Different Diets

The word “diet” originated from a Greek word “diaita” meaning the “way of life”. It encompassed not only daily food consumption but a daily lifestyle as well. Presently, it’s known to mean the food someone is consuming (diet). There are many diets available and they offer a variety of different benefits and purposes. These can include diets focusing on: rapid weight loss, long-term weight loss, improved cardiovascular health, lower blood pressure, etc. It can be overwhelming when an individual focusing on incorporating a new diet into their lifestyle finds many different diets all stating different benefits and guarantees. The reality is that some diets are better than others for health, benefits, and sustainability reasons.

There are many popular and trend diets below with their pros and cons for health and sustainability. This will help an individual gain clarity about the differences in some diets and the positive and negatives they offer. This can help them make an educated decision on what diet works for their lifestyle. A breakdown into some of the most popular and healthiest diets is below:

To learn more about developing a well-balanced lifestyle and a healthy diet please visit: https://dietfithealth.com/pages/sustainability-and-a-well-balanced-lifestyle

The Mediterranean Diet

The Mediterranean Diet is one of the most popular diets around the world and is recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) for being incredibly healthy and sustainable. It is one of the more popular diets recommended to people with cardiovascular disease because of the food sources in the diet and the structure of it that makes it sustainable for long-term results. This will help an individual to develop consistency with their food consumption and avoid fluctuations in their eating patterns (falling off the diet). Food sources for this diet consist of: An abundance of complex carbohydrates (good carbs), unsaturated fats (good fats: olive oil, nuts, seeds) and protein from any animal product, but mainly fish. This provides an individual with the luxury of consuming their preferred proteins (red meat, chicken, lamb, etc...). Carbs mainly receive the primary focus for being the reason people are struggling with their weight or health. This is because there are good carbs (complex) and “bad” carbs (simple). An overconsumption of simple carbs can lead to an increase in blood sugar levels and hunger, which can cause someone to consume more food. Carbs (carbohydrates) are the body’s main energy source. They are absorbed, then converted into glucose (blood sugar), that the body will burn for energy to complete daily activities of living and exercising. Sugar in the blood is considered fuel for the body. This makes carbohydrates an important food source to consume. There can be negative side effects impacting health when not enough carbohydrates are being consumed.

The Mediterranean diet’s largest food source to consume is carbohydrates. This will prevent negative health side effects that can occur when carbohydrates are not being consumed. The carbohydrates included are complex carbs rather than simple carbs. This will provide an individual with long-lasting energy and suppress their appetite. This is a positive benefit as it provides the individual with the luxury of consuming food sources they crave. The next food source included in the Mediterranean diet is the amount of unsaturated fats. There are healthy fats and unhealthy fats. Unsaturated fats are HEALTHY and should be included in a meal plan and diet. Unsaturated fats help with body cell function, positive health, and can lower bad cholesterol. They do this by increasing the good cholesterol (HDL: High-Density Lipoprotein) and decreasing bad cholesterol (LDL: Low-Density Lipoprotein). Consuming the right fats can positively impact cholesterol levels. They are also the body's reserve energy when the body does not consume enough carbohydrates to burn as a source of energy. Fats are important for the body to function optimally and are a big food source in the Mediterranean diet. This can be beneficial for an individual's lifestyle as there is good food consumption, lowering cholesterol, and providing energy.

PROTEIN is the building blocks for the body and make up muscle tissue. It is an important macronutrient to consume for the body to function optimally. In the Mediterranean diet, there’s a large selection of food sources to consume that will ensure daily intake is absorbed. Protein can be similar to carbohydrates as there are better food sources to consume that have a high protein and lower fat intake (bad fats: saturated fats and trans fats). One of the best food sources in the world that provides good quality protein and healthy fats is FISH. Fish is the largest protein food source in the Mediterranean diet. This is because this diet is popular for countries on the Mediterranean Sea like: Greece, Spain, and Italy. Fishing has been a part of their culture for centuries. Fish is a great source of protein, but also provides the body with healthy fatty acids that are good for the brain and heart health. These come in the form of Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish. These are anti-inflammatory for the brain to combat inflammation and depression that can improve mental health. They also assist in cell development. However, the mercury concentration in fish is important to understand. Mercury in fish can be unhealthy because it builds up in the body over time and can affect the nervous system, brain, and other organs. When people eat fish that contain high levels of mercury, such as shark, swordfish, or king mackerel, the mercury can interfere with normal brain function, leading to problems with memory, coordination, and learning. This is especially concerning for pregnant women and young children, since mercury exposure can harm a developing baby’s brain and nervous system. While fish is a healthy source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids, choosing varieties lower in mercury, like salmon, sardines, or trout, helps reduce the risks while still providing important nutrients.

