There are many diet types around the world. While some people like a vegan diet, people like me prefer a low glycemic index diet. When it comes to all these different diet types, what is the healthiest diet one can have?
According to the USA News, they have analyzed different diet types in the world by a panel of experts. They have selected the Mediterranean diet as the healthiest diet in 2020.
What is the Mediterranean diet? And what sets it apart from other diet types?
What is the Mediterranean diet
The people in the Mediterranean region have used the Mediterranean diet for centuries. It is a known fact that Mediterranean people have low incidents of heart diseases and tend to live longer and healthier lives.
According to USA news, the secret for their healthy life is mainly due to the Mediterranean diet.
The components of the Mediterranean diet
Olive oil
The Mediterranean diet is different from most other diet types for the following reasons.
Mediterranean people use olive oil for their cooking instead of palm oil or coconut oil. Olive oil has several benefits for health.
Mostly olive oil contains monounsaturated fatty acids. The main monounsaturated fatty-acid is oleic acid. It makes up around 70% of olive oil.
Oleic acid and other omega-9 fatty acids are known to reduce inflammation and even help to repair DNA damage that can lead to cancer.
More veggies
The Mediterranean diet is full of lots of veggies. Increasing the number of vegetables can reduce the carbs in your diet.
More seafood
Red meat and processed meat can be a great source of protein, but it can also increase the risk of colorectal cancer.
The Mediterranean diet replaces red meat with fish and seafood. Seafood is a great way to fill the protein content of your meal.
Eat lots of fruits
The Mediterranean diet requires you to eat lots of fruits and all sorts of nuts.
Nuts are low in carbohydrates and high in proteins and fiber. Fruits also have lots of vitamins.
The Mediterranean diet requires you to eat around 5-7 portions of vegetables and fruits per day.
So why a vegan diet is not the best diet?
In previous posts, we talked about why it may be unhealthy to go completely vegan.
According to the experts who put out the best diets in 2020, the vegan diet is number 9.
The reason for the vegan diet to be number 9 is that you can miss out on certain nutrients, and following it can be a lot of work for a regular person.
Why not low glycemic index diet?
The low glycemic index diet is ranked at number 20.
According to US News other than the carbohydrate content of your food it doesn’t give any guidance of fat and other nutrients.
As someone who follows a low-glycemic index diet, I know how difficult it can be to find the glycemic index of every food.
So can we all switch to a Mediterranean diet? Check out the list of best diets in 2020 at USA News.
