5 Healthy Diets that are supported by Science

 

The authoritative American source U.S. News & World Report recently released a list of the best diets of 2020. We studied them together with the director of the National Research Center “Healthy Nutrition” Zinaida Medvedeva. And identified the five healthiest diets.

Author: Dr. Usama Mujahid 

1. Mediterranean

In first place in the U.S. News & World Report, like many other rankings over the past few years. In fact, this is the usual diet of the population of the Mediterranean region.

What it consists of: no limitation fruits, vegetables, omega-3 rich seafood, olive oil, nuts. Saturated fat, red meat, and added sugars are only allowed in small amounts. But you can afford a glass of red wine and cheese for dinner.

Pros: Reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes; does not require fasting, which means that it will help not only to lose weight, but also to stay in the desired weight - you can stick to it all your life.

Cons: Fresh quality fruits and fish are quite expensive.

2. Scandinavian

The Nordic countries adapted the Mediterranean diet to their own conditions and called it the Scandinavian nutrition plan. Doctors believe that such a diet has a great effect on the prevention of cardiovascular diseases and prolongs life.

What it consists of: the basis of nutrition - leafy greens, vegetables, as well as unsaturated fats - from vegetable oil, fish, nuts. Limit or exclude animals and trans fats, sugar, refined, that is, completely processed, foods, meat and milk.

Sample menu for the day *

Breakfast: sugar-free yogurt with berries and a drop of honey.

Snack: a pinch of almonds.

Lunch: fish with leafy herbs and vinaigrette.

Dinner: Chicken breast garnished with dark rice and stewed vegetables: a mixture of beans, carrots and sweet onions.

3. DASH (Dash)

This nutritional system was developed by cardiologists. The title is encrypted "Diet food for the fight against hypertension." Hypertension is one of the main causes of death in people. For the treatment to be effective, it is necessary to support it with proper nutrition.

What it is: Eat whole grains, fruits and vegetables, low-fat dairy products, and lean protein such as poultry, fish, nuts, and beans.

The DASH diet is low in fat and cholesterol. The main sources of fats are vegetable oils rich in omega-3 and omega-6, and some vegetables, such as avocados.

Reducing salt intake is very important for hypertension; Use herbs and spices to add flavor to foods.

Pros: People tend to lose or maintain their weight, have lower blood pressure and a lower risk of heart and kidney disease.

Cons: not focused specifically on losing weight.

Sample menu for the day

Breakfast: fruit salad with yogurt and walnuts, whole wheat bread with vegetable spread, tea.

Snack: a mixture of seeds, nuts and dried fruits.

Lunch: homemade boiled chicken shawarma with turmeric and vegetables.

Dinner: Whole grain spaghetti with unsalted tomato sauce, a salad of leafy greens and nectarine, seasoned with olive oil.

4. Flexitarianism

In English, flexitarian is a combination of flexible and vegetarian. Simply put, a flexitarian is a vegetarian who sometimes eats meat.

What it consists of: The basis of the diet is vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts and seeds. Plant foods rich in vitamins and antioxidants help keep the body youthful and fight inflammation.

A complete rejection of meat, dairy products and eggs is not required, but their number is limited, - comments Zinaida Medvedeva. - Vegetable products will occupy the main place on the table.

Pros: Studies show that dieting can help you lose weight and improve your metabolism. Blood pressure is normalized, the risk of type 2 diabetes is reduced, and inflammatory processes in the body are fought.

Cons: Many flexitarians are turning completely vegetarian over time. But plant proteins cannot replace animals entirely, and this can cause health problems.

Sample menu for the day

Breakfast: 150 g of cottage cheese (low fat or low fat), vegetables (bell peppers) and herbs - lettuce and parsley.

Snack: an apple, a small banana, a handful of nuts.

Lunch: vegetable soup with potatoes, beans, cauliflower.

Afternoon snack: a glass of orange juice, 3 - 4 pcs. any dried fruits, 3 pcs. almonds.

Dinner: bean puree, vegetable salad without oil, any cabbage, stewed without oil.

5. Weight watchers

A diet with such a strange name in 1961 was invented by an American housewife who gathered a group of friends to lose weight together. Today, Weight Watchers has offices around the world, and weight loss techniques and aids are distributed commercially.

Weight Watchers' diet is based on scoring. Each product is assigned a certain number of points, and the task is not to score more points per day than necessary. Losing weight keeps a diary, where he writes down in detail how much and what was eaten.

Pros: there is no need to study the composition of the products and their properties. It is enough to compare the dishes on the table with detailed tables.

Minuses:

Initially, the weight monitoring system only counted calories. Over time, it was improved by calculating the required amount of proteins, fats, carbohydrates and fiber. But the oddities in the recommendations are still encountered.

Complete tables are commercially available.

It is difficult to maintain a diet for a long time, since the number of allowed points decreases all the time.

Sample menu for the day

Breakfast: sandwich with soft cheese of low fat content, a couple of onion slices and smoked red fish (30 g) - 4 points. Coffee with cream and sugar -

1 point.

Snack: 1 apple, yogurt - 180 g (3 points).

Lunch: puree soup with vegetables, a sandwich with rye bread, tomato, basil and feta cheese - 5 points.

Snack: smoothie with low-fat yogurt (250 g), a handful of berries and a banana - 3 points.

Dinner: oatmeal in milk - 150 g, raisins - 2 tsp, natural honey - 1 tsp, orange juice - 1 glass (total 6 points).

To keep the brain young

The MIND diet was developed by scientists at the University of Chicago Rush based on research conducted by the National Institute on Aging. Scientists have studied the prevention of age-related diseases of the nervous system. It was found that it is this diet that improves the mental functions of the nervous system, reduces the risk of developing dementia, and even allows you to increase the thickness of the cerebral cortex.

Proper nutrition for older people is especially important.

The consumption of trans fats increases the risk of getting Alzheimer's at least 4 times, says Zinaida Medvedeva. - The latest research has shown that cholesterol plays a major role in the development of the disease: it damages nerve cells and the connections between them.

What it is: Secrets of foods that are good for the brain. These include green leafy vegetables, nuts and berries, legumes, whole grains, lean fish and poultry. Scientists are especially focusing on leafy vegetables. They are a powerful source of lutein, which can help keep your mind sharp as you age.

The following foods should be avoided: red meat, fatty dairy products, baked goods and sweets, fried foods and fast food.

To stick to and benefit from this diet, you need to eat at least 3 servings of whole grains daily, one green leafy vegetable and another any other vegetable, drink a glass of wine every day, take mostly nuts for a snack, eat legumes every other day. eat poultry and berries at least twice a week, and eat fish at least once a week. Refuel food with vegetable oil, olive or rapeseed, explains our expert.

Pros: Diet reduces the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease and slows down cognitive impairment in the elderly by 35 - 53%. The scatter in the data depends on how strictly they followed the diet.

Cons: fish, berries, fresh vegetables are far from affordable for all elderly people.

Sample menu for the day

Breakfast: oatmeal with blueberries and almonds.

Snack: a mixture of seeds, nuts and dried fruits.

Lunch: salad of cabbage and quinoa with almonds, tomatoes, broccoli, dressing - olive oil and apple cider vinegar.

Dinner: Fried chicken breast with brown rice, broccoli, cauliflower, peppers and cashews.