Healthy carbohydrates (complex carbs), healthy fatty acids/oils (unsaturated fats), and a healthy protein source are contributing factors for why the Mediterranean diet is healthy and sustainable. Another benefit is that it has a large amount of food sources that can be consumed to satisfy food cravings. Consumption of poultry, dairy, eggs, and red meat and many other choices are encouraged to consume in this diet. The Mediterranean diet’s main focus is on the carbohydrates, fats, and protein sources that are being consumed. But sweets, sugar, and candy are all on this diet, but are consumed in moderation. If an individual is researching diets to help them achieve a healthier lifestyle, lose weight, or improve heart health, THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET is number one!

To learn more about nutrition please visit: https://dietfithealth.com/pages/nutrition-fundamentals

The DASH Diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension)

DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (high blood pressure). This diet is recommended for anyone experiencing high blood pressure, looking to improve cardiovascular health, weight loss, and to prevent bone decay (Osteoporosis). This is a recommended diet as it does not require a large change in one’s current diet. It focuses on substituting food choices and staying within a certain number of calories consumed daily. This is a great diet, not only for its sustainability but with the food sources included and without causing a drastic change in one’s current diet. This can prevent binge eating and staying on track with the new meals. Its focus is to create a 2,000 calorie a day meal plan with healthy food choices. It includes consuming low-fat dairy, fish, poultry, beans, nuts, and vegetable oils. While restricting food sources like fatty meats (red meat), full-fat dairy, coconut and palm oil, and sweets (simple carbohydrates). The DASH diet recommends the individual consume 55% of daily calories from carbohydrates, 27% from healthy fats (unsaturated fats), 6% from saturated fats (unhealthy), and 18% from protein. They can still consume their daily sodium intake of 1,500 – 2,300 milligrams. Looking at those numbers and the meal plan structure for this DIET is the reason it is the second on the list! The DASH diet focuses on reducing high blood pressure but offers many more benefits. It includes healthy carbohydrates (complex carbs) that are your body’s main energy source to prevent developing headaches, lack of energy, or focus, that low-carb diets can cause. This will help with daily activities and lifestyle that will improve overall health. It also includes healthy fats from vegetable oils, low-fat dairy, nuts, seeds, and beans. This will help the body maintain or improve optimal function by providing nutrients that improve cell health and performance, but also provides the body with back-up energy reserves to avoid a tired feeling. The DASH diet also focuses on cutting out fatty meats as a source of protein and replacing them with a healthier protein source. This will provide the body with adequate amounts of protein but with better health results. When a fatty protein source (red meat) is substituted, it will cause a decrease in consumption of unhealthy fats associated with the food source. This will also cause an increase in consumption of healthy fats associated with the new protein food source. This has health benefits as the quality of the protein is better and a reduction of unhealthy fats is decreased while being replaced by an increase of healthy fats.

A diet and meal plan require energy and discipline to follow, and some can lead to inconsistency of eating properly. This can have an impact on short-term and long-term health results. The DASH offers healthy food sources BUT also has a sustainable approach to help create a healthier lifestyle for short-term and LONG TERM. Sustainability and consistency are important for people to reach their goals. Looking at the DASH diet, it includes the healthy food sources (substituting the bad ones) and has a good meal plan layout for every plate consumed to help provide people with a visual representation of what every meal consumed should look like. This includes having a colourful plate with whole foods and includes two or more fruits and vegetables per meal. This is beneficial for macronutrient intake to help maintain body function and micronutrient intake to help improve cell health and fight off diseases. The DASH diet includes carbohydrates for energy, healthy fats for cell health and energy reserves, protein for building blocks of the body, and the micronutrients (vitamins & minerals). It offers a sustainable approach that many other diets fall short on because of the expectation of a large caloric decrease daily. This can lead to experiencing headaches, fatigue, nausea, hunger, and serious health repercussions.

