It’s imperative to combine a healthy diet plan with your exercise regime, and a great time to do this is at the start of a new year. However, the umpteen choices of diet plans out there can leave one confused when it comes to picking the right diet based on the goal.
Here are some well-researched diets that can help you reach your weight goals for 2023.
Mediterranean Diet
This diet is seen more as a way of eating than a strict diet plan. It includes loading up on vegetables, fruits, beans, lentils and nuts and switching to whole grains, like whole-wheat bread or brown rice, according to Cleveland Clinic. Moderate amounts of fish, seafood, dairy and poultry are also included with little to no red meat. Small amounts of red wine can be a guilt-free pleasure.
In addition to weight loss, research has also found that this diet can lower the risk of heart disease and support healthy aging.
DASH diet
The main objective of the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet is to reduce high blood pressure, and a study found that when paired with exercise, the diet can aid weight loss.
“The diet contains lean meat and fish, low-fat dairy, whole grains, unsaturated fats and fruit and vegetables,” Dr. Deborah Lee from Fox Pharmacy told Live Science. “High fat, high sugar, and high salt foods should all be avoided.”
The number of servings allowed from each food group is set in this diet.
For instance, “you will be eating roughly 2,000 calories per day, including six to eight portions of whole grains, four to five portions of fruit and vegetables, two to three portions of low-fat dairy (such as yogurt), and one ounce of low-fat meat or poultry, or one egg …,” Lee explained.
Volumetrics Diet
What you eat is less important than how much of it you eat in the Volumetrics diet. The diet is less restrictive than other diets and includes having larger quantities of low-calorie, healthy foods over others.
Based on nutrition scientist Dr. Barbara Rolls’ books, the diet puts food into four categories to meet the calorie goal for the day. The diet usually sets 1,400 calories per day as the standard goal but can be adjusted.
Category one (calorie density under 0.6) includes foods with high water content to help you feel full.
Category two (calorie density 0.7 to 1.5) includes foods that are healthy when moderately consumed.
Category three (calorie density 1.6 to 3.9) includes fairly healthy foods consumed in small portions.
Category four (calorie density 4 to 9) contains processed or fatty foods that should be consumed rarely.
MIND diet
This diet could help promote healthy weight loss and recommends consuming “brain healthy” foods to prevent dementia and loss of brain function as you age, according to Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
The diet includes healthy items—whole grains, vegetables, green leafy vegetables, nuts, beans, berries, poultry, fish and olive oil (if added fat is used)—that should be included in meals while unhealthy items like pastries and sweets, red meat, cheese, fried foods and butter should be limited.
The weekly servings for these items can be found here.