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Popular weight loss Diets: Keto, DASH and Paleo review

5/28/2019

Our practice manager reviews some of the hottest weight loss diets trending this summer. In Part 2 of this 3 part series, Lauren reviews the popular Keto, DASH and Paleo diets. Read below for more detailed information regarding each of these diets to determine which one is best for you! Remember, Dr. Pacholec offers individualized support for weight loss, including diet and nutrition recommendations as part of your weight loss consultation.

Keto Diet

Purpose: the Keto diet is probably the most popular diet trending online right now. Keto is short for "ketogenic" which refers to the state of ketosis that this diet will help drive your body into. Rather than relying on calorie counting or portion sizes, this diet actually changes the way your body uses energy, by transitioning from burning sugar, the building blocks of carbohydrate rich foods, to burning fat. When your body burns fat, it produces ketones as a by-product, and once your body produces a certain amount of ketones, your body officially goes into "ketosis". A healthy and steady state of ketosis may result in fairly quick weight loss.
Foods to Avoid: This diet is a low-carb diet, in which nearly all carbohydrate rich foods are eliminated. On average, most people people consume between only 30-50 net grams of carbs per day to get into a steady state of ketosis.
Foods to Consume: The typical keto diet includes 70-80% fat, 10-20% protein and 5-10% carbohydrates. Healthy fats include avocado, olive oil, nuts and seeds and healthy proteins include grass-fed beef, pasture-raised poultry and sustainable seafood.
Pros for Weight Loss: Research has proven that this diet is an effective way to lose weight quickly, reduce insulin levels and inflammation and improve cognitive function, including memory and eyesight.
Cons for Weight Loss: There are some side effects to this diet, including constipation, due to lack of fiber-rich foods and fatigue. If you are on this diet over a long period of time, it may raise your risk of osteoporosis, kidney stones and heart disease. Due to the emphasis on fat, many people end up eating a lot of highly saturated animal fats, which are high in sodium and may lead to kidney problems. Due to the emphasis on animal protein, this diet isn’t suitable for vegetarians or vegans. Animal proteins that aren’t grass-fed or organic may also be high in sodium and include other additives that can lead to additional stress on your organs. It is best to follow this diet under close supervision of a health practitioner.

DASH Diet

Purpose: DASH is an acronym for "Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension" and is ideal for people who suffer from hypertension or high blood pressure. The sole purpose of this diet is to help eliminate the side effects of these cardiac disorders, but this diet can also help patients lose weight when they adhere to the lower calorie recommendations.
Foods to Avoid: Processed foods, refined sugars, saturated fats and sodium, but nothing is off-limits
Foods to Consume: Whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy and lean protein with healthy oils, nuts, beans and peas
Pros for Weight Loss: The DASH diet is clinically proven to help lower blood pressure, cholesterol and your risk of diabetes. You can download DASH diet plans for free online, where you can access nutrition recommendations for 1200, 1600 and 2000 calorie diets. The DASH diet is also endorsed by the National Institutes of Health, the American Heart Association and the USDA.
Cons for Weight Loss: This diet isn't a specific weight loss diet, but weight loss may be a benefit of following one of the lower calorie meal plans.

Paleo Diet

Purpose: The term "paleo" comes from the Paleolithic era, which dates from approximately 2.5 million to 10,000 years ago. During this time, early humans ate primarily lean meats, fish, fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds so followers of this diet try to stick to the nutrition of early humans and have coined the term, "eat like a caveman". The Paleo diet limits the types of foods that became available after modern farming emerged, including dairy, legumes and grains. The reasoning behind this is that the human body is genetically mismatched to the modern diet that developed as a result of farming practices, a theory known as the discordance hypothesis. Following this type of strict elimination diet may result in quick weight loss, primarily as a result of cutting out processed foods.
Foods to Avoid: grains, dairy, legumes, refined sugars, sodium, potatoes and processed foods in general
Foods to Consume: fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, lean meats, fish, olive oil
Pros for Weight Loss: Clinical research suggests that this diet may result in successful weight loss since you may not feel as hungry in between meals due to the high protein and fat content. There may also be anti-inflammatory benefits to the emphasis on whole foods and lean proteins.
Cons for Weight Loss: This is a highly restrictive type of elimination diet that cuts out healthy foods, such as whole grains and relies heavily on animal protein. Proteins should be grass-fed, organic and sustainably sourced to decrease the amount of additives, sodium and other preservatives that are sometimes present in lower grade meats. This type of diet may not be suitable for vegetarians or vegans.

popular diet trends: Whole 30, Mediterranean and Anti-inflammatory diet review

5/24/2019

Our Practice Manager, Lauren Partridge, reviews some of the hottest diet trends this summer. Whole 30, Mediterranean and the Anti-Inflammatory diets are just a few of the Top 10 that are trending right now. Read below for more detailed information regarding each of these diets and how effective they are for weight loss.

