ATLANTA (CNN) – The gold medal for the best diet in 2021 returned to the Mediterranean regime for the fourth consecutive year, according to the rankings announced on Monday by US News & World Report.
Related to silver was the DASH diet, which means dietary approaches to stop hypertension, and the flexor diet, which encourages being vegetarian most of the time, but is flexible enough to allow for a burger from time to time.
What do all these diets have in common? They stress reducing or eliminating processed foods and focus on meals full of fruits, vegetables, beans, lentils, whole grains, nuts and seeds.
The Dukin and keto diets, which stress the consumption of foods rich in protein or high in fat, with minimal carbohydrates, have entered the last and last in the ranking of diets. These diets are usually poorly evaluated by experts because they are extremely restrictive, difficult to follow and eliminate whole food groups, which is not recommended by dietary guidelines.
To judge diets, a group of experts in heart disease and diabetes, nutrition, diet, food psychology and obesity reviewed diet research in medical journals, government reports and other resources.
“We convened a group of 24 experts who live and breathe diet, weight loss and obesity,” said Angela Haupt, general health editor at US News & World Report.
“Score each diet on several different measures: how easy it is to follow, how likely it is to lead to long-term weight loss, how healthy and safe it is and how effective it is in preventing or managing chronic conditions such as diabetes and heart disease, “she said.
More top honors for the Mediterranean diet
In addition to capturing the best diet, the analysis of 39 diet plans also gave the Mediterranean diet the first place in the best category of herbal diet. The flexural diet took second place, followed by the Nordic diet, which promotes the consumption of low-glycemic foods.
The Mediterranean diet is also linked to the DASH diet and the Ornish diet for top honors in the best heart-healthy diet. The Ornish Diet was created in 1977 by Dr. Dean Ornish, the founder of the California Nonprofit Preventive Medicine Research Institute. Ornish calls the diet the only scientifically proven program to reverse heart disease in a randomized clinical trial without medication or surgery. Experts said the diet is restrictive and difficult to follow, however.
The Mediterranean diet is also linked to the flexor diet for the first place in the best diet for diabetes; and with WW (Weight Watchers) for the easiest diet to follow and DASH for the best diet for a healthy diet.
Such high rewards are not surprising, as numerous studies have found that the Mediterranean diet can reduce the risk of diabetes, high cholesterol, dementia, memory loss, depression and breast cancer. Meals in the sunny Mediterranean region were also linked to stronger bones, a healthier heart and a longer life.
The diet offers simple, herbal cooking, with most of each meal focusing on fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans and seeds, with a few nuts and a strong emphasis on extra virgin olive oil. Say goodbye to refined sugar and flour, except in rare cases. Fats other than olive oil, such as butter, are rarely consumed, if at all.
Meat may have a rare appearance, usually only to flavor a dish. Instead, meals may include eggs, dairy, and poultry, but in much smaller portions than in the traditional Western diet. Fish, however, is a staple.
“It’s more than a diet, it’s a lifestyle,” Atlanta-registered dietitian Rahaf Al Bochi, who teaches his clients the Mediterranean diet, said in a previous CNN interview. “It also encourages eating with friends and family, socializing during meals, eating your favorite foods carefully, as well as exercising and exercising for a completely healthy lifestyle.”
The best general diet for weight loss
For this category, the expert group analyzed the success of a short-term and long-term weight loss of a diet, weighing both equally. The popular WW (Weight Watchers) related to the Flexitarian diet for top honors.
“Research shows that vegetarians tend to eat fewer calories, weigh less and have a lower body mass index (a measure of body fat) than their meat-eating counterparts,” according to the flexion diet analysis. “If you emphasize the herbal component of this diet – eating fruits, vegetables and whole grains – you’ll probably feel full of fewer calories than you’re used to.”
Weight Watchers, which also won first place in the best commercial diet category, has an important component needed in any successful diet: support. In addition to in-person meetings and optional individual consultants, the plan provides an online community.
“Programs like WW, which provide emotional support and group meetings, lead to greater compliance than a ‘do it yourself’ diet,” the analysis said.
We evaluated diets
Four new diets have been added to the rankings this year, Haupt said: the autoimmune protocol (AIP) diet, the intestinal and psychological syndrome diet (GAPS), the modified keto diet and the Noom diet.
