrition systems, they also named dangerous, harmful, and ineffective diets, which are now quite popular.
Carnivore
One of them is the carnivore diet, which involves eating meat in large quantities.
Those who decide to choose such a diet need to be extremely careful – following it is accompanied by the consumption of large amounts of saturated fats that are harmful to the body. This can lead to an increase in cholesterol levels, and an increase in the likelihood of developing atherosclerosis, stroke, and heart attack.
Peganism
Peganism, a food system that combines veganism and the paleo diet, is also included in the anti-rating of healthy diets. Despite the fact that paganism is supposed to eat a lot of vegetables and fruits, to comply with it, you need to give up dairy products, and gluten, significantly reducing whole grains and legumes rich in healthy fiber, which are also a source of protein.
Scientists have included it in the list of the worst diets because of the restrictions and rules that must be followed in order to achieve the claimed results – they are sure that there are healthier ways to eat and lose weight.
Atkins Diet
Popularized decades ago, the Atkins diet was designed to reduce carbohydrates and consume large amounts of protein. Indeed, it is possible to lose weight on such a nutrition system, but a long-term adherence to a low-carbohydrate diet is more likely to harm health – for example, the kidneys may suffer, and in some cases irreversibly.
Editorial Team
