Fad diets come and go. Bypass the hype and choose a practical, nutritionally sound food plan that is rooted in science and has stood the test of time. Better yet, healthy diets are easily accessible, cost effective and will get your doctor's approval. Complete with resources to download and handy online gadgets, some of these diet plans will even do all the calorie counting and menu planning for you.
MyPyramid
Diet plans from MyPyramid.gov are centered around the basic food groups, healthy eating tips and individual caloric requirements. Your calorie needs are determined using your age, activity level, height, weight and current body mass index or BMI. Your personal goals--weight gain, maintenance or loss--are also taken into account. Once it's been determined how many calories and servings you need each day, a diet plan can be formulated that is tailored to fit you. Recipes, food information, meal planning suggestions and printable guides help you create a diet that is nutritionally sound and flexible enough to complement your lifestyle.
Shape Up America!
Based on the scientific evidence that obesity is not just an appearance problem but a serious health condition, diet plans at Shape Up America concentrate on sensible eating and healthy weight loss goals. A trip through the CyberKitchen at Shape Up America will walk you through calculating your body mass index, determining your nutritional needs and allowing you to choose between gaining, losing or maintaining your current body weight. Utilize a large database of recipes to help you put together healthy meals on your own or eliminate the work by selecting an already prepared food plan. Budget and vegetarian menu options are also available.
Diabetic Diet
If you think the diabetic diet is just for people who've been diagnosed with diabetes, think again. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, almost 8 percent of Americans have diabetes. Approximately 5.7 million of those who have diabetes are undiagnosed. Millions more have pre-diabetes and would benefit from the blood glucose stabilizing effects of a diabetic diet. Diabetic diets are trickier to put together, but well worth it when one considers the health benefits. Beyond improving blood glucose levels, a diabetic diet can help you reach and maintain a healthy weight and also improve your blood pressure and cholesterol level. In addition, MyFoodAdvisor, a resource provided by the American Diabetes Association, helps users to modify their diets to include low fat and low sodium diet options.
References
- American Diabetes Association: Food & Fitness: Planning Meals
- Shape Up America! Healthy Weight for Life: About Us
- U.S. Department of Agricultulre: MyPyramid.gov: About Us
- U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Diabetes: Successes and Opportunities for Population-Based Prevention and Control: At A Glance 2010
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