For some people, dieting is about healthy eating. For many others, it’s about weight loss. Whichever the case, the first step to choosing a diet plan is knowing what it entails—the dos and don’ts of the diet. There are many different diets—up to a hundred—all of which promise to help you reach your weight goal. This article only covers five of them: the Paleo, Dukan, Atkins, Vegan, and Keto diets.
Paleo diet
Also known as the caveman diet, this diet limits food intake to foods that can only be sourced by hunting or gathering. Processed foods are usually excluded from this diet. It is designed to resemble that of the ancestors, who were primarily hunters and/or gatherers.
It is so named because the diet is believed to have originated from the Paleolithic era. The idea behind the Paleo diet is that the ancestors had fewer diseases and health issues due to their active lifestyle and whole foods incorporated into their meal plan.
An overview of the diet suggests it is a high-protein and fiber, low-carbohydrate and sodium, and moderate-fat diet.
Some foods included in the Paleo diet are fish, unprocessed meats, nuts, seeds, herbs, eggs, fruits, and vegetables. A more flexible version of this diet may include dairy products like cheese. It is not uncommon for people on this diet to snack on a handful of nuts.
Processed sugars, whole grains, cereals, legumes, alcohol, and coffee are not allowed in this diet. Artificial sweeteners and soft drinks are also avoided.
Studies confirm that with the Paleo diet, one can lose up to five pounds (2.3kg) in just three weeks.
Dukan diet
This slimming diet was developed by medical doctor and nutritionist Pierre Dukan. The weight loss effect this diet plan gives is rapid.
Like most diets, it is a low-carb, low-fat, high-protein diet. It incorporates more water and lean proteins like pork, lamb, chicken breasts, and eggs. Carbohydrates, sugars, and even fruits are temporarily cut off from the diet.
The Dukan diet is in four phases. The first two phases are the attack and cruise phase, respectively, and they are designed to help you lose weight.
In the attack phase, the diet is strictly based on lean proteins, oat bran, and water. In the cruise phase, non-starchy vegetables such as mushrooms, cauliflower, and broccoli are gradually introduced into meal plans.
The last two phases of the Dukan diet are the consolidation and stabilisation phases, respectively. These phases are designed to allow a gradual re-introduction to other food classes without the effect of rebound weight gain, ensuring the maintenance of your new weight.
A typical breakfast during the attack phase of the Dukan diet is one serving of low-fat cottage cheese. Talk about strict!
Some of the side effects of this diet include dizziness and irritability. More serious side effects like ketoacidosis are less common.
Atkins diet
This is another diet proposed by a medical doctor, Robert C. Atkins. Like the Dukan diet, it has four phases: the induction, balancing, fine-tuning, and maintenance phases. All of these phases can work independently to help you achieve your weight loss goals, but following through all four phases makes it much faster.
The Atkins diet aims to reduce carbohydrate intake to the barest minimum (about 20g daily). Sugars and foods made from white flour are avoided. Meal plans include more fatty foods like sardines, eggs, cheese, and avocados. Nuts, seeds, and whole grains are also allowed because of their satiating ability, which makes you feel full for a longer period.
Surprisingly, coffee and green tea are permitted, and this is due to their antioxidant properties and possible health benefits.
However, this diet’s boycott of carbohydrates doesn’t last forever. Eventually, carbohydrates—healthy ones like quinoa, oats, bananas, and sweet potatoes—are slowly incorporated back into meal plans. This occurs during the fine-tuning and maintenance phases.
Vegan diet
This is arguably the most popular diet plan. Some people consider it more a way of life than a path to weight loss.
It is a stricter form of vegetarianism where only plant-based foods are eaten. Not even eggs, milk, or honey are allowed.
The diet is pretty simple. It allows all plant-based food and prohibits all animal-based foods. Recently, advancements have been made in this diet to obtain plant-based foods that taste like meat. Who would have thought that we’d one day have a vegan burger?
Although the vegan diet was found to lower the risk of cardiovascular diseases and cancers when compared with meat-based diets, vegans are at a higher risk of vitamin and mineral deficiency. This is, however, nothing supplements and an increased portion of specific vegetables can’t help with.
Check out some of our vegan Mediterranean recipes here.
Keto diet
Ever heard of a high-fat diet? A ketogenic diet consists of low-carbohydrate, high-fat meals.
The body uses carbohydrates as “fuel” to drive activities. When you deprive yourself of carbohydrates, the body automatically switches to stored-up fats for energy instead. Burning those fats for energy is what leads to weight loss on the keto diet.
Some researchers have found that people who follow a keto diet tend to experience decreased food cravings. This is because of the diet’s high fat content. Some healthy fats you can incorporate into your keto diet include avocados, eggs, and fatty fish like salmon.
It is also believed to help manage chronic diseases like type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. According to an article released by Insider in 2021, Hollywood actress, Halle Berry has been on the keto diet for over thirty years now as a way of managing diabetes.
A typical breakfast tailored to suit the keto diet is the Cobb salad. Here, leafy green vegetables, lean meat like turkey, bacon, hard-boiled eggs, avocado, and cheese are mixed to give a hearty salad. White vinegar can be used as the dressing.
Comparing and contrasting the diets
While we wouldn’t recommend the Dukan diet as a typical weight loss diet, it does come in handy when you need to lose a few pounds rapidly. Say you’re an actor and need to fit in for a particular role; using the Dukan diet as a temporary weight loss plan is safer than starvation.
Both the Keto diet and the Atkins diet are low-carb, high-fat diets. The Atkins diet gradually reintroduces carbs, while the keto diet aims to keep carb intake low to allow ketogenic fat burning.
Many researchers are still reviewing the Dukan and Atkins diets to evaluate their long-term safety. The Paleo and vegan diets seem the safest so far, with fewer side effects and strict meal plans.
Conclusion
Choosing a diet plan is not the same as choosing a pair of shoes at a store. It requires careful consideration of your overall health and the safety of the diet for you.
Before starting any diet plan, speak with your dietician about the diet that best suits you. You may also want to evaluate the pros and cons of each diet and consider your target weight.
