Right Diet
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| Right Diet |
The Boston Medical Center statistics suggest that approximately 45 million Americans go on a diet every year, but the average individual actually gains weight every time they start dieting. Shocking, right? When it comes to the right diet, sustainability is a vital determining factor of overall success rate. Consulting with your doctor may go a long way towards finding the right plan for you. But first, here is an overview of the most common diet plans to help you get started.
High protein and low carbohydrates plans
This is the basis of the Atkins Diet, which was popularized by Cardiologist Robert C. Atkins back in the 1970s. it involves limiting your carbohydrates while emphasizing fats and proteins. Followers go through phases in which they consume 20 to 100 grams of carbs per day, with the daily recommended intake being 225 to 325g of carbs a day.
Another popular weight loss program with the same principles is the South Beach diet, which was created by cardiologist Arthur Agatston in 2003. The plan involves getting about 1/3 of your daily calories from carbohydrates.
Since most fruits and starchy vegetables are rich in carbohydrates, low carb diets try to steer clear of them, along with rice, potatoes, beans, grains, and bread. Sugar is severely restricted as well. A typical menu can include: mustard, cheese, and deli meat wrapped in lettuce, or a generous serving of spinach salad topped with steak or chicken, full fat salad dressing, goat cheese, and mushrooms.
How can this approach help you lose weight?
Low carb diets are based on the theory that a decrease in carbohydrates leads to reduced insulin levels, which in turn causes your body to burn stored fats for energy. Most of the initial weight you will lose is due to water loss, since low carb, high protein foods tend to come with a diuretic effect. Eating large portions of protein and fat will also leave you feeling full for longer. And any right diet that significantly restricts or eliminates an entire food group is more likely to lead to less calorie consumption.
American Heart Association Plan
If you are looking for the right diet to slim down while lowering your risk for stroke and heart attack, the American Heart Association diet (or AHA) is one of the best ways to go. It is a low fat food plan that targets body weight, blood pressure, and high cholesterol.
The guidelines include:
*Reduced lean meats, skinless poultry, beans, and dairy products
*2 servings of fish a week, preferably fatty fish like tuna and salmon
*6 servings of grains every day
*5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day
*Half an hour of physical activity per day
*Fats with a maximum of 2grams of saturated fat for each tablespoon, for instance olive, safflower, corn, and canola oils.
*Limit your sodium intake to 1 ¼ teaspoon (2,400 milligrams or below) per day
*If you have to, stick to 1 and 2 drinks of alcoholic beverages per day for women and men respectively.
Mediterranean style diet plans
This diet is based on the traditional eating patterns of Turkey, Italy, Southern France, and Greece, which are rich in antioxidant-packed fruits and vegetables. The main fat is heart healthy olive oil, with white bread being preferred over whole grains. You can include a glass of merlot to wash it all down.
Research has proven that this is the right diet to significantly reduce your risk for Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, and even cancer. The diet leaves you extremely satisfied because about 40% of its calories are derived from healthy fats. As such, it reduces your chances of bingeing on high-calorie or high-carb foods. Additionally, its high fiber content can help diabetic’s slow spikes in their blood sugar. A typical Mediterranean diet consists of fatty fish such as mackerel and salmon, as well as fruits, vegetables, nuts, and olive oils.
Vegetarian plans
Like its name suggests, this diet involves restricting animal sources of protein while incorporating nuts, beans, grains, produce, and fat-free or low-fat dairy. If you are a vegetarian, you probably fall under one of these categories:
*Vegan: Excludes all animal products
*Lacto-ovo vegetarians: eliminates poultry, fish, and meat, but drinks milk and eats eggs
*Lacto vegetarians: prohibits eggs, poultry, fish, and meat, but drinks milk
Generally, vegetarians tend to consume less fat and fewer calories than their meat-loving counterparts.
This often results to lower body weights as compared to non-vegetarians of the same heights. In turn, they experience numerous health benefits such as reduced rates of cancer, obesity, and heart disease, as well as potentially low rates of diabetes and high blood pressure. However, regardless of these health benefits, adopting a vegetarian diet does not guarantee you weight loss. Many non-meat foods can contain high concentrations of fat, including nuts, whole milk, and cheese. All in all, it is important to include protein rich foods in your diet, especially since this nutrient will keep you feeling full. Excellent sources of low-fat Protein includes:
*Soy products
*Reduced-fat peanut butter
*Low-fat cheese
*Beans
*Nuts
*Egg whites
If you choose the vegan road, you will need calcium and vitamin B12 supplements because this diet cuts out food sources of vitamin B12.
Making the ultimate decision
Picking the right diet among the several well publicized food plans can be challenging. Making the right decision involves educating yourself about the specific diet plans and how you can incorporate them into your life. All diets have their own merits and potential downfalls. Having this knowledge will go a long way towards increasing your chances of long-term success.
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