by Marcey Klein BS, CNC
Here we are, another year is upon us, and the challenge to optimize our health and reset our metabolism is here. After the holidays it can feel a little daunting to do this; those few pounds we’ve gained from eating extra rich foods might discourage us. But now is the optimal time to start the year off right. We might be tempted to start a so called diet to lose weight, and that’s what I want to go over with you here, the pros and cons of certain diets.
The Keto diet. This diet is probably the toughest to do. Almost no carbohydrates to put your body in ketosis, so your brain and muscles use ketones instead of glucose to run. You increase your protein and fats in lieu of carbohydrates. This diet has been shown to be an absolute Godsend to people with neurological issues: Parkinson’s, Epilepsy, Alzheimer’s, and effective for cancer too, since the lack of glucose starves off the cancer cells. This diet is also good for people wanting to lose weight and for diabetics, whose insulin is not being stimulated. However, I would not recommend this diet for most people. It is a therapeutic diet that should not be done long term unless you do have some of those conditions I listed above. The negative side to this diet is the lack of fiber, the lack of probiotics from carbohydrates to feed your bacteria to keep you regular, and your insulin may have trouble working correctly if you do again eat carbohydrates, which can raise your blood sugar immensely. Additionally, and the high amount of proteins might put you in a more acidic condition causing mineral imbalances. All in all, I would only recommend this diet for short term.
The Paleo diet. This diet is similar to the Keto diet but you can have more carbohydrates like sweet potatoes. What I like about the Paleo diet is the stress on the quality of the foods. I also like that it is more flexible than the Keto diet. What I don’t like about it is that it almost completely lacks grains, those complex carbs that your gut flora love. The Paleo diet concludes that grains are your worst enemy, and I don’t like food plans that try to make you afraid of certain food groups. So I use this plan as a little outline for some of my meals, and I like to add grains or legumes for extra fiber and plant proteins.
The Weight Watchers diet. I just don’t like this diet. It doesn’t put emphasis on the quality of foods, they put too much emphasis on losing weight, and it’s just not a sustainable eating plan. To give it the benefit of the doubt though, people have had success losing weight on this plan. I think it can give you some knowledge of food portions, and you do have a community to hold you account-able and support you in your weight loss endeavors. If you do decide to do this plan, stay away from their chemically processed zero calories snacks, and eat quality organic foods.
The eating plan that I like is closest to the Mediterranean diet. It includes such heart healthy foods like fish, nuts, and seeds; olive oil; lots of fresh fruit and vegetables; and grains and legumes. This eating plan has stood the test of time and has been around us the longest and produced the best results. Studies show that people who live in Mediterranean cities live the longest and have lower rates of disease. An eating plan that mirrors Mediterranean diets includes plenty of colorful fruits and vegetables, healthy oils, plenty of fiber from complex grains and legumes, and protein from fresh meat sources. I like that it is a well-rounded eating plan: You are encouraged to eat a variety of foods and are not made to feel restricted. It is also sensible, easy to follow, and delicious! I hope this helps cut through some of the confusion on certain diets. Really, we don’t want to be following diets anyway; instead we want to be listening to and nourishing our bodies to best of our abilities. Please stop at Wild Roots Market if you have any questions or comments, and as always, be well!