Fad diets and extreme calorie restriction diets may be popular, but they are not the healthiest ways to eat because they often deprive the body of essential nutrients that it needs to function and thrive. Nutritious, balanced diets may be slower to bring about progress, but they're also more likely to encourage long-term weight loss and improve overall health.
Food Pyramid
An eating plan that follows the United States Department of Agriculture's food pyramid recommendations is one of the most common healthy diets. The pyramid emphasizes variety to ensure balanced nutrition, and most of the foods it includes are fresh, unrefined and low in fat and calories. The pyramid's five groups are lean proteins, low-fat and nonfat dairy products, vegetables, fruits and grains, with a focus on whole grains. The pyramid also calls for limiting fats, oils and sweets, which can help accelerate weight loss.
Substitution Diet
HelpGuide.org proposes a diet that makes a series of slow changes toward better health and weight loss by using a substitution system. With the diet, followers make one or two adjustments to their eating at a time. The adjustments traditionally result in lower net intake of calories, fat and sugar. As they grow accustomed to those adjustments, dieters can change new things. For example, a starting point might be to give up soda and drink water throughout the day instead. Next, it could be helpful to start drinking regular coffee instead of flavored lattes. Eating fresh fruit instead of high-calorie desserts and fresh vegetables instead of high-fat snacks are other healthy options.
Whole Foods Diet
According to the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, the whole foods diet "controls the intake of refined sugars or flour and encourages intake of whole, unprocessed food." Dieters eat mainly fresh fruits and vegetables, reduced-fat dairy, fish, lean meats and some whole grains. The Health Sciences Center notes that the whole foods diet is especially helpful for people who are obese or have hypertension or glucose intolerance. Participants normally consume fewer carbohydrates and far fewer fast and processed foods than are found in the traditional Western diet, which can help stimulate long-term weight loss.
Veganism
Vegans do not eat any meat or animal products, including dairy, eggs and honey. Not all vegan foods are unprocessed, fresh or low in calories and fat, but many people who follow a vegan diet end up taking in fewer calories and smaller amounts of fat, sugar and cholesterol than vegetarians or omnivores. The Vegetarian Resource Group notes that the bulk of most vegans' diet comes from fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds and legumes. It can be difficult to follow a vegan diet, but the foods it recommends are very effective at promoting weight loss.
Member Comments