The holidays are all about family bonding and a little overindulgence in some good food. There is nothing wrong with this; however, it is important to get back into a healthy routine after the holidays. Besides training hard at the gym, you should be aware of certain diets that can help you lose the holiday weight. If you find yourself on the fence about trying new diets to facilitate weight loss, this article has the answers.
Chapter Overview
The Mediterranean Diet
Statistics report that those who live in the Mediterranean tend to live longer and suffer less from cancer and other cardiovascular diseases. The secret to their long life and strong immune system is a diet that is low in red meat, saturated fat, and sugar. The Mediterranean diet is helpful because the diet is high in fruits, whole grains, vegetables, nuts, legumes, beans, spices, fresh herbs, olive oil, and seafood. This diet will have you consuming eggs, chicken, and dairy in moderation. Save the sweet foods and red meat for special occasions. When you follow this diet, you will keep off the weight and protect yourself from chronic diseases—an easy-to-follow diet that is versatile and flexible.
The DASH Diet
DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. It was originally developed to combat high blood pressure, yet, it is an all-rounded method like the Mediterranean diet. It will help you lose weight, reduce the likelihood of getting chronic diseases and improve your health – a versatile option that is easy to follow. It is the kind of diet that emphasises vegetable consumption, lean protein, fruits, low-fat dairy, and whole grains. The DASH diet encourages you to consume more nutrients such as protein, calcium, fibre, and potassium. This diet will have you restrict foods high in sugar, full-fat dairy, and saturated fats. Since the DASH diet encourages nutritious meals and provides you with a balanced diet for your meals, it is best accompanied by exercise and weight training to build muscle.
The Flexitarian Diet
As the name states, the flexitarian diet comprises vegetarianism and flexibility. If you are a meat-eater, you may be tempted to stop reading; however, that is not necessary: you can have your meat, just a little less than what you are used to. The goal is to reduce the amount of meat you consume and replace it with other non-meat foods. Meat may be replaced with peas, egg proteins, bean, vegetables, fruits, dairy, spices, sugar and whole grains. The lack of meat in this diet should not scare you because you can still consume it in smaller portions when you have the urge. Just like the DASH diet, exercise and training are recommended for the flexitarian diet.
The Mayo Clinic Diet
If your only goal is to lose weight, the best thing for you might be the Mayo Clinic diet. In as much as it focuses on losing weight, it promotes overall well-being and healthy living; the diet modifies your original eating habits. This means that it replaces the bad eating habits with the good ones via its food pyramid. The food pyramid emphasises fruits, whole grains and vegetables. With these foods, you can eat more and end up consuming very few calories. Also, this diet provides you with a wide range of foods rich in fats, carbs and proteins. The Mayo Clinic diet works in two crucial phases. The first phase focuses on fifteen very important habits you must add and those you need to drop. The second phase focuses on how many calories your body needs to maintain that weight or lose it. This diet also encourages exercising for thirty to sixty minutes every single day.
The MIND Diet
The MIND diet is a combination of the Mediterranean diet and the DASH diet. The main difference being, it focuses more on food that affects the brain’s health. Initially, it was designed to lower your risk of contracting brain disorders; it is also very helpful for weight loss and general well-being. The MIND diet is a low carb diet that helps bring about quick weight loss results. Therefore, if your main aim is to shed off that holiday weight, this diet may be what you need. The MIND Diet encourages the consumption of leafy greens, berries and nuts.
Final thoughts
When it comes to weight loss, you should remember that it is primarily determined by the amount of energy we take in from foods we consume and dispense when we workout.