Kate Llewellyn-Waters, an award-winning London-based nutritionist, has given her verdict on the top five popular types of diet to reveal which is the best to keep the body healthy and which should be avoided. She broke down the strengths and weaknesses of each diet, namely the paleo, vegan, alkaline, Mediterranean, and keto diets.
These diets were often seen as "hashtags" on Instagram, showing how popular they are. Kate explained in an interview with MailOnline's FEMAIL about her thoughts on the five types of diet:
Nutritionist Explains Why Mediterranean Diet is the Best Diet for the New Year; Warns Against Keto
Alkaline Diet
According to Healthline, the alkaline diet replaces acid-forming foods with alkaline foods to improve health. Proponents of the diet claimed that it could help fight serious diseases, such as cancer.
Although it does help in weight loss because of its focus on a high intake of vegetables and fruits, Kate said that the belief alkaline diet promotes large-scale studies have not confirmed good health. But then again, being a plant-based diet has shown any health benefits not related to pH levels.
Paleo Diet
Paleolithic (paleo) diet focuses on eating lean meat, fish, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds, according to Mayo Clinic. It also includes dairy products, grains, and legumes. The Paleolithic Period inspired the diet, about 2.5 million to 10,000 years ago, when food was obtained through hunting and gathering.
Kate said that this high-protein diet with lots of fiber could make people quite satiated and full. However, excluding some foods needed for their specific nutrition can make this diet restrictive and hard to sustain in the long term for many people.
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Vegan Diet
Vegan diet or veganism is a philosophy that people follow by not eating meat products and secretions of animals, such as milk, eggs, and honey. The National Health Services said that the vegan diet only contains vegetables, grains, nuts, and fruits, and food made from plants.
Kate said that this high fiber diet can be satiating and filling and could help lose that extra pounds. On the other hand, she cautions that people who practice this diet should carefully plan their meals to avoid missing important vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin D and B12, and omega-3 fatty acids.
Mediterranean Diet
Mayo Clinic said that the Mediterranean diet is mostly plant-based foods, including whole grains, vegetables, legumes, seeds, herbs, spices, and olive oil as their main source of fat. Although seafood, fish, and dairy are also consumed in moderation.
Kate has identified many benefits from this diet, such as it helps in weight loss, decreasing sugar levels and calories, and is good for the gut. But most importantly, she said that this is a very balanced diet that is key to diversity in terms of overall health.
Keto Diet
According to WebMD, the idea behind the ketogenic diet is to get more calories from proteins and fat while taking in fewer carbohydrates, like bread, soda, sugar, and pastries.
Kate said that this diet is too restrictive and hard to maintain in the long term for most people. It does not even work for some people, while some experts claim it can lead to long-term health conditions, like cardiovascular diseases.
Losing Weight Fast is Better Than Losing it Slower
Michael Mosley, a doctor, and author of various diet books, told Daily Express that losing weight faster is better than losing it slower because it increases the chances of achieving a weight loss target because they reach their goal faster. But he cautioned that this method is not for everyone and that the body gets enough nutrients from the food by following the best diet.
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