“Of all these, Noom played the best – number 12 overall, which is impressive for a newcomer,” Haupt said.
Based on a food recording app, Noom wants you to record every meal, snack and exercise activity, as well as your daily weight. Noom encourages “low calorie density” foods that are high in water and low in calories.
Similar to WW, Noom provides support groups where diets can “help each other in every way, from how to reduce distracted consumption to how to make plain old water more fun,” Haupt said.
The modified keto diet, also known as keto 2.0, is slightly more restrictive than its parent, the classic keto. For example, modified keto diets consume about 82% of daily calories from fat compared to 90% in the traditional keto diet, 12% protein instead of 6% and 6% carbohydrates instead of 4%, according to the report.
However, the new version was examined by experts, ranking 35th, only slightly better than the traditional keto ranking of 37 out of 39 diets.
Keto 2.0 “allows a little more space for what you eat, but experts have said it’s still far too restrictive,” Haupt said.
The Autoimmune Diet Protocol, also known as the Paleo Autoimmune Diet, was developed to reduce inflammation and relieve the symptoms of autoimmune disorders. People need to eliminate food for at least a month and monitor their symptoms when food is reintroduced. Experts called the diet restrictive, suggesting that it needs more research to justify any benefits.
The diet of the intestinal and psychological syndrome, or GAPS, is intended for people with a strange spectrum of diseases: severe digestive and immune system problems, learning disabilities and severe neurological disorders.
GAPS was developed by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride, who “believes that foods, beverages and products that people consume play a profound role in brain function,” according to the US News & World report. Like the keto diet, GAPS is almost the last in the best diets.
The best diet for rapid weight loss
The fast weight loss category is for the person who needs to lose a few pounds for a special occasion, because the diets have only been evaluated for a period of two months. It is not intended to be recommended as a diet or long-term lifestyle, according to US News & World Report.
HMR, or the Health Management Resource Program, ranked first, with WW and the Atkins Diet tied for second.
The HMR program is a weight loss and lifestyle change program designed to reduce calories by replacing meals that include added fruits and vegetables. The starting set is just $ 200 and includes 70 servings of shakes and HMR entries, support materials, weekly group coaching and free shipping.
The Atkins diet, created in 1972 by cardiologist Dr. Robert Atkins, involves four phases of meal plans, starting with very few carbohydrates and adding more as the diet progresses. However, “low-carb diets can consume too much fat, which creates health problems,” the analysis found, ranking the diet at 33 out of 39.
CNN contributor Lisa Drayer, a registered dietitian, is concerned about any type of diet that is too restrictive in food choices and worries about the role of cooked meals, shakes and snacks.
“It doesn’t necessarily teach you how to eat healthy on your own and how to make healthy choices,” she told CNN in a previous interview, adding that she has seen this happen too often to her own customers.
“They were so severely restricted and didn’t know how to incorporate other foods back into their diets in a reasonable way,” Drayer said. “So not only did they regain their weight back, but they gained even more weight than where they started, which is really painful.”
Introductory notions about the Mediterranean diet
Do you want to make the Mediterranean diet one of your goals this year? Start by cooking a meal each week of beans, whole grains and vegetables, using herbs and spices to add punch. When one night a week is easy, add two and build your meatless meals there.
Grains that have changed little over the centuries, known as “ancient grains”, are also a key feature of the Mediterranean diet. Quinoa, amaranth, millet, farro, spelled, Kamut (a grain of wheat that is said to have been discovered in an Egyptian tomb) and teff (an Ethiopian grain the size of a poppy seed) are some examples of ancient grains.
When you eat meat, you have small amounts. For a main course, that means no more than 3 ounces of chicken or lean meat. Better: use small pieces of chicken or slices of lean meat to flavor a vegetable meal, such as a toast.
And rethink the dessert. Mediterranean cultures close their meals with seasonal fruits.
If you’re tired of eating raw fresh fruit, be creative. Put pears in pomegranate juice with a little honey, then reduce the sauce and serve over Greek yogurt. Grill pineapple or other fruits and sprinkle with honey. Make a fruit sorbet, including avocado (it really is a fruit). Fill a fig or a date with goat cheese and sprinkle a few nuts. Create a crispy brown rice apple or even a whole fruit tart.
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