Different Types of Diets and What They Actually Mean
Diets are the new thing. No, but honestly they’ve become so popular ever since the avocado/kale/quinoa-revolution took place a few years ago and gained total control all over our lives (and bellies).
From support groups to dieting apps, there are so many different ways to diet nowadays that there really is something to suit your lifestyle.
One dieting app that seems to be popular is Noom. You can use Noom to track your diet and exercise levels and it even offers personal coaching. Sound good? Take a look at this Honest Noom review to decide whether a dieting app could work for you.
Because the world of diets is a very complex world, I’ve decided to pick the brains of one of Egypt’s top certified nutritionists, Nora Hassaballah, for the pros and cons of the most popular diets at the moment.
Paleo (caveman diet)
The paleo diet (also nicknamed the caveman diet) is very popular nowadays, but what actually is it and how are we expected to eat like cavemen on it? Well, it’s quite simple, really. Fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, fresh meat — the paleo diet is all about eating foods straight from the Earth, just like our ancestors did. Anything that comes in a box, jar, or bag should be avoided on the paleo diet—as should anything that just wasn’t consumed back then. That means no grains, dairy, added salt, or legumes (including peanuts, beans, lentils, and soybeans).
The diet lessens the body’s glycemic load, has a healthy ratio of saturated-to-unsaturated fatty acids, increases vitamin and nutrient consumption, and contains an optimal balance of protein, fat, and carbohydrates.
Ketogenic (low carbs diet)
This particular diet improves is a low-carb, high-fat diet that offers many health benefits. It basically involves drastically (as in DRASTICALLY) reducing carbohydrate intake, and replacing it with fat. In short, any food that is high in carbs should be limited.
The reduction in carbs will eventually put your body into a metabolic state called ketosis.
Anything from red meat, sausage, turkey, eggs, salmon and nuts are recommended for this diet. People suffering heart, liver or kidney problems, should stay away from it. If you want to learn more about the keto diet, check out the best preworkout supplement for keto. Or head over to Ruled.me – a great online community for those looking to learn more about the Ketogenic diet.
Plant-based diet
This diet is pretty much self-explanatory. It only allows the consumption of plants (duuh), and eliminates any animal products.
It detoxifies the body of pollutants and keeps it free of cholesterol. This is not preferable for athletes, or patients suffering high uric acid, diabetes, colon disorders and gluten intolerance.
