The nutritionist made her verdict on the five most popular diets around and revealed which one really keeps you healthy.
Kate Llewellyn-Waters, an award-winning London-based nutritionist and author of The Immunity Cookbook, analyzed the strengths and weaknesses of vegan, keto, pareo, alkaline, and Mediterranean diets.
According to cake company Jack and Beyond, these are all one of Instagram’s most “hashtagged” diets and show how popular they are.
Talking to FEMAIL, Kate explained why the Mediterranean diet endures hype and why Keto is most avoided …
Ketogenic diet
A ketogenic (or ketogenic) diet is a low-carb, proper protein, high-fat diet. Due to the restricted intake of carbohydrates, the diet burns fat instead of carbohydrates through a process called “ketosis.”
The ketogenic diet with the most hashtags on Instagram is a high-fat diet, and followers run the risk of eating too much lean meat and processed foods, nutritionists say.
Kate Llewellyn-Waters told FEMAIL:
Kate Llewellyn-Waters is an award-winning nutritionist and author of The Immunity Cookbook.
She said there There are several prospective studies highlighting the benefits of adopting a ketogenic diet to help manage diabetes and reduce insulin resistance.
However, it is not universally popular and some people find it too restrictive.
She explained: ‘One of the main concerns about this diet is that many who follow this plan tend to overeat lean meats and processed foods while limiting healthy vegetables and fruits.
“The diet is very limited and may be difficult to maintain in the long run for most people, but the ketogenic diet works well for some.
‘But a 2021 study published in Frontiers in Nutrition found that the ketogenic diet was not particularly safe for people with kidney disease, women of childbearing potential, or pregnant women.
“Researchers have also discovered that diet can lead to long-term health conditions such as heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, or cancer in most people.”
Paleo diet
The old basic premise, also known as the “caveman’s diet,” is that if food is not eaten by the caveman, you should not eat it either.Followers throw away food such as Grains, legumes, legumes, dairy products.
Instead, they focus on eating large amounts of raw meat, fish, eggs, and limited quantities of fruits and vegetables, seeds and nuts.
The old diet, often referred to as the “caveman” diet.It is based on the premise that if a cave person does not eat food, he should not eat it either.
According to Kate:’This is a high-protein diet high in fiber from vegetables and fruits, so you should feel quite happy and full, but exclude certain foods such as dairy products and whole grains. It is difficult for many to maintain in the long run, as it can be overly restrictive.
“We also need to get enough calcium in our diet due to the lack of dairy products. Dark green leafy vegetables such as canned sardines and salmon (canned fish with bones) and coraled greens are dairy products. An excellent alternative to. Looking to increase your calcium intake.
In addition, pay attention to your protein and saturated fat intake. These are often consumed well above recommended levels when following this diet and can increase the risk of heart disease, kidney problems, and certain cancers.
“But she concludes.” Some studies suggest that this diet can lead to significant weight loss and improved health. ”
Vegan food
Veganism is a philosophy that refuses to use animals. Vegans do not eat animals or their secretions (milk, eggs, honey, etc.) or use animal foods such as wool.
Those who follow only the dietary elements are considered “plant-based” rather than vegan. However, these terms may be used interchangeably.
A vegan diet (or a plant-based diet) excludes all animal foods, according to Kate, it could be “healthy, nutritionally appropriate, and sustainable.”
Kate said: ‘The vegan diet eliminates all animal foods, including eggs and dairy products, and focuses on a plant-based diet.
“Because of the high intake of whole grains and vegetables, the diet is high in fiber, so it’s very boring, low in calories, and helps you lose weight.
In addition to fiber, vegetables are also rich in nutrients such as vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients (potential plant compounds) that are very beneficial to your health.
“A vegan diet is healthy, nutritionally appropriate and sustainable as long as it is well planned and contains the appropriate proteins, iron, zinc, vitamin D, vitamin B12, calcium and omega 3 fatty acids. It will be a thing. ”
Alkaline diet
The alkaline diet is based on the premise that your diet affects the pH level (acidic or alkaline) of your body-some people disagree with this idea.
Diets classify foods into three categories. Acidic (meat, chicken, fish, dairy products, eggs, grains, alcohol), neutral: natural (fat, starch, sugar), alkaline (fruits, nuts, legumes, vegetables). Followers are supposed to focus most of their intake on alkaline foods.
Alkaline foods focus on eating large amounts of vegetables, fruits and healthy vegetable foods while avoiding processed foods.
Kate said: “This diet is very healthy because of the emphasis on eating large amounts of vegetables, fruits and healthy vegetable foods while avoiding processed foods. These healthy types of foods Most people lose weight when consuming, because they are more likely to burn less calories than highly processed foods.
“But the belief that diet promotes the health of the general public because of its alkalizing effect has not been confirmed by large, credible human studies.
“Alkaline foods are based on Whole Foods and avoid processed foods, so they can help with health and weight loss, but there is no reliable data to show that they are related to pH levels.
“This is essentially a type of plant-based diet, with limited processed foods, and a plant-based diet with low refined sugar intake can have many health benefits, including weight loss. It is shown. ”
Mediterranean diet
Mediterranean cuisine varies from region to region, but is generally considered to be high in unsaturated fats such as vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, beans, cereals, grains, fish and olive oil. Usually, there are few meats and dairy products.
Kate described the Mediterranean diet as “very balanced”, with a high amount of fiber and a low amount of processed foods.
According to Kate:’The Mediterranean diet is nutritionally very well-balanced and contains a large variety of foods. This is important because diversity is very important for gut health and overall health.
“This is a dietary style, not a rule-based, rule-oriented” diet. ” That is, there are no accurate guidelines for potion size or daily energy intake.
“But if you reduce your intake of sugar, fats, chemical additives, processed foods that are often very high in calories, and increase your intake of nutrient-rich, nutritious whole foods, you will lose weight after this diet. May decrease in vitamins, minerals, fiber, etc.
“Fiber is often overlooked, but it’s very important because it gives you a feeling of fullness and reduces the chances of getting a sweet treat between meals.
“It also brings great benefits to our gut health, which is associated with improved results of weight loss.”
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