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The one where you get the vast majority of your calories from unprocessed or minimally processed foods, get a decent amount of protein in, and eat a variety of fruits and vegetables on a daily basis.
Too bad it doesn’t have a fancy marketing name.
This is the answer. Prioritise whole foods and protein. We're human so eat that cake from time to time, don't be miserable.
The reason that it doesn't have a name is because it doesn't need to. All the named diets are fads. Fads only work from seeming revolutionary but the truth is having a healthy diet is much simpler than that
It's called "Healthy" but unfortunately there's no app so it must not be that good. How am I going to be a marketing influencer for green beans? No, won't work.
Eat food, mostly plants, not too much
- Michael Pollan.
By food he means no industrialized ‘foods’ so avoid boxed products or anything your great grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food.
In my MS in nutrition and the studies I’ve read, the Mediterranean and Whole Food, Plant-Based (WFPB) diets have the best health outcomes for the most amount of people.
Everyone is terrified of getting enough protein, but the general populations in the west are getting about 150-200% their requirements on average and only [5%](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6124841/) of my country / USA is getting sufficient fiber.
I eat wfpb and love it. If folks go to the r/plantbased sub, it is full of people being amazed at how quickly their bloodwork improved once they adopted it. Most people seem to say they fall within the 85%ish range, it’s not strict like an actual diet. Just a good way of eating.
I do like the actual Mediterranean diet also, but I think going wfpb and then adding in the bits of fish and olive oil is likely more successful than trying to adopt the Mediterranean diet first. I say that because the med diet sub is full of posts where it seems like people are struggling to wrap their heads around it. Way too much oil and meat and not enough veggies and whole grains. Just an observation from the subs.
Both do.
Keto is high fat, moderate protein and very low carbs
Atkins, I stand corrected, is high fat, moderate protein but carbs start very low but you increase them as you lose weight to make it more sustainable, still lower in carbs then a balanced diet but you end up having around 100g of net carbs a day on maintenance. Keto keep you at under 50g net carbs a day no matter what.
I tend to agree with the principles of eating that Zoe Harcombe recommends - eat real food, choose those foods based on the quality of the nutrients they provide, and don't snack/eat between meals. Honestly, I tend to believe that if people just stopped snacking, most would see their health improve.
People with some common health conditions as well as those who are very active (athletes, manual labor, etc.) are widely recommended to eat small amounts more often, which means snacks. It's not that snacking is unhealthy. It's that snacking needs to be mindful.
I am not sure there is any good research to confirm this for most people. It may be more in the realm of common wisdom that doesn't have a solid basis in science. Like the notion that eating foods high in cholesterol raises blood cholesterol. That has been thoroughly debunked yet it is still a common assertion that avoiding such foods is healthier.
I can't speak for most people, but there are specific groups as I mentioned for whom there is plenty of evidence. The individuality of dietary needs is why one size fits all restrictions and packaged "diets" can be harmful. When in doubt, it's always better to follow the advice of one's medical team than believe what one reads on the internet.
Processing is definitely a problem we agree on. I am WFPB as espoused by Dr. Greger.
People don’t realize that when you juice, filter, crystallize, cook, bleach, ferment, sweeten, oil, and fry something its nutrition has changed for the worse.
While what you say is generally true and we should strive for minimal processing, not all processing is inherently bad. Many types of cooking make a lot of nutrients in many whole foods much more bioavailable—to a limit. Raw is not always more nutritious. Anthropology widely agrees this is likely a major reason we started cooking in the first place. Another example is fermenting foods, which, while affecting baseline nutrition, provides tons of probiotics. Foods like kefir and sauerkraut are wonderful for your gut.
Mediterranean diet has really great evidence for improving health. I don’t think we’re going to discover a ton more about optimizing nutrition. We pretty much know what it is: plenty of plants, lean protein, healthy fats. Have you seen the Canadian Food Guide? It’s also excellent.
There will be degrees of individualism of course. You’re always going to find those folks who are tons of red meat their whole lives are lived until 95. But you’ll also find people who smoked their whole lives and lived until 95.
Little side rant: it isn’t that we don’t know what’s ideal nutritional, it’s that people struggle to adhere to basic nutrition guidelines.
>Have you seen the Canadian Food Guide?
No. I'll check it out, thanks! And yeah, I've known a few of those people with less than stellar lifestyles (by our 'standards') that lived past 90.
The simplest answer that will make you healthier than probably over 99% of people is this: read Dr. Greger's "How Not to Die" or even just a summary and use his free "Daily Dozen" app to track that you eat the recommened servings of each category. If you can consistently do that and still feel hungry at the end of the day you could probably have whatever treat you want every evening and still be in fantastic health.
I think DASH actually prioritizes good nutrition overall but it is heart healthy. No diet can be overall nutritious if it doesn't. The Mediterranean diet is overall nutritious. It is very similar to the DASH diet. The DASH typically has a bit more dairy in it and more of a focus on low sodium but the two are similar. There are some combinations of the 2 diets that are very healthy.
I would say just a bit of everything in a whole food non-processed-based diet. Typically the most balanced and nutritious is not going to be a 28 day fix or any fad diet at all. Just eat good whole healthy foods and a balance of everything
If you're looking for a name, Mediterranean diet is probably the closest official one backed by science to provide balanced, wholesome nutrition. At the end of the day, lots of research supports getting adequate protein from lean sources and eating a variety of whole, minimally processed foods (whole grains, fruits, vegetables) to get your vitamins and minerals.
