You can lose weight following any diet as long as you eat fewer calories than your body needs. The hard part is keeping it off. The trick to long-term weight-loss success is to find a diet you can follow for life. Meal plans that focus on creating healthy habits and making smart food choices work best. Meal plans for a healthy lifestyle should include a variety of healthy foods you enjoy eating.
Mediterranean Diet
The Mediterranean diet is best known as a heart-healthy diet. But people who follow the Mediterranean style of eating also have lower rates of some cancers and Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases, according to MayoClinic.com. The Mediterranean diet is a primarily plant-based diet and encourages you to eat more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, legumes and olive oil. This high-fiber, low-saturated-fat diet can help lower your cholesterol levels and help you better manage your weight. The diet also recommends you eat more fish, specifically fatty fish such as tuna and salmon. The omega-3 fatty acids in these foods lower both blood pressure and cholesterol levels. The diet also suggests you limit your intake of foods high in saturated fat like red meat and butter. Red wine is also part of the diet in moderation, but intake is optional.
The DASH Diet
The DASH diet, or Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, was originally designed to help people lower their blood pressure. But it has also been shown to help promote healthy weights and reduce risk of heart attack and strokes. The diet encourages a high intake of fruits and vegetables, at least nine servings a day. The potassium and magnesium in fruits and vegetables have been shown to help lower blood pressure. Low-fat and nonfat dairy foods are also recommended on the DASH diet. Adequate calcium intake also helps to control blood pressure. The diet encourages the intake of whole grains, lean proteins, nuts, seeds and legumes. Sodium intake is limited to 1,500 mg to 2,300 mg a day depending on your blood pressure.
Vegetarian Diet
A vegetarian diet excludes all meat, fowl, fish and food products containing these ingredients. A well-planned vegetarian diet can adequately meet your nutrient needs and is appropriate at any age or stage of life. People who follow a vegetarian diet have lower rates of heart disease, lower blood pressures, lower cholesterol levels and reduced rates of type 2 diabetes. Vegetarians also tend to have lower cancer rates. The diet primarily consists of fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Nuts, seeds and legumes act as sources of protein. Soy products, such as tofu and tempeh, provide vegetarians with a complete source of protein and act as a source of calcium.
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