Are you looking to lose weight this year? Then you may be considering one of the many popular diets out there. But which ones actually work? Let's take a look at five popular diets and see if they're worth your time and effort.
The Atkins diet - high protein, low carbs. Does it work?
The Atkins diet has long been touted as one of the most popular diets out there. But does it really work? Well, its entire premise is centred around this seemingly simple equation: cut carbs and eat more protein. But how can you make that work when pizza, pasta, and French fries are all off-limits? Let’s face it: a high-protein, low-carb diet is no walk in the park. There might be some die-hard believers who never look back after they try it; but for those of us who miss our beloved carbohydrates, perhaps Atkins isn’t the best way to go. Unless you plan on surviving on steak alone!
The 800 fast diet. Does it work?
The 800 fast diet may sound too good to be true, but it has been around since 2008 and it's here to stay! This diet involves fasting for 18 hours a day and eating only in the remaining 6-hour feeding window. But it's not just any kind of eating - it also restricts calories to 800 per day. Despite being so restricted, it has been shown to reverse pre diabetes and even type 2 diabetes in some people. So, if you're looking for a super restrictive yet potentially very rewarding diet plan, give it a try - just make sure your doctor is on board before diving in!
The Paleo diet - eat like a caveman. Does it work?
Ever wondered what it would be like to eat like a caveman? No need to scratch around dig up grubs. Don’t even have to cook them if you don’t want to. You can go even further and try the paleo diet, one of the popular fad diets trending right now. It promises that by munching on fare our ancestors relied on thousands of years ago your general well being will skyrocket and even modern diseases we face today can be staved off. But hold your horses! Even though all our genetic roots are from cavemen (and women) as our gene pool moved from Africa our ancestors began eating new and different things depending on what was on offer in the naturals food larder, so strictly sticking to prehistoric meals may not even deliver the health results you think it will.
The Mediterranean diet - lots of veggies, some fish, olive oil. Does it work?
Looking for a healthier diet? Well, why not give the Mediterranean diet a go! It's loaded with veggie goodness and a bit of fish. Olive oil? Oh sure, you can have olive oil too! So delicious yet so nutritious. But does it work? That totally depends on your definition of 'work'. If your definition involves losing weight and looking better in those jeans of yours, well then yes it works! Otherwise, you'll just have the satisfaction of knowing you made an effort to eat healthier - but don't worry, that counts too!
The Equator theory
Have you ever heard of the equator theory? This diet idea was popularized by Charles Poliquin who theorized that the closer your genetic roots lay to the equator, the diet would look a certain way. In other words, if you lived in different regions around the world, what would you be able to eat locally. Europe, africa, australia and china all offer a different regional food possibility. Looking at our skin, hair and eye colour can help us find what our bodies would benefit from eating nutritionally, metabolically which would have the most personal health benefits.
Inuits have a diet some 70% fat intake from whale meat. Scientists have shown that as they become more westernised can suffer from all sorts of health issues simply not present with a more native food intake. Although expensive DNA tests are an option for finding out our genetic roots, this theory gives us a new way to look at what our bodies typically prefer to eat- seemingly based on one's location hundreds of miles from where we stand today. People are increasingly recognizing how popular the equator theory has become among five popular diets, as it could provide insight into which type of diet is most natural for our body to digest, literally and figuratively.
So which diet is best? The answer, my friends, is YES! All of these diets work if you follow them correctly. But the question you should be asking yourself is not "which diet works?" but rather "which diet can I stick to for the rest of my life without going insane. Pretty much all food plans that are for weight loss include being in calorie deficit. Wether that’s cutting a food group, or indeed limiting it. In addition, they all involve a complete cut of processed sweets, cakes as well as little or no alcohol which is known to be a big factor in weight gain. Eating should be a joy as well as achieving a function. Many have found that taking some time off from any diet and treating yourself from time to time to be most useful in the long term success. If you're looking to start a new diet, find one that fits your lifestyle and give it your best shot. And remember everything in moderation – including moderation!
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