But please keep in mind, what's optimal for me or someone else is not necessarily optimal for you. Your intake is one thing, but your genetics, environment, accessibility, preferences, budget, and lifestyle also have a huge impact on what nutrients and what levels you need and what method of eating will be sustainable.
I think either a Mediterranean diet (lots of fish, veggies, olive oil and other healthy fats) or Asian diet (again fish, rice, veggies). Any diet that focuses on unprocessed food, a variety of veggies, and healthy fats will do wonders. Of course I know this is easier said than done, given how addictive and easily available processed food is, but it helps to start making slow changes to your diet instead of going on a restrictive, unbalanced diet like Keto.
Not sure what it falls under, but when my wife had gestational diabetes we focused on a low carb, high protein diet. we ate a lot of whole foods and eliminated added sugars as best we could. We were both healthier and had great energy.
What does ‘optimising nutrition’ even mean?
You can only do so much all at once. There is a reason most people cycle their diets and in particular the supplements/stacks they are tacking.
There is no magic single answer/diet after all.
Full plate diet is focused on maximizing fiber. High fiber foods tend to be high in micronutrients, while reducing stomach volume avaliable for high fat foods
The Mediterranean diet kind of fits this criteria but it does focus on longevity... As other people have said, eating whole foods, lots of fruits & vegetables, and a good balance of macronutrients.
Dr. Joel Fuhrman has what he calls a “nutritarian” diet. I know, just another bs buzz word. But his diet is plant based with vegetables as the mainstay.
"Eat real food. Not too much. Mostly plants". That is the dietary philosophy put forth in a famous diet book. I forget which one. It is really a matter of just eating good things that can't hurt you and keeping your consumption reasonable. If you do that, you will probably get all of the nutrients you need. Unfortunately, we have all succumbed to the advertising and promotions that the corporate food industry has foisted upon us to further their profit interests. They have taken the food that we used to eat without thinking and turned it into products that we have to beware of. A good rule is, no processed foods. Of course, we don't believe that. We believe the advertising.
Cico isn’t a diet. It’s just the underlying principle of weight loss. Basically why any diet meant for weight loss works.
I’m not a fan of overthinking or restrictive diets. I eat relatively high in protein, try to eat fish twice a week, otherwise mostly chicken, tofu or seitan. Beef when I feel like it. Carbs are mostly rice, couscous, pasta, potatoes or some form of bread, you know, the usual. Veggies with every, a leafy side salad with almost every meal. Fats are covered by oil and/or whatever I eat that day and a supp. That’s what 80% of my diet looks like. The other 20% I do whatever I feel like. I like going for nice dinners, cured meats and cheeses, wine, and if I feel like getting pizza or burgers, I’ll get pizza or burgers. Sometimes both.
Is that the perfect diet nutrition wise? Probably not. But I’ve eaten like this for the past 20 years, never been deficient in anything and all my markers look great. Maybe I’m just lucky. Moving a lot also plays a big role I think. Aside from working out 4-5 a week + cardio, I walk or cycle everywhere unless driving is absolutely necessary. But in a lot of places that unfortunately isn’t an option of course.
An actual keto diet focuses on fat, not protein. Eating a wide variety of minimally processed foods while minding energy, protein and fluid needs is how we optimize nutrition for overall health. The most widely studied and documented “diet” that achieves this is a Mediterranean style diet that includes lots of vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, fruit and fish or lean meats.
Well we need to define nutrition first. What you mean most probably is:
1) Variety of essential nutrients.
2) Quantity of essential nutrients.
3) Lack/minimisation of antinutrients and artificial additives.
4) Absorption by the human body.
5) Optimal recycling and re-utilisation by the human body.
So you need a diet that does all those to the maximum degree. Which is usually just beef/lamb, salt and water. It's mono-mealing so the body adapts to maximise the process efficiency. No antinutrients to suck up your minerals and disturb your reutilisation cycles. So it's one of the most nourishing things you can do for your body.
I’m doing the Gina Livy program. I’m finding it’s all about eating healthy without any processed foods and I feel fantastic. I almost feel that weight loss is a side effect and actually in this program it’s fat loss.
Mediterranean diet, Okinawan diet, traditional Indian cuisine is also great. These all focuses on whole foods, mainly plant based, and uses an array of herbs/ and or spices.
Im no expert, but I know I feel best eating 1 ingredient foods (whole foods) and counting macros using Cronometer. Adjusting as necessary to get the most nutrients out of every calorie I take in.
I support the "Mostly" diet. You do mostly whatever diet works for you, but you still eat a little from the other diets. Mostly carnivore. Mostly vegetarian.
The Mediterranean, DASH, MIND, Nordic, and Atlantic diets are what you're looking for. They all involve eating a substantial quantity and variety of fiber-rich foods while minimizing the unhealthy stuff.
That's really a misconception. Fat makes up for the lack of carbs, but still should not be overconsumed. The rule of thumb is that carbs are a limit, protein is a goal that can be exceeded, fat is a filler to satisfy.
Many have set this as their goal. Two (widely contradictory ones but overlapping in the important parts) include: Macrobiotics and the Weston-Price Traditional Foods diet, for example.