Whole 30

Purpose: eliminate foods that may be causing allergies, inflammation, intolerances or other health issues. After 30 days on the diet, you can re-introduce food items one at a time to see if your body has any adverse reactions.
Foods to Avoid: On this diet you should avoid refined sugars, grains, beans, dairy, soy and processed foods for 30 days.
Foods to Consume: On this diet you should consume whole foods, such as fruits, vegetables, eggs, seafood, meat, nuts and seeds.
Pros for Weight Loss: This diet may help increase energy and may help you lose weight by cutting out processed foods that are generally high in fat, refined sugar and carbohydrates. This diet may also help your skin look smoother, increase your memory and help you identify foods that contribute to a sensitivity, intolerance or medical condition.
Cons for Weight Loss: This is a very strict diet, which may be difficult to adhere to in the long term and you may find yourself slipping into old habits. This diet also requires a lot of food prep and requires a large consumption of animal protein, so it may not be suitable for vegans or vegetarians. If you are consuming animal protein, it should also be organic and grass-fed because lower-grade animal protein may be high in sodium and other additives. You may also become deficient in calcium due to eliminating dairy, so you may need to take a calcium supplement or choose a suitable alternative to dairy.

Mediterranean

Purpose: To reduce inflammation with a well-rounded diet that mimics the cuisine of the Mediterranean countries, like Greece and Italy where rates of obesity, heart disease and other chronic health conditions is extremely low.
Foods to Avoid: On this diet you should avoid processed foods, limit your intake of red meat, dairy and red wine.
Foods to Consume: On this diet you should focus on eating whole foods, like fruits and vegetables, whole grains, olive oil, spices, herbs, nuts, beans, fish and poultry
Pros for Weight Loss: Most health experts agree that this is the healthiest diet as a long-term lifestyle adjustment and may help you lose weight. Studies show that it protects against heart disease and Alzheimer’s and it allows you to drink wine! This diet may also help prevent cancer due to the emphasis on antioxidants from fruits and vegetables.
Cons for Weight Loss: This diet does not state exact serving amounts per day, which may get confusing for people who are looking for stricter limits. The diet describes intake as “low”, “moderate” or “high” which is subjective and does not set restrictions for caloric intake. This diet also promotes “moderate” consumption of red wine (1-2 glasses per day), but this may not be advisable for people taking certain medications, people with elevated triglycerides or people who have pancreatitis. If you are going to drink 1-2 glasses of wine per day, it also advisable to only drink high quality wines reflective of the Mediterranean geography, as lower-grade wines have more additives and will not yield the same benefit.

Anti-Inflammatory Diet

Purpose: To reduce inflammation by eating specific amounts of certain foods at meal times. This diet consists of 3 meals and 2 snacks, with each plate divided into 1/3 lean protein (fish or poultry), 2/3 fruits, veggies, beans and a healthy fat (olive oil, avocados, almonds)
Foods to Avoid: refined sugars, starchy fruits and vegetables, like white potatoes
Foods to Consume: 40% of your meal should be carbohydrates, 30% should be lean protein (like poultry or seafood) and 30% healthy fat (like olive oil or avocados)
Pros for Weight Loss: If you follow this diet strictly, you are likely to reduce inflammation, lose weight, increase energy and memory function.
Cons for Weight Loss: This diet is very strict, so it may be easy to slip into old habits if you cannot follow it diligently. It also requires a lot of meal prep, so it may not be suitable for people who like to eat out often. 1/3 of your diet should also be animal protein, which doesn't make it suitable for vegans.

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Popular weight loss Diets: Keto, DASH and Paleo review

popular diet trends: Whole 30, Mediterranean and Anti-inflammatory diet review

Barbara Pacholec, MD

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