The DASH diet focuses on substituting food sources while maintaining a daily caloric intake. It is a diet built for sustainability and results!

Intermittent Fasting - 5/2 Method & 16/8 Method

Intermittent Fasting is a dietary approach focusing on food timing in a 24-hour period, rather than food types being consumed. It also monitors daily intake of calories for different days of the week. The focus is to consume a limited amount of calories in a 24-hour period and fast during another portion of the same 24 hours. This helps to develop discipline, monitor food consumption, and creates healthy eating habits that will assist with weight loss and build more muscle. There are two different models: 5/2 model and 16/8 model. It’s number 3 for healthy and sustainable diets because of its ease, sustainability, and health benefits.

5/2 Model
The 5/2 model represents 7 days of the week. There are no dietary restrictions with this model (so eat up!), but it is recommended to consume healthy and well-balanced meals throughout the day. There are 5 days of the week that an individual should consume a daily intake of 2,000 calories, and then there are 2 days of the week that calorie consumption is around 25% of the 2,000 calories (500 calories). These are the 2 days of the week that an individual is fasting, and they should NOT be consecutive days in a row. These 2 days should also be the least active days of the week. This is to reduce energy expenditure that can lead to fatigue and binge eating. This approach is great for its sustainability and results. It can reduce 1 lb of body fat (3,000 calories) per week! This is a recommended approach for anyone looking to develop healthier eating habits and lose weight because of its simplicity without a large meal transformation.

KEY TIP – Reducing your calorie consumption on any given day can be challenging, and it is proportional to an individual’s physical composition (A measurement of an individual's muscle, fat, and bone density). A larger individual will require more calories and food consumption. Restricting calories to 2,000 daily for 5 days of the week and only 500 calories for the remaining 2 is a recommended guideline for this diet, which can be more challenging for some based on their physical composition. ANY calorie restriction on any day of the week is a positive! This can happen by monitoring food sources being consumed and applying small dietary restrictions throughout the week. This will help the body adapt to the diet in a slow, healthy, and steady approach with a path of progression to get to 2,000 calories 5 days/week and 500 calories 2 days/week.

16/8 Model
The 16/8 model follows a 24-hour period where an individual will fast for 16 consecutive hours and only consume food during an 8-hour window. This is followed 7 days a week, and it is advised that the 8-hour food consumption period aligns with the time of the day where the most energy is being used (work, exercising, etc.). The 16/8 model doesn’t have any dietary guidelines or restrictions but recommends following a healthy and well-balanced meal plan. This approach can be more challenging for some as it can lead to binge eating during fasting periods and food consumption periods. It’s advised to follow for people that are more disciplined and can follow caloric intake consumption guidelines.

Plant-Based Diet

A plant-based diet focuses on eating food that is fully derived from a plant and restricts or eliminates food derived from an animal. They are diets that can be more cost-effective, improve physical composition like muscle mass, body fat, bone density, and can increase cardiovascular health (heart health). They are diets that require more discipline, as there can be a lack of important food sources that provide important nutrients for the body. This can be overcome by consuming supplements to make up for the missing nutrients. Plant-based diets are healthy, cost-effective, and offer a change of pace in one’s diet. Therefore, they are ranked 4th on this list. There are many different plant-based diets, but we are going to talk about the 3 most common: Vegan, Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian (most common Vegetarian), and Pescatarian.

Vegan

A vegan diet consists of strictly consuming plant-based products and eliminating any animal product or by-products (eggs, milk, gelatine). The diet comprises of receiving all macronutrients (carbs, fats & proteins) and micronutrients (vitamins & minerals) from plant-based food sources. Someone following the Vegan diet can consume their carbohydrates from oats, brown rice, whole-wheat bread, etc. These are healthy complex carbs to consume that provide long-lasting energy throughout the day. A healthy fat source in this diet comes from nuts, seeds, avocados, nut butter, olive oil, etc… The main fat source is once again the healthy unsaturated fats that can reduce cholesterol and decrease the risk of heart developing heart disease. Good protein sources in this diet come from tofu, quinoa, soy milk, and an assortment of nuts and beans. This diet is strictly plant-based, so a large consumption of fruits (vitamins) and vegetables (minerals) are included to ensure an adequate intake of micronutrients is met. The Vegan diet is a strict diet and can provide challenges like: discipline and nutrient deficiencies. If there are nutrient deficiencies, a supplement can be consumed to ensure adequate intake of the nutrients are met. This diet has a BIG benefit, as there is a large consumption of carbohydrates that provide long-lasting energy and can improve physical fitness.

Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian (Most Common Type of Vegetarian)

Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian is the most common form of “being vegetaria". The diet consists of mainly plant-based products, with a few exceptions of animal by-products like dairy and eggs. However, it does NOT include ANY animal or meat product for consumption. The only difference between a common vegetarian and vegan diet is that the Vegetarian diet allows the consumption of eggs and dairy, while the Vegan diet does not. Vegetarians will receive all their carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, and minerals from the same sources that Vegans do, but with the exception of eggs and dairy. Eggs are considered a whole protein which includes all essential amino acids but contain a high level of saturated fats (egg yolk and unhealthy fats). Dairy provides the body with a high level of calcium to help keep bones and muscles strong, and keep teeth healthy. The Vegetarian diet is a strict diet as well, but for anyone looking for a healthy meal plan, challenge, or change, this diet is a great one!

Pescatarian

The Pescatarian diet is different from the Vegetarian diet by allowing the consumption of FISH! It still allows the consumption of eggs and dairy, but with the addition of an animal product (fish). Fish is one of the best proteins to consume, as it’s a lean protein that also provides healthy fatty acids in the form of Omega-3’s. These fatty acids (Omega-3’s) help with brain and heart health. There are different food types when consuming fish. Some fish are better than others because of the protein intake, fatty acids, and mercury concentration. Including fish in a diet can be very healthy and beneficial, but some fish contain higher levels of mercury that would want to be avoided. Some examples are: tuna, mackerel, marlin, sharks, etc... These fish are older, larger, and higher on the food chain. With a longer life expectancy, these fish are more susceptible to mercury consumption from particles in their environments and consuming other fish that already contain mercury. This applies to fresh-water fish in lakes as well (bass). This is especially important to know and understand as mercury can have damaging effects in developing brains. This places pregnant women at a higher risk of damaging their developing child's brain if an overconsumption of mercury-potent fish is in their diet. This is a key factor to note when consuming fish products, but it doesn’t change the fact that the RIGHT fish included in a diet that contains LOW levels of mercury (salmon, trout, haddock, etc…) can provide GREAT health benefits because of their lean protein and fatty acids. Consuming the proper fish is an important factor for this diet. The Pescatarian diet is still a healthy diet to follow as one will gain the benefits of proper carbohydrate consumption, healthy fatty acids, proteins, vitamins, and minerals.
There are many more plant-based diets that differentiate from others, but these are some of the most common due to their health benefits and sustainable approaches. A proper eating plan and diet for Vegan, Vegetarian, and Pescatarian is below:

The Gluten-free Diet

The Gluten-free diet comprises of eliminating all gluten intake in one's food consumption. Gluten is the protein found in wheat products that helps bind it together and gives it its elasticity. This is a diet for people that have a celiac disorder that is a digestive issue processing gluten or for other people that also have problems digesting gluten. It is a health prevention diet to avoid further health complications for people who are celiac or have a digestive intolerance to gluten. However, there are other health benefits for being on this diet for people looking for a healthier lifestyle and food choices. Eliminating gluten from your diet can lead to weight loss, better digestion, and improved cholesterol. This diet eliminates processed foods that contain trans fats & saturated fats which can increase cholesterol levels.

