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It is not easy to follow a healthy diet and resist the excessive appetite of some, but some goals help motivate many, especially if they feel better quickly, lose weight… or live longer.

in the frame, A group of researchers sought to answer this question in a study that included 4 different diets, including the Mediterranean diet, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the healthy vegetarian diet, and the alternative Healthy Eating Index or what is known as the “Harvard Diet”.

Researchers found that people who followed one of these four diets were 20 percent less likely to die during the 36-year study. They also noticed a decrease in the incidence of cancer, respiratory diseases, and cardiovascular diseases.

The Harvard diet is very similar to MyPlate, which was developed by the USDA in June 2011, explains Samantha Cogan, director of the Education Program in Nutrition and Dietetics at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas.

Both systems focus on having half of your daily meal come from fruits and vegetables, another quarter from whole grains, and the last quarter from proteins. But the Harvard diet recommends more vegetables on the plate than fruits.

The second difference between the Harvard system and the MyPlate system is that the latter recommends eating dairy products with every meal, while the Harvard system suggests replacing dairy products with beverages such as water, coffee, or tea.

“Researchers at Harvard University came to this conclusion after the high rate of lactose intolerance in the United States,” Cogan said. On the other hand, he advised them to avoid sugary drinks, and to limit dairy drinks to one or two servings per day.

The Harvard diet also recommends eating moderate amounts of healthy fats such as olive, canola, soybean and sunflower oils… while avoiding trans fats.

What are the benefits of the Harvard diet?

* Helps prevent chronic diseases such as diabetes (type two), heart disease and high cholesterol.

* Helps lose weight.

* Helps to prolong life, as it seems ideal for a long and healthy life.

The importance of this system lies in the fact that it recommends avoiding foods rich in trans and saturated fats, dairy products, and replacing them with healthy fats and foods rich in minerals.