While many diets claim to offer fast results, many of these so-called fad diets are unhealthy. Any diet that limits consumption of carbs, fats and other nutrients should be avoided because these are essential components of good health. Instead, a diet rich in vitamins and nutrients and well-balanced meals is the healthiest way to go. There are diet plans out there that are both healthy and can provide quick results.
MyPyramid Plan
One of the quickest and easiest ways to begin eating a healthy diet is by trying out the U.S. Department of Agriculture's MyPyramid Plan. Created in 2005 in an effort to make the USDA's Dietary Guidelines a bit easier to follow, MyPyramid allows you to get a free customized diet plan within minutes. Simply enter your age, gender, body weight, height and amount of daily exercise. MyPyramid then determines your ideal daily caloric intake as well as the types of foods you should be focusing on based on recommendations in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The primary food groups in this diet plan include vegetables, whole grains, fruits, low-fat dairy and lean meats or other protein sources.
DASH Diet
The DASH, or Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, diet plan was developed by the American Heart Association, or AHA, in an effort to help lower the blood pressure of people afflicted with hypertension. This diet plan was the basis for many of the USDA's dietary guidelines. In addition to helping people lower their blood pressure, the DASH diet program has been shown to help people lose 10 to 35 lbs. within just a few months, according to DASHDiet.org. This healthy diet plan is a straightforward and easy approach to eating healthy meals. The DASH plan shows you exactly which foods to eat and how much of them to consume each day. The premise of this diet is eating a low calorie, high fiber and highly nutritious diet.
Vegetarianism
Recognized as a healthy lifestyle by many health organizations, including the AHA, USDA and branches of the National Institutes of Health, vegetarian diets offer the advantage of being low in calories and high in nutritional value. Vegetarian diets don't have to be difficult to follow, although the AHA recommends paying special attention to several important nutrients. These nutrients include protein, iron, vitamin B-12, calcium, vitamin D and zinc. In order to ensure you're getting enough of these vitamins and nutrients, the AHA recommends eating well-balanced meals full of a variety of vegetables, fruits, enriched soy products, vitamin-fortified cereals, whole grains, nuts and kale. Additionally, make sure you get outside for a few minutes each day in order to get enough vitamin D from sunlight.
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