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

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.