Best Diets: Weight Loss Trends Include High Fat Ketogenic, Vegan Low Carb Diet & Taco Cleanse

Each year, experts rate the hottest diets, from the best for weight loss to the worst. For 2017, those rankings have just been unveiled by U.S. News & World Report, whose specialists have revealed everything from the best diets for diabetes to the fastest weight loss plans. Plus, get the skinny on which weight loss trends are posed to soar in 2017, also analyzed by experts.

U.S. News’ experts studied 38 of the most popular diets to select the best. The top three best diets overall were the DASH diet, designed to prevent and reduce high blood pressure; the Mediterranean Diet, which can boost weight loss while preventing both cancer and diabetes as well as boosting heart and brain health; and the MIND diet, created to emphasize foods that are healthy for the brain to prevent Alzheimer’s disease.

For those with their eyes on the prize of weight loss, Weight Watchers scored number one. In a tie for second place, the Volumetrics and the Jenny Craig diets also rated high when it comes to helping dieters achieve their weight loss goals. While Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig both are known as commercial plans, the Volumetrics approach emphasizes learning to fill up on foods with lower calories, such as fruits and vegetables. For example, one pound of carrots contains the same number of calories as one ounce of peanuts.

The experts also revealed a tie when it comes to the best diets for diabetes and the best for fast weight loss. The DASH plan ranked as the best for diabetes, but the vegan and Mediterranean diets tied for second place. For fast weight loss diets, the Biggest Loser plan came in third, while Weight Watchers and the HMR (Health Management Resources) program tied for first. The HMR program uses low-calorie meal replacements, such as shakes.

For those interested in a variation on the increasingly popular low-carb diet, consider what’s been dubbed the Eco-Atkins, which is a vegan low carb weight loss plan. Designed to boost weight loss and heart health, this vegan low-carb approach focuses on fruits and vegetables while replacing meat with high-protein plant foods.

When it comes to what the hottest weight loss trends will be in 2017, the Cleveland Clinic reviewed the most popular Google diet searches. Atkins, ketogenic, GOLO, Military, and Taco Cleanse diets ranked at the top, but are any of them safe and effective?

The Cleveland Clinic ranked the Atkins 20 as an “effective weight loss plan,” along with the Atkins 40, which is a less restrictive version of the Atkins 20. The Atkins 40 is a low-carb program that provides dieters with 40 grams of net carbohydrates per day. It’s designed for those with less than 40 pounds to lose, and includes carbohydrates chosen from high-fiber vegetables, fruit, Greek yogurt, nuts, and select other foods. It emphasizes protein along with lots of veggies and teaches portion control.

When it comes to ketogenic diets, the Cleveland Clinic recommends that dieters get a doctor’s approval before trying it and aim for fat sources that are healthy, such as extra virgin olive oil and coconut oil. The ketogenic approach is extremely low in carbohydrates, moderate to low in protein, and high in fat. Diets that contain less than 10 percent carbohydrates (20 to 50 grams per day) are considered low-carb ketogenic plans.

Some studies have indicated that ketogenic diets can lower food cravings and even help those with issues ranging from type 2 diabetes to Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and cancer, but the clinic notes that more research is needed on these types of diets.

The GOLO diet claims to “stabilize insulin levels and blood sugars,” and says that “controlling insulin is more effective than counting calories,” according to the Cleveland Clinic. However, the clinic cautions that the claims do not seem to be “validated by substantial research.”

The Cleveland Clinic also analyzed the Military Diet, which also has been increasingly popular with its promise of a 10-pound weight loss in three days or a 30-pound loss in one month. However, it doesn’t emphasize the quality of calories, with a shopping list that includes vanilla ice cream, saltine crackers, and hot dogs.

“This is the perfect example of why the quality of your calories matters so much more than the quantity,” cautions the clinic.

“Saltines, vanilla ice cream and hot dogs should not be part of any nutrition plan.”

And then there’s the Taco Cleanse, which also has become popular with its claim that consuming tacos for 30 days is shown to “change your life.” Vegan “taco scientists” in Austin, Texas, created the taco cleanse, and it involves eating one to two tacos at each meal. However, the Cleveland Clinic advises caution before crunching your way through this approach to dieting.

As the Inquisitr reported, some celebrities have shared their own favorite diets, with Kim Kardashian revealing her 70-pound weight loss with the Atkins plan and Oprah Winfrey touting her 40-pound weight loss from Weight Watchers.

But the Taco Cleanse also has its celebrity fan, with Jennifer Aniston adding to the taco plan’s fame, according to People.

“I’m riveted [by the Taco Cleanse].”

Jennifer revealed that she had “ordered the book on Amazon,” referring to the cookbook by the “taco scientists” who created the unusual vegan cleanse.

[Featured Image by Gary Miller/Getty Images]