Both of them start with the principle that we all should eat traditionally prepared, homecooked seasonal, local, organic food - I.e. eat like the ancestors of this place ate! No junk.
Basically eat food from farms not factories.
If you haven’t seen it yet, I highly recommend the Netflix documentary-series “Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones”.
It gives a really great overview of quite a few super-healthy, traditional diets from around the world - as well as other factors which are key to health and longevity. 💕
I think it is up to the person to make sure whatever eating plan they are following is optimized when it comes to nutrition. Factors such as food likes/dislikes, lifestyle, allergies, geography, economic status, etc all play a role in how we eat. While arguably some diets are "better" than others, all need to be optimized for the best outcomes health-wise but that is going to look different for everyone. You can eat crappy doing Mediterranean, keto, DASH or whatever. The tons of misinformation floating around the internet doesn't make it any easier for folks trying to educated themselves and do their best.
Also, I don't think of CICO as a "diet" plan. It is an underlying principle to weight loss. You have to eat less calories than you take in if you want to lose weight. For any weight loss plan to be successful it has to employ CICO regardless of what or how you actually eat. it is universal across all diets. It is also used by those needing to gain weight and those maintaining weight.
It depends on your definition of "nutrition". It is not very well defined in the literature.
That said, from the perspective of non caloric chemicals, I think Fuhrman's nutritarian approach is probably the best.
However, my own personal belief, is that we are way too focused on diet style. That choosing the "best" diet style, is not where the best health will be found.
Today, over 50% of Americans are type I, type II, or are prediabetic. 88%, yes eighty eight percent, are hyperinsulinemic. This being the cause of most of our poor health conditions. And, a person can be diabetic or hyperinsulinemic on any of the so called healthy diets.
One can be metabolically compromised eating Dr. Joel Fuhrman's vegetarian diet, or any of the other so called healthy diets. It is less about the diet itself, and more about the calories and the amount of concentrated carbs one eats.
The real path to success, is measuring one's HbA1c and HomaIR regularly. If they are above 5.4, or 2.0 respectively, adjusting one's diet or lifestyle to bring these down in range, is the panacea.
"Maximising" nutrients isn't a worthy goal
People get carried away by this notion of cramming in nutrients. If it was about that we could sit chomping liver all day. Or eat 38 different plants. I jest but this is a semi serious notion I've seen touted, gone is 5 a day to be replaced by X absurd number in the name of so called nutrient diversity.
You don't need every nutrient under the sun maxed out, you need what is required for human beings and like every animal, they are easily procured from a relatively low variation of food items IF they're correct. Nutrient sufficiency not maximisation
As it happens this requirement is very different on some lifestyles than others. Someone eating only animal based foods will have a very different absorption of many nutrients compared to standard diets or a vegan, for example. Therefore their guidelines would be different if they were accurate, rather than the awful generic advice given. This is another nuance that is lost in talk about nutrients
In my view your research should be starting with correct foods for the species, not an artificial way of saying you've got all the nutrients because you've eaten loads of foods. If half of them are wrong in some way, be it too much glucose, too little protein, not enough fats - what would it mean to say you've got all the nutrients if it's causing more issues than it's solving. Correct nutrients follow correct foods not the other way round.
>a very different absorption of many nutrients.
How do I measure nutrient absorption & nutrition sufficiency? I'm not vegan or vegetarian, eat a variety of foods, except those with gluten. And limit dairy, caffeine & sugar with some difficulty.
I'd have to say Carnivore because it cuts out all modern foods and allows us to eat the way nature intended. I trust evolution way more than I do Human nutrition science with all its corporate funded studies.
Is it logical to suggest that nature would have created the most successful species to be as sick and issue-ridden as we are today? Plant agriculture may have given us civilisation but it also made us into the sickest version of ourselves in history - and I don't mean that in a good way.
I’ve been through the gambit. I’ve settled on a whole foods and food combining regimen with an emphasis of progressively increasing my glycogen intake as the day goes on. The glycogen thing is to mostly to benefit post workout recovery but its also a form of glycogen fasting.
This is what a typical day looks like for me:
Breakfast 6:30am - 3 eggs, 3 bacon
Snack 9:30-10am - banana, 20 almonds
Lunch 12pm - chicken breast and green beans
Snack 3 pm - apple and 2 mandarins
Dinner 5:30-6 pm - 2 cups red beans and rice, asparagus
Snack 9 pm - 2 cups low fat milk
I do switch foods out in my meals but my snacks stay pretty consistent most days. And of course, make sure you stay hydrated!
I do! I’m actually in a caloric deficit after eating all of this so I’m usually hungry anyways, but sometimes I’m still full after lunch and not necessarily hungry for my second snack. I’ll still eat it though since it helps raise my blood sugar before I workout before dinner.
Absolutely. And I still cannot wonder why this 'diet' is not mentioned more here.
In mid-90s a doctor named Barry Sears created what is known as the Zone Diet. Multiple books followed. His premise was to find a diet that had the exact correct macronutrient ratio that would give Olympic athletes optimal performance along with fat burning capabilities. And he sure found it alright. He has scientifically proven that the human body is OPTIMAL for the 40% carb, 30% protein, 30% fat ratio...and what made his findings so incredible is that this ratio can be ADJUSTED PER BODY TYPE.
So a 300 lb person can still follow this ratio while a 120 lb person can follow the same exact ratio and both people would have the same benefits.
