Is one of your New Year’s resolutions for 2024 to finally lose weight and get in better shape? Well, you’re in luck!
Recently, U.S. News and World Report commissioned the expertise of 43 healthcare professionals to give their advice on the 30 healthiest diets for long-term weight loss.1
Let’s take a quick look at their top five.
The 5 Best Diets for Weight Loss and Healthy Living
#1 The Mediterranean Diet
The experts at U.S. News and World Report have chosen the Mediterranean Diet as the healthiest diet for long-term weight loss. Now, if you’re thinking of Americanized Mediterranean foods like pizza, 11-layer lasagnas, and double-stuffed gyros with extra sauce and cheese, you’re out of luck.
Not to worry, though. This isn’t a terribly restrictive diet; plenty of delicious foods are available for even the pickiest of eaters. Grilled lean meats, seafood, all kinds of fruits and vegetables, healthy oils, and even red wine can all be easily incorporated into this heart-healthy diet. Even red meat isn’t frowned upon as long as it’s in moderation.
How Does The Mediterranean Diet Work?
This isn’t the diet you’re looking for if you’re trying to shed 20 pounds before your high school reunion next month. This is the diet you need if you want to eat healthy, lose weight slowly over time, and keep it off for the long haul.
This diet works by restricting excess salt, sugars, processed foods, and unhealthy oils like vegetable, corn, and canola oils. While results will vary, men following the Mediterranean Diet can lose around 16-22 pounds yearly. And the best part is, as opposed to fad diets, the weight will stay off.
Who is the Mediterranean Diet Best For?
Due to its focus on healthy oils and its restricting salt and processed foods, the Mediterranean Diet is perfect for men who are at risk of:
- Heart Disease
- Type 2 Diabetes
- High Cholesterol
- High Blood Pressure
If you’re looking for a healthy and delicious way to lose weight and keep it off, you may want to look into this popular diet.
#2 The DASH Diet
Short for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, the DASH Diet comes in second on the list of healthy diets for 2024. While this diet is very similar to the Mediterranean Diet, it offers more guidelines on how much of certain foods you can eat. Most notably, the diet restricts salt to between 1500-2300 milligrams per day.
This means a large part of the typical American diet, like fast food, processed food, and pizzas, are off the table … so to speak. In addition, sugar, full-fat dairy, fatty meats, and unhealthy oils are also fairly restricted. Lean meats, fruits, veggies, and even carbs are fair game on this healthy diet.
How Does the DASH Diet Work?
Initially, this diet was created to assist people who suffer from high blood pressure. After a while, doctors, researchers, and dieters began to realize this heart-healthy diet was efficient for short and long-term weight loss.
In one double-blind study, researchers found that people following the DASH Diet lost a significant amount of weight and BMI in eight weeks as opposed to non-dieters. Additionally, those who stuck with the diet saw their weight continue to drop over the year, and it stayed off.
Who is the DASH Diet Best For?
In addition to men with high blood pressure, the DASH Diet is a great alternative for men who are at risk of:
- Stroke
- Heart Disease
- Type 2 Diabetes
- Kidney Issues
- Obesity
Men more interested in feeling good than losing a lot of weight fast may find the DASH Diet is just what they’re looking for.
#3 The MIND Diet
Third on the list of healthy diets is the MIND Diet. This diet is a combination of the Mediterranean and DASH Diets, taking the healthiest components of each. While it’s possible, and even feasible, that you’ll be losing weight in the long term, this diet specifically addresses men who are concerned with mental decline.
So, foods that cause cognitive issues, like saturated fats, sugar, high-carb foods, and fatty meats, are restricted to 2-3 servings a week. This healthy diet focuses on brain-healthy foods, like leafy greens, lean meats, healthy fats, and lots of fruits and veg.
How Does the MIND Diet Work?
The MIND Diet is rich in foods that contain anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, and neuroprotective properties. As a result, this diet offers significant relief from brain fog and has even been shown to help deter age-related cognitive decline.
While this diet focuses mostly on brain health, it’s still a solid diet for men looking for healthy, long-term weight loss. In a recent study of over 800 adults, those whose diets most closely resemble the MIND Diet were healthier and less obese than those following no diet.
