Dieting is the practice of eating food in a regulated fashion to decrease, maintain, or increase body weight, or to prevent and treat diseases, such as diabetes and obesity. Restricted diets are often used for weight loss, but diets can also be used to maintain a stable body weight and improve health.
Let’s talk about what you need to know about 5️⃣ Popular Diets!
Keto Diet
Intermittent Fasting (IF)
Paleo/Primal
IIFYM/Flexible Dieting
Low Fat Diet
Are you doing any of these diets? Have you done any of these diets?
Keto
Keto, or Ketogenic, diet requires low carb and low protein, with the majority of your foods coming from fat sources. On this diet, you would aim for near-zero carbs per day. Rather than getting your energy from carbs, the body produces ketones in the liver to be used for energy.
Restricted Foods Include:
Grains – wheat, corn, rice, cereal Sugar – honey, maple syrup, agave Fruit – apples, bananas, oranges Tubers – potatoes, yams
Foods Allowed Include: Proteins – beef, eggs, chicken, fish Leafy Greens – kale, spinach Nuts and Seeds – walnuts, sunflower seeds, macadamias High Fat Dairy – butter, cream cheese, hard cheeses Avocado and Berries – blackberries, raspberries strawberries Other Fats – coconut oil, high fat salad dressings Sweeteners – stevia, monk fruit
Common Benefits Include: Weight loss, blood sugar control, increased energy, and reduced blood pressure
Common Side Effects Include: Cramps, hair loss, increased cholesterol, fatigue headache, and nausea, also known as the Keto Flu
*Please note, this is not a full list of restricted/allowed foods, or common benefits/side effects.
Intermittent Fasting (IF)
IF is not actually a “diet,” it is a pattern of eating. IF doesn’t change what you eat, it changes WHEN you eat. There are different types of IF fasting that adhere to the same concept of eating what you want, but only during a certain period of time.
The most popular form of IF is the 16/8 Method. During this method you are restricted to eating during an eight hour window. You are allowed to eat and drink anything without calorie restrictions. During the fasting 16 hour window, you should drink plenty of water, and can have black coffee or tea.
Potential Benefits: Weight loss, lowered insulin, lower cholesterol, improved clarity and concentration, increased energy
Potential Side Effects: Binge eating unhealthy foods, fatigue, poor sleep, nausea *Please note, these are not the only potential benefits/side effects.
Low Fat Diet
A low fat diet is one that only restricts fat. The standard low fat diet contains less than 30% of your daily calories from fat. There are very low fat diets that generally provide 10-15% of total calories from fat. The main reason low fat diets are recommended is because fat provides a greater number of calories per gram compared to proteins and carbs. Overall studies have shown that low fat diets alone are not effective for weight loss.
Foods to Avoid: Butter, coconut oil, palm oils, vegetable oil, gravies, mayonnaise, creamy salad dressings, high fat processed foods, creams, granola, fried foods
Paleo Diet
The Paleo Diet eats the same types of foods presumed to have been eaten by early humans. This diet consists of eating fish, meat, fruits, and vegetables and excludes diary, grain, and processed foods. Eating whole foods means you are increasing foods that are rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, and decreasing foods that are highly processed.
Benefits: Weight loss, stable blood sugar, anti-inflammatory, balanced energy, improved sleep.
Foods to Avoid: Dairy, grains, processed food/sugar, legumes, starches, alcohol
Foods Allowed: Fruits, nuts and seeds, seafood, lean meats, vegetables, healthy fats (oils)
IIFYM
If It Fits Your Macros tracks macronutrients without restricting food choices. Macronutrients, or macros, are your proteins, fats, and carbs. Because the only place calories come from are macros, when you hit your macro goals, you inherently hit your calorie goals. There are not any foods that are restricted on this diet.
Disadvantage of this diet is that not all calories are equal. Eating a diet of poor food quality can affect your appetite, brain, and gut health.
To learn more about MACROs you can read my blog HERE!