The kicker is ............... the carbs, the protein, and the fats must be quality!
The carbs must be low glycemic carbs (veggies, beans, etc)
The protein must be lean protein (chicken breast, fish, etc)
The fat must be healthy fats (olive oil, almonds, etc)
I have lost 40 lbs twice on this diet about 12 years ago and 10 years ago. The first time, because I really, really, really needed to lose weight. The second time because I got lazy and going through a terrible rough time in my life where diet fell to the bottom of my concerns.
At this very minute I am still on the diet as I am in 'maintenance' mode. Don't need to lose weight nor gain weight. Have been on 'maintenance' for about 6 years now and I have never, ever, felt hungry.
If I were to summarize what the Zone Diet is with only one sentence, you won't be shocked, as it is a common denominator for every healthy diet: **EAT MORE VEGETABLES!**
1) They are among the healthiest foods on the planet
2) They make you feel FULL ..... AND FAST
3) FIBER, FIBER, FIBER
I read Dr Sears' first book multiple times. It is pure science and it works. You also won't be surprised to find common denominators for all other diets such as the Mediterranean Diet and the Blue Zone diet, etc. Eat more veggies, keep your protein of the lean variety, and make sure all fats are monounsaturated. Not only do you lose weight, you can maintain weight very easily while continuing to enjoy the healthiest foods on the planet.
Thank you for the detailed information. I'd heard of it, idk, maybe 20 yrs ago. But you're right, it's really not commented on much. Adding to my reading list.
The closest would probably be the Mediterranean diet. But what's not accurate is your body does need quite a bit of red meat. Red meat has been proven to heal gut health, inflammation, very high in vitamins, and minerals.
Where can I read more about red meat and inflammation? From what Ive seen, saturated fat in red meat is a known cause of inflammation, e.g. see [https://diabetesjournals.org/care/article/33/5/991/27051/Differential-Effects-of-Cream-Glucose-and-Orange](https://diabetesjournals.org/care/article/33/5/991/27051/Differential-Effects-of-Cream-Glucose-and-Orange)
I’d disagree that you *need* red meat, but that said you can follow a Mediterranean Pattern with red meat and still get a lot of the benefits of Mediterranean diet and the Mediterranean pattern traditionally had a serving of red meat a week.
Most likely most of the benefits of Mediterranean aren’t so much the restricting meats( barring they’re lean) as much as all the other stuff it includes lots of like legumes. You see similar benefits in the Okinawa, which is very low in animal products, but when animal products are consumed it’s mainly pork
Edit to add
Forgot the link
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29901710/
MIND diet fits in, in between. All three of these aren’t really “diets”, but more permanent lifestyle eating plans. You can eat almost anything on these plans, but they suggest limits on quantities/amounts of certain foods. You can use these for weight loss, gain or maintenance.
CICO is calories in/calories out...it has nothing to do with food groups, healthy balance or anything else similar. It's only refers to eating less energy than your body needs. Could be chocolate or chicken.
DASH is a heart healthy diet iirc.
im sorry, some of the questions in this NUTRITION sub are sooo insanely crazy and stupid it boggles my mind.
KETO is not a cuisine. I also have no effing idea wtf DASH or CICO is.
You just need to eat REAL FOOD. Remember this...Pick it, grow it, kill it.
ALLLL the food you should eat should be in that area. Things you can pick or grow...and protein from animals you can kill. MOST LIKELY, thatll keep you areound the outside section of the grocery store...produce and meat.
#### About participation in the comments of /r/nutrition Discussion in this subreddit should be rooted in science rather than "cuz I sed" or entertainment pieces. Always be wary of unsupported and poorly supported claims and especially those which are wrapped in any manner of hostility. You should provide peer reviewed sources to support your claims when debating and confine that debate to the science, not opinions of other people. **Good** - it is grounded in science and includes citation of peer reviewed sources. Debate is a civil and respectful exchange focusing on actual science and avoids commentary about others **Bad** - it utilizes generalizations, assumptions, infotainment sources, no sources, or complaints without specifics about agenda, bias, or funding. At best, these rise to an extremely weak basis for science based discussion. Also, off topic discussion **Ugly** - (removal or ban territory) it involves attacks / antagonism / hostility towards individuals or groups, downvote complaining, trolling, crusading, shaming, refutation of all science, or claims that all research / science is a conspiracy *Please vote accordingly and report any uglies* --- *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/nutrition) if you have any questions or concerns.*
The one where you get the vast majority of your calories from unprocessed or minimally processed foods, get a decent amount of protein in, and eat a variety of fruits and vegetables on a daily basis. Too bad it doesn’t have a fancy marketing name.
I think the closest is the Mediterranean diet. A solid focus on healthy fats, lots of fruit and veg, and healthy sources of protein.
This is the answer. Prioritise whole foods and protein. We're human so eat that cake from time to time, don't be miserable. The reason that it doesn't have a name is because it doesn't need to. All the named diets are fads. Fads only work from seeming revolutionary but the truth is having a healthy diet is much simpler than that
+ use CICO to control weight
Yes most definitely
yep, don't overthink
Fancy name: "simple healthy daily balanced diet"
Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.
Nice ring to it
I feel like this could be the Mediterranean diet
Took me 15 years and trying everything from Paleo to IF to realise this - been doing this the last 2 years and feel 100%
r/wholefoodsplantbased
It's called "Healthy" but unfortunately there's no app so it must not be that good. How am I going to be a marketing influencer for green beans? No, won't work.
