The Pros And Cons Of 4 Popular Diets

The Paleo Diet

The paleo diet essentially aims to create the diet that humans followed during the Paleolithic era, also called the Old Stone Age, and started about 2.5 million years ago and ended in 10,000 BC.
In modern times the paleo diet as a concept started in the 1970s and its popularity soared after the publication of the book “The Paleo diet” lose weight and get healthy by eating the food that you were designed to eat.

What does the Paleo diet entail:

The exclusion of processed meats
Dairy
Refined sugars
Grain-based foods

Pros of the Paleo diet

Rich in nutrient-dense foods
The diet has a healthy level of vitamins and minerals and is without processed foods and refined sugars.

Weight management
The paleo diet certainly leads to weight loss if there is an overall calorie deficit, but the same can be said about any other type of diet.

Cardiovascular health
A 2019 meta-analysis in Advances in Nutrition linked the paleo diet to lower blood pressure, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides.

Longevity
Lower risk of overall mortality, cancer mortality, and cardiovascular disease.

Cons of the Paleo diet

Restrictiveness & nutrient deficient
One of the main criticisms of the paleo diet is its restrictiveness, making it difficult to sustain.
Also, the exclusion of entire food groups like dairy and grains, makes it hard for dieters to get all the nutrients they need.
The typical paleo diet can create the risk of deficiency in calcium and vitamin D which are critical for bone health.

Eliminates food groups
The paleo diet eliminates major food groups like grains and dairy and cuts out other nutritious foods like beans, lentils, and peanuts.
Although it’s still possible to meet your nutritional needs without these foods, it’s more challenging to do so.

Unclear impact on the gut microbiome
The amounts of good bacteria in your digestive system otherwise known as your gut microbiome can be changed by altering your diet.

Costly and time-intensive
Because this diet eliminates processed foods, you need to make most of the meals from scratch.

Difficult to follow long term
The paleo diet can be difficult to sustain long-term, just like any other diet that eliminates major categories of food.
For the short term, the paleo diet helps healthy subjects and even diabetic patients re-establish their normal glycemic levels.
However, this type of diet is difficult to sustain for overall health in the long term.

Foods to include in Paleo diet:

Meat
Fish
Eggs
Vegetables
Fruits
Nuts
Seeds
Herbs
Spices
Healthy fats and oils

Foods to avoid in Paleo diet:

Processed foods such as those labelled “diet” or “low-fat” or with many additives
Sugary food and drinks such as soft drinks, fruit juices, cane sugar, candy, pastries, ice cream
Grains such as breads and pastas, wheat, spelt, rye, barley
Most dairy products, especially low-fat
Some versions of paleo do include full-fat dairy, such as butter and cheese
Legumes such as beans and lentils
Artificial sweeteners
Vegetable oils such as sunflower oil, corn oil, grapeseed oil
Margarine and trans fats

Shopping List for the Paleo diet:

Meat: Beef, lamb, pork, etc.
Poultry: Chicken, turkey, etc.
Fish: Salmon, trout, mackerel, etc.
Eggs
Fresh vegetables: Greens, lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, carrots, onions to name but a few
Frozen vegetables: Broccoli, spinach, vegetable mixes and more
Fruits: Apples, bananas, pears, oranges, avocado
Berries: Strawberries, blueberries, etc.
Nuts: Almonds, walnuts, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts
Almond butter
Coconut oil
Olive oil
Olives
Sweet potatoes
Condiments: Sea salt, pepper, turmeric, garlic, parsley, etc.

Sources
mayoclinic.org – paleo diet what is it and why is it so popular
webmd.com – all about the paleo diet
medicalnewstoday.com – paleo diet meal plan a simple plan
verywellfit.com – pros and cons of the paleo diet

Raw Food Diet

What is the Raw Food diet all about?

It is composed of mostly raw and unprocessed foods.
At least 75% of the food you eat is supposed to be raw.
Most of the foods are plant-based, being made up mostly of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds.
Food is considered raw if it has not been heated over (40–48°C).
Foods are supposed to be unrefined, unpasteurized, untreated with pesticides, or otherwise processed in any way.

Preparation types include juicing, blending, dehydrating, soaking, and sprouting.
Some people also consume raw eggs and dairy and raw fish and meat may be included as well.
It is also not encouraged to take supplements on the raw food diet.

