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The Most Popular Diets Of 2022: A Closer Look
Over the years, health experts and nutritionists come up with different types of diets, for various reasons and benefits. People get to try out these diets, and based on results gotten, some trends fade away, others still remain, standing strong.
From the Mediterranean diet, to the Gut and Psychology Syndrome (GAPS) Diet, there are over thirty-nine healthy diets. This article sheds light on the four of the most popular diets in 2022, and what makes them stand out.
Keep reading to learn more.
The Four Most Popular Diets of 2022
Out of all the trending diets, the Mediterranean, the DASH, the MIND and the Flexitarian diets are standing as, not just the best diets, but the most popular diets so far, this year.
Let's have a closer look.
- The Mediterranean Diet
The Mediterranean diet restricts fast or processed foods, added sugars, added salts, red meat and refined grains. It typically consists of nuts, whole grains, seeds, healthy fats, fruits and vegetables.
This diet was put together based on the feeding habits of dwellers around the Mediterranean sea, as these people were seen to be free of chronic diseases and very healthy, you can check up this website for details. For drinks and beverages, water is the top on the least. Coffee and tea without added sugar is also allowed.
There's no strict rule concerning the diet, as each Mediterranean region has its own unique eating style. However, certain constituents are constant, and a little modification has been done around others.
Some benefits of this diet include:
- It favors brain function.
- It promoted heart health.
- It aids prevention of high blood sugar levels.
A typical Mediterranean diet consists of:
- Healthy plant sources: Vegetables, nuts, legumes, seeds, fruits, whole grains,
- Fish, poultry and seafood.
- Healthy fats: Virgin olive oil and avocado oil.
- Beverages: Water, coffee and tea ( without added sugars), red wine ( in limited amounts).
Drinks containing added sugars, all forms of processed foods, and trans fats are totally avoided. This is the go-to diet for people looking towards a more healthy diet for a healthy life.
- The DASH Diet.
DASH is an acronym for Dietary approaches to stop hypertension. It is a diet meant for people with high blood pressure and /or other heart diseases. It is also meant for people looking towards a healthy heart, those who want to reduce the risk of coming down with heart diseases.
This is a very thoughtful approach, as diet plays an essential role in either causing or preventing these heart complications over time. With hypertension being one of the leading causes of untimely death in the 21st century, if diet can go a long way in preventing this, then it's worth the delving into.
The diet consists typically of the following in specific amounts:
- Vegetables: 4-5 servings a day.
- Fruits: 4-5 servings a day.
- Healthy fats: to be taken in limited quantities, 2-3 servings a day.
- Diary products: to be taken in limited quantities, 2-3 servings a day.
- Whole grains: 6-8 servings a day.
- Lean meat: Including fish and poultry, 6 or less servings a day. Red meat should be greatly reduced.
- Candy or added sugars: 5 or less servings a week.
The DASH diet also includes limiting alcohol intake and incorporating moderate exercise into our daily routine.
- The Flexitarian Diet.
The flexitarian diet is basically a flexible vegetarian diet. It consists of more plants based foods and very little animal sources. It was developed by the dietitian, Dawn Jackson Blatner, to help people enjoy the benefits of a vegetarian diet, while enjoying little from the animal source as well.
A typical flexitarian diet has no strict rules, but will consist of:
- Vegetables and fruits.
- Whole grain.
- Fats and proteins from plant sources.
- Very little added sugars or candy.
- Very little processed foods.
- Animal products such as meat and egg, once in a while.
Benefits of the Flexitarian diet are as follows:
- Helps to improve heart health.
A study conducted in 2020 revealed that vegetarians and flexitarians had lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, than people who consumed much animal based foods.
- Helps in weight reduction.
Plant based foods are rich sources of fiber and they also.contain fewer calories. The flexitarian diet, being close to the vegetarian diet, greatly helps with weight loss.
- Helps in prevention of diabetes.
Reduction in the consumption of added sugars is one of the ways of preventing type 2 diabetes. The flexitarian diet greatly helps in this.
- Helps in fighting cancer.
Plant based meals are rich sources of antioxidants, which helps to eliminate cancer causing free radicals from the body.
- The MIND Diet.
MIND is an acronym for Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay. It is a diet put together for the purpose of preventing mental degeneration, or decline in brain function.
It consists of food from the Mediterranean and DASH diets that have been shown to have positive effects on brain function. It is a more detailed kind of diet that specifies the exact food to eat more of, and which to eat less of.
Studies have shown that people who follow this diet have more healthy brain function compared to those who do no. The MIND doet is thought to work by greatly reducing inflammation and oxidative stress.
Foods one can freely eat more of, due to their positive effects on brain health include:
- Berries.
- Vegetables, especially green leafy ones.
- Nuts.
- Fish.
- Olive oil.
- Poultry.
- Beans.
- Whole grains.
Foods to avoid based on the MIND diet include:
- Processed and fast foods.
- Cheese.
- Butter.
- Red meat.
- Magerine.
- Fried foods.
Studies have shown that consistently consuming meals containing more of these have a negative effect on brain health.
Factors To Keep In Mind When Choosing A Diet
To get the desired results, the diet plan has to be followed to the latter. Opting in and out of diets is not encouraged.
- Staying hydrated is extremely important. Regardless of the diet type, your overall water intake should not be less than 6 to 8 glasses per day.
- It is always safer to limit intake if added sugars and salt, to reduce the risk of diabetic complications and heart diseases in the future.
Conclusion
The Mediterranean diet, the MIND diet, the Flexiterian diet and the DASH diets have grown to become not just the best, but the most popular diets of the year, 2022.
The first diet was put together to mimick the lifestyle of the inhabitants of the Mediterranean region. This is because they are healthy people who hardly come down with chronic diseases.
The DASH diet was put together to reduce the risk of developing high blood pressure. It encourages heart-friendly foods and eliminates foods that can have a negative impact on the heart.
The Flexitarian diet comprises a flexible vegetarian diet. It is a vegetarian diet that makes allowances for little animal-based meals. These animal based meals are the safe ones, such as lean meat and seafood.
The MIND diet comprises both the Mediterranean and the DASH diets, with emphasis on foods that have scientifically proven benefits for the brain. It is a diet for people looking towards improving brain functions and preventing mental degeneration.
One similarity with all four diets is the incorporation of fruits and vegetables. This goes a long way in showing that fruits and vegetables are extremely important for a healthy life. They should never be left out of any meal.
Stay healthy!
