No matter your goal of weight loss or simply feeling healthier, there are numerous nutritious meal plans you can follow that may help. One option includes plant-based diets which provide fiber while remaining low in calories.
The Ornish Diet is a heart-healthy eating plan, with emphasis placed on fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains and low-fat dairy. Furthermore, this eating plan limits saturated fat consumption as well as cholesterol intake according to its website.
Intuitive Eating
Intuitive eating, also known as Health at Every Size (HAES), encourages healthier relationships with food by moving away from diet mentality and honoring hunger signals. While weight loss may occur with this approach, many experts state it should not be its main goal.
Intelligent eaters eschew diet mentalities in favor of exploring food patterns and choices in a healthful way. For instance, they might try eating an early snack to see how that impacts hunger at dinner time or what different foods make them feel.
Satiating Diet
A satiating diet emphasizes foods that promote satiation. This includes whole vegetables and fruits, lean protein sources, healthy fats, low-glycemic carbohydrates, capsaicin (an ingredient often associated with spicy cuisine), as well as spicy ingredients like capsaicin. According to Scientific American research studies, researchers have revealed that those following this type of diet tend to lose more weight and body fat than those following a standard diet plan.
Contrary to many trendy diets that require you to eliminate whole food groups, the satiating diet focuses on nutritious whole food sources that are easy to incorporate. By following its rules, this diet can help you attain and maintain a healthier weight.
The Ornish Diet
Dean Ornish, a clinical professor of medicine at UCSF, developed the Ornish diet in 1977 as an approach that emphasizes whole foods and low-fat plant-based eating while encouraging exercise, stress management and healthy relationships.
Dieters following a lacto-ovo vegetarian approach to eating may consume dairy products and eggs in moderation; nuts, seeds and avocados should also be eaten at least three times each day.
Dieting can reduce cardiovascular disease risk factors and help people shed excess pounds; however, it requires significant time commitment from dieters.
The Mayo Clinic Diet
The Mayo Clinic Diet is a subscription-based diet divided into two phases. In phase one, lasting two weeks, focus is put on breaking bad habits and adopting healthier ones; then in the second phase you start losing up to two pounds weekly as this program follows expert-backed Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight Pyramid guidelines by emphasizing fiber-rich staple foods while restricting sugar and salt.
The plan includes meal plans, recipes, food tracking tools and support groups designed to help you succeed. It is an integrated program created to foster new lifestyle habits.
The Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes Diet
Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes, or TLC for short, is an educational program that provides tools, diet information and ideas to assist individuals in reducing elevated health risks. TLC encourages consumption of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean meat while restricting intake of saturated and trans fats.
The National Cholesterol Education Program offers this diet as an effective solution to those looking to lower cholesterol while simultaneously losing weight. Additionally, heart patients often opt for it because it helps control blood sugar and manage blood pressure levels.
The DASH Diet
American Heart Association recommends this diet for people with high blood pressure. It emphasizes fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy and whole grains while restricting sodium and saturated fat intake that could increase blood pressure as well as providing healthy amounts of fish, lean meats, beans and nuts.
Avoid processed and snack foods — particularly ones which are often deep fried or contain added salt — whenever possible. Instead, opt for lean proteins like chicken, fish and other lean proteins; low-fat and nonfat dairy products; fruits and veggies; brown rice or quinoa as whole grain alternatives and more!
The Meatless Diet
Meat-free diets provide many health advantages and are increasingly popular among those trying to lose weight. Unfortunately, however, without careful monitoring some may struggle to obtain sufficient vitamins and nutrients from their meals.
Beginner vegetarians can ease into this eating plan by swapping out meat with plant-based proteins like beans, peas and lentils; eggs; low-fat dairy products and unsalted nuts and seeds. Faux meat products may be considered but ensure there are limited sodium and sugar additions.
Carbs may present a challenge to those new to living meatfree, so Feller recommends choosing whole, unrefined grains over processed food in order to prevent a blood sugar rollercoaster and maintain steady energy levels.
