It’s no secret that the biggest problem with trying to eat healthier is sticking to the diet. Simplistic diets that stop you eating the foods you like just make you crave unhealthy food more, and breaking your discipline even once makes you far more likely to do it again.

Therefore, when you pick a diet it’s important to not only pick one that gives you the nutrition you need to stay healthy, you need to pick one that will satisfy you enough that you will be able to stick to it. With that in mind, here are 3 great diets that will help you lose weight, stay healthy and satisfy you!

1. Mediterranean diet
   This diet is based around foods that have traditionally been eaten around the Mediterranean Sea, particularly Italy and Greece. The diet is based on heavy consumption of fruit, vegetables, nuts, legumes, dairy, wholegrains (bread and pasta) and seafood, with poultry eaten several times a week for variety.

   

   Red meat is largely avoided, except for special occasions, as are refined and processed grains (white bread and refined pasta). Healthy fats (avocado and olive oil) are ok, but refined oils such as canola and foods high in trans fats (such as margarine) are not. Anything with added sugar or that is highly processed should also be consumed only rarely, if at all.Essentially, the diet is largely plant based with seafood providing variety and protein. A glass of red wine with dinner is also consistent with the Mediterranean diet. This diet is good for keeping blood pressure down as well as weight loss, and is easy to maintain.

2. Low Carb
   Low carb diets are becoming increasingly popular, particularly for weight loss. These diets aim to reduce the amount of easy energy your body can gain from carbohydrates such as sugars and grains, replacing this with healthy fats and protein.

   

   Basically, the low carb diet prescribes eating lots of meat, seafood, eggs, dairy, fruit, vegetables and nuts, while avoiding grains and added sugars. If you aren’t trying to lose a heap of weight, tubers like potatoes and legumes such as lentils and beans are also ok. Bread and pasta are to be avoided.In order to stay healthy it is important that healthy fats are eaten, rather than trans fats. Obviously added sugars should be avoided like the plague, but a moderate amount of fruit is needed to get other nutrients. You should also avoid low fat food labels – often the fat is just replaced with sugar.

3. DASH diet
   The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet is basically eating the way our mothers told us we should. Lean meats, fruits, vegetables, whole grains and dairy are good; high fat foods, high sugar foods and red meat are bad. It’s simple, but it works – you get all the nutrition you need, without excessive fats or energy.

These 3 diets are all maintainable, as they don’t actually restrict how much you eat – just what you eat. This means that you can eat until you are satisfied, which should help you to stick with the diet. You also don’t have to eat bland foods – particularly with the low carb, which essentially removes the “filler” parts of your meal (bread and pasta).

These 3 are good for different reasons, with the Mediterranean being good for general health and also the easiest to follow, low carb being good for weight loss and the DASH diet being very good for your heart, blood pressure and avoiding diabetes.

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This article is a private opinion based on private research and it shouldn’t be considered as advice.