Diet plays a crucial role in determining a person’s health, and there is a vast array of diets available to people.

With many diet plans emerging every year, it’s essential to choose a program that is safe to follow and effective in delivering desirable results. The British Dietetic Association (BDA) is the UK’s professional association of registered dieticians that has been guiding people about food and nutrition for decades.

In this article, we look at the most effective diets of 2015 recommended by the BDA to help people choose the right diet plan for themselves.

The Mediterranean Diet

The Mediterranean diet gives importance to consuming plant-based foods such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and nuts. Fish and poultry are also commonly eaten, while red meat intake is limited.

The BDA praised the Mediterranean diet for its effectiveness in reducing the risk of heart diseases while improving overall health. In addition, this diet discourages the use of processed food and added sugars, making it a well-balanced diet plan for all age groups.

The DASH Diet

The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) eating plan is geared towards controlling high blood pressure. It emphasizes eating fruits and vegetables, low-fat dairy, whole grains, and lean protein.

This plan reduces the intake of sodium, saturated fat, and added sugars to a minimum. The BDA highly recommends the DASH diet for individuals who suffer from hypertension or need to control their blood pressure levels.

The Vegetarian Diet

The Vegetarian Diet is a plant-based eating plan that excludes any meat or fish products. It consists of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, seeds, and nuts.

According to the BDA, following a vegetarian diet provides long-term health benefits, including reducing the risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and low blood pressure. Furthermore, it is considered an environmentally friendly diet as it reduces animal agriculture’s carbon footprint.

The Vegan Diet

The Vegan Diet is a stricter version of the vegetarian diet as it completely eliminates animal products. It emphasizes consuming plant-based foods such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and seeds.

The BDA praises this diet for its positive impact on the environment as well as its potential to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, obesity, and high blood pressure. People following this diet are advised to supplement their diets with vitamin B12 and iron.

The Flexitarian Diet

The Flexitarian Diet is a plant-based diet that encourages individuals to consume more plant-based foods while also permitting them to eat meat and animal products occasionally.

The BDA recommends this diet since it promotes the importance of consuming primarily plant-based foods while allowing flexibility for occasional meat and dairy intake. It is an excellent diet plan for individuals who want to transition to a more plant-based lifestyle and still enjoy some animal-derived foods occasionally.

The Weight Watchers Diet

Weight Watchers is a commercial diet program that focuses on reducing calorie intake, increasing physical activity, and forming healthy habits.

The program assigns point values to food items, encouraging people to choose healthier options with lower point values. The BDA praises this diet for its flexibility and overall effectiveness in promoting weight loss and healthy lifestyle choices. However, people following the program should seek professional medical advice before starting.

The Slimming World Diet

Another commercial diet program, the Slimming World Diet, aims to help people lose weight and form lasting healthy eating habits.

It encourages the consumption of low-energy-dense foods such as fruits, vegetables, and lean protein sources, while limiting high-fat and high-sugar foods. The BDA found that the Slimming World Diet is a supportive program, providing a social support system to help people lose weight sustainably while having fun doing so.

The Alkaline Diet

The Alkaline Diet is a dietary approach that aims to maintain a slightly alkaline state of the body. The diet recommends eating mostly fruits, vegetables, and nuts, while limiting animal products, grains, and processed foods.

The BDA found that while the diet encourages the consumption of nutrient-dense foods, it restricts the intake of certain food groups, leading to potential micronutrient and dairy deficiencies. Moreover, the claim of maintaining an alkaline state in the body has little scientific evidence supporting it.

The Raw Food Diet

The Raw Food Diet is a plant-based diet that emphasizes consuming food in its natural state without cooking. The diet consists of raw fruits, vegetables, and nuts.

The BDA found that while there are some potential health benefits to consuming raw foods, such as higher nutrient and antioxidant intake, it can also lead to micronutrient and protein deficiency. Additionally, it is challenging to follow the diet without professional guidance, as the risk of foodborne illness increases with raw food intake.

The Baby Food Diet

The Baby Food Diet involves replacing meals and snacks with baby food jars, aiming to cut down on calorie intake while still providing essential nutrients.

The BDA highly discourages the Baby Food Diet, labeling it as a fad diet with no scientific evidence supporting its effectiveness. The diet eliminates essential macronutrients, such as fiber and healthy fats, and the sodium content in baby food jars is often high. Furthermore, it is not a sustainable plan for long-term weight loss or health improvements.

Conclusion

The BDA recommends following a balanced diet consisting of whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, lean protein, and healthy fats for long-term health benefits.

The above-mentioned diets have been evaluated by the BDA, highlighting the most effective and safe diet plans for daily consumption. Despite the potential benefits of different diets, individuals should always consult with a registered dietitian or medical professional before starting any specific diet.