The authoritative American source US News & World Report recently published a list of the best diets of 2020.
1. the Mediterranean
In the first place in the US News & World Report rating, like many other ratings over the past few years. In fact, this is the usual diet of the Mediterranean region population.
What it is: no limitation fruits, vegetables, omega-3 rich seafood, olive oil, nuts. Saturated fat, red meat, and added sugars are only allowed in small amounts. But you can afford a glass of red wine and cheese for dinner.
Pros: Reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes; does not require fasting, which means that it will help not only to lose weight but also to stay at the desired weight - you can stick to it all your life.
Cons: Fresh quality fruits and fish are quite expensive.
2. Scandinavian
The Nordic countries have adopted the Mediterranean diet to their own conditions and called it the Scandinavian nutrition plan. Doctors believe that such a diet has a great effect on the prevention of cardiovascular diseases and prolongs life.
What it consists of: the basis of nutrition - leafy greens, vegetables, as well as unsaturated fats - from vegetable oil, fish, nuts. Restrict or reject creatures and trans fats, sugar, refined, that is, totally prepared food sources, meat, and fat milk.
Sample menu for the day *
Breakfast: Sugar-free yogurt with berries and a drop of honey.
Snack: a pinch of almonds.
Lunch: fish with leafy herbs and vinaigrette.
Dinner: chicken breast garnished with dark rice and stewed vegetables: a mixture of beans, carrots, and sweet onions.
3. DASH (Dash)
This nutritional system was developed by cardiologists. The name is encrypted "Diet food for the fight against hypertension." Hypertension is one of the main causes of death in people. For the treatment to be effective, it is necessary to support it with proper nutrition.
What it is: Eat whole grains, fruits and vegetables, low-fat dairy products, and lean protein - poultry, fish, nuts, and beans.
The DASH diet is low in fat and cholesterol. The main sources of fat are vegetable oils rich in omega-3 and omega-6, and some vegetables, such as avocados. For hypertension, it is very important to reduce salt intake; Use herbs and spices to add flavor to foods.
Pros: people tend to lose or maintain their weight, their blood pressure drops and their risk of heart and kidney disease decreases.
Cons: not focused specifically on losing weight.
Sample menu for the day
Breakfast: fruit salad with yogurt and walnuts, whole wheat bread with vegetable spread, tea.
Snack: a mixture of seeds, nuts, and dried fruits.
Lunch: homemade boiled chicken shawarma with turmeric and vegetables.
Dinner: Whole-grain spaghetti with unsalted tomato sauce, salad with a mixture of leafy greens and nectarine, seasoned with olive oil.
4. Flexitarianism
In English, flexitarian is a combination of flexible and vegetarian. Simply put, a flexitarian is a vegetarian who sometimes eats meat.
What it consists of: The basis of the diet - vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, and seeds. Plant foods rich in vitamins and antioxidants help keep the body young and fight inflammation.
"A total dismissal of meat, dairy items, and eggs isn't needed, however, their number is restricted," Vegetable items will possess the primary put on the table.
Pros: according to research, diet helps to reduce weight and improve metabolism. Blood pressure is normalized, the risk of type 2 diabetes is reduced, and inflammatory processes in the body are fought.
Cons: Many flexitarians eventually become vegetarian over time. But plant proteins cannot replace animals entirely, and this can cause health problems.
Sample menu for the day
Breakfast: 150 g of cottage cheese (low fat or low fat), vegetables (bell peppers), and herbs - lettuce and parsley.
Snack: an apple, a small banana, a handful of nuts.
Lunch: vegetable soup with potatoes, beans, cauliflower.
Afternoon snack: a glass of orange juice, 3 - 4 pcs. any dried fruits, 3 pcs. almonds.
Dinner: bean puree, vegetable salad without oil, and cabbage, stewed without oil.
5. Weight watchers
A diet with such a strange name in 1961 was invented by an American housewife who gathered a group of friends to lose weight together. Today, Weight Watchers has offices around the world, and weight loss techniques and aids are commercially distributed.
Weight Watchers' diet is based on scoring. Each product is assigned a certain number of points, and the task is not to score more points per day than it should be. Losing weight keeps a diary, where he writes in detail how much and what was eaten.
Pros: there is no need to study the composition of products and their properties. It is enough to compare the dishes on the table with detailed tables.
Minuses:
Initially, the weight monitoring system only counted calories. Over time, it was improved by calculating the required amount of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, and fiber. But we still find oddities in the recommendations.
Complete tables are commercially available.
It is difficult to maintain a diet for a long time since the number of allowed points decreases all the time.
Sample menu for the day
Breakfast: a sandwich with low-fat soft cheese, a couple of onion slices, and smoked redfish (30 g) - 4 points. Coffee with cream and sugar -1 point.
Snack: 1 apple, yogurt - 180 g (3 points).
Lunch: puree soup with vegetables, sandwich with rye bread, tomato, basil, and feta cheese - 5 points.
Snack: smoothie with low-fat yogurt (250 g), a small bunch of berries, and a banana - 3 points.
- To stick to and benefit from this diet, you need to eat at least 3 servings of whole grains daily, one green leafy vegetable and one other vegetable, drink a glass of wine every day, take mostly nuts for snacks, eat legumes every other day eat poultry and berries at least twice a week and eat fish at least once a week. Refuel food with vegetable oil, olive or rapeseed, explains our expert.
Pros: Diet reduces the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease and slows down cognitive impairment in the elderly by 35 - 53%. The scatter in the data depends on how strictly they followed the diet.
Cons: fish, berries, fresh vegetables are far from affordable for all elderly people.
Sample menu for the day
Breakfast: oatmeal with blueberries and almonds.
Snack: a mixture of seeds, nuts, and dried fruits.
Lunch: cabbage and quinoa salad with almonds, tomatoes, broccoli, dressing - olive oil, and apple cider vinegar.
Dinner: Fried chicken breast with brown rice, broccoli, cauliflower, peppers, and cashews.