Healthy eating always ranks highly on every list of popular New Year’s resolutions. This year was no different, with a recent survey revealing that dieting or eating more healthily was the top resolution of 2019.

71% of the 2,000 people surveyed said this was their aim, and 54% said they wanted to lose weight thanks to their health-focused pledge. Although most people have fallen off the diet bandwagon by March, there’s still time to achieve a healthier lifestyle.

There’s always a trendy diet that promises to help you lose the pounds quickly and easily. Here, we take a closer look at the most popular healthy eating plans of 2019 and reveal whether they’re a fad or a route to a fabulous new you.

The Mediterranean diet

After topping the chart as the best diet overall for the second year in a row, the Mediterranean diet is a particularly popular choice. This healthy eating plan is based on a diet of lean protein, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, olive oil, and the occasional glass of red wine, making it an enjoyable approach to eating your way to the body you want.

A Mediterranean diet has been linked to better control of blood sugar levels and lower risk of depression, stroke, heart attack, and Alzheimer’s disease.

The Volumetrics diet

With weight loss at its centre, the Volumetrics diet is proving a popular choice in the run up to summer. The healthy eating regime involves eating more vegetables and more fruit, with supporting literature offering a vast number of ways to get creative with your five a day. By thinking volume in the right places, this approach makes you feel like you’ve eaten a lot with few restrictions.

In addition to taking in most of your calories through fibre-rich, plant based foods, this diet relies on a lot of water. This water, and the water you receive from all those fruits and vegetables, increases calorie burning, removes toxins from the body and reduces overall liquid calorie intake. Water is also an excellent natural appetite suppressant as Medical News Today details:

“When the stomach senses that it is full, it sends signals to the brain to stop eating. Water can help to take up space in the stomach, leading to a feeling of fullness and reducing hunger. A person may also think that they are hungry when they are actually thirsty. Drinking a glass of water before reaching for something to eat can help to curb unnecessary snacking.”

The DASH diet

DASH, or Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, takes inspiration from the Mediterranean diet, but focuses on foods that specifically lower or control high blood pressure. With this healthy eating plan, you can enjoy seafood, whole grains, low-fat dairy, and nuts and seeds – meaning you have many delicious ingredients to choose from. Poultry and pork aren’t off limits either, resulting in a varied diet that you can stick to wherever you are.

We believe that the best healthy eating plan anyone can follow is a diet of good food, water and exercise. Staying hydrated can unlock a bevy of plus-points for your body, mind and soul. Whether it’s hard or soft water, or filtered, water is a magical elixir.