One of the seamless ways to reduce weight is by changing your diet. Yet, the numerous diet plans out there may make it difficult to even start at all. This could be because you are unsure which one is best suited and most effective for you.
Here are 5 best healthy diet plans to help you shed weight and give you an overall feel-good feeling about yourself. What’s more, they offer other health benefits that are beyond weight loss.
1. Plant-based diets
Plant-based diets are effective for weight loss because they are rich in fiber. Fiber, naturally low in high-calorie, helps you stay fuller for longer.
How it works: This vegan diet restricts all animal and animal-derived products like dairy, gelatin, honey, whey, casein, and albumin. Though there are many types of vegan diets, most involve eliminating all meat, poultry, and fish, eggs, and even dairy.
2. Low-carb diets
Low-carb diets are one of the most widely known diets for weight loss. A low-carb diet is low in carbohydrates, primarily found in sugary foods, pasta, and bread. Here, instead of eating carbs, you eat whole foods including fats, vegetables, and proteins
How it works: Basically, the work of low-carb diets is to restrict your carb intake in favor of fat and protein. They’re typically higher in protein than low-fat diets, which is important, as protein can help curb your appetite, raise your metabolism, and conserve muscle mass.
Examples include lean meats, chicken breast, fish, eggs, leafy green vegetables, cauliflower and broccoli, nuts and seeds, and more.
3. Low-fat diets
Like low-carb diets, low-fat diets have been popular for decades. In general, a low-fat diet restricts your fat intake to 30% of your daily calories. They are mainly plant-based with limited animal products.
How it works: Low-fat diets restrict fat intake because fat provides about twice the number of calories per gram, compared with protein and carbs. As low-fat diets restrict calorie intake, they aid weight loss. They have also been linked to a reduced risk of heart disease, stroke, inflammation, and diabetes.
4. The Mediterranean diet
The Mediterranean diet is based on a diet that folks in countries like Italy and Greece eat in the sixties.
How it works: The Mediterranean diet advocates eating many fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, tubers, whole grains, fish, seafood, and additional virgin vegetable oil. Foods such as poultry, eggs, and dairy products are to be eaten in moderation. Red meats are limited.
Mediterranean-style diet may aid weight loss in that it ensures you eat plenty of antioxidant-rich foods, which helps combat inflammation. It has also been linked to reduced risks of heart disease and premature death.
5. Intermittent fasting
Intermittent fasting is a dietary strategy that rotates between periods of fasting and eating. There are several ways to fast. One is the 16/8 method, which involves limiting your calorie intake to 8 hours per day. Another is the 5:2 method, which restricts your daily calorie intake to 500 calories twice per week.
How it works: Intermittent fasting restricts your eating hours, which helps reduce calorie intake. This can cause weight loss — that is, if you don’t eat wantonly during eating periods.
Other benefits include anti-ageing effects, increased insulin sensitivity, improved brain health, among other health benefits.
Watch this video to learn more about foods beneficial to weight loss:
Having gone through this, what will your best healthy diet plans be?
Also Read: 5 Simple Self-Care Practices for Every Area of Your Life