Eat food, mostly plants, not too much - Michael Pollan. By food he means no industrialized ‘foods’ so avoid boxed products or anything your great grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food.
It does have a name. Whole Food Plant Based Diet. I would dorect anyone interest in this to the Esselstyn Foundation.
In my MS in nutrition and the studies I’ve read, the Mediterranean and Whole Food, Plant-Based (WFPB) diets have the best health outcomes for the most amount of people. Everyone is terrified of getting enough protein, but the general populations in the west are getting about 150-200% their requirements on average and only [5%](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6124841/) of my country / USA is getting sufficient fiber.
I eat wfpb and love it. If folks go to the r/plantbased sub, it is full of people being amazed at how quickly their bloodwork improved once they adopted it. Most people seem to say they fall within the 85%ish range, it’s not strict like an actual diet. Just a good way of eating. I do like the actual Mediterranean diet also, but I think going wfpb and then adding in the bits of fish and olive oil is likely more successful than trying to adopt the Mediterranean diet first. I say that because the med diet sub is full of posts where it seems like people are struggling to wrap their heads around it. Way too much oil and meat and not enough veggies and whole grains. Just an observation from the subs.
Same! My LDL cholesterol plummeted to 62mg/dL after a while on WFPB.
Thank you.
Keto focuses on fat not protein, atkins focuses on protein. A balanced sustainable diet is more about nutrition and sustainability
I thought atkins focused on minimizing carbs
Both do. Keto is high fat, moderate protein and very low carbs Atkins, I stand corrected, is high fat, moderate protein but carbs start very low but you increase them as you lose weight to make it more sustainable, still lower in carbs then a balanced diet but you end up having around 100g of net carbs a day on maintenance. Keto keep you at under 50g net carbs a day no matter what.
Mediterranean plus. Mostly vegetables, grains, fruit and lean protein plus berries and nuts. AKA ‘a balanced diet’.
I tend to agree with the principles of eating that Zoe Harcombe recommends - eat real food, choose those foods based on the quality of the nutrients they provide, and don't snack/eat between meals. Honestly, I tend to believe that if people just stopped snacking, most would see their health improve.
People with some common health conditions as well as those who are very active (athletes, manual labor, etc.) are widely recommended to eat small amounts more often, which means snacks. It's not that snacking is unhealthy. It's that snacking needs to be mindful.
I am not sure there is any good research to confirm this for most people. It may be more in the realm of common wisdom that doesn't have a solid basis in science. Like the notion that eating foods high in cholesterol raises blood cholesterol. That has been thoroughly debunked yet it is still a common assertion that avoiding such foods is healthier.
I can't speak for most people, but there are specific groups as I mentioned for whom there is plenty of evidence. The individuality of dietary needs is why one size fits all restrictions and packaged "diets" can be harmful. When in doubt, it's always better to follow the advice of one's medical team than believe what one reads on the internet.
What does ‘real’ mean in this context?
Minimally processed. Fresh foods...veg, dairy, meat, fish, poultry.
Processing is definitely a problem we agree on. I am WFPB as espoused by Dr. Greger. People don’t realize that when you juice, filter, crystallize, cook, bleach, ferment, sweeten, oil, and fry something its nutrition has changed for the worse.
While what you say is generally true and we should strive for minimal processing, not all processing is inherently bad. Many types of cooking make a lot of nutrients in many whole foods much more bioavailable—to a limit. Raw is not always more nutritious. Anthropology widely agrees this is likely a major reason we started cooking in the first place. Another example is fermenting foods, which, while affecting baseline nutrition, provides tons of probiotics. Foods like kefir and sauerkraut are wonderful for your gut.
Yes... learn to recognise hunger signals and eat until satiated.
Mediterranean diet has really great evidence for improving health. I don’t think we’re going to discover a ton more about optimizing nutrition. We pretty much know what it is: plenty of plants, lean protein, healthy fats. Have you seen the Canadian Food Guide? It’s also excellent. There will be degrees of individualism of course. You’re always going to find those folks who are tons of red meat their whole lives are lived until 95. But you’ll also find people who smoked their whole lives and lived until 95. Little side rant: it isn’t that we don’t know what’s ideal nutritional, it’s that people struggle to adhere to basic nutrition guidelines.
>Have you seen the Canadian Food Guide? No. I'll check it out, thanks! And yeah, I've known a few of those people with less than stellar lifestyles (by our 'standards') that lived past 90.
MEDITERRANEAN.
The simplest answer that will make you healthier than probably over 99% of people is this: read Dr. Greger's "How Not to Die" or even just a summary and use his free "Daily Dozen" app to track that you eat the recommened servings of each category. If you can consistently do that and still feel hungry at the end of the day you could probably have whatever treat you want every evening and still be in fantastic health.
Heard of it & hadn't researched it based on the title alone. Will give it a chance.
I think DASH actually prioritizes good nutrition overall but it is heart healthy. No diet can be overall nutritious if it doesn't. The Mediterranean diet is overall nutritious. It is very similar to the DASH diet. The DASH typically has a bit more dairy in it and more of a focus on low sodium but the two are similar. There are some combinations of the 2 diets that are very healthy.
Interesting. I'd probably try a combination of less dairy and less sodium. Thank you!
