U.S. News ranked 35 diets with input from a panel of health experts, and I’m glad that my personal favorite Flexitarian diet ranks the third best in all the diets. I’m going to share the top 3 diets with you with their scores in three categories (overall, weight loss, healthy.)
First, a table that give you a quick view of these three diets:
Name | Mediterranean Diet | DASH Diet | The Flexitarian Diet |
Ranking | 1 | 2 | 3 |
Overall Score | 4.2/5 | 4.1/5 | 4.1/5 |
Weight Loss Score | 3/5 | 3.1/5 | 3.4/5 |
Healthy Score | 4.8/5 | 4.8/5 | 4.7/5 |
Pros | · Nutritionally sound · Diverse foods and flavors | · Heart healthy · Nutritionally sound | · Flexible · Lots of (tasty) recipes |
Cons | · Lots of grunt work · Moderately pricey | · Lots of grunt work · Somewhat pricey | · Emphasis on home cooking · Might be tough if you don’t like fruits and veggies |
Mediterranean Diet
Mediterranean diet refers to a diet that follows the general principles of diets in countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea where people live longer and suffer less than most Americans from cancer and cardiovascular ailments.
Keywords:
- low in red meat, sugar and saturated fat
- high in produce, nuts and other healthful foods
Benefits:
- weight loss
- heart and brain health
- cancer prevention
- diabetes prevention and control
Principles:
- eating enough fruits, veggies, whole grains, beans, nuts, legumes, olive oil, and flavorful herbs and spices
- fish and seafood at least a couple of times a week; and poultry, eggs, cheese and yogurt in moderation
- saving sweets and red meat for special occasions
- a splash of red wine (a glass per day for women and two glasses per day for men, if you want)
- staying physically active
DASH Diet
DASH Diet stands for dietary approaches to stop hypertension.
Keywords:
- fruits, veggies, whole grains, lean protein and low-fat dairy
- high in blood pressure-deflating nutrients (potassium, calcium, protein and fiber)
Benefits:
- stop or prevent hypertension
- aka high blood pressure
Principles:
- adding one vegetable or fruit serving to every meal.
- introducing two or more meat-free meals each week.
- using herbs and spices to make food tastier without the salt.
- snacking on almonds or pecans instead of a bag of chips.
- switching white flour to whole-wheat flour when possible.
- taking a 15-minute walk after lunch or dinner (or both).
The Flexitarian Diet
Flexitarian is a combination of two words: flexible and vegetarian.
Keywords:
- plant-heavy
- less meat
Benefits:
- lose weight
- improve overall health
- lower rate of heart disease, diabetes and cancer
- live longer
Principles:
- adding five food groups to your diet – not taking any away. These are: the "new meat" (non-meat proteins like beans, peas or eggs); fruits and veggies; whole grains; dairy; and sugar and spice.
- three-four-five regimen: Breakfast choices are around 300 calories, lunches 400 and dinners 500. Snacks are about 150 calories each; add two, and your daily total clocks in at 1,500 calories.
What are you waiting for? Follow your favorite diet and care for your health in the first year of the second decades in the 21st century!
