With so many different diets and constant new trends in weight loss, finding the perfect diet isn’t that easy. That’s why the American news magazine “US News & World Report” publishes a new list of the best diets every year.
In 2022, 40 diets were reviewed by a panel of 27 experts in the fields of diet, nutrition, obesity, nutritional psychology, diabetes and heart disease. The following 7 categories were considered:
- How easy it is to follow the diet
- Whether the diet is suitable for short-term weight loss
- Whether the diet is suitable for long-term weight loss
- All the nutrients
- Is the diet safe?
- The potential for preventing and treating diabetes
- The potential to prevent and treat heart disease
These are the 6 best diets of 2022
6th place: TLC diet
The TLC diet came in at 6th place. The method developed by the US National Institutes of Health originally aimed to lower cholesterol levels over the long term.
On this diet, you primarily eat foods like chicken, fish, fruits, vegetables, grains, and low-fat dairy products. Saturated fats, such as those found in butter, cheese, or red meat, should be avoided.
5th place: Mayo Clinic Diet
The Mayo Clinic diet, widely recommended for preventing type 2 diabetes, ranked 5th this year.
This protein-based diet is divided into two phases. In the first phase, you should try to change and get rid of bad eating habits. For example, it is only allowed to snack on fruits and vegetables. And watching TV while eating is strictly prohibited.
The second phase then consists of introducing healthy eating habits over the long term. The most important thing is to eat fruits and vegetables, but also whole grains, legumes, nuts and healthy fats.
4th place: MIND diet
Developed by nutritional epidemiologist Martha Clare Morris, the MIND diet is a combination of the Mediterranean and DASH diets.
On this diet, you mainly eat Mediterranean and antihypertensive foods. In addition, when it comes to nutrition, care is taken to include foods in the diet that have a positive effect on your brain, such as berries, fish, olive oil and whole grain products.
3rd place: Flexitarian diet
This year there is bronze for the flexitarian diet.
The term “flexitarian” is derived from the combination of the words “flexible” and “vegetarian”. As a flexitarian, you don’t follow a completely vegetarian diet, but you eat far less meat and protein-rich foods like eggs and tofu.
2nd place: DASH diet
In second place this year is the DASH diet, a diet sponsored by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, originally developed for people with high blood pressure.
This diet is based on fruits, vegetables, lean meats and low-fat dairy products. On the other hand, you should cut down on sweets, sugary drinks, and foods high in saturated fat.
1st place: Mediterranean diet
The first place – and thus the official title of “best diet 2022” – was again taken this year by the Mediterranean diet (for the fifth time, by the way).
On this diet, you eat foods from the Mediterranean region, where the average person generally lives longer and has fewer cancers and cardiovascular disease.
The Mediterranean diet is generally rich in fruits and vegetables, fish, olive oil, whole grains, legumes, while red meat, poultry, dairy and poultry products and sweets are rarely consumed.
Incidentally, the Dukan diet, particularly popular with celebrities, took last place because it is very restrictive and difficult to follow.