Diets- how do I know what’s right for me?

Mar 15

Summary

When thinking of diets, there is sometimes a correlation with losing weight. However, that is not always the case. Many times, diets can be very discouraging as people who reach their target weight loss go back to their old eating habits and gain that weight back. The truth behind diets is that it should be more a lifestyle choice rather than a short-term plan. A balanced diet entails eating nutritious foods that can fuel the body properly. A balanced diet is important to living a long, healthy life. The lack of a balanced diet can lead your body to be more prone to disease, organ damage, making you feel tired and affecting your mood. There are many types of diets out there that can be beneficial to you short-term or long-term, however not each diet is for everyone.

Help me eat the right way

The Details

First off, let’s get this straight: a lot of diets are bullsh*t. They are created by savvy marketers who grab your attention and get their hour of glory. Anything that sounds strange, extreme or weird absolutely is. Stay away from it. Anything that has to do with cleansing is fun to think about but your body is a beautiful machine that needs specific things on an ongoing basis to work well.

Below is a survey of a handful of the popular and more legitimate diets you might be reading about:

The Ketogenic Diet. This diet is used primarily to encourage the process of ketogenesis. Normally in your body, the cells use glucose as its main source of energy. Glucose can be acquired from food that are rich in carbohydrates and starchy foods such as bread, potatoes, beans, corn and fruits. The body breaks down these carbohydrates into simpler sugars such and either uses the sugars as energy or stores it as fat. However when there is not enough glucose, it kicks off the ketogenesis process. The ketogenesis process is where our bodies gain energy by burning stored fats when it does not have enough glucose. This leads to the formation of acids building up called ketones as byproducts. This diet is used to get the body to rely on fats for energy rather than carbohydrates. It is known for being a treatment for people with epilepsy and helpful for people who want to improve their insulin sensitivity or improve biological markers like blood pressure. In clinical settings, it is often used to monitor kidney and liver issues and deficiencies as well.

The ketogenic diet is not for everyone. It should be avoided by people who are elite athletes, have a poor relationship with food or people who do not have a long-term plan for weight loss but are looking to lose it fast. It is helpful in lowering the risk of certain diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. This diet is mainly used for short-term weight loss, so this diet is high in fat. Ratio of carbs, fat and protein is dictated by individual needs. Oils that are high in saturated fats such as coconut and palm oil are highly encouraged, protein is part of the diet and veggies are restricted to leafy greens such as kale and spinach. An example of a ketogenic meal would be salmon cooked in olive oil served with grilled asparagus on the side. In the long-term, maintaining this diet can lead to many other risks such as nutrient deficiency, kidney and liver problems and mood swings. It is not a long-term solution.

The Mediterranean Diet. This diet puts importance on grains, vegetables and fruits, while cutting back on meat and dairy. This diet also focuses on a plant-based eating approach. Following this diet means eating how people in the Mediterranean region traditionally eat. Traditionally foods look like small portions of fish, meat and eggs, and whole grains, vegetables and fruits cooked in healthy fats such as olive oil. In this diet, people usually avoid processed or packaged foods, foods with added sugars, refined grains such as white bread, refined oils such as canola oil and deli meats. Usually less than ⅓ of the calorie intake should be fats, however saturated fats should not go past 8%. A meal following this diet for lunch or dinner could look like cooked cod with grilled vegetables drizzled in olive oil and brown rice. This type of diet has a lot of health benefits associated with it. One benefit associated with the Mediterranean Diet is it improves heart health. Research linked this diet to lowering risk of disease and stroke. This diet is associated with stabilizing blood sugar levels as well. For people trying to live a healthier lifestyle, this diet is for them. Even though there are many health benefits, there are a few risks associated such as lower levels of iron and calcium loss.

The DASH Diet. Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) is used to help control blood pressure. This diet is promoted by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. It focuses on foods that are lower in sodium, but still have ample amounts of potassium, magnesium and calcium. This combination is excellent at lower blood pressure. In this diet, it is recommended to eat fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low fat dairy products, fish, poultry, and limiting foods high in saturated fats such as fatty meats, tropical oils (palm, coconut, etc). Calories needed are broken down into age, gender and physical activity so it is easy to estimate how much is needed daily. An example of a generalized DASH meal could be a cup of whole wheat spaghetti with a cup of marinara sauce with no salt added and served with 2 cups of a leafy green salad mixed with nectarines and a small whole wheat roll. Check out the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute website to see more specifics on how much each serving is needed to follow the DASH diet. Straying away from the calories needed from time to time is fine but the daily sodium intake should be carefully monitored. Salt is usually found more in processed foods rather than home-cooked meals, so for people who do eat a lot of processed foods the effects of lowering your sodium intake could offer much more significant health benefits. This diet is recommended to lower the risk of high blood pressure, stroke, obesity and heart disease. This diet is meant to be considered as a long-term eating plan and is more effective when paired with physical activity, and can be easy to follow. However, eating too little salt may pose a risk as well. For healthy individuals this may not be the plan for them.

The Flexitarian Diet. The main aspect of the flexitarian diet is to focus more on eating plant-based foods, while still consuming meat and animal products in moderation. It is definitely a good option to consider if vegetarian and vegan diets are not for you, but you want to experience some of their benefits. This type of diet does not have any type of calorie intake but is more selective about what type of foods go into your body. Focusing on protein gained from plants, eating fruits, legumes and whole grains and avoiding sweets and added sugars is key. Protein gained from plants include soybeans, tofu, lentils and such. The whole point of this diet is to be more selective and flexible on what is eaten, rather than focusing on being restrictive. Health benefits from this diet are hard to define as the diet is more individualistic and different based on each individual. But overall, it can aid in preventing heart disease, and lead to weight loss. However, nutrient deficiencies can occur due to eating less meat and animal products such as iron, zinc and vitamin B12. Keep in mind these nutrient deficiencies can occur more in people whose diet ends up being more vegan rather than flexitarian. It is more common in vegan diets to see such deficiencies, so when being flexitarian it is important to incorporate meat and animal products in moderation to reduce the risk of being deficient in certain nutrients. This diet is also meant for reaching long-term goals rather than short-term.