In the United States, pursuing health has brought various diets into the spotlight. Each diet promises its array of health benefits.
PTPioneer conducted research to find the best diets in the US. This article explores the most popular diets based on this research.
Mediterranean Diet
The Mediterranean Diet is popular for its heart-healthy approach. It focuses on foods traditionally consumed in countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea. It emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and olive oil. Studies show that this diet can reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.
Keto Diet
Image Credit: Adobe StockDiet is a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet. It gained popularity for its potential to promote rapid weight loss. It drastically reduces carb intake and replaces it with fat. This pushes the body into a metabolic state called ketosis, where it quickly burns fat for energy.
Vegan Diet
The Vegan Diet excludes all animal products, including meat, dairy, and eggs. It focuses instead on plant-based foods. Advocates often choose this diet for ethical, environmental, and health reasons. Studies suggest that it has benefits such as weight loss and improved heart health.
Weight Watchers Diet
The Weight Watchers Diet is a points-based system that helps followers eat healthily. The diet assigns points for different foods based on their nutritional value. Each diet follower gets a daily points budget to use certain foods. This flexibility makes it popular for people who can’t stick to a strict diet.
Alkaline Diet
The Alkaline Diet replaces acid-forming foods with alkaline foods to improve your health. Proponents claim it can help combat diseases like arthritis and cancer. The diet focuses on fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes while avoiding processed foods.
Paleo Diet
The inspiration behind the Paleo diet is the eating habits of our Paleolithic ancestors. This diet includes foods that people obtain through hunting and gathering. Meats, fish, nuts, and leafy greens are the main components of Paleo. The diet excludes processed foods, grains, dairy, and sugar.
DASH Diet
This diet aims to prevent and lower high blood pressure. The DASH Diet focuses on foods high in potassium, calcium, and magnesium. These nutrients help control blood pressure. The diet encourages the consumption of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins.
Atkins Diet
The Atkins Diet is a low-carbohydrate eating plan designed for weight loss. By restricting carbs, the body starts to burn stored fat for energy. The diet has four phases. It starts with a low-carb intake and gradually increases the carb allowance as it progresses.
Flexitarian Diet
The Flexitarian Diet is a semi-vegetarian plan that allows meat and animal products. It uses plant-based foods while allowing occasional meat and fish consumption. It is a practical choice to reduce meat intake without eliminating it.
Dukan Diet
The Dukan Diet is a high-protein, low-carbohydrate weight loss plan with four phases. It starts with a protein-heavy phase to kickstart weight loss. Then, the diet gradually introduces other food groups to achieve weight loss.
Jenny Craig Diet
The Jenny Craig Diet is a weight loss program that offers personalized meal plans. Members eat prepackaged meals and snacks to control portions. They gradually transition to cooking their meals. Ultimately, they achieve their weight loss goals in healthy ways.
Raw Food Diet
The Raw Food Diet consists of organic foods that aren’t heated beyond a certain temperature. Proponents argue that raw foods retain more nutrients and enzymes than cooked foods. This potentially leads to better health, even if the diet is challenging.
Volumetrics Diet
This diet follows the principle of eating foods that are low in calories but high in volume. The Volumetrics Diet aims to help people feel fuller on fewer calories. The diet divides food into categories based on their energy density. There is an emphasis on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins.
Slim-Fast Diet
The Slim-Fast Diet is a meal replacement plan designed for weight loss. Followers replace two meals daily with Slim-Fast shakes, bars, or cookies. They then consume a healthy, 500-calorie dinner. This diet also allows snacks, aiming to simplify calorie counting and portion control.
Mayo Clinic Diet
Experts at the Mayo Clinic are behind this popular diet, which offers a lifelong approach to healthy eating. It’s divided into two phases: “Lose It!” which focuses on 15 key habits to adopt or avoid. Then comes “Live It!”, which aims to incorporate these habits into everyday life.
Ornish Diet
This diet categorizes foods from healthiest (“Group 1”) to least healthy (“Group 5”). The Ornish Diet aims to help with heart disease and other chronic conditions. It includes a low-fat, plant-based diet, exercise, and stress management.
South Beach Diet
The South Beach Diet is a low-carb, high-protein diet with three phases. It starts with a strict two-week period to eliminate sugar cravings. Then, it gradually introduces healthy carbs. The diet focuses on lean proteins, low-glycemic carbohydrates, and healthy fats.
TLC Diet
The National Institutes of Health created the Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC) Diet. This diet helps reduce the risk of heart disease by replacing saturated fat intake with plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
Medifast Diet
The Medifast Diet is a low-calorie meal replacement program. It helps promote rapid weight loss. Followers consume five Medifast meal replacements each day. They also eat one self-prepared, lean, and green meal.
Nutrisystem Diet
The Nutrisystem Diet is a popular weight loss program that offers prepackaged meals. It focuses on portion control, balanced nutrition, and frequent meals, so followers lose weight without having to measure food or count calories.