6 New Diet Plans to Try

   

Have you ever went on a diet before? We all reached a point where we need to adjust our daily consumption to reach a certain weight goal by a specific time frame. Many new diets have surfaced over the past years, with different concepts and restrictions. Here are 4 diets to try to help you achieve your bodyweight goals.

 

1. The Mediterranean Diet: 

 

 

What it is: This diet is inspired by the traditional food and eating habits of Greece, Crete and Southern Italy, all Mediterranean countries, in the 1960s. It was later amended based on the results of multiple scientific studies. It is a general approach to eating. It does not have any strict rules to follow. You can adjust this diet to your needs with a dietitian.

How it works: This diet depends highly on unprocessed cereals, legumes, olive oil, fruits and vegetables. It also moderately depends on fish, dairy (mainly cheese and yogurt) and meat. The main protein consumed in the Mediterranean Diet is fish. The cluster of nutrients this diet provides helps your body lose weight, burn more and protect itself.

Benefits:

• Helps the body lose weight.
• It is proven to reduce the risk of heart disease.
• Increases lifespan.
• Helps with healthy aging.
• May prevent cognitive decline and dementia. 
• Might prevent Type 2 diabetes. 
• Likely reduces the symptoms and progression of inflammatory and autoimmune conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis. 

 

2. Keto 2.0 (New Version):

 

What it is: The original Ketogenic (Keto) diet is a low carb, high fat diet. It drastically reduces carbohydrate intake and replaces it with fat. However, health experts are now recommending a moderate amount of carbohydrates, as well as protein, to maintain the benefits of the Keto diet while avoiding potential problems like constipation and bad breath, hence Keto 2.0.

How it works: Original Keto puts your body into ketosis, which is a state where your body burns fats for energy. This happens due to the reduction of carbs. Keto 2.0 may not do the same so it can be considered as a low-carb diet.

Benefits: Not enough research has been done to know the benefits of Keto 2.0 but:

• Helps in losing weight.
• It can help you stay full for longer.
• Easier to follow than original Keto.

 

3. The Paleo Diet:

 

 

What it is: Based on the theory that humans are adapted to eat food from the Paleolithic era before agriculture. This means you can eat food that prehistoric humans had to obtain through hunting (meat, birds, and fish) and gathering (fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts) from the wild.

How it works: In addition to fruits, vegetables, seeds and nuts, The Paleo diet also depends on meat, poultry, fish, oils, spices and herbs. It avoids processed foods, sugar, dairy, legumes and grains. Anything made in a factory is not included in the diet. This means that this diet is high in protein, moderate in fat, low-moderate in carbohydrate, high in fiber, and low in sodium and refined sugars. 

Benefits:

• Helps in losing weight.
• Lower rate of lifestyle diseases like obesity, diabetes and heart disease.

 

4. The Ornish Diet:

 

 

What it is: The Ornish diet categorizes food into five categories, from most helpful to least helpful. It has a lacto-ovo vegetarian approach, which is consuming plant-based food, dairy and eggs. It doesn’t restrict any food, yet it discourages consuming animal products and processed foods.

How it Works: It encourages eating plant-based foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes, and discourages eating meat, poultry and fish. The Ornish diet also recommends dairy products and eggs. It does not restrict the number of calories, unless you’re aiming to lose weight. This diet also encourages exercising for 30 minutes daily to improve your health.

Benefits:

• Helps in losing weight, if needed.
• Helps in overall health improvement.
• Lowers blood pressure.
• Planet-friendly because consuming meat leads to a bigger carbon footprint.

 

5. The Flexitarian Diet:

 

 

What it is: The Flexitarian Diet, also known as the Semi-Vegetarian Diet, is a mostly vegetarian diet. It encourages eating more plants without completely eliminating meat. This diet is more of a lifestyle than a strict regime; it encourages adding new food groups to your diet instead of eliminating them.   

How it works: Eat more plant-based food and slowly reduce your animal protein intake. You can substitute it with plant proteins like beans and eggs. The goal is to slowly increase the days where you don’t eat meat. The flexitarian diet also encourages using seasonings to enjoy your food instead of dreading it.

Benefits:

• Helps with weight loss.
• Reduce heart disease risks.
• Improves overall health.
• Improves gut health.
• Planet friendly.

 

6. The DASH Diet:

 

 

What it is: DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. It is a diet developed by the US National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute to stop high blood pressure. The Dash diet calls for reducing your intake of saturated fats and increase your intake of non-processed plant based foods and non-fat dairy products to control your blood pressure and improve your overall health. It is considered to be similar to the Mediterranean diet.

How it works: The Dash diet does not restrict any specific food group, it just puts some guidelines to the amount you should eat of every food item per meal. It promotes the consumption of fruits, vegetables and whole grain and instructs eating fat-free or low-fat dairy, fish, poultry and nuts moderately. Foods high in saturated fats are limited. 

Benefits:

• Decrease blood pressure.
• Promote weight loss.
• Improve kidney health.
• Provide better control of blood pressure.
• Planet friendly.

 

**Please always do your research and discuss with a nutritionist/physician before fully changing your diet.