However, Peter Unger from Oxford University wrote in his book “Evolution of human diet” that the human digestive system evolved past eating raw food.
He claims that humans are not known to survive on raw food in most circumstances.
The theory behind the possibility of humans eating entirely raw is based on the premise that we have small guts and on top of that we possess a fast-gut rate passage, which is very fast compared to our distant relative the ape.

That means that all digestive organs are insufficient and do not provide adequate time for the absorption of nutrients.

Benefits of the Raw Food diet:

Weight loss
Increased energy and vitality
Improvement to chronic diseases
Improved overall health
Reduced impact on the environment

Does cooking destroy the nutrient content of foods?

Cooking does in fact decrease certain nutrients in food, especially water-soluble ones like vitamin C and B vitamins.
On the flip side, cooking actually increases the availability of other nutrients and antioxidants, such as beta-carotene.
Cooking also helps to destroy some harmful compounds in food, such as lectins and phytic found in grains and legumes.
Also, cooking kills harmful bacteria.

Nutritional benefits of the Raw Food diet:

Fresh fruits and vegetables are high in nutrients and fiber
Limit the intake of foods known to contribute to poor health if eaten in excess, such as processed foods and sugars
It almost guarantees weight loss because it is low in calories

Nutritional disadvantages of the Raw Food diet:

If your diet consists mainly of fruits and vegetables, it might not provide enough calories or protein to make up the majority of the diet
Cooking increases the digestibility of foods, making it easier for your body to absorb the nutrients from them
Cooking helps to increase the absorption amounts of certain nutrients and antioxidants your body needs
Raw diets may be low not only in calories, but also in some vitamins, minerals and proteins

Health benefits & disadvantages of the Raw Food diet:

Many of the supposed health benefits have not been supported by research.

Reduced body fat
Research has shown that the raw food diet is definitely associated with having less body fat.

Lowering blood cholesterol
The raw food diet can lower blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
On the flip side, it also lowers “healthy” HDL cholesterol levels and can lead to a vitamin-B12 deficiency.

Increased tooth erosion
Research has indicated that following a raw diet over extended periods of time can increase the risk of tooth erosion.

Increased irregularities in the menstrual cycle
Many women on the raw food diet experience irregularities in their menstrual cycle, some even stopping menstruating, which can be a consequence of low body weight.

Nutrient deficiency
Those following a raw food diet may have low protein, calcium, and vitamin D intakes, leading to low bone mass density as well as other disorders.

Sources:
webmd.com – raw food diet review benefits what you eat
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov – low bone mass in subjects on a long-term raw vegetarian diet
medicalnewstoday.com – raw food diet types benefits and risks

The Vegetarian Diet

What happens to your body when you change over to vegan?

In your first few weeks, you may feel very tired.
Without meat, vegans often have a hard time getting enough vitamin B12 and iron which help to make red blood cells and transport oxygen throughout the body.
You might also find that foods don’t taste the way they used to.
This is because your zinc levels have taken a dip affecting your overall sense of taste and smell.
However, weight loss can be felt right away after switching to a vegan diet.
Vegans also tend to have a lower BMI index and be thinner overall.

Vegan diets seem a good way of helping to naturally reduce the amount of calories you eat, resulting in weight loss.
You may experience a healthy decrease in cholesterol, blood pressure, and heart disease risk.
You are less likely to have blocked arteries from saturated fat and cholesterol.
A negative effect of the vegan diet can be that your bones don’t get their daily calcium from dairy products.
You can combat this by boosting your intake of kale broccoli and other leafy greens.
Additionally, cutting out dairy might make you more regular.
60% of humans lack enzymes to properly digest lactose in dairy.

The 6 types of Raw Food Diet

Whole-food vegan diet includes
All whole plant foods such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, seeds, and nuts.
Raw-food vegan diet includes
Raw fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, or plant foods cooked at low temperatures (48 degrees)
80/10/10 includes
Mainly raw fruits and soft greens and limits fat-rich plants such as avocados and nuts.
The starch solution includes
Low-fat, high-carb vegan foods such as cooked starches from potatoes, corn, and rice instead of fruit.
Raw till 4 includes
Raw foods that are consumed until 4 p.m. and the option of a cooked plant-based meal for dinner.
The thrive diet includes
Plant-based, whole foods which are either raw or have been minimally cooked at low temperature

Pros of a Vegan diet:

May lead to weight loss if you eat a healthy vegan diet.
Encourages mindful eating
Healthier for the environment and animal cruelty-free.
Richer in certain nutrients such as providing more fiber, antioxidants and plant compounds
Richer in potassium, magnesium, folate as well as vitamin C, A, E

