Well, things have changed—or rather, science has changed. Recent studies that have relied on actual blood biomarkers, not just self-reported diet surveys, show that the diet known as the New Nordic Diet is more powerful at triggering weight loss and fighting heart disease than other popular nutrition plans, including Mediterranean-style diets. What’s more, the New Nordic Diet is the only well-researched weight-loss approach that emphasizes eating organic, seasonal, and locally grown food—right inline with what research also shows to be ideal for human health and the environment. But what is the New Nordic Diet, anyway? Truth be told, the diet isn’t exactly new: A consortium of nutritionists, chefs, and scientists created the NND in 2004 to help address growing obesity rates and non-sustainable farming practices in the Nordic countries (Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and Iceland). Like Mediterranean-style diets, the NND stresses eating whole foods—not packaged products or refined fast foods—with lots of healthy omega-3 fats from seafood, other good fats in nuts and seeds, and fiber-filled carbohydrates from whole grains, vegetables, and fruit. A small amount of lean meat is permitted, but unlike the Mediterranean diet, the NND focuses on lean wild meat like venison and elk. In addition, the NND is big on foraged fruits and greens, like berries and moss—basically, whatever you find in the fields, forests, farms, and pastures near your home, that’s what you should be eating. The NND also promotes canola oil, which has a better omega-3 to -6 ratio than olive oil. MORE: What’s The Trick To Sticking With A Diet? While the NND isn’t exactly new, the studies backing the innovative food plan are—which is why the diet is suddenly receiving lots of international acclaim from food experts and nutritionists. For example, a groundbreaking study published this summer in The Journal of Nutrition used blood biomarkers to discover that those who adhered to the NND the closest had significantly lower cholesterol and blood pressure numbers and better insulin sensitivity than those who ate a Western or traditional Nordic diet. The findings corroborate older research showing that the NND can dramatically improve heart health. What about weight loss? Research published this year found that people on the NND lost an average of 10 pounds without even counting calories. What’s more, the NND eaters reported little problems sticking with the diet compared to those who followed a Mediterranean-style diet. Here’s how to adopt the NND, especially if you don’t live in one of the five Nordic countries:
Buy local, seasonal, and organic produce.Avoid food additives and pre-packaged meals.Focus on whole foods: whole grains, including oatmeal, barley, rye, and whole wheat, along with whole nuts, seeds, beans, and foraged foods.Eat lots of responsibly caught fish.Consume only small portions of meat, sticking to lean, free-range and grass-fed options whenever possible.
Here’s a list of some of the staples of the NND, according to the University of Copenhagen:
Root vegetables (carrots, turnips, beets)Cruciferous vegetables (cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage)Dark leafy greens (kale, spinach)Foraged foods (chanterelles, wild mushrooms, fiddleheads)Legumes such as beans, seeds, and lentilsRapeseed (canola oil)Whole grains, especially rye, oats, and barleyBerriesApples and pearsFatty fish like salmon and herringWild, lean game meat like elk
Try out the 3-day diet plan on the New Nordic Diet here!
