How to increase the effectiveness of the Mediterranean Diet for losing more weight
By eating vegetables, whole grains, nuts, fruits, and beans that contain only a moderate amount of animal protein, followers can not only lower their cholesterol Last but not least, the popular diet has also been touted for its weight loss benefits.
A new study published in the medical journal Heart shows the potential for weight loss with the popular diet.
The researchers assigned the obese participants - mostly men in their 50s - to three different diets. The first group adhered to the basic guidelines for a healthy diet, while the second group was placed on a traditional Mediterranean diet restricted in calories. The third group followed the green Mediterranean diet and was directed to completely avoid red and processed meat. The Mediterranean diet was richer in plants and polyphenols, which are micro-phytonutrients.
The results showed that reducing the consumption of animal protein and increasing the intake of plant foods leads to extra weight loss. Those who follow the regular Mediterranean diet still lose a good amount of weight - an average of 11.9 pounds - while those who follow a healthy general diet only lose an average of 3.3 pounds.
Additionally, the green Mediterranean diet group lost inches from the waist. The group shed 3.4 inches compared to 2.7 inches lost by conventional Mediterranean dieters and 1.7 inches lost by general dieters.
This is another evidence that vegetarian and vegan diets have enormous weight-loss benefits for both men and women. Check out 7 key weight loss results you should know for new, scientifically backed advice on losing weight.
How to fix your intermittent fasting diet
Intermittent fasting has been one of the most popular (and controversial) diet trends in recent years - it was the most searched diet term on Google last year. It's not hard to guess what that entails: abstaining from food, or at least most food, for specific periods of time. It's been taken up by everyone from biohackers in Silicon Valley to TikTok models. Diet based diets are promoted for a huge list of benefits: They may be beneficial for weight loss. It may work to balance blood sugar. Some even follow it for "mental clarity", and the idea is that by not eating a big lunch, you will avoid the sag that develops after a few hours.
But what can legitimately anyone expect to gain from intermittent fasting? All of these benefits are linked: "The number one reason people do this is losing weight, but when you lose weight, it helps lower blood pressure, which helps prevent heart disease and diabetes.
As GQ discovered before, paying attention to when you eat is just as important as what you eat, and intermittent fasting is one of the simplest ways to start trying a diet.
Fast track
When it comes to the details of intermittent fasting, there are three different approaches to go. Some people choose an alternate day fast: eat whatever you like on rest days, but reduce your calories to around 500 on fasting days. Some try to follow the 5: 2 diet, which includes fasting during the week and making weekend days off.
But taking a full vacation is at the end. According to Faraday, the most common type of intermittent fasting is time-restricted eating. In the most common form, eating is limited to an eight-hour window per day. Depending on your schedule, you can place the window anywhere you want, although Faraday says you can do it from noon until 8pm. In general it is easier for most people.
The beauty of the diet is that it does not specify what you should eat, but only when. Choose a schedule that works for you and there is nothing more to it. Many people find this easier than cutting out specific foods or counting calories. Although this is not the clear goal, Faraday's research indicates that people end up cutting between 300 to 500 calories per day without counting. It also found that about 80 percent of people trying time-restricted eating fast food say they plan to continue with it.
Why eating less means more
Typical western diets are heavy on simple carbohydrates. (Think sandwiches or pizza slices you might have for lunch or dinner.) These nutrients provide glucose that the body uses as fuel. But a high level of glucose is associated with an increase in the insulin that the body uses to process blood sugars. This often causes feelings of sluggishness as the day goes on.
According to proponents of the diet, fasting for 16 hours will smooth these bumps and reset the body. Longer fasting leads to lower blood pressure, and many studies show that time-restricted eating is associated with better cardiovascular health due to what the body ends up burning for fuel in the absence of glucose, the body turns to burning fat, and when the body releases more fat into a stream Blood, the insulin level decreases accordingly. This, in turn, provides a break for cells. In fact, fasting tricks the body into thinking it is time to conserve its resources.
But where exactly the weight will come first is very individual. There is little science to suggest that all people lose weight in certain areas first.
Seeing results in a target body area can be a stimulating thing, but can you predict (or better yet, the effect) where you will likely lose weight first? Probably not.
Genetic analysis shows that the relationship between genes and distribution of body fat is stronger in women than in men. For example, if people in your family tend to accumulate weight in your hips and thighs, you may gain weight there as well.