Many top dietitians hope people will use diet trends to shift to a lifestyle program you can live comfortably with every day.
When it comes to fast weight loss, there are plenty of fads that claim to be the solution, but what’s ideal is to find the perfect diet trend that works for your lifestyle long term. The Ketogenic Diet, Paelo, Atkins, Intermittent Fasting and Whole30 all have gained popularity, as solutions for weight loss and maintaining weight. Let’s take a look at the differences among these and other diet trends.
Intermittent fasting
One of the big diet trends for 2019, was time frames of not eating altogether — at least temporarily. Intermittent fasting is an eating pattern where you cycle between periods of eating and fasting. It does not say anything about which foods to eat, but rather when you should eat them.
There are several different intermittent fasting methods, all of which split the day or week into eating periods and fasting periods.
Most people already “fast” every day, while they sleep. Intermittent fasting can be as simple as extending that fast a little longer. You can do this by skipping breakfast, eating your first meal at noon and your last meal at 8 pm. Then you’re technically fasting for 16 hours every day, and restricting your eating to an 8-hour eating window. This is the most popular form of intermittent fasting, known as the 16/8 method.
Despite what you may think, intermittent fasting is actually fairly easy to do. Many people report feeling better and having more energy during a fast. Hunger is usually not that big of an issue, although it can be a problem in the beginning, while your body is getting used to not eating for extended periods of time.
No food is allowed during the fasting period, but you can drink water, coffee, tea and other non-caloric beverages. Some forms of intermittent fasting allow small amounts of low-calorie foods during the fasting period.
Taking supplements is generally allowed while fasting, as long as there are no calories in them.
Beth Auguste, RD, a registered dietitian nutritionist from Philadelphia, said that intermittent fasting will become more popular this year. “It’s easy to follow,” Auguste told Healthline. “It doesn’t require restriction of any specific foods, so it will not hinder your ability to eat away from home.”
Some studies have shown positive weight maintenance results. Beware, though, because fasting can impact hormones. Intermittent fasting is best for women nearing menopause age, but not for those pregnant or nursing.
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Plant proteins
A number of health experts believe that this is the year of the plant protein.
Health, environmental, and ethical concerns will cause more people to eat less animal proteins or switch to plant-centered diets, Beth Haar, a US based food expert, said.
“We will see more plant-based options such as bean pastas and soy, tofu, or quinoa burgers on the market,” she added.
“Recent food trends have increased the consumption of avocado, kale, and quinoa… all wonderful nutrient-dense foods that should not be given up,” Haar said. “This year, dandelion greens, rainbow carrots, beets, and amaranth are the new popular kids on the block.”
Whole30
The Whole30 diet is basically a more restrictive version of Paleo. It’s a 30-day elimination diet that is better described as a nutrition reset than a weight loss strategy.
Created in 2009, Whole30 cuts out sugar, grains, legumes, and dairy. It also bans natural and artificial sweeteners (including honey and maple syrup allowed on Paleo), alcohol, all baked goods, and junk food. Like Paleo, it focuses on whole, fresh foods like fruits and vegetables, including starchy ones, which are banned on Keto. But unlike Paleo, Whole30 stays away from all packaged foods and recipes that mimic foods e.g. Paleo Pancakes. After the 30 days, you’re directed to slowly reintroduce food groups in an effort to pinpoint any foods or ingredients that may be causing certain issues, such as bloating, stomach discomfort, and acne.
Unlike Keto, Whole30 does not provide guidelines on macros. It doesn’t specify what your fat, protein, and carb ratios should be, but instead specifies which types of foods you can eat. Due to the elimination of grain and legumes, Whole30 is low-carb, but it’s not as low-carb as Keto is.
Weight loss isn’t a primary goal of Whole30, but due to the severe restriction on what you can eat during the 30 days, it’s common to lose weight. It’s also common to gain the weight back when you reintroduce your body to your regular diet.
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Ketogenic Diet
Also based on biology, specifically the biology of human metabolism, the Ketogenic diet (“Keto” for short) takes things a step further. Keto followers believe that most Paleo followers eat too many carbohydrates and not enough fat. A popular source of fat is full-fat dairy products such as butter, heavy whipping cream and cheese, which are not permitted on Paleo. Another main difference: Paleo avoids sugar substitutes and allows sweeteners such as honey and maple syrup, while Keto shuns all carb-filled sweeteners in favor of sugar-free substitutes, such as Stevia and erythritol.
Keto is all about your body burning fat for fuel instead of sugar. Ketosis works on a spectrum. When you’re Paleo, you probably achieve ketosis from time to time – maybe for a few hours or a few days. But those living Ketogenic lifestyle try to stay in ketosis for as long as possible — sometimes weeks or even months at a time.
Paleo Diet
The Paleo diet is appealing because it doesn’t ask followers to worry about eating too much fat or to count calories. Furthermore, it’s based on biology. As the premise goes, our bodies have become dysregulated with the environment. That’s why we have skyrocketing rates of obesity and diabetes. Humans have existed for 200,000 years, but our current food supply — processed junk food — has only been around for about 50 years. Soft drinks, donuts, candy, potato chips, sugary cereals, and foot-long sandwiches are new. Paleo calls for returning to how our ancestors ate – meats and vegetables. Absolutely nothing processed and no refined sugars.
“Many Paleo dieters find themselves losing weight initially when they ‘clean up’ their diet and shed a lot of water weight, but typically hit a plateau with the steady level of carb consumption in their diet,” says Registered Dietitian Molly Devine. “They must restrict calories to continue seeing weight loss, which is hard when you continue to have carb cravings and associated hunger. Keto dieters, on the other hand, continue to see weight loss, even after the initial water weight loss, because their bodies can now burn body fat stores for fuel. Plus, their fat consumption reduces hunger and increases the feeling of fullness, so they eat less while still feeling satiated.”
Note: We are here to explain not recommend diets.