Cons of a Vegan diet:

If the vegan diet is not planned poorly, it may lead to deficiencies of several key nutrients.
Since the diet excludes all animal products it can:

Lack calcium
Omega-3 fatty acids
Vitamin B12 and folate all which are available in meat and dairy
Requires diligence and for some it is too restrictive
Difficulty dining out and may cause social isolation

Health benefits of a Vegan diet:

A plant-based diet is full of vitamins and minerals that can help lower cholesterol and blood pressure, aiding in the prevention of heart disease.
Additionally, vegetarian food is fiber-rich which helps regulate bowel movements, removes constipation, and reduces the risk of colon cancer.

Other benefits include:

Protects against type 2 diabetes
Improves kidney function for diabetics
Protects against certain cancers
Arthritis
Alzheimer’s disease

Foods to avoid in a Vegan diet:

The aim of a vegan diet is to avoid eating any animal foods, as well as any foods containing ingredients derived from animals.
These include:

Meat and poultry
Fish and seafood
Dairy
Eggs
Bee products
Animal-based ingredients including whey, lactose, egg white albumen, gelatin

Sources
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov – vitamin and mineral status in a vegan diet
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov – intake and adequacy of the vegan diet
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov – health effects of vegan diets
verywellfit.com – pros and cons of being a vegetarian

Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting decreases oxidative damage and inflammation in the body, thus preventing aging and systemic inflammatory diseases such as atherosclerosis.
Your metabolism needs a break from the constant influx of food.

Intermittent fasting also triggers a metabolic pathway called autophagy, this comes from the Latin word “auto” meaning self, and “phagy” meaning consume.
Cells that are too old, badly damaged, or do not function properly undergo this metabolic pathway, to be replaced by new able and potent cells.
The results can be great, not only regarding weight loss but also giving you protection against diseases such as Alzheimer’s or even cancer.

What is Intermittent Fasting all about?

Intermittent fasting is just a re-branding of something that you have already been doing, as your body enters a fasting state every time you sleep.
Some people might be doing intermittent fasting and not even know it.
Fasting is not starving, because when you are fasting your body uses stored nutrients and stored energy forms in order to make your body continue to function.
Starving, on the other hand, means that you run out of your usual energy sources and are breaking down vital tissues like organs to get that same energy.

The different types of Intermittent Fasting

There are many different ways to go about embarking on an IF diet, such as:

Overnight Fasting is the simplest and easiest type to implement and involves fasting for a 12-hour period every day.
The 16/8 Method requires fasting for 16 hours each day.
The 5:2 Diet involves fasting for 2 days per week.
Eat-Stop-Eat entails doing a 24-hour fast, once or twice a week.
Alternate-Day Fasting requires fasting every other day.
The Warrior Diet involves fasting during the day and eating a big meal at night.
Spontaneous Meal Skipping involves skipping meals when it is convenient for you.

Benefits of Intermittent Fasting include:

Increase mental sharpness
Favorable hormonal profile
Weight loss
Decreased inflammation within the body
Decreased chance of certain diseases within the body

How can Intermittent Fasting help you lose weight?

You will have an increase in growth hormone and a decrease in insulin and that alone will help you lose weight.
Also, because you are skipping meals or even going a day without eating, it’s very likely that when you take this approach over a week, you will be consuming fewer calories.

Other health benefits of Intermittent Fasting:

Chronic stress is not good for the body, it causes higher heart rates and higher blood pressure.
Intermittent fasting by comparison is really a form of acute short-term mild stress.
This type of acute short-term stress is actually good for the body.
The benefits include the removal of cellular waste, more production of neurotrophic factors which protect your brain, and a favorable hormonal profile with increases in human growth hormone and norepinephrine.

Cons of Intermittent Fasting:

The IB diet would not be recommended if you are going through menopause and already gaining weight
Your nervous system is already stressed from all the hormonal changes it is going through
Depriving your body of food, will trigger a panic response, causing your body to hold onto food even more and you might actually gain weight instead of losing weight
There is not enough guidance as to what you should eat
Not knowing how much you should eat
Not knowing what food to eat on the days or times that you are actually eating
Not knowing how many calories you should consume
Not knowing which form of IF diet is best suited for you
There are some side effects that you might experience, such as:
- Headaches
- Mental fog
- Heartburn
Not enough research has been done on the consequences of following an intermittent fasting diet long-term
Most of the studies done so far, are on the short-term effects of intermittent fasting