HEALTH
HEALTH
Comparison of Diets
Nida Imam, 21March 2021
Healthy snacking options!
With the evolving lifestyles, today many of us aim to stay fit and healthy. And to do that we follow certain diets along with physical exercise. There are many types of diets but we need to find the one that works for us. It’s a very simple equation: your weight is determined by the balance between the calories you take in and the calories you burn out. When we follow a certain diet it simply means what kind of food is recommended for your required results and the best time and precise proportion to consume it.
Let’s have a look at different types of diet:
KETOGENIC DIET:
The keto diet is simply a shift in how you eat. This diet claims to turn your body into a fat-burning machine. The ketogenic diet is a high-fat low-carb eating plan where you get energy from fats. The ratio intake of the keto diet is 70% fat 25% protein and 5% carbs. This diet was discovered by doctors to treat patients with epilepsy. The doctors discovered that when you make the patient fast, the body reaches a stage where epilepsy fits stopped occurring. Now, this diet is used worldwide as the weight loss diet, apart from weight loss the ketogenic diet also helps in maintaining sugar levels and providing constant energy throughout the day.
In this diet, by intaking carbohydrates, you can continue to lose weight but it may also have certain bad effects on health like the ketogenic diet can help improve risk factors like the increased cholesterol levels and increased body fat. On the other hand, a ketogenic diet may provide many health benefits, especially with metabolic, neurological or insulin-related diseases.
​
Pros:
1. Helps lose weight
2. Helps prevent overeating
3. Helps maintain blood sugar.
​
Cons:
1. It can be high in saturated fat
2. It is hard to stick to this diet for the long term because of its restrictiveness.
VEGAN DIET:
​
​
A plant-based diet is being adapted around the globe because of its health benefits. A plant-based diet includes whole plant-based foods which are grown in the soil and eliminating the intake of any processed animal-based products. Veganism or Vegan diet is a popular diet that includes the intake of whole grains, rice, fruits, vegetables, legumes, herbs, spices, nuts and dairy alternatives such as coconut milk, soymilk, or Almond milk. An individual following a vegan diet is known as a vegan. A well-planned vegan diet is regarded as appropriate for all stages of life including pregnancy.
Vegan diets are higher in dietary fiber, vitamin C, vitamin E, iron, magnesium, phytochemicals and folic acid. Vegan diets can be low in dietary energy, saturated fats, cholesterol, vitamin D, vitamin B12, zinc, calcium and omega-3 fatty acid.
​
Pros:
1. Vegan diets are high in antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and fibers.
2. It encourages weight loss.
3. Better for animal welfare and it is environmentally sustainable.
4. It improves health potential.
5. Mindful eating.
​
Cons:
1. The diet can lack essential nutrients like vitamin B12, Calcium, omega-3 fatty acids.
2. Poorly planned vegan diet can do more harm than good.
vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, healthy pancakes are a delight.
THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET:
​
​
The Mediterranean diet is one of the top diets to help people lose weight and has been recommended by the American heart and diabetes association for decades when it comes to heart health.
This diet plan includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains like brown bread, carbohydrate, nuts and seeds, olive oil, fish, chicken, eggs for protein. The very reason for the popularity of this diet is that many doctors and researchers reckon that this diet is the best diet for brain, heart, and cardiovascular health. Many people who follow the Mediterranean diet have achieved great results relating to weight loss. In this diet, you consume non-starchy vegetables like brussels sprouts, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and other green leafy vegetables. The diet must contain 50% of vegetables, 25% whole grains, carbohydrates like brown rice, brown bread, chickpea etc., and the other 25% would contain fish, chicken or meat for protein. Consumption of high-calorie fruits like banana, mangoes are not recommended. Fruits like Apple, Berries (Blueberry, Strawberries, Raspberry) are recommended.
In the Mediterranean Diet, olive oil plays a major role. Replace your cooking oil with olive oil and you can use low calorie or no-calorie dressing for your salads to bring extra taste and flavour. Cheese, Milk and, Curd can be used in moderate amounts. Sugar and desserts should be cut down to follow this diet.
​
Pros:
1. Prevents heart disease and strokes.
2. Covers all major food groups.
3. Diverse in flavors.
Cons:
1. Following this diet might be expensive.
2. Cooking fresh food is time-consuming.
PALEOLITHIC DIET:
​
​
Among all the diets, the Paleo diet is the number one googled diet around the world. Paleo diet or Paleolithic diet is a diet that was consumed by the people during the paleolithic era. The diet includes fruits, nuts, roots, and meats. This diet typically excludes everything which is refined such as refined oil, refined sugar, dairy products, etc. The Paleo diet excludes salt, coffee, and alcohol. In short, the Paleo diet is the number one diet that excludes all kinds of processed food consumption. Paleo diets supporters claim, following this diet can improve workouts, boosts energy, helps with weight loss, stabilize blood sugar and even reduce the risk of chronic diseases.
