Most people today look at diet plans to help them lose weight; however, these plans can also serve other purposes such as keeping heart disease and diabetes at bay. With all the different diet plans on offer, choosing the one that is right for you can be a tough job. Take a look at these plans that were evaluated by health experts and received high rankings in a recent survey by U.S. News, and make your decision.
The Mediterranean Diet
Like the Mayo Clinic Diet, the Mediterranean Diet plan helps to achieve and maintain a healthy weight and also prevent or control diabetes, brain and heart disorders and even cancer. Drawing inspiration from the diet of people in the European countries around the Mediterranean Sea, this diet focuses on eating more of nuts, herbs and spices, whole grains, vegetables and fruits, seafood and fish, and cutting down on red meat, saturated fat foods and sugar. With its emphasis on mono- and polyunsaturated fats and avoidance of saturated fat, this diet is effective at reducing bad cholesterol and keeping blood pressure low. Although it is one of the top diet programs, the only possible weakness lies in the fact that the plan is not a structured one and so, the onus lies on you to come up with a calorie chart to follow.
TLC Diet
If your aim is to cut down high cholesterol levels, go with the TLC (Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes) Diet developed by the National Institutes of Health. This is one of the top diet programs endorsed by the American Heart Association and with its ability to cut down on the “bad” LDL cholesterol in about two months; it is one of the best diets for those with hypertension. With this diet plan, you need to choose your target calorie levels depending on whether you want to just lower LDL cholesterol or also lose weight. By cutting down on saturated fat and adding in polyunsaturated fats and soluble fiber, you will begin to see tangible results.
The Mayo Clinic Diet
Developed and tested by the renowned Mayo Clinic, this is one of the top diet programs if you are looking at weight loss. According to experts, following this diet can help you lose anywhere between 6 and 10 pounds in a two-week period; if you go strictly by the guidelines, you could continue losing about a pound or two every week.
This diet is based on following a food pyramid the Mayo Clinic proposes in which the focus is on low-calorie foods such as vegetables, fruits and whole grains. However, no food group is totally excluded and this makes this one of the top diet programs that is effective for weight loss without a loss of balance. This diet program consists of two parts – losing weight, and living a healthy life and this gives it additional benefits of preventing as well as controlling diabetes and cardiovascular conditions.
Of course, when you are looking at comprehensive weight loss, it is not just the calories you consume, but also the calories you burn, that matter. Combine one of these diet programs with regular exercise and an active lifestyle, and gift yourself a fit and healthy body.
*Author’s Bio: Ray Lehigh is a person with great passion for writing; he has written many articles on different topics like top diet programs. You can look out for more on his other blogs related to health and beauty.