Popular weight loss Diets: Keto, DASH and Paleo review

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.