Nutritionist reveals the pros and cons of popular diets, including intermittent fasting
Many of us want to lose a few pounds, but with so many diets and eating plans to choose from, it can be hard to know which ones work best — and deliver lasting results.
Diets such as Intermittent Fasting, the Mediterranean Diet, and Keto have become more popular over the years for their results.
Kourtney Kardashian and Jennifer Aniston are among the many celebrities who endorse the benefits of Intermittent Fasting, while celebrities such as Vanessa Hudgens and LeBron James are committed to the Keto diet.
Speaking to FEMAIL, American nutritionist Anthony O’Reilly, of BarBend, explained that there are pros and cons to a popular diet and none are a magical quick fix.
Anthony said: ‘IIt is critical to do your own research before changing your diet and to understand that there is no quick fix to weight loss, or that one diet is guaranteed to work better than another.
“Make sure to prioritize calories first, then choose a diet style based on your preference.”
However, by better understanding the most common types of diets, you can decide which one best fits your lifestyle and overall goals.
Here Anthony explains the pros and cons of six of the most popular…
Intermittent Fasting
Nutritionist Anthony O’Reilly has unveiled a guide to the most popular diets online, but he also listed their pros and cons to educate people about the benefits, as well as the reasons why they may not work in the long run (stock image )
Intermittent Fasting involves consuming all your calories within a set amount of time and then fasting for the rest of the day.
There are several approaches to intermittent fasting, the most popular of which is an 8:16 split — meaning you consume your calories within an eight-hour eating window and fast the other 16 hours of the day.
You can also do a 10:16, 16:10, or even a 6:20 eating: fasting split. The concept is that you will eat fewer calories because you squeeze them in a shorter time frame, rather than consuming them throughout the day.
Intermittent fasting is the most popular diet online, with an average of 1.2 million monthly searches worldwide.
Kourtney Kardashian and Jennifer Aniston are among the many celebrities who endorse the benefits of Intermittent Fasting.
Advantages:
- Leads to weight loss
- Helps improve insulin resistance
- Reduce oxidative stress on your cells
- Stabilize blood sugar levels
- Reduce the risk of stroke
cons:
- It can be difficult to stick with it in the long run due to low energy levels, cravings, habits, and the discipline needed to stick to the specific time frames.
- Intermittent fasting studies also point to certain side effects that can occur during fasting, such as mood swings, constipation, dehydration, and decreased sleep quality.
Mediterranean diet
As the name suggests, the Mediterranean diet is inspired by the eating habits of people living near the Mediterranean Sea, for example Greece, Italy and Spain, who have one of the longest life expectancies in the world.
The diet is rich in heart-healthy foods such as vegetables, grains, fish, fruits, olive oil and nuts.
Red meat consumption is kept to a minimum, dairy consumption is moderate and consists of high-quality sources such as yogurt and cheeses.
The Mediterranean Diet is the second most popular diet online, with 610,000 global monthly searches worldwide.
Advantages:
- It leads to weight loss
- An easy diet that people can stick to compared to intermittent fasting and the paleo diet
- When the diet is followed, it has also been found to reverse the symptoms of diabetes and cardiovascular disease
cons:
- The diet has no clear calorie guidelines
- Some foods are expensive
Paleo diet
The Paleo diet, also known as “the Caveman Diet,” involves eating only meat, fish, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds. stock image
The Paleo diet, also known as “the Caveman Diet,” involves eating only meat, fish, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds.
All grains, dairy products, processed foods, beans, legumes, and sugars should be avoided while following this diet.
The Paleo diet is the third most popular diet online, with an average of 200,000 monthly worldwide searches.
Celebrities like Matthew McConaughey, Miley Cyrus, and Uma Thurman are all reaping the benefits of the Paleo diet.
Advantages:
- Studies have shown it to be effective in helping people lose weight, lower their blood pressure and improve other blood markers.
- cons:
- Many researchers point to the lack of evidence of the diet’s effects on health and that more research needs to be done.
- Researchers warn against excluding whole grains, which have been shown to ward off heart disease and diabetes
Sirt Food Diet
Thanks to the recommendations of Adele and Pippa Middleton, the Sirtfood diet has grown in popularity in recent years.
The diet focuses on foods high in sirtuins, a group of proteins found in the body that regulate metabolism.
Foods high in sirtuin include red wine, dark chocolate, walnuts, arugula, coffee, and extra virgin olive oil.
The Sirtfood Diet receives an average of 52,000 monthly searches, making it the fifth most popular diet online worldwide.
Benefits of the Sirtfood Diet:
Many of the foods recommended in the Sirtfood diet are packed with beneficial micronutrients and antioxidants.
Disadvantages of the Sirtfood Diet:
There is little evidence that the Sirtfood diet leads to weight loss or better health.
You have to follow a strict routine.
The ketogenic diet
In recent years, the ketogenic diet has arguably been one of the most talked about and discussed diets.
Keto, as it’s briefly called, prioritizes fat (65-75 percent of your daily calories), with moderate protein consumption (20-30 percent) and very few carbohydrates (only about five percent, although some versions prohibit carbohydrates all together). ).
The keto diet is the sixth most popular diet online, with an average of 44,000 monthly searches worldwide.
The keto diet is designed to keep the body in a near-constant state of ketosis, a metabolic state in which the body produces ketones from fat to use as energy instead of sugar from carbohydrates (the body’s primary and preferred source of energy). .
The keto diet has become more popular in recent years, especially among the Hollywood elite, with celebrities like Vanessa Hudgens and LeBron James championing the keto diet.
It’s important to note that none of these options are best for your health needs. You can lose weight with almost any diet, as long as you are in a calorie deficit (that is, you burn more calories than you take in).
Prioritize calories first, then choose a diet style based on your preference.
Studies have also shown that the quality of food is just as important as the number of macronutrients (proteins, carbohydrates and fats) you consume.
In other words, if you’re on a low-carb diet, make sure you’re also eating quality fats and proteins.
In contrast, opt for whole grains instead of refined starches if you are on a low-fat diet.
Advantages:
- There are claims that keto can help treat cancer and even respiratory diseases
- It can lead to weight loss and lower blood sugar in diabetics
cons:
- Several studies indicate that keto is not more effective for weight loss when calories are combined with other diets