What’s the best diet for 2021? Mediterranean, flexitarian and DASH topped the list



[ad_1]

For the fourth year in a row, the Mediterranean diet has ranked first among the best diets, according to the annual list of US News & World Report. DASH and flexitarian diets tied for second place in global diets; the first focuses on lowering blood pressure and the second is a modified vegetarian diet. Experts say such rankings are not surprising because the three diets share similarities: They are easy to follow, and focus on foods people can include, not exclude.

“The Mediterranean model of eating is that it’s really all about the foods you add as opposed to the foods you take out,” said Maya Feller, dietitian in Brooklyn, TODAY. “What you see with this eating pattern is that it supports multiple cultures and foods, where sometimes a ‘conventional diet’ means you have to eat that specific way and doesn’t allow that flexibility and individualization.

Here are the best diets of 2021, according to US News & World Report’s panel of nationally recognized health experts:

Is Noom a good diet?

For the first time, the post reviewed Noom, which offers support to its members through its app. Noom tied Jenny Craig for third in the Best Commercial Diets category and 12th overall.

When it comes to commercial diets, WW (formerly Weight Watchers) ranked first while the Mayo Clinic diet came in second.

“It’s a very good performance (for Noom). It’s been a while since we’ve had a new diet that came along that worked so well in its very first year, ”said Angela Haupt, senior health editor at US News & World Report, TODAY ‘ HUI. “It was one of the highlights for me, learning more about a new diet and seeing it do so well. It’s a good diet that will be a wise choice for many people.

Additional support may be more important than ever when considering changing your eating habits.

“There is a strong psychological component in Noom, which is not necessarily in other eating habits. It can be helpful, “Leslie Bonci, registered dietitian and owner of Active Eating Advice, told TODAY, adding that it is essential” especially right now when people are feeling so incredibly isolated because of the pandemic.

Diets like Whole30 and keto, which are popular, continue to work poorly because they can be difficult to follow. The post first looked at the modified keto diet, but it also fell to the bottom of the list, coming in at 35 on the overall diet, tied with Whole30. Keto was ranked 37th out of 39 diets.

“He didn’t have the absolute bottom of the barrel, but he also didn’t perform as well as I was wondering if it was possible,” Haupt said. “It’s a healthier version of keto … It’s a less drastic form of that classic keto diet, which has never ranked well for us.”

The publication also looked at meal delivery kits, which became more popular during the pandemic.

“We explored the meal kits, but in terms of matching them to the best diet,” Haupt said. “If you’re someone who enjoys receiving your food delivery kits as you think about which diet is best for you in 2021, I think you want to see what those options are.”

Is anyone even thinking of a diet in 2021?

After lockdowns, social distancing and an ongoing pandemic, many don’t even want to think about weight loss or dieting. And experts say they shouldn’t. Instead, they should be thinking about eating for health.

“This year has had so much negativity in so many ways that when people think of food it’s very negative, ‘What do I have to give up? Said Bonci. “It becomes another negative thing in all the things we don’t do. So we judge ourselves on what we could do better. And that doesn’t necessarily promote good mental health, nor does it necessarily promote good physical health.

Feller said right now that she tells her patients to forget the numbers on the scale.

“In terms of conversation, that’s not what we’re talking about. We’re talking about specific metabolic markers: where is your blood sugar? What does your blood pressure look like? What does your lipid profile look like? Where is your cholesterol? she said. “What I have found with my patients is that these numbers are much more predictive of their state of health. When we think about these numbers, how do you change your diet and lifestyle? “

As the Top Three Diets encourage, incorporating more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains into your diet doesn’t make healthy eating obnoxious. And it can have a real impact on a person’s overall health – it could accidentally lead to weight loss.

“These eating habits are really reasonable, aren’t they? They are durable. They are customizable. They allow some flexibility. They allow religious and cultural variation, ”Feller said. “For the average person trying to impact their metabolic health, there will likely be great clinical results.”

These eating habits are also compatible with different budgets. As a result of the Covid-19 crisis, more than 50 million Americans, including 17 million children, face food insecurity, according to Feeding America. The country’s largest anti-hunger organization said it was a 50% increase from last year.

“The number of food insecure people has increased dramatically since the start of the pandemic,” Feller said. “We’re going to have to think about accessibility. If you can get dry beans, and if you have dry beans, you can cook a million dishes and that’s one of those three eating habits.

Filling up on something like dry beans or whole grains may also reduce the number of trips to the grocery store, also reducing the risk of exposure to Covid-19.

Focus on overall health

When people are considering changing their eating habits, Feller recommends that they think about their overall health and their ability to keep up with it.

“Once you limit yourself to the point that you can’t include certain foods, then a psychological component arises from that, that’s an unwanted outcome,” she says.

The answers to these questions matter much more than a number on a scale.

[ad_2]

Source link