Who is the MIND Diet Best For?
The MIND Diet has been proven to help men who suffer from cognitive decline. In addition, men at risk of the following may also benefit from this diet:
- Stroke
- Heart Disease
- High Blood Pressure
- Diabetes
- Inflammatory Issues
- Nutrient Deficiencies Due to Poor Diets
If you’re an otherwise healthy adult concerned about mental fatigue, now and later in life, the MIND Diet may be able to help.
#4 The Mayo Clinic Diet
The Mayo Clinic Diet is a structured, 12-week diet that relies on “training” people to eat healthily. The first two weeks of the diet focus mostly on quick weight loss. The remaining 10 weeks will focus on lifestyle changes for continued weight loss.
This weight loss plan was created by doctors and dieticians who work at the Mayo Clinic. Its focus is to cut out most sugars, unhealthy fats, fatty meats, and refined grains. These unhealthy foods will be replaced with healthy fats, lean meats, whole grains, and lots of fruits and veggies.
How Does the Mayo Clinic Diet Work?
This diet is broken down into a 2-week “Lose It” phase and a 10-week “Live It” phase. In the first two weeks, you’ll focus mostly on replacing unhealthy food with healthier ones. There is no calorie counting or unreasonable restrictions during this time. Most people tend to lose between 6-10 pounds during this phase.
For the following 10 weeks, you’ll be “trained” on what eating healthy is all about. You’ll learn about calorie counting, portion sizes, substitutes for unhealthy foods, and prepping healthy meals. Continued weight loss during these ten weeks and beyond is expected.
Who is the Mayo Clinic Diet Best For?
Anyone looking to lose weight and keep it off could benefit from the Mayo Clinic Diet. Other benefits aside from weight loss will include:
- Reduction in Heart Disease
- Lowered Blood Pressure
- Lowered Cholesterol
- Blood Sugar Control
- Fewer Digestive Issues
If you’re living a sedentary life and eating crap food, the Mayo Clinic Diet can help you get your life back on track.
#5 The Flexitarian Diet
Look, guys, I know no one wants to hear this, but cutting some meat from your diet is a healthy way to lose weight over the long term. And that’s exactly what the Flexitarian Diet is all about. You’re not cutting out all meat, and you’re not becoming a vegetarian. You’re just cutting back on your meat intake.
The fifth entry (out of 30 I should mention) on this list of healthy diets focuses on slowly cutting down the amount of meat you’re consuming. Instead of a half-pound burger, you’ll opt for the third-pounder. Instead of the giant porterhouse, this diet suggests choosing the smaller strip steak.
How Does the Flexitarian Diet Work?
It’s pretty simple: eating less meat, and therefore fewer saturated fats, will lead to healthy, long-term weight loss. In addition to cutting back on portion sizes of meat, the Flexitarian Diet also suggests meat substitutes every now and again.
Instead of meat seven days a week, the diet suggests swapping out meat 1 to 3 days a week with beans, lentils, mushrooms, or another healthier choice. Studies have shown that men who swap out meat for a substitute just a few days a week are healthier, lose more weight over the long run, and have a lower BMI.
Who is the Flexitarian Diet Best For?
We all know choking down a double bacon cheeseburger a couple of times a week can lead to obesity. In addition to getting fat, a diet heavy in saturated fats can also lead to:
- Heart Disease
- Type 2 Diabetes
- High Blood Pressure
- Chronic Inflammation
- Liver and Kidney Disease
If we want to be healthy and keep our guts from overlapping our belt line, some sacrifices have to be made. We go to the gym, we cut out snacks, and we take our supplements. Cutting down on our meat intake, if only just a little, will go a long way to keeping us in tip-top shape.
Or … Screw the Dieting
Based on recent statistics, more than one-third of Americans are overweight.2 Many of them severely. So, what are we to do if dieting is too much of a pain and there’s no time in the day to exercise?
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All without strict diets or exercise.
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Endnotes
1. https://health.usnews.com/best-diet/experts
2. https://usafacts.org/data/topics/people-society/health/health-risk-factors/overweight/