These 20 healthy diet plans are the most popular in the world, for a reason. Basically, the common theme is to eat more natural, unprocessed food such as fresh vegetables, meat, whole grains, and fruits. So if you are thinking of losing weight, any one of these 20 healthy diet plans will work for you, regardless if you are a man or woman (unless you are a panda 🐼 cause pandas only eat bamboo).
“People ALWAYS overestimate what they can do in 3 months and underestimate what they can do in 3 years. 👊💥” -Chris Chee
- The 5:2 Diet Plan
As far as healthy diet plans go, the 5:2 diet plan is a relatively easy to follow diet program. Eat regularly for 5 days while going on a 500kcal (women) or 600kcal (men) fast for 2 non consecutive days every week. A typical fast day consists of two meals, one in the morning and one in the afternoon/night. Of course, you should tweak the diet in a way that works for you. Split your calories into smaller meals if you can’t get through a working day without eating but make sure you are not miscalculating 1000kcal for 500kcal. Start planning here.
The benefit of the 5:2 diet comes from the act of fasting. It has been scientifically proven that fasting increases your resistance to stress, increases insulin sensitivity, decreases susceptibility to diseases, and increases in lifespan. For the best results, intermittent fast everyday.
- DASH Diet Plan
Stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. The DASH diet plan is the dietary pattern created by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to prevent and control hypertension. The DASH diet is high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, poultry, fish, nuts and low fat dairy while being lower in red meat and sugar, especially high fructose syrup. It also focuses on smaller portion sizes, consuming wide varieties, and making sure your body gets enough nutrients.
The creators have said that the DASH diet is not only good for lowering blood pressure but is also a well balanced approach to eating for people in general. In fact, USDA recommends the DASH diet as THE ideal healthy eating plan for all Americans.
Here’s what a typical 2000kcal DASH diet plan consist of.
6-8 servings of whole grains.
A serving equals 1 slice of bread or ½ cup of rice, pasta, cereal.
4-5 servings of vegetables.
A serving equals ½ cup of vegetables or 1 cup of leafy greens.
4-5 servings of fruits.
A serving equals ½ cup of fruits.
2-3 servings of low fat dairy.
A serving equals 1 cup of milk, 1.5oz/45g of cheese, or 1 cup of yogurt.
6 servings of fish, poultry or lean meat.
A serving equals 1oz/30g of poultry, lean meat, seafood, or 1 egg.
4-5 servings of nuts, seeds, legumes.
A serving equals ½oz/15g of nuts or seeds.
2-3 servings of fats and oils.
A serving equals 1 tsp of margarine, 1 tbsp of low-fat mayonnaise, or 2 tbsp of light salad dressing.
Less than 5 servings per week of sweets.
A serving equals 1 cup of lemonade, ½ a cup of sorbet, 1 tbsp of sugar, jam or jelly.
Alcohol.
Maximum of 2 drinks per day for men and 1 drink for women. More cons than pros so alcohol is best avoided in general.
