With the rise in the production of processed foods and sugary sweets, obesity is on the rise. Processed foods have hidden sugars that cause you to become addicted and experience cravings. Obesity comes with a plethora of problems: diabetes, high blood pressure, certain types of cancers, osteoarthritis, and many others.
People have become aware of the health issues linked to obesity, and this has given rise to many new types of diets. In this article, we discuss four modern diets that you can adopt in 2019 in order to lead a healthier and happier life.
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1. Mediterranean Diet
The first diet on the list, and probably the most well-known, focuses on the consumption of olive oil, legumes, unrefined cereal, and lots of fruits and vegetables, with a moderate intake of fish, dairy products, and wine. Some of the Mediterranean countries are Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Israel, and Morocco.
However, this diet is mostly inspired by the eating habits of the Greeks and Italians during the 1960s. Several studies have proven that following this diet helps to shed extra weight, promotes brain and heart health, decreases depression, and helps in the prevention of cancer and diabetes. Some famous Mediterranean foods are feta cheese, paella, hummus, couscous, ratatouille, Greek gyros, and more.
2. Flexitarian Diet
This is a new diet that is a combination of the words ‘vegetarian’ and flexible’. The Flexitarian diet focuses on the consumption of plant-based foods and even proteins like nuts, legumes, beans, and lentils, with moderate consumption of meat. T
here is an emphasis on limiting the amount of processed and sugary foods to this diet as well. This diet is inexpensive, and you can easily find whole foods nutrition in the supermarket to meet your dietary plan.
Some health benefits of following this diet are the promotion of weight loss, lowered risk of cardiovascular disease, a reduction in the chances of getting Type 2 Diabetes, and promoting a healthier life. There are numerous dishes you can make in this diet, ranging from soups and salads to different types of pasta and much more.
3. DASH Diet
DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. This dietary plan is promoted by the U.S. based National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to prevent and control hypertension. Hence, the main focus of this diet is to reduce the income of sodium to maintain blood pressure; the sodium you consume should be at 2,300 milligrams (one teaspoon) a day. This diet incorporates fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean meats in it with a strict limitation on the consumption of salt.
Apart from assisting in the promotion of low blood pressure and maintaining heart health, the DASH diet helps promote weight loss, reduces the risk of diabetes, cancer, and metabolic syndrome. Keep in mind that exercise would be the right combination with this diet to maintain heart health.
4. MIND Diet
This diet is actually the combination of two diets: the Mediterranean and the DASH Diets. MIND goes to signify Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay. This diet, as the name suggests, helps to improve brain health. Both the DASH diet and the Mediterranean diet have been shown to improve cognition.
This diet stresses on the consumption of eating at least three servings of whole grains a day, eating a salad and drinking a glass of wine every day, and basically reducing the intake of processed and sugary foods and consuming foods that are good for your brain like almonds, broccoli and the like. This diet improves cognitive function, reduces brain shrinkage, balances cholesterol levels, and helps to lower the risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia.
If you are interested in even more lifestyle-related articles and information from us here at Bit Rebels, then we have a lot to choose from.
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