Weight loss and better health begin not with fad diets but with choices that, over time, become habits. This in turn supports lifelong change through actionable, tangible strategies that you can adapt for any scenario.
But, how can you discern the eating plans which are sustainable and healthy from the ones which are anything but?
Consider the below list your crib sheet to discovering the best diet of 2019 and the ones you should avoid!
What are the Best Diets to Try in 2019?
1. Mediterranean Diet
What makes the “Mediterranean Diet” so great is that it is a lifestyle, not a traditional weight-loss plan that has you measuring portions or counting calories. This diet is all about enjoying meals with loved ones and friends, savoring each flavor, indulging in delicious, but quality items, and making time for plenty of physical activity.
The main components of a Mediterranean diet are lots of vegetables, oily fish, olive oil, and nuts, with no calorie restrictions. Combine that with cutting down on sugar, and you’ve got the base of the Mediterranean diet right. And if you get the base right, then you can eat a little of whatever else you like, according to Consultant Cardiologist Dr. Aseem Malhotra.
While there is no “restriction” on this plan, the predominant foods in this diet promote both weight loss or management and health. The idea is to fill up on nutritious foods in order to indulge, consciously. This approach naturally limits the amount of ultra-processed foods that you will eat, which tend to have more saturated fat, sodium and added sugar.
Because the Mediterranean eating style prioritizes enjoyment of your whole dining experience, flavorful ingredients are at the forefront, therefore, you will never feel deprived.
2. DASH Diet
The DASh diet is diet, which stands for “Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension,” can be both a smart approach to weight loss and an overall healthier style of eating. It emphasizes produce of all types, 100% whole grains, seafood, nuts, low-fat dairy, and seeds. The predominant protein sources are pork, poultry, and seafood, with an emphasis on omega-3 filled fatty fish, such as sardines, tuna, and salmon.
The DASH diet tells you what to eat, but, without over-emphasizing any key nutrient. It is high in magnesium, potassium, and calcium, which counterbalance the effects of sodium, help prevent hypertension (a.k.a. high blood pressure) and promotes better heart health.
The plan limits added sugars, higher-in-saturated fat foods, and sodium by making red meat about half a serving daily and cutting back on processed food sources such as sauces, condiments, cereals, breads, sweetened beverages, fast food, syrups, jam, and breakfast pastries.
You will still be able to eat smaller servings of real indulgences that is similar to the Mediterranean diet.
3. Flexitarian Diet
The Flexitarian Diet, was developed by a team of experts at Penn State, and this diet relies on some incredible weight-loss basics: more fruit, more vegetables, more creative ways to eat more vegetables and fruit, and more calories from plant-based foods filled with lots of water and fiber.
And if you will look closely, you will see many diets have adapted the same general approach and mindset-shift. The thing people like most about a volume-based approach is that it makes you feel like you can consume tons, without constantly thinking about “restriction.”
Take this for example: 1/2 cup of flavor-packed salsa with lots of veggie slices and 4 cups of popcorn. And the other great thing? Nothing is set in stone or off-limits, meaning you can adapt it to meet your dietary needs and budget.
The approach to consuming “more produce” works by displacing calories from other foods, making you feel both satisfied and full.
Therefore, if you have one takeaway for any diet you are keen on trying, chew on this: Think more vegetables, more often. This thought process will help you combine great things about all great eating plans, including the DASH and Mediterranean Diet.
WORST Diet for 2019
1. The Keto Diet
The ketogenic diet, keto among friends, is so-called because it aims to get the dieter into a state of ketosis, and this is when the body stops using glucose as its main energy source and starts using ketones instead. The moderate protein, high fat, low carb diet is beloved by Silicon Valley for its alleged brain-boosting benefits.
‘The classic keto diet was very strict, but, nowadays what’s become more popular even to use from a clinical scenario is called the Modified Keto diet which is more liberal in protein. And this is generally what people are following for energy and weight loss. That would be roughly 65-70% fat, 20-30% protein with a very small carb amount 5-10%,’ according to Dr. Dominic D’agostino, professor of neuropharmacology at the University of South Florida.
This is what the expert says: ‘Like with Atkins, you will lose weight quickly. The ketogenic diet is used in medicine, but, this is under strict supervision and for set periods of time, therefore, with appropriate support it can be safe in the short to medium term. The brain does use glucose as its fuel of choice, so ‘brain fog’ lethargy are common side effects. You will known when your body is running off ketones by your breath, it is known as ‘keto breath’, and it is bad. Also, it can affect your ability to exercise because of a lack of quickly accessible energy.
The risks are more long term, including, risk of nutritional deficiency (vitamin c, a, k and B vitamins) and also increased risk of breast and bowel cancer cancer due to limited fibre intake.
Ketosis generally is not recommended and it is not exactly a state that the body would usually be in, but, this diet can be done safely for set periods of time.
2. The Carnivore Diet
Carnivore enthusiasts tout the life-changing benefits of their lifestyle and diet demands, which includes sole dependence on water, beef, and salt (also bourbon, according to the diet’s guru, Mikhaila Petersen).
The concern with this diet is that it is not just a “low” carb plan, it is a completely exclusionary plan. There’s no way to survive on a meat-only diet without suffering some serious health problems: mineral and vitamin deficiencies that can result in organ damage (and ultimately, organ failure), bone loss, and unnecessary physical pain, this is according to Jaclyn London, MS, RD, CDN.
Sources:
Goodhousekeeping
The Sun
WomensHealthMag
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