Curious about intermittent fasting? How about a high-raw diet? Here’s what you need to know.
After the decadence of the holidays, you may want to shift your focus to lighter foods and healthier eating habits. But with so many dietary options to choose from, where to start? To help select the best diet for you, here’s an overview of popular diets, their pros and cons, and the exciting research that supports (or doesn’t support) them.
Before starting any new diet, check with your health-care practitioner to ensure that it’s right for you, especially if you have any underlying health conditions or are pregnant or breastfeeding.
The Paleolithic diet
The Paleolithic diet, or the “Paleo” or “caveman” diet, is based on the premise that we should follow a diet similar to that eaten by our ancestors 2.5 million to 10,000 years ago in the Paleolithic era, which its proponents believe is based on hunting, fishing, and gathering.
While it’s impossible to know exactly what cavepeople in all regions of the globe ate, the diet is essentially based on low-carbohydrate and high-protein foods, coupled with plenty of water and regular exercise. Some of the restrictions include no dairy, wheat, oats, sugar, salt, highly processed foods, potatoes, or peas, peanuts, and other legumes. Meat is preferably grass fed or wild game.
This diet seems to be particularly effective in the treatment of metabolic syndrome, a cluster of risk factors for heart disease that includes obesity, insulin resistance, and hypertension (high blood pressure). A recent study found that the Paleo diet improved several markers for metabolic syndrome.
Paleo diet proponents claim blood pressure-controlling and blood sugar-balancing benefits; however, if you have a health problem such as heart disease or kidney disease, it may not be right for you. As well, some highly active individuals may experience energy reduction.
Sometimes referred to as “the steak and bacon diet,” the Paleo diet may be harmful to heart health, as it can be high in saturated fat. Diets high in animal protein have also been linked to colorectal cancer.
Consider supplementing with
- calcium
- coenzyme Q10
- vitamin D
And remember to drink plenty of water on the Paleo diet to offset the metabolic waste of high-protein foods.
Sample grocery list
- grass-fed beef
- fish
- eggs
- chicken
- almonds and almond butter
- berries
- sweet potatoes
- coconut oil/extra-virgin olive oil
- avocado
- vegetables (broccoli, spinach, tomatoes, onions, carrots, leafy greens)
Mediterranean diet
A diet packed with fruits, vegetables, fish, legumes, healthy fats, and whole grains, and with less reliance on meat and dairy than the standard American diet, the Mediterranean diet is considered by many nutritionists to be a very healthy option for long-term health. As the name suggests, it’s based on the traditional way of eating espoused in the Mediterranean region, where lower rates of death due to heart disease have been observed.
The Mediterranean diet may be beneficial in the prevention or treatment/management of asthma, breast cancer, cognitive decline, colorectal cancer, depression, diabetes, erectile dysfunction, heart disease, and, of course, high body mass index (BMI).
In addition to the heavy reliance on fruits and vegetables, the inclusion of olive oil is likely one of the reasons for the Mediterranean diet’s many health benefits. Research suggests olive oil consumption may reduce markers of inflammation.
The Mediterranean diet is likely also more affordable than many other dietary options due to its focus on legumes, fruits, and vegetables.
Less of a diet and more of a way of life, there are no formal restrictions on the Mediterranean diet; however, you may want to limit your intake of wine. You should also reduce your intake of simple carbs, such as pasta and bread, if you’re not fairly active and wish to lose weight.
Consider supplementing with
- calcium
- iron (supplement only if you’ve been found to be deficient)
Sample grocery list
- fish
- extra-virgin olive oil
- legumes
- leafy greens
- vegetables (bell peppers, cauliflower, eggplant)
- fruits (berries, grapes, figs, apricots)
- whole grains (oats, brown rice, rye, whole grain bread and pasta)
- nuts and seeds
- olives
Vegan diet
Veganism involves a strict diet of plant foods such as fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds. It’s devoid of all animal products, including meat, poultry, fish, dairy, eggs, and honey. Many proponents also avoid clothing or personal-care products involving animal ingredients or byproducts for ethical and environmental reasons.
A vegan diet can be made up of healthy whole-plant foods, but is not always healthy if it includes high amounts of packaged or processed foods.
One study found that a plant-based diet can slash mortality risk from heart disease by 40 percent. The study authors also noted that plant-based diets are the only dietary pattern to reverse coronary heart disease.
In another study, researchers found that a healthy vegetarian diet, such as veganism, substantially reduced diabetes risk, particularly when rich in high-quality plant foods.
It’s advisable to include protein-rich plant foods in a vegan diet, including legumes, nuts, quinoa, seeds, tofu, miso, and tempeh. Choose one or two protein-rich plant-based foods at every meal to provide energy and help reduce cravings.
Consider supplementing with
- vitamin B12
Variation: High-raw food
Some people choose to increase the amount of raw plant-based foods in their diet. Proponents of a high-raw diet believe that keeping foods in their natural state or cooking them to temperatures lower than approximately 118 F ensures the viability of enzymes, which may contribute to health benefits. However, scientists believe there are many benefits to cooking food, and a mix of raw and cooked foods might be healthiest.
Variation: Probiotic rich
A growing number of people are beginning to recognize the value of adding probiotic-rich foods such as kimchi, sauerkraut, fermented vegetables, plant-based yogurt, and other fermented foods to their diet as a way to increase healthy bacteria in the gut.
Research has found our gut microbiota can influence our weight, and scientists believe that our diet can positively influence our gut bacteria. A growing body of research supports the addition of naturally cultured foods for their potential immune, anticancer, heart, gut, and other benefits.
Sample grocery list
- assortment of vegetables and fruit
- assortment of fermented foods (sauerkraut, pickles, miso, plant-based yogurt)
- legumes (chickpeas, beans, lentils)
- organic tofu or tempeh
- unsweetened almond milk or oat milk
- brown rice or whole grains
- nuts (almonds, cashews, walnuts)
- seeds (chia, flax, hemp, pumpkin, sunflower, sesame)
- vegetable oil (such as extra-virgin olive oil)
- avocado
Intermittent fasting
Intermittent fasting is an increasingly popular dietary approach involving periods of eating alternating with fasting. There are many ways to fast. Because we’re already fasting while we sleep, one popular way is simply to extend that fast either by not eating after a certain time in the evening or eating breakfast a bit later upon waking. One of the popular methods of intermittent fasting, called 16/8, involves fasting for 16 hours and eating during an eight-hour window.
Animal research has found that periodic fasting may reduce high blood sugar levels, improve the body’s reactivity to insulin, and even possibly increase lifespan. Intermittent fasting is being researched to determine potential effects on blood pressure, heart rate, and Alzheimer’s disease.
If you choose this diet, make healthy food choices in the eight hours of eating, rather than gorging on junk food, for best results.
Consider supplementing with
- a multivitamin/multimineral supplement (because it may be difficult to obtain all essential vitamins and minerals in a diet in which caloric intake has been reduced)
Sample grocery list
- apples
- berries
- brown rice
- chicken
- fish
- eggs
- seeds (chia, flax, sunflower)
- selection of vegetables
- nuts (almonds, cashews)
- legumes (black beans, chickpeas, kidney beans, lentils)
