health

Thinking about getting on a diet? Does it make you scared to imagine what all you will have to quit eating to get your dream body? If yes, then you got the concept of dieting wrong. So today, it’s time you get familiar with actual dieting.  Diet is a term derived from the Greek word \”diaita\” which basically means the way of life or the way of living. Hence, a diet was not just a pattern of eating to lose weight as we are familiar with it nowadays. Instead, it is the type of lifestyle a person has, which includes their eating habits and lifestyle habits. There are numerous diets around the world, some are more popular than others, but still, they fail to accomplish their purpose most of the time. You must have tried at least one of them to lose weight but got disappointed with the progress you were making as they were not sustainable.  Thus, in this article, we will look at the possible reasons why the trending and fad diets nowadays don’t really work and why most diets fail. More importantly, you will even learn about the best ways to maintain your health and achieve your fitness goals. Trending and Fad Diets To know why diets don\’t work, let\’s analyze some of the trending and fad diets nowadays and weigh the advantages and disadvantages to get a better understanding of where the approach goes wrong. While there are all sorts of diets that you can go for, following are some of the most popular trending and fad diets: Paleo Diet This diet mimics our ancestors who were hunters and gatherers and was prevalent around 10,000 years ago. Mainly a paleo diet means having whole foods, fruits, meat, nuts, seeds, etc. while avoiding any processed food items, dairy, legumes, and grains. Although, this is a controversial diet as most people consider current agriculturally produced food to be comparatively unhealthier since modern agriculture is not considered as good as the one during the caveman era. Advantages Helpful with type 2 diabetes. Reduces inflammation and digestive stress. Helps with weight loss. Disadvantages A very restrictive diet with limited food options. It is sometimes possible to overeat. This diet primarily requires a person to consume meat which is impossible for vegetarians. The absence of grains and other food groups can lead to the loss of certain vitamins and minerals. Keto Diet The Keto diet is one of the most popular currently trending diets because of the relatively faster results that come with it initially. Keto is a low carbohydrate high-fat diet. But as carbs are also important for the body, not getting enough of them will put your body in a metabolic state called ketosis. In this state, your body doesn’t have enough carbs for energy requirements and instead uses fat for energy. A standard keto diet has 70% fat, 25% protein, and 5% carbs. Advantages Reduces appetite which helps in being consistent with dieting. Speeds up metabolism. Helps in weight loss when in a calorie deficit.  Great for type 2 diabetes. Helps in reducing the risk of Alzheimer\’s disease.  Improves symptoms of metabolic syndrome. Disadvantages Very restrictive Can get expensive May lead to loss of muscle mass Not enough energy to workout Almost impossible for Indians as legumes and rice are our staple food Can cause issues with your lipid profile Unsustainable in the long run Low in fiber During the initial weeks, you may experience Keto flu which has symptoms like digestive discomfort, headaches, nausea, and lack of energy.  Intermittent Fasting An intermittent fasting diet is among the most trending ones and almost every other person has given it a shot. Intermittent fasting is an eating pattern that includes consuming two meals a day and fasting for 12-16 hours every day. Well, it works by putting you in a calorie deficit by excluding one whole meal from your diet. Even though some do pretty well with intermittent fasting, it is not for everyone.  Advantages As it involves fasting for a time period, it is not very restrictive in calories and food items Helps in reducing inflammation It may help in boosting metabolism It may or may not be helpful with type 2 diabetes Can improve heart conditions Helps in weight loss Disadvantages Increases cravings During the initial stages, you can feel headaches, bloating, nausea, etc. In women especially who suffer from PCOS long hours of fasting can worsen insulin resistance Unsustainable in the long run Disturbed sleep 800-1000 Calorie Diet Such a type of diet is used very rarely and under the supervision of a specialized doctor as it has potential risks involved. Here basically, you will be consuming very low-calorie food items aimed at rapid weight loss. Hence, such a diet is used only in the cases of adults who are obese and those who are at a medical risk because of their weight. You should not get on such a diet without consulting a doctor as an average adult male needs 2000 Kcal and a female needs 1600 Kcal a day even with a sedentary lifestyle. Advantages Can help in reducing weight rapidly to manage morbid obesity Can help with diabetes, cholesterol  Disadvantages Too low calories can slow down metabolism Unsustainable for longer periods This can lead to low energy and fatigue Can lead to hair fall, muscle loss, dull skin, and amenorrhea.  High Protein Diet A high protein diet includes higher protein and mostly low carbohydrates. It’s considered a safe option for a shorter period of time. Here, you would be consuming more protein than required. And you will have to avoid highly processed food items and focus on choosing healthy protein sources from plants and animals. Advantages Reduces hunger cravings Can boost metabolism Helps in weight loss Helps in increasing muscle mass Disadvantages Limiting carbs too much can lead to deficiency in some nutrients  Can affect kidneys by creating harmful metabolic waste Can increase ammonia and uric acid levels in the blood. Unsustainable