Though this diet claims to be good in concern to weight management and metabolism, more research is awaited on this to prove its efficiency. A lot of doctors encourage this diet to treat Type-2 Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, High Cholesterol, etc.
Some misconceptions surround the Paleolithic diet and one among which is following this diet results in a deficiency of calcium as dairy products are excluded but there are many alternatives or sources of calcium like spinach, soybeans, okra, white beans, kale, etc. The other misconception is that this diet lacks fiber but there are many paleo-friendly fiber sources such as carrots, yams, pears, raspberries, etc.
​​
Pros:
1. Helps in weight loss.
2. Better appetite management.
3. Improved Glucose Tolerance.
Cons:
1. Following the diet can be expensive.
2. The diet can be difficult for vegetarians.
LOW-CARB DIET:
​
​​
A low-carb diet limits carbohydrates, instead of carbs people focus on eating more proteins, healthful fats and vegetables.
When following a low-carb diet, start eliminating refined carb and avoid combining a low-carb and low-fat diet. This is a very famous weight loss diet wherein many people believe that you can cut off wheat and rice to lose weight which is said to be true by many researchers. A low carb diet is neither a balanced diet nor a crash diet and so this diet can be followed for one to two months to lose up to 10 to 15 kgs. Famous examples of a low-carb diet are the ketogenic diet, vegetarian keto diet and the Atkins diet.
Foods allowed in the diet include complex carb (brown rice, barley, quinoa, oats, etc.), proteins (lean meat, chicken, pork, egg, fish, etc. for vegetarians milk, cheese, paneer, curd, yellow split gram, chickpea, walnuts, etc.) and oils and fats such as olive oil, peanut oil, and coconut oil.
Sugary items, refined grains, junk food, processed food and fried foods are strictly not allowed when on a low-carb diet.
Low carb diet can be proven health benefiting in a number of the way such as by following a low carb diet one can reduce risk of high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease, the diet is also helpful in metabolic syndrome. Though a low carb diet is very beneficial during the initial 7 to 8 days of the diet, there are certain side effects such as weakness, tiredness, headache and constipation.
A low carb diet should not be followed in growing years and by breastfeeding mothers.
Pros:
1. Reduces blood pressure
2. Helps in weight and fat loss
3. Helps in increased levels of good HDL cholesterol.
Cons :
1. When on low carb diet one might feel muscle weakness
2. When on a low carb diet one might feel dizziness, tiredness and dehydration.
INTERMITTENT FASTING:
​
​
Let's first know what exactly is Intermittent Fasting. One thing you need to know is that it's not a kind of diet rather it's a pattern of how you eat and when you eat. Typical Intermittent fasting would be when you eat for six hours and you fast for 18 hours.
Intermittent fasting methods:
​
1.THE 16/8 METHOD:
In this method, people usually fast for 16 hours and eat (healthy meals) within 8 hours. 90% of people follow this method while on Intermittent fasting.
​
2.THE EAT STOP EAT METHOD:
In this method, people fast for 24 hours once or twice a week and eat whatever they want for the rest of the five days of the week.
​
3.THE 5:2 DIET METHOD:
This method involves having normal food for 5 days a week and the other 2 days allows you to eat only 500 - 600 calories in a day.
​
People who follow intermittent fasting are likely to take in a few calories which benefit in activating the fat-burning hormones, metabolic rate, which in turn helps in reducing weight. This fasting also results in lower insulin level which in turn lowers the blood sugar level, also improves the chances that people who follow intermittent fasting shall never develop type-2 diabetes, it also activates the human growth hormones (HGH), lowers cancer risk, increases lifespan and results in weight loss.
The researches also indicate that women practising intermittent fasting can disturb their menstruation cycle, and when they stopped fasting, the periods were regular. Breastfeeding women, women who want to conceive, pregnant women, underweight people, people with any health disorders should avoid intermittent fasting.
Pros:
1. Don't need to change what you eat
2. Weight loss is achieved
3. Activates human growth hormone, lowers cancer risk
4. Increases lifespan.
​
Cons:
1. Does not focus on the quality of what you eat
2. No long-term evidence available for its effectiveness
3. skipping meals can cause dizziness, headaches and nause.
