Just what are the best diets for women? It seems every few months a new fad arises in the world of weight loss, a new “miracle” emerges claiming to be the the best. The truth is though, these fad diets are rarely good for you. A decade ago it was the Atkins diet that was flavour of the month, with celebrities from all 4 corners of the world celebrating the Atkins diet as a great new way to lose weight.
The trouble was though, it came with side effects, some of which were pretty awful. Dry mouth, bad breath, tiredness, dizziness, inability to concentrate or focus on everyday tasks, nausea and constipation caused by a lack of carbs and fibre were all very common. Then when the long term effects of a high intake of saturated fat were taken into consideration and the effect it had on your risk of heart disease, it became clear that the Atkins diet was by no means a long term answer to weight loss.The same is true for nearly all of the popular diets that have come and gone since. They will all (well, nearly all) help you to lose weight but come with consequences. None of them are sustainable long-term. The Dukan diet is known to be responsible for similar side effects that the Atkins diet is responsible for and if you ask any nutritionist they will tell you it is not nutritionally balanced at all. The South Beach Diet burst on to the scene a few years ago and was ever so popular with celebrities, even Bill Clinton was an advocate of it. Only when it was pointed out that the dietary restrictions were so limited and lacking in the vitamins, minerals and fibre our bodies need did it seem to vanish in popularity as quick as it arrived.
In our view, any eating plan which is based upon cutting out a food group completely cannot be among the best diets for women as they are not a viable long-term option.This is the probem with most diets, they promise fast weight loss without giving us the facts on their long-term effects. This is one of the reasons that the word “diet” is a four letter one when you talk to women about the subject. For the most part when women think about the word diet they think of one word in connection to it: Loss. Not weight loss though, loss of a food that they love, loss of that steak you love on a Friday, loss of the occasional ice cream bar of chocolate. When you think about it, most of the diets out there are based on the principal of cutting out one food or another completely.
When it comes to the question of what are the best diets for women? In our opinion one eating plan is head and shoulders above the rest in just about every category; The Mediterranean Diet.
Best Diets for Women: The Mediterranean Diet
The Mediterranean diet, also called the Prasouda diet, isn’t really what you would call a “diet” at all as it incorporates everything you probably already eat on a daily basis. It is more of a way of living and lifestyle choice. Changing the way you eat changes your life. Any life coach will
tell you, fuelling your body with the correct food is imperative to unleashing your potential. The Mediterranean diet can change many aspects of your life but more importantly; the foods on the plan are delicious! They will also give you a healthier heart, more energy to go about your daily chores and will improve many different areas of your being. A far cry from those fad diets that spring up every year that come with many side effects and make you feel lousy. The Mediterranean diet has recipes and foods from menus all across the Mediterranean.
Foods included in the Mediterranean diet:
- Red meat (in moderation)
- Fish
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Cheese
- Yogurt
- Nuts and Legumes
- Wine (Red)
Although red meat is not a big part of the Mediterranean diet, you can still occasionally enjoy it.
Red meat is mostly replaced by white meat like poultry or fish rich in Omega 3. Fish is great for your heart and with the improved fibre intake of the other foods on the plan, along with a replacement of “bad” fats, you are sure to be spoilt for choice when planning your meals.
What mekes the Mediterranean diet one of the best diets for women is the benefits are not liited to losing weight. Sure, the diet is well-known to be a balanced and healthy way of losing weight safely and quickly but those are not the only reasons to switch. Many health organisations have made studies into the benefits and they are wide-ranging, they include:
- Higher energy levels
- Lower blood pressure
- Decreased cholesterol
- Lower chance of diabetes
- Longer life span
- A decrease risk of heart attacks
- Healthy weight loss
- Higher cognitive functioning
The Mediterranean diet is also proven to improve cognitive functioning. You will find that after a while, you will feel more alert, alive and with much more energy. This is because you will be fuelling your body with all of the vitamins, minerals and “good” fats the body needs to function at it’s peak. Because of this, you will also find yourself sleeping much better as a result.
We live in a world at the moment, where health issues are in the news everyday. We are constantly being told by governments and nutritionists to eat as many fruits and vegetables regularly. Well, the Mediterranean diet has these foods at the top of it’s list. You will be eating a wide range of delicious fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices everyday.
These will be accompanied by olive oil instead of margarine, butter and cooking/vegetable oil. Olive oil has many benefits over these “bad” fats, including lowering cholesterol which helps to prevent cardiovascular problems. Your main meals will be mainly fish such as salmon, trout, seafood and tuna as the centre of the meal. You will be eating fish 4-5 times a week. Consuming fish instead of red meat can improve your mental health, whilst minimizing the intake of “bad” fats which have much higher calories within. These foods, along with nuts, legumes (which are peas, beans, lentils etc), whole grains, cheese, yogurt, poultry and others, combine to make up a diet which is rich in nutritional value and as a result the recipes are wide varied and tasty. For these reasons, our vote for one of the best diets for women goes to the Mediterranea diet.