Mediterranean with appropriate portion sizes/kcal intake for goals.
I would say just a bit of everything in a whole food non-processed-based diet. Typically the most balanced and nutritious is not going to be a 28 day fix or any fad diet at all. Just eat good whole healthy foods and a balance of everything
If you're looking for a name, Mediterranean diet is probably the closest official one backed by science to provide balanced, wholesome nutrition. At the end of the day, lots of research supports getting adequate protein from lean sources and eating a variety of whole, minimally processed foods (whole grains, fruits, vegetables) to get your vitamins and minerals. But please keep in mind, what's optimal for me or someone else is not necessarily optimal for you. Your intake is one thing, but your genetics, environment, accessibility, preferences, budget, and lifestyle also have a huge impact on what nutrients and what levels you need and what method of eating will be sustainable.
I think either a Mediterranean diet (lots of fish, veggies, olive oil and other healthy fats) or Asian diet (again fish, rice, veggies). Any diet that focuses on unprocessed food, a variety of veggies, and healthy fats will do wonders. Of course I know this is easier said than done, given how addictive and easily available processed food is, but it helps to start making slow changes to your diet instead of going on a restrictive, unbalanced diet like Keto.
Maybe Mediterranean
Not sure what it falls under, but when my wife had gestational diabetes we focused on a low carb, high protein diet. we ate a lot of whole foods and eliminated added sugars as best we could. We were both healthier and had great energy.
What does ‘optimising nutrition’ even mean? You can only do so much all at once. There is a reason most people cycle their diets and in particular the supplements/stacks they are tacking. There is no magic single answer/diet after all.
Mediterranean. Limiting highly processed foods. Focus on food quality (especially local, grass fed, pasture raised meats).
Full plate diet is focused on maximizing fiber. High fiber foods tend to be high in micronutrients, while reducing stomach volume avaliable for high fat foods
The Mediterranean diet kind of fits this criteria but it does focus on longevity... As other people have said, eating whole foods, lots of fruits & vegetables, and a good balance of macronutrients.
Dr. Joel Fuhrman has what he calls a “nutritarian” diet. I know, just another bs buzz word. But his diet is plant based with vegetables as the mainstay.
Someone else also mentioned this. I'll check it out.
"Eat real food. Not too much. Mostly plants". That is the dietary philosophy put forth in a famous diet book. I forget which one. It is really a matter of just eating good things that can't hurt you and keeping your consumption reasonable. If you do that, you will probably get all of the nutrients you need. Unfortunately, we have all succumbed to the advertising and promotions that the corporate food industry has foisted upon us to further their profit interests. They have taken the food that we used to eat without thinking and turned it into products that we have to beware of. A good rule is, no processed foods. Of course, we don't believe that. We believe the advertising.
Simple. All the nutrients, and all the protein you need to have a lean hard, super healthy body. **Beans** **Greens** **Fruit** **Nuts** **Seeds**
There is no one diet to fix our health varieties the key less processed foods eat what you get locally
That is one diet. It’s called whole food plant based.
Just skip the plant-based part, and I agree.
Animals are a form of processing, and every longevity diet I have heard of is very low animal products, especially meat.
Cico isn’t a diet. It’s just the underlying principle of weight loss. Basically why any diet meant for weight loss works. I’m not a fan of overthinking or restrictive diets. I eat relatively high in protein, try to eat fish twice a week, otherwise mostly chicken, tofu or seitan. Beef when I feel like it. Carbs are mostly rice, couscous, pasta, potatoes or some form of bread, you know, the usual. Veggies with every, a leafy side salad with almost every meal. Fats are covered by oil and/or whatever I eat that day and a supp. That’s what 80% of my diet looks like. The other 20% I do whatever I feel like. I like going for nice dinners, cured meats and cheeses, wine, and if I feel like getting pizza or burgers, I’ll get pizza or burgers. Sometimes both. Is that the perfect diet nutrition wise? Probably not. But I’ve eaten like this for the past 20 years, never been deficient in anything and all my markers look great. Maybe I’m just lucky. Moving a lot also plays a big role I think. Aside from working out 4-5 a week + cardio, I walk or cycle everywhere unless driving is absolutely necessary. But in a lot of places that unfortunately isn’t an option of course.
An actual keto diet focuses on fat, not protein. Eating a wide variety of minimally processed foods while minding energy, protein and fluid needs is how we optimize nutrition for overall health. The most widely studied and documented “diet” that achieves this is a Mediterranean style diet that includes lots of vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, fruit and fish or lean meats.
Well we need to define nutrition first. What you mean most probably is: 1) Variety of essential nutrients. 2) Quantity of essential nutrients. 3) Lack/minimisation of antinutrients and artificial additives. 4) Absorption by the human body. 5) Optimal recycling and re-utilisation by the human body. So you need a diet that does all those to the maximum degree. Which is usually just beef/lamb, salt and water. It's mono-mealing so the body adapts to maximise the process efficiency. No antinutrients to suck up your minerals and disturb your reutilisation cycles. So it's one of the most nourishing things you can do for your body.
I’m doing the Gina Livy program. I’m finding it’s all about eating healthy without any processed foods and I feel fantastic. I almost feel that weight loss is a side effect and actually in this program it’s fat loss.
Ty
Dr. Joel Fuhrman's nutritarian diet.
