Nordic Diet: Eat Like A Viking To Lose Weight And Lower Blood Pressure | HuffPost Life

Eat Like A Viking Diet To Lose Weight And Lower Blood Pressure

Natasha Hinde— The Huffington Post UK

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It wouldn't be January without an influx of new fad diets to try.

But this year, it's all about making simple long-term lifestyle changes to achieve results.

And experts are hedging their bets on the Nordic diet. Focusing on whole grains, plants, fresh fish and meat, the diet is steeped in nutrition, while steering clear of refined grains such as white bread and pasta.

While it's similar to the Paleo and Mediterranean diet, the Nordic Diet encourages consumption of cold-pressed rapeseed oil rather than olive oil.

The diet has also been shown to reverse the damaging effects of being overweight - meaning that if you're looking to lose a few pounds over the next couple of months, without living off celery, then this could be the one for you.

Scientists at the University of Eastern Finland found that consuming the foods typically found in the Nordic diet can reduce genes associated with inflammation linked to chronic diseases.

They found that middle-aged men and women who suffered symptoms of metabolic syndrome - a combination of high blood pressure, obesity and obesity - had a lower number of inflamation-associated genes after trying the diet.

The findings were published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

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Previously, a study led by the University of Copenhagen found that the diet aided weight loss. Obese participants who followed the Nordic diet for six months dropped 4.7kg, compared to just 1.5kg for those who followed a conventional diet.

Another study by University of Oxford found that eating plenty of oily fish such as mackerel, tuna and salmon, which are excellent sources of omega-3 DHA fatty acids, can improve the quality of sleep.

So, all in all, the Viking diet seems like a keeper.

Story continues below...

Natural Health Food Trends

Snacks Made Of Unusual Ingredients(01 of31)

"Everyone loves snack foods, and natural health foodies are no exception," says Katharine Herringer, co-founder of Multibird Branding, an organic food marketing company. She points to Hippie Foods Coconut Chips, made from nutrient-dense young coconut with a taste that not too sweet, slightly savoury, creamy and refreshing.

Snacks Made Of Unusual Ingredients(02 of31)

Another favourite was Ocean’s Halo's Seaweed Chip, which is a tortilla chip/seaweed snack hybrid in a variety of flavours.

So Much Sriracha(03 of31)

Herringer spotted everything from Kettle Chips-flavoured Sriracha chips to Way Better Snack's gluten-free Sriracha-flavoured tortilla chips, this sauce certainly hasn't lost its lustre in 2014.

So Much Sriracha(04 of31)

Herringer spotted everything from Kettle Chips-flavoured Sriracha chips to Way Better Snack's gluten-free Sriracha-flavoured tortilla chips, this sauce certainly hasn't lost its lustre in 2014.

Zero-Waste In The Kitchen(05 of31)

Enviro Glass Straw makes hand-blown glass straws, doing away with the waste of plastic. And, Herringer notes, "glass straws make that kale smoothie taste so much better."

Zero-Waste In The Kitchen(06 of31)

Abeego, a beeswax paper wrap, is a great alternative to Saran wrap and the like — and it's even reusable.

Chia On-The-Go(07 of31)

We love chia seeds around here, so the introduction of a new drink that contains plenty of the superfood sounds great to us. Mamma Chia offers up plenty of flavoured beverages, and is launching "Chia Squeeze" for kids shortly.

The New Good Fat(08 of31)

"The newest kid on the block is Omega 7," says Herringer. "Until recently sea buckthorn had been the primary source of this fatty acid, but a Canadian brand, Sea-licious has a new Omega 7 made with Provinal palmitoleic acid." Apparently this "new" acid can help decrease cholesterol, balance sugar and aids with weight loss overall.

Better Than Freezies?(09 of31)

Once the warm weather comes, everyone will be looking for a cool treat that hopefully isn't filled with sugar. Enter Deebee’s Organic Teapops, which are dairy-free and sugar-free — but remember before giving them to the kids, they have tea in them, so they have caffeine in them too.

Natural Beauty Gear(10 of31)

Herringer calls out Pacifica’s new line of cosmetics as being exceptional, particularly the Malibu Lemon Blossom hand and body lotion wipes, made from completely natural ingredient and biodegradable to boot.

