Keto, Paleo, 5:2, Whole 30, Vegan…..we’ve all heard of them, and we’ve probably tried a fair few ourselves – the countless ‘miracle’ diets, promising to give you the results you so desperately want. But how effective are these diets? More importantly, how safe and healthy are they?
Whether you want to shed a few pounds, tone up a little, or are just interested in nutrition and the dieting world, you will have heard the mysterious names of these trending diets currently circling our health-obsessed society. There seem to be so many different types, so many rules and requirements, that it all gets a bit confusing and overwhelming. Do not fear – over two articles these diets and their risks and benefits will be explained.
Keto
The ‘Keto diet’ is named so because it works on the concept of ketosis, the state where the body burns fat instead of carbohydrates for energy. To be clear, the body is not normally in a state of ketosis, as the primary source of energy is carbohydrates, which are a lot quicker to break down than lipids (fats).
The Keto diet achieves ketosis by depriving the body of carbohydrates and instead feeding it with fats, in order to coax it into running on fats instead. An average person would probably consume around 30% of their daily calories from fats, or about 70-80g, whereas on the Keto diet you would consume around 60-75% of the calories from fat, or about 150g upwards. Eating such a high quantity of fats has various benefits for the body, such as improved brain function and healthier skin. Eating a Keto diet also means that the person consumes significantly less sugars as sugars are carbohydrates, and this is of course a bonus, as sugar is the cause of many of our health problems. Many dieters report an increase in energy levels and, on the whole, that they feel fuller after meals and find that they aren’t snacking as much. An increase of healthy fats in the diet will certainly help satiety levels, and eating little to no processed sugars will certainly make a person feel less fatigued and ‘foggy’. The Keto diet has also very effectively proved that fat doesn’t make you fat, as many people have lost significant amounts of weight on this diet. In fact, the benefits of the Keto diet have been more effective in mature adults over the age of around 45, so perhaps this is a diet for the later years of life!
It is highly likely that the main reason for weight loss is the sudden reduction in carbohydrate intake. The Keto diet minimises all rice, pasta, and bread, and even fruit and certain starchy vegetables. While it may produce some impressive short term effects, is realistically not a sustainable lifestyle. Carbohydrates are essential to the function of the body, especially for someone who leads an active lifestyle or exercises regularly, as carbohydrates provide the fuel needed for a workout and are needed for effective muscle recovery. In fact, the Keto diet could be quite harmful and on a wider spectrum; the fear of carbohydrates that it has fuelled has caused a lot of damage to many people, both mentally and physically. Not all carbohydrates were created equal, and we should recognise the importance of healthy carbohydrates in our diets.
I tried the Keto diet in a half-hearted attempt at carb-cycling, where you have certain days with lots of carbohydrates, and other days with very little. Personally, I just couldn’t live without fruit, and I became quite frustrated with the blandness of each meal – protein, fats and hardly any vegetables. As a lover of all fruit and vegetables, I really struggled with this! While an effective diet for some, Keto is not necessarily sustainable or healthy in the long run, especially for young adults and athletes.
Paleo
The ‘Paleo’ diet is so named because it is thought to follow the eating patterns of our pre-historic ancestors, who ate predominately meat, vegetables, nuts and seeds. A strict Paleo diet eliminates many grains and legumes, such as wheat and oats, therefore also tending to make it a gluten-free diet.
The benefits of Paleo are certainly noticeable; it is a very ‘clean’ diet with little to no processed foods and sugars, and this is probably the main reason that people can feel so good on it. It is also high in quality protein and healthy fats, helping satiety, and would probably suit those who exercise frequently. The focus on natural sources of meat, fish and vegetables is not only beneficial to the dieter, but also to the planet!
As a diet, Paleo is actually quite a good one as it is certainly not restrictive in quantity. Many people try Paleo and end up sticking to it more or less long term, making it more of a lifestyle than a diet. Again, the Paleo diet does eliminate gluten and many grains, which is really not necessary to be healthy and even lose weight. Fear of gluten is not healthy, and only those with an actual allergy or intolerance should eliminate it completely from their diet. Those who have tried Paleo and loved it often end up adopting some grains back into their diets as a sustainable lifestyle, and the Paleo diet is probably the closest representation of an athlete’s diet. So if you want to look like Jessica Ennis, then maybe give this one a try (DISCLAIMER: you probably also have to go to the gym to look like Jessica Ennis…)
Whole 30
The ‘Whole 30’ diet is a stricter version of the Paleo diet, and is designed to act as a ‘re-boot’ to the digestive system, lasting only 30 days. Many foods are eliminated, such as all pulses and legumes, certain vegetable and fruits, oats and grains, dairy, and alcohol (plus more). These foods have been labelled ‘trigger foods’ under the Whole 30 diet, which in itself is not very helpful in terms of mental health. Whole 30 is a VERY restrictive diet, hence why it is only 30 days.
The 30-day detox has proved effective for many. By eliminating certain foods that our bodies perhaps do not process as easily, the Whole 30 detox apparently works wonders for the digestive system and issues with IBS. This diet, like most, is a very clean diet, consisting mainly of meat, fish, eggs, vegetables, fruit, nuts and seeds, and even coffee. It’s no wonder someone might feel amazing on this diet if their usual eating habits include fast-foods high in sugar and processed junk.
However, Whole 30 is realistically an unsustainable diet, and many struggle to find suitable recipes to make which fit the guideline. It is also fairly inconvenient – try finding a Whole 30-friendly restaurant when eating out! Furthermore, as the diet is so strict, a dieter may find that any weight lost over the 30 days would quickly reappear when normal eating habits resumed, even if they chose slightly cleaner options than before. Perhaps the most important issue is that Whole 30 is a very intense and restrictive diet, which may aggravate any issues of mental health in a dieter.