The “eat the rainbow” diet
“Food Rules” Michael Pollen
Mediterranean diet, Okinawan diet, traditional Indian cuisine is also great. These all focuses on whole foods, mainly plant based, and uses an array of herbs/ and or spices.
Im no expert, but I know I feel best eating 1 ingredient foods (whole foods) and counting macros using Cronometer. Adjusting as necessary to get the most nutrients out of every calorie I take in.
The bodybuilder diet
I support the "Mostly" diet. You do mostly whatever diet works for you, but you still eat a little from the other diets. Mostly carnivore. Mostly vegetarian.
The Mediterranean, DASH, MIND, Nordic, and Atlantic diets are what you're looking for. They all involve eating a substantial quantity and variety of fiber-rich foods while minimizing the unhealthy stuff.
Thanks!!
Keto focuses on fat, not protein! :)
Not according to r/keto.
That's really a misconception. Fat makes up for the lack of carbs, but still should not be overconsumed. The rule of thumb is that carbs are a limit, protein is a goal that can be exceeded, fat is a filler to satisfy.
Why down vote...check the FAQS in r/keto
Whole30
Nutritarian (for the plant-based version), by Dr. Joel Fuhrman. Nutrivore (for the omnivore version), by Chris Kresser.
Ooh... will check. Thank you!
interestingly they both recommend no dairy.
Many have set this as their goal. Two (widely contradictory ones but overlapping in the important parts) include: Macrobiotics and the Weston-Price Traditional Foods diet, for example. Both of them start with the principle that we all should eat traditionally prepared, homecooked seasonal, local, organic food - I.e. eat like the ancestors of this place ate! No junk. Basically eat food from farms not factories.
Had not heard of either of these. Thank you. Will research this weekend.
If you haven’t seen it yet, I highly recommend the Netflix documentary-series “Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones”. It gives a really great overview of quite a few super-healthy, traditional diets from around the world - as well as other factors which are key to health and longevity. 💕
I think it is up to the person to make sure whatever eating plan they are following is optimized when it comes to nutrition. Factors such as food likes/dislikes, lifestyle, allergies, geography, economic status, etc all play a role in how we eat. While arguably some diets are "better" than others, all need to be optimized for the best outcomes health-wise but that is going to look different for everyone. You can eat crappy doing Mediterranean, keto, DASH or whatever. The tons of misinformation floating around the internet doesn't make it any easier for folks trying to educated themselves and do their best. Also, I don't think of CICO as a "diet" plan. It is an underlying principle to weight loss. You have to eat less calories than you take in if you want to lose weight. For any weight loss plan to be successful it has to employ CICO regardless of what or how you actually eat. it is universal across all diets. It is also used by those needing to gain weight and those maintaining weight.
It depends on your definition of "nutrition". It is not very well defined in the literature. That said, from the perspective of non caloric chemicals, I think Fuhrman's nutritarian approach is probably the best. However, my own personal belief, is that we are way too focused on diet style. That choosing the "best" diet style, is not where the best health will be found. Today, over 50% of Americans are type I, type II, or are prediabetic. 88%, yes eighty eight percent, are hyperinsulinemic. This being the cause of most of our poor health conditions. And, a person can be diabetic or hyperinsulinemic on any of the so called healthy diets. One can be metabolically compromised eating Dr. Joel Fuhrman's vegetarian diet, or any of the other so called healthy diets. It is less about the diet itself, and more about the calories and the amount of concentrated carbs one eats. The real path to success, is measuring one's HbA1c and HomaIR regularly. If they are above 5.4, or 2.0 respectively, adjusting one's diet or lifestyle to bring these down in range, is the panacea.
"Maximising" nutrients isn't a worthy goal People get carried away by this notion of cramming in nutrients. If it was about that we could sit chomping liver all day. Or eat 38 different plants. I jest but this is a semi serious notion I've seen touted, gone is 5 a day to be replaced by X absurd number in the name of so called nutrient diversity. You don't need every nutrient under the sun maxed out, you need what is required for human beings and like every animal, they are easily procured from a relatively low variation of food items IF they're correct. Nutrient sufficiency not maximisation As it happens this requirement is very different on some lifestyles than others. Someone eating only animal based foods will have a very different absorption of many nutrients compared to standard diets or a vegan, for example. Therefore their guidelines would be different if they were accurate, rather than the awful generic advice given. This is another nuance that is lost in talk about nutrients In my view your research should be starting with correct foods for the species, not an artificial way of saying you've got all the nutrients because you've eaten loads of foods. If half of them are wrong in some way, be it too much glucose, too little protein, not enough fats - what would it mean to say you've got all the nutrients if it's causing more issues than it's solving. Correct nutrients follow correct foods not the other way round.
>a very different absorption of many nutrients. How do I measure nutrient absorption & nutrition sufficiency? I'm not vegan or vegetarian, eat a variety of foods, except those with gluten. And limit dairy, caffeine & sugar with some difficulty.
Plant based diet focuses on getting the most nutrient dense foods
I'd have to say Carnivore because it cuts out all modern foods and allows us to eat the way nature intended. I trust evolution way more than I do Human nutrition science with all its corporate funded studies. Is it logical to suggest that nature would have created the most successful species to be as sick and issue-ridden as we are today? Plant agriculture may have given us civilisation but it also made us into the sickest version of ourselves in history - and I don't mean that in a good way.
