Scientists believe that nutrition plans can help people shed weight and stay healthy in the long-run. 2020 has been a stressful year during which many people were forced to stay at home and stress out over the global pandemic. Of course, comfort-bingeing junk food while watching Netflix was what got people through months of lockdown.
Here are some of the best diet plans in 2021 that you can follow to ensure that you are back on track and continue to stay healthy:
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1. Mediterranean Diet
Gaining inspiration from Greek, Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese lifestyles, this Mediterranean-style diet consists of avocados, nuts, olive oil, and fish that needs to be consumed a minimum of twice a week. Moreover, it includes lots of beans, fruits, leafy greens, and whole grains. This diet is not restrictive as it allows some cheese and red wine in moderation. However, red meat needs to be limited to once or twice a week.
This diet helps you lose weight and comes with a number of health benefits. It reduces the likelihood of chronic disease and cognitive decline. If you only consume 1,500 calories a day, you will start to shed weight. Studies show that following a conventional Mediterranean diet or a low-carb variation helps you lose 5-10 percent of body weight within 12 months. Moreover, you don’t have to worry about gaining this weight back.
A British study showed that those people who lost weight through the Mediterranean diet were more likely not to gain that weight back. Moreover, they said that they did not have a hard time keeping the weight off as they enjoyed the diet.
2. DASH Diet
DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. This is a low-sodium diet that helps people keep their blood pressure in check without the use of drugs or extra medication. DASH encourages people to consume fruits, vegetables, whole grains, as well as low-fat or non-fat dairy. This way, you can keep an eye on saturated fat and dietary cholesterol.
This diet helps improve your health. Moreover, you can also restrict the number of calories you consume while reducing high blood pressure levels. According to a recent study, when some older adults followed the DASH diet, they lost weight and body fat. Moreover, they became healthier. The diet was able to reduce inflammatory levels in the body and increase fiber. This resulted in a healthy heart, along with allowing people to meet their weight loss goals.
3. WW (Weight Watchers)
This diet company has been around for centuries- the chances are that your Grandpa has already tried it when trying to lose weight in his teens. The new version of this diet gives you a color-coded program to follow that gives you some points each day. Specific foods have specific calories and are given points based on saturated fat, sugar, and protein levels. As long as you stay within that range, you can eat whatever you want.
There is a 0-point food category that allows you to eat any kind of food that falls in that group. This includes most fruits and vegetables, along with lean protein, such as fish, tofu, beans, eggs, and chicken breasts.
According to research conducted, WW helps get rid of excess weight. A 2013 study shows that people who followed WW diet plans were eight times more likely to lose 10% of body weight. This could be done over a period of 6 months. You will find that a tracking app is a great way to lose weight. All you need to do is keep track of each meal you eat. This helps maintain weight loss in the long run, especially since it is not a restrictive diet.
4. Vegan Diet
A diet that goes one step further than the other diets mentioned so far, the vegan diet does not allow consumption of any animal products. This includes dairy, eggs, and honey. Many people opt for the vegan diet due to ethical and environmental reasons, but there are those individuals who follow it to lose weight too. Today, plant-based meats are so common that going vegan has become easier.
Now, it is important to know that going vegan does not guarantee weight loss. Wondering why? Well, candy, pasta, and potato chips fall in the vegan category, but they aren’t healthy or low-cal. To lose weight, you need to incorporate leafy greens and plant proteins.
According to studies conducted, those who follow a plant-based diet have a lower body mass index than those who consume animal products. Another Australian study conducted in 2020 proved that vegans and vegetarians were more likely to follow the vegan diet in the long run than those who chose other diet plans, such as paleo. This was because vegans are usually encouraged by their moral and ethical beliefs, alongside their weight-loss goals.
5. Flexitarian Diet
The Flexitarian diet is a pro-plant diet. However, it is not as restrictive as the vegan diet. It allows individuals to have a hotdog in the park or take some bites of a Thanksgiving turkey. Even though there are no strict calorie limitations, individuals are told to stay within 1,500 calories per day.
The Flexitarian diet works by consuming more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and plant proteins. Individuals have to stick to a low-cal plan that allows them to lose weight rapidly while ensuring that they stay healthy. According to a recent review, those who followed the Flexitarian diet had lower body mass index and metabolic syndrome than those who regularly consumed the meat and dairy products.
6. Intermittent Fasting
Probably one of the most popular 2021 diet plans, intermittent fasting is flexible enough to work in several ways. People can eat whatever they want five days a week, and on the remaining two days, they have to consume 500 calories. The diet also allows individuals to restrict their eating window to 8 hours each day. This means that they can eat whatever they want between 8 am to 4 pm and must fast for the remaining 16 hours of the day.
This diet plan helps people lose weight as they limit their overall calorie consumption. Moreover, this diet is also said to increase metabolic rate and have positive health effects. A meta-study conducted in 2015 saw that those people who did intermittent fasting were able to lose as much weight as those who followed a calorie-restrictive diet.
Which diet do you think fits your likes and lifestyle? Let us know!
