Differences in Popular Diets:
It’s never easy to lose weight. If you are currently overweight and have been advised to work on losing weight in order to improve your overall health, you’ll need a plan. Weight loss typically doesn’t happen by accident – rather, it happens as the result of proper execution of a good plan.
Of course, there are plenty of diets out there for you to consider when embarking on a weight loss journey. There are so many, in fact, that it can be hard to choose one. What do you look for, and what should you avoid? It seems that there are more questions than answers in most cases.
In this article, we’d like to take a quick look at several of the popular diets in use today. Of course, the quick previews below are not enough to allow you to make your final decision, but hopefully they will get you started. And, of course, never start a new diet without first discussing the plan with your doctor.
Atkins
One of the longest-running diet plans still in use, the Atkins Diet was originally promoted by Robert C. Atkins. The main concept here is that you will greatly restrict your intake of carbohydrates while on the diet. The main focus of the diet is carb restriction, with the idea behind that you will reach many of your goals simply through cutting back dramatically on the amount of carbs you consume regularly.
One thing many people will like about the Atkins Diet is that overall calorie counting is not necessary. While you will be tracking your carbs, that is typically a bit easier than tracking all calories, especially once you get the hang of it. To be sure, it can be tough to cut way back on carbs if you are used to eating a lot of high-carb foods like breads and sugary treats. However, once you get into it, you may be surprised by how many tasty options are available that don’t add any carbs to your total.
Ketogenic
The ketogenic diet, or keto diet, is another that aims to cut down on carbs. The name of this diet comes from the goal of moving your body into a metabolic state known as ketosis. Once in ketosis, your body starts to burn fat more efficiently, rather than relying on carbs for energy. This can be a potentially powerful way to lose weight without feeling like you are starving yourself on a daily basis.
The big challenge here for most people is going to be cutting back far enough on carbs in order to enter ketosis. Carbohydrate is present in countless foods that most people eat without thinking twice – so rooting all of those items out of your dietary habits can be difficult. With that said, there is the potential for excellent results here for those who are able to make it work.
Paleo
The paleo diet takes a different approach to dieting by looking way into our human past for a clue as to what we should be eating. The thinking is this – our ancestors ate a healthier diet than we do today, so we should mimic their habits to restore our health. While that’s a different approach, the foods you find on this diet are going to look quite similar to what you eat with the first two on the list. In other words, plenty of animal proteins, vegetables, fruits, healthy oils, etc. As you might expect, processed foods are a no-no here, along with soft drinks, sugar, etc.
Vegan
Eating a vegan diet is usually about more than just weight loss. Sure, following this type of eating regimen could potentially lead to weight loss, but for many vegans, that’s not actually the goal. Instead, those who obey this diet are typically concerned with environmental and ethical concerns. Veganism involves avoiding animal products in all forms, to the greatest extent possible. This would be a dramatic shift for someone who is used to consuming animal protein and other products that involve the use of animals in their production, so switching to a vegan diet is not something that should be done lightly.
Mediterranean
As the name would suggest, the Mediterranean diet leans on the dietary habits of those who live near the Mediterranean Sea. More specifically, it’s the habits of those in this region who lived several decades ago that are the focus, as it has been observed that those societies were rather healthy by modern standards. While the term ‘Mediterranean diet’ is a broad one, and while it’s impossible to capture the dietary practices of an entire region in one diet plan, there are some foods to focus on here. Those include fish, healthy oils, whole grains, and nuts.
DASH
If you have heard of the DASH diet previously, it was probably in relation to high blood pressure. The name ‘DASH’ stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. Yet again, preferred foods for this diet are going to sound familiar, including whole grains, poultry, nuts, and more. Also, there is a focus within this diet on managing sodium intake, as that can be an important issue for those with high blood pressure.
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