Today, it may seem like having a normal diet is a thing of the past. Marketing messages, businesses and even your closest friends all seem to be throwing a whole host of buzzwords your way when it comes to diets. Should you go vegan? Is keto the best way to lose weight? What even is a paleo diet? This is what we’ll be delving into in this guide here today.
While they may seem brand new, many of these diets have long been in practice by people all over the world. Whether this is for cultural reasons or as a means to manage health issues, removing certain foods from our diet is largely commonplace. The recommendations here in the UK are to eat a broad and varied diet filled with fruits, vegetables, meats and grains. However, many people choose more specialist diets too.
Keto, for example, was first developed in the early 1920s as a way of managing epilepsy while the paleo diet was developed in the 1970s to mimic the diet of the prehistoric man. The way people interpret these diets can differ significantly and whether you choose to adopt one is a wholly personal choice. However, we recommend having as much information about each one before making a decision. And, speaking to your Dr or medical professional to ensure the risk of negative side effects is low.
Let's take a look at 3 of the most popular and commonly discussed modern diets now.
The keto diet is a very low-carb, high-fat diet. It has a similar structure to the previously hailed Atkins diet, and (as mentioned above) was first developed for medicinal purposes. It is believed that by reducing sugar and maintaining high levels of fat, the brains ‘excitability’ could be altered which reduces the risk of epileptic seizures. Once anticonvulsant therapies were developed, the use of this restrictive diet for medical means was largely abandoned.
In the late ’70s, the keto diet began finding its footing in the world of weight loss. The idea is that by eliminating carbs and eating high levels of fat, you move your body into a ‘ketosis’ state whereby it burns fat instead of glucose. And, those who have tried the diet note high levels of fat loss in a very short space of time. Those following these diets will eat:
Those following a Keto diet may experience:
On the other hand, extreme weight loss and restrictions to diet can cause negative side effects, such as:
Veganism is a form of vegetarianism, but instead of just eliminating meats and fish, you also abstain from eating all animal products. This can be diet-based by eliminating foods like milk, eggs and honey. Or, it can also become a lifestyle choice, with hardcore vegans boycotting other animal-based products like leather, animal-tested medicines and visiting zoos or aquariums. The Vegan Society states that the first modern-day vegans established themselves in November 1944, however, in recent years it has become increasingly popular. In January 2002, 120,000 people in the UK took up the Veganuary pledge to only eat vegan food during the month. And, since then, major supermarkets and brands including M&S, McDonald's and Cadbury have released vegan versions of their most popular foods onto the market. It is a dietary choice that doesn’t seem to be going anywhere.
The evidence backing up veganism is significant, with some of the key benefits hailed as being:
While most of the evidence support veganism as a safe and healthy dietary switch, some people do report:
The paleo diet is based on the foods that would have been eaten by early humans. Developed in the ’70s, it involved eating only foods that could have been hunted or gathered, such as:
The idea of this diet is that our bodies are genetically and biologically built to eat in this way, while also being mismatched for our modern diets. This idea is known as the ‘discordance hypothesis’. Because our shift from natural foods to processed foods happened so quickly, the idea is that your bodies weren’t given the right amount of time to adapt. And, therefore, our modern diet isn’t being properly processed and is leading to complications like obesity, heart disease and diabetes.
Because the paleo diet isn’t excessively restrictive but simply cuts out processed foods, it has a wide range of benefits, including:
On the other side, paleo can:
So which diet is best? And, which one should you adopt? If you decide to change your dietary habits, you should consider all the health benefits and potential complications. Any restrictions to your food consumption should be discussed with your health professional first to make sure there aren’t any risks to your health. And, if you do decide to remove certain foods from your diet, you should consider introducing supplements to ensure you’re getting a full range of vitamins and minerals every day. For example, Brewers Yeast can be used as a supplement with B12 for vegans.
At Natural Health 4 Life, we are here to support individuals seeking natural ways to improve their health. Browse our website today to discover supplements and foods or get in contact or speak to a member of our team for more advice.
