The Truth About Fad Diets – Forbes Health - Forbes
Here's a rundown of some of the more popular fad diets out there, their potential benefits and drawbacks, and how they work for weight loss.
The Paleo Diet
Introduced in 1985, the paleo diet aims to mimic the dietary patterns of humans prior to agricultural development. It claims humans should eat foods similar to those we evolved with and avoid foods we didn't have access to during our evolution.
Followers of the paleo diet are instructed to eat as many lean meats, fruits and non-starchy vegetables as they want, as well as eggs sparingly. Dairy products, legumes, grains and processed foods are strictly off limits. The paleo diet doesn't focus on portion size or caloric intake.
Because it limits intake of the most significant sources of carbohydrates in the standard American diet—cereals, legumes, dairy and processed foods—the paleo diet is essentially a low-carbohydrate diet.
The Keto Diet
The ketogenic diet was originally designed in 1923 by physician Russell Wilder as an effective treatment for epilepsy.
Several variations of the keto diet exist today, but generally, it's a very low-carbohydrate diet (VLCD) featuring a moderate amount of protein, high amounts of fat and no more than 5% to 10% of one's daily calories from carbohydrates. Someone following a 2,000-calorie diet can consume no more than 200 calories—or 50 grams—of carbohydrates a day on the keto diet.
The body typically uses glucose as its primary energy source. When you severely limit your intake of carbohydrates, you use up your glucose stores and your body relies on ketone bodies as an alternate energy source, a process known as ketosis. When the body reaches ketosis, insulin secretion decreases, helping to reduce fat and glucose storage.
Studies show a medically-supervised ketogenic diet can be effective at improving symptoms and quality of life for a variety of conditions, including epilepsy and other neurological disorders. More recently, people have adopted a keto diet in an effort to lose weight, though studies are mixed on whether it's more effective than traditional weight loss diets.
The Atkins Diet
Cardiologist Robert Atkins developed the low-carb, high-protein Atkins diet in the 1970s. Followers are instructed to limit their consumption of carbohydrates to less than 5% of their total daily caloric intake—less than 100 calories (25 grams) of carbohydrates for someone following a 2,000-calorie diet. People following the Atkins diet are also instructed to eat as much protein and fat as they want, drink plenty of fluids, supplement with vitamins and minerals, and incorporate regular exercise.
The Atkins diet is appealing because it makes it easy to feel full, and limited food choices make meal planning simple, notes Cleveland-based sports dietitian and functional nutritionist Kylene Bogden, co-founder of FWDfuel and Pureboost ambassador. But it is "easy to fall under the trap of buying all processed, pre-packaged foods labeled as 'Atkins' for convenience," she adds.
As with any high-protein, low-carb diet, Atkins isn't ideal for heart and gut health due to a potentially high intake of saturated fat and lack of fiber, notes Bogden.
The South Beach Diet
The South Beach diet is a three-stage, modified low-carbohydrate weight loss diet plan developed in 2003 by Dr. Arthur Agatston.
During phase one, followers avoid eating most carbohydrates and focus on lean protein, high-fiber vegetables and healthy fat sources. In phase two, followers of the diet reintroduce some foods that were eliminated, including whole grains, fruits and other vegetables. Phase three is a maintenance diet that can be followed indefinitely.
Followers of the diet are instructed to eat three balanced meals and three snacks throughout the day. The diet advises eating until hunger is satisfied using the provided meal plans and recipes.
The early phases of the diet are a low-carbohydrate, high-protein eating plan. According to Bogden, the South Beach diet "promotes a great macronutrient ratio of moderate carbohydrate, higher protein and fat, promoting greater satiety and better blood sugar balance."
Intermittent Fasting
Unlike diets that focus on restricting the number of calories you eat, intermittent fasting sets guidelines for when you can eat—not what or how much. Typical intermittent fasting alternates avoiding all food for a certain amount of time with periods of normal eating.
The most popular intermittent fasting periods include:
- Alternate day fasting, in which a day of fasting, or eating less than 25% of your total caloric needs, alternates with a day of normal eating.
- Periodic fasting, or the 5:2 diet, in which you fast or eat less than 25% of your total caloric needs for two non-consecutive days of the week, with normal eating the other five days of the week.
- Time-restricted feeding, in which you eat normally within a specified window of no more than eight hours per day.
Intermittent fasting may work because when you restrict the hours you're able to eat, you end up restricting your overall caloric intake. "Limiting when you can eat may help break unhealthy habits like mindlessly snacking late at night," explains Liz Cook, M.S., a registered dietitian at OnPoint Nutrition in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. But she cautions that fasting too long between meals can cause low blood sugar, which can lead to mood swings, headaches and, more seriously, shakiness, dizziness, confusion and anxiety.
The Whole30 Diet
Whole30 is an elimination diet that features two phases. The first phase involves 30 days of eating only meat, seafood, eggs, vegetables, fruits, "natural" fats, herbs, spices and seasonings. The following 10 days focus on reintroducing eliminated foods one at a time to see how they affect your energy, sleep, mood, cravings, digestion and other symptoms.
Whole30 isn't designed for weight loss, nor is it designed to be followed in the long term. Instead, the goal is to identify food sensitivities. It's promoted as a "reset."
Whole30 requires that followers commit and strictly adhere to its protocol for 30 days. The program's website states that if you eat even a bite of a food or beverage that isn't allowed on the plan, you must start over again from day one.
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