Back to fad diets! Again, these are not an exhaustive list, just some of the more common ones. There is so much information about each of these, that this is very much just a cursory look at different diets that are pretty popular right now.
Paleo Diet – The paleo diet focuses on foods that could have, in theory, been obtained by our hunter gatherer ancestors, like eggs, meat, fish, fruits, veggies, nuts, and seeds. Its premise is a restriction of carbs, moderate amounts of fat, and high amounts of protein.
| Pros | Cons |
| – This diet focuses on whole foods, with a goal to cut out processed foods, grains, and sugar, all of which can help people feel better and lose weight. – This diet has been very successful at helping some people increase their intake of whole foods and helping them lose weight. | – The premise of this diet means reduction/elimination of processed foods, but many people just try to find substitutes for things they would normally eat (like paleo muffins). Paleo baked goods aren’t inherently bad, but they tend to be nut flour based, which are very calorie dense. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing either, just something that people need to be aware of, as it can lead to eating more calories than you expect. The paleo diet, with more of a focus on meat, can have higher amounts of saturated fat than would typically be suggested. Even though in this diet we try to focus more on foods that our ancestors ate, we definitely have higher caloric intakes than they did. It is possible to have too much protein in your diet. This diet can be hard to maintain for the long term. |
Keto Diet – The keto diet’s premise is high fat, almost no carb, and moderate protein. This diet is extremely high in fat, to the detriment of all other macronutrients.
| Pros | Cons |
| – People who have experienced weight loss with this method swear by it. It is very good at regulating blood sugar as well, which helps reduce food cravings. – This diet was originally developed as a therapeutic diet for severe childhood epilepsy that wouldn’t respond to medication. It’s very effective in this population. | – This is another diet that restricts certain vegetables, and almost all fruits. – Back to the saturated fat – there tends to be too much of it in this diet, which can increase your risk of heart disease. – This diet can be extremely hard to maintain for the long term. |
Mediterranean Diet – this is a well-balanced diet, rich in seafood, other lean proteins, nuts, legumes, fruits and veggies, whole grains, and olive oil.
| Pros | Cons |
| – Usually high in omega 3’s, one of the healthiest fats you can eat! – Tends to be, generally, a way most people can eat sustainably. | – You could overeat fats on this diet, but really there aren’t many downsides to the Mediterranean diet. |
Carnivore Diet – this seems to be a relatively new diet. The premise is that you eat only meat, fish, eggs, and some dairy products; no plants, no grains, nothing else. There might be variations on it, but that is my understanding.
| Pros | Cons |
| – I can’t attest to this, and I don’t know that I agree with it, but some of the people who swear by the carnivore diet claim that it will significantly reduce inflammation. | – Where to start?? I don’t agree with any diet that completely eliminates vegetables. Vegetables have so many essential nutrients and phytochemicals, I just can’t get on board with this concept. – This diet is naturally very high in saturated fats. These are OK to have in moderation, but at this level it’s going to be a significant risk factor for heart disease. |
Intermittent Fasting – I don’t really consider this a “diet” because it focuses more on the timing of eating, rather than eating specific food. This is an interesting concept, that I’ll do a full deep dive later on.
Which diet is right for me?
Like I said in the first part of my post, possibly none of them. Your individual nutrition needs are unique to you, and not everyone fits into these cookie cutter models perfectly. You may have found some parts of each of them helpful, of maybe you haven’t tried any of them yet.
The big question you must ask yourself: are the nutrition changes you want to make sustainable for the long term? Healthy nutrition comes from healthy habits and making choices every day that are healthy for you, not what other people on the internet tell you to do. Just because you watched a video on the keto diet working for Sally on YouTube, doesn’t mean it will be a good choice for you.