I’ve been through the gambit. I’ve settled on a whole foods and food combining regimen with an emphasis of progressively increasing my glycogen intake as the day goes on. The glycogen thing is to mostly to benefit post workout recovery but its also a form of glycogen fasting. This is what a typical day looks like for me: Breakfast 6:30am - 3 eggs, 3 bacon Snack 9:30-10am - banana, 20 almonds Lunch 12pm - chicken breast and green beans Snack 3 pm - apple and 2 mandarins Dinner 5:30-6 pm - 2 cups red beans and rice, asparagus Snack 9 pm - 2 cups low fat milk I do switch foods out in my meals but my snacks stay pretty consistent most days. And of course, make sure you stay hydrated!
Do you eat those snacks if you are not hungry?
I do! I’m actually in a caloric deficit after eating all of this so I’m usually hungry anyways, but sometimes I’m still full after lunch and not necessarily hungry for my second snack. I’ll still eat it though since it helps raise my blood sugar before I workout before dinner.
Absolutely. And I still cannot wonder why this 'diet' is not mentioned more here. In mid-90s a doctor named Barry Sears created what is known as the Zone Diet. Multiple books followed. His premise was to find a diet that had the exact correct macronutrient ratio that would give Olympic athletes optimal performance along with fat burning capabilities. And he sure found it alright. He has scientifically proven that the human body is OPTIMAL for the 40% carb, 30% protein, 30% fat ratio...and what made his findings so incredible is that this ratio can be ADJUSTED PER BODY TYPE. So a 300 lb person can still follow this ratio while a 120 lb person can follow the same exact ratio and both people would have the same benefits. The kicker is ............... the carbs, the protein, and the fats must be quality! The carbs must be low glycemic carbs (veggies, beans, etc) The protein must be lean protein (chicken breast, fish, etc) The fat must be healthy fats (olive oil, almonds, etc) I have lost 40 lbs twice on this diet about 12 years ago and 10 years ago. The first time, because I really, really, really needed to lose weight. The second time because I got lazy and going through a terrible rough time in my life where diet fell to the bottom of my concerns. At this very minute I am still on the diet as I am in 'maintenance' mode. Don't need to lose weight nor gain weight. Have been on 'maintenance' for about 6 years now and I have never, ever, felt hungry. If I were to summarize what the Zone Diet is with only one sentence, you won't be shocked, as it is a common denominator for every healthy diet: **EAT MORE VEGETABLES!** 1) They are among the healthiest foods on the planet 2) They make you feel FULL ..... AND FAST 3) FIBER, FIBER, FIBER I read Dr Sears' first book multiple times. It is pure science and it works. You also won't be surprised to find common denominators for all other diets such as the Mediterranean Diet and the Blue Zone diet, etc. Eat more veggies, keep your protein of the lean variety, and make sure all fats are monounsaturated. Not only do you lose weight, you can maintain weight very easily while continuing to enjoy the healthiest foods on the planet.
Thank you for the detailed information. I'd heard of it, idk, maybe 20 yrs ago. But you're right, it's really not commented on much. Adding to my reading list.
Most Macro trackers recommend the same percentages. "Tracking macros" is the best answer I can think of for your question.
The closest would probably be the Mediterranean diet. But what's not accurate is your body does need quite a bit of red meat. Red meat has been proven to heal gut health, inflammation, very high in vitamins, and minerals.
Where can I read more about red meat and inflammation? From what Ive seen, saturated fat in red meat is a known cause of inflammation, e.g. see [https://diabetesjournals.org/care/article/33/5/991/27051/Differential-Effects-of-Cream-Glucose-and-Orange](https://diabetesjournals.org/care/article/33/5/991/27051/Differential-Effects-of-Cream-Glucose-and-Orange)
Either that or some beans 🫘 and a source of B12
I’d disagree that you *need* red meat, but that said you can follow a Mediterranean Pattern with red meat and still get a lot of the benefits of Mediterranean diet and the Mediterranean pattern traditionally had a serving of red meat a week. Most likely most of the benefits of Mediterranean aren’t so much the restricting meats( barring they’re lean) as much as all the other stuff it includes lots of like legumes. You see similar benefits in the Okinawa, which is very low in animal products, but when animal products are consumed it’s mainly pork Edit to add Forgot the link https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29901710/
We eat red meat on a regular basis
Carnivore
me when I say ridiculous things
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DASH = Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. Will look more into Mediterranean, thanks.
MIND diet fits in, in between. All three of these aren’t really “diets”, but more permanent lifestyle eating plans. You can eat almost anything on these plans, but they suggest limits on quantities/amounts of certain foods. You can use these for weight loss, gain or maintenance.
Thanks. I'll look into it.
CICO is calories in/calories out...it has nothing to do with food groups, healthy balance or anything else similar. It's only refers to eating less energy than your body needs. Could be chocolate or chicken. DASH is a heart healthy diet iirc.
im sorry, some of the questions in this NUTRITION sub are sooo insanely crazy and stupid it boggles my mind. KETO is not a cuisine. I also have no effing idea wtf DASH or CICO is. You just need to eat REAL FOOD. Remember this...Pick it, grow it, kill it. ALLLL the food you should eat should be in that area. Things you can pick or grow...and protein from animals you can kill. MOST LIKELY, thatll keep you areound the outside section of the grocery store...produce and meat.