To learn more about fats please visit: https://dietfithealth.com/pages/fats

It is a popular diet that offers health benefits! Its focus is eliminating gluten (wheat, barley, rye) which are found in different food sources like beer, yeast, candy, baked goods, and other unhealthy food sources. It’s beneficial being on this diet not only for necessity for people with a celiac disorder but also for eliminating unhealthy food sources that would be consumed. It offers a large variety of great food choices like: meat, poultry, fish, fruits, vegetables, olive oil, nuts, seeds, etc. The Gluten-free diet does require monitoring caloric intake to ensure it aligns with an individual's health goals, but for a well-balanced and sustainable diet, it’s a great choice! The only drawback is cutting out a food source (wheat, rye, barley) as it can lead to nutrient deficiencies like impacting vitamin B and Iron intake as they are in gluten products. These deficiencies can be overcome by consuming a multivitamin (MVN) or other supplements to ensure adequate intake is met. To learn more about the Gluten-free diet you can do so here:

The Keto (Ketogenic) Diet

The Keto diet or Ketogenic diet is a low-carb diet that’s focus is restricting carbohydrate intake and replacing their calories (energy) with more fats and proteins in an individual's diet. The purpose of this is to reach a level of ketosis in the body. Ketosis is when the body burns fat, rather than sugar, thus burning of fatty tissue (burning fat). The individual is also consuming more protein, which will help build more muscle. The main premise is to have the body burn fatty tissue (rather than sugar), which will decrease body fat percentage and build more muscle from an increase of protein intake. This will help promote weight loss and muscle gain. This happens because an individual is monitoring their carbohydrate intake and replacing the calories from carbs with more fats and protein that the body will use as an energy source. However, fats and protein are not the body's main energy source. The body burns protein in tissue as energy only in extreme circumstances like survival. The Keto diet can reduce body weight, body fat, and decrease cholesterol, but understanding how the body works and the impact of different food sources it needs to maintain optimal function, it is NOT the best diet to go on. This is a standard LOW-carb diet which can cause negative health effects rather than positive ones. The body’s main energy source is carbohydrates (simple and complex) that get absorbed and converted into sugar (fuel for the body) that the body burns for energy. Eliminating carbohydrates can cause the body to start using its back-up reserves, which are fatty acids (second energy source). A lack of sugar in the bloodstream can cause the body to develop ketones. A build-up of ketones in the blood occurs when the body starts burning fatty acids (from fat), rather than sugar (from carbs). When this happens, an individual may experience negative health side effects and even serious side effects like Ketoacidosis, which is the side effect of having too many ketones in the bloodstream. The negative side effects from this are headaches, fatigue, bad breath, constipation, dehydration, an increased risk in kidney stones, osteoporosis, and gout. This can have a negative impact on daily activities, exercising, mood, and motivation. If an individual has fitness or health goals, the Keto-diet may be good for short-term, as they may see results quickly, but this diet is NOT sustainable for long-term and can do more harm than good. If you want to learn more about nutrition, food sources, and what the body uses for energy, you can do so here: https://dietfithealth.com/pages/nutrtion-facts

The Carnivore Diet

The Carnivore Diet is a diet that focuses on the main food source being meat and restricts the intake of vegetables, fruits, fats, and carbohydrates. It’s purpose is to help the body reach a ketogenic state that will burn fat and trigger weight loss. This diet is a high protein and LOW-carbohydrate diet with its main food source coming from meat products. There are benefits to this diet, as it can reduce weight loss when the body is in a ketosis state, but there are drawbacks. Excluding all important nutrients other than protein from meat (red meat, poultry, pork, lamb, veal, and eggs) can lead to health issues because of nutrient deficiency. The carnivore diet restricts vitamin (fruits) and mineral (vegetables) intake. However, there is mineral consumption because of the food sources the animals consume (plants, grass, chicken feed). When an animal consumes a plant, the nutrients contained in the plant will get stored in its tissue, so when the plant is consumed by the animal, the nutrients from the vegetable will also be absorbed. This will lead to the animal containing minerals from the plant in its tissue. This also applies to fatty acids. There are fats in meat products, so there will be an intake of fats, that are important for energy.
There are also supplements available to help balance nutrient deficiencies that can help the body function optimally. This diet is a LOW carb, LOW vitamin, and LOW mineral diet and focuses on the body reaching a state of ketosis to help burn fat and build muscle. There can be negative health side effects following this diet, like an increased uric acid level in the blood that can increase the risk of developing gout and can lead to a higher blood serum level (increase amount of fat in your blood).

Sources

International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA). ISSA Curriculum Materials. Retrieved from https://www.issaonline.com