(11 of31)

NEXT: The Coolest Food Trends Of 2014

Food Smoking(12 of31)

You've definitely eaten smoked meat before, but have you tried smoked cheese? Or jalapeno peppers? Whether served on their own or as a component of a dish, smoking will give an entirely new flavour experience this year. (credit:Shutterstock)

Half Portions(13 of31)

As longtime fans of half-pint beers, this sounds like a great idea. And hopefully, a cost-efficient one too. (credit:Shutterstock)

Pickling(14 of31)

This has been on the up-and-up over the past few years, but we still welcome the change from fried veggies, or even steamed ones.Shown: Shrimp fried rice with pickled radishes. (credit:AP Photo/Matthew Mead)

Inexpensive/Underused Cuts Of Meat(15 of31)

Nose-to-tail dining has been on the menus for a while, but chefs are taking ownership of different cuts of meat in a way they never did before in 2014. (credit:Shutterstock)

Underutilized Fish(16 of31)

And meanwhile, previously unused fish (like the bluefish shown here) that aren't usually seen among the salmons, tunas and sea bass on menus could be coming to a plate near you. (credit:Shutterstock)

Artisanal Poutine(17 of31)

We aren't shy about our poutine love around here, so we welcome any poutine that wants to add a dash of fabulous. (credit:Rock Lobster Ossington)

Sweet And Salty Desserts(18 of31)

Satisfy all sorts of tastebuds at the same time — desserts like salted caramels can be found virtually anywhere these days, and we think that's a really good thing. (credit:Shutterstock)

Superfruits(19 of31)

Superfoods like quinoa are almost the norm now, so it's time to turn the attention to superfruits, like mangosteen (seen here), or goji berries. (credit:Shutterstock)

Natural Sweeteners(20 of31)

Sugar is turning into a bigger and bigger no-no, so why not put your attention towards natural sweeteners like honey, maple syrup and agave for recipes?Shown (at right): An Agave Margarita. (credit:AP Photo/Eric Risberg)

Mocktails(21 of31)

Not everyone wants to booze all the time, you know. Considering the empty calories, the various reasons why people don't drink, and the drunkenness, a refreshing drink without alcohol could look more and more appealing. (credit:Shutterstock)

Small Batch Sodas(22 of31)

And on that same note, restaurants that make their own sodas could be on the forefront of a really smart trend — that is, yummy drinks that don't use quite the amount of sugar as mass-produced ones. And yes, booze could be added to these batches. (credit:Shutterstock)

Specialty Beer(23 of31)

While we're on the topic of drinks, it's hard to ignore the specialty beers that are showing up at beer stores — and why would you want to? Anything from fruity options to seasonal choices make beer that much more interesting. (credit:Shutterstock)

Smaller Menus(24 of31)

We welcome this switch that takes us from having too many options to paring it down to a select, quality few. (credit:Shutterstock)

Liquid Nitrogen Chilling/Freezing(25 of31)

The molecular gastronomy trend has moved from high-end restaurants to more casual spots, meaning your ice cream could be insta-frozen just about anywhere now. (credit:Shutterstock)

Amuse Bouche/Bit Size Hors D'Oeuvres(26 of31)

Forget the days when an amuse bouche only came when you were eating a $100 per person meal. Scaled-down appetizers or little "bonus bites" between courses give chefs a chance to show off their skill in a miniature way. (credit:Shutterstock)

Desserts From Vegetables(27 of31)

We haven't seen much of this yet, but think it could make for some really wonderful savoury desserts. Dishes like avocado mousse (shown here) of course already exist, but we'd love to see them around the globe. (credit:Shutterstock)

Traditional Ethnic Desserts(28 of31)

We in North America tend to be confined to the cake, pie and cookie kind of desserts, so why not expand your culinary horizons and try out something like a Mexican flan (shown here). Other up-and-comers include South Korea's delimanjoo and the Middle East's qatayef. (credit:Shutterstock)

Unusual/Uncommon Herbs(29 of31)

Chefs are putting away the basil and rosemary, and opening up their kitchens to chervil, lovage, papalo and lemon balm — and we can't wait to taste it. (credit:Shutterstock)

Specialty Oils(30 of31)

New kinds of oils, like grapeseed (shown here), truffle, sesame and hazelnut will infuse dishes with deeper levels of flavour, and give chefs a chance to experiment with new cooking temperatures and techniques. (credit:Shutterstock)

Gluten-Free Beer(31 of31)

As we mentioned, gluten-free is the big trend for this year, and it extends to everything from desserts to beer. That should be a massive relief for those who experience bloating after an ale, and gives beer lovers a new taste to try. (credit:Shutterstock)

While you might not have heard of the Nordic diet before, it was actually 'invented' in 2004 by chefs René Redzepi and Claus Meyer at their restaurant in Copenhagen, Noma.

Breakdown of weekly dishes featured in the Nordic diet:

:: Three meat dishes

:: Two seafood dishes

:: Two vegetarian dishes

:: Root vegetables

:: Leafy greens

:: Nuts and berries

:: Fruit and legumes

Great for weight loss and healthy too? We can certainly see why it's expected to be a popular diet trend for 2015.

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