▎ WuXi AppTec content team editor
There is an old Chinese saying, "The people take food as the sky"! The ancients believed that heaven was the "greatest", so they used "heaven" as a metaphor for the most important thing on which human beings depended for their survival.
Indeed, if there is a lack of food, it will be difficult for humans to survive for a long time. At the same time, diet is also the foundation of health. The food we eat into the stomach, in addition to the stomach, also has an impact on health.
A healthy diet can reduce the risk of morbidity and death from a variety of diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes; an unhealthy diet can increase the risk of morbidity and death of many diseases and reduce life expectancy.
So how can I eat it for my health benefits? Speaking of which, it is necessary to mention the annual list of the best diets in U.S. News & World Report.
Just yesterday, U.S. News & World Report released its list of the best diets of 2022. Let's get a sneak peek now.
Screenshot source: U.S. News & World Report website
To create this list, U.S. News & World Report invites professional practitioners such as diet, nutrition, obesity, dietary psychology, diabetes and cardiologists to form a jury to evaluate 40 dietary patterns each year, so as to provide advice and reference for each person to find the right diet for themselves.
In the 2022 Best Diet List, there are 9 major diet categories, including the overall best diet, the best heart diet, the best diabetes diet, the best healthy diet, the best plant diet, the best weight loss diet, the best fast weight loss diet, the best commercial diet and the most easy to follow diet.
Among the overall best diets, the top 3 are in line with last year: the Mediterranean Diet remains at the top of the list, which is the fifth consecutive year that the diet has topped the overall best diet list; the DASH Diet, developed by the American Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), and The Flexitarian Diet, are tied for second place.
The fourth best overall diet is the MIND Diet; the fifth (tied) is the Mayo Clinic Diet, the Therapeutic Lifestyle Change Diet, the Volumetrics Diet, and the WW [Weight Watchers] Diet.
Mediterranean diet
It is widely believed that mediterranean coastal residents live longer and have a lower probability of cancer and cardiovascular disease, so the Mediterranean diet is widely favored.
Multiple studies have shown that following a Mediterranean diet may bring many health benefits, including weight loss, heart and brain health, and prevention of chronic diseases such as cancer and diabetes.
The Mediterranean diet emphasizes that vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, whole grains, olive oil and spices should be eaten on a regular basis; fish and seafood should be eaten at least twice a week; live poultry, eggs, cheese and yogurt in moderation; avoid red meat and sugar; and if you have to drink alcohol, you can drink some red wine in moderation, of course, it is best not to drink alcohol. At the same time, staying physically active and increasing your exercise is also an integral part of the Mediterranean diet!
The Mediterranean diet also topped the list of Best Healthy Eating, Best Diabetic Diet, Best Plant Diet and Easiest To Follow Diet, and tied for top spot on top of the Best Heart Diet alongside the Deshu Diet and the Ornish Diet.
Image credit: 123RF
Diet of Deshu
The Deshu diet is a dietary pattern that lowers blood pressure, so it naturally scores high in heart health, nutrition, and safety. In addition to lowering blood pressure and preventing high blood pressure, studies have shown that the Deshu diet can raise the level of "good cholesterol" (high-density lipid egg cholesterol) and lower the level of "bad cholesterol" (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol).
The Deshu diet requires a daily diet of less than 2.3 grams of sodium (equivalent to 6 grams of table salt) and gradually reduced to 1.5 grams per day (equivalent to 4 grams of table salt); advocates the use of lean meat, poultry, and fish as the main source of protein in recipes; and a balanced intake of fruits and vegetables, dairy products, grains, soy products, nuts, a small amount of fat and sweets, because these foods are rich in potassium, calcium, protein and dietary fiber, which have a good effect on preventing high blood pressure.
At the same time, the Deshu diet requires a reduction in saturated fat intake, such as fats in meat (fatty meats) and full-fat dairy products, as well as sugar-sweetened beverages and sweets.
Flex vegetarian diet
Flex Vegetarian focuses on the nutritional balance in vegetarian recipes, especially for vegetarian-loving people, advocating a balanced intake of five types of foods, including "new meats", namely tofu, peas, nuts, eggs; vegetables and fruits; whole grain staples; dairy products; sugar and spices. It should be noted that the dietary guidelines for Chinese residents recommend that the intake of added sugars should be controlled, no more than 50 grams per day, and it is best to control it below 25 grams.
Reducing meat by eating more plant-based foods can not only reduce weight, but also improve overall health, reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes and cancer, and thus prolong life.
Increasing the intake of plant-based proteins can effectively reduce blood lipids and blood pressure. Plant-based foods contain less fat and cholesterol than meat, and contain more dietary fiber. When using an flex vegetarian diet, it is also necessary to pay attention to the amount of oil and salt used during cooking, if you heavy oil and salt for the flavor of the dish, it is not conducive to health.
It should be noted that although different dietary patterns have given recommendations for foods that can and cannot be eaten, we also need to consider some factors when choosing a suitable diet model.
The first thing to consider is, is the food in the recipe acceptable? If these foods are not what you like on a daily basis, are there alternatives? For example, the Mediterranean diet has less red meat and more fish and seafood. Then people who love meat or seafood allergies should choose carefully. Insisting on foods you don't like may backfire, and healthy eating is of little significance.
Secondly, the diet plan should also be combined with daily exercise. To assess whether the calories consumed by exercise and the calories consumed by the diet are balanced. In general, eating slightly fewer calories than the number of calories consumed per day is ideal for weight loss.
If you want to lose weight, stay in shape, and promote health in the new year, you may want to choose a new dietary model according to your preferences.
Attached: Best Diet Ranking
▲Best Diet Ranking (Content Source: References[1]; Graphics: WuXi AppTec Content Team)