Should I go on a Keto Diet? An overview of the trendiest nutrition options
Are you fasting? Eating like a caveman? Or maybe fueling on fats?
That’s right, in today’s post, I will give you an overview of the most popular and trendiest diets right now. Even if I’m going to highlight the “meat version”, every one of them can be done if you’re vegetarian or vegan. My goals are to inform and help, not to promote an affiliate product or company. I will basically explain the pros and cons, but keep in mind that even if you’re relating about one of them. There is much more to know before beginning any diet. Please be smart and consult an “expert”.
The softer and probably less drastic one is the Mediterranean Diet. 
This diet is more a “common sense” way of eating. This is not a “red meat lover” option because you’re looking to get high quality proteins, mostly from fish, eggs and poultry. Moderate carbs intake from unrefined products. Healthy fats, like olive and olive oil, nuts and full fat dairies.
The best way to see this diet is simply to imagine yourself are the geographic area. Happy people eating fresh and tasteful food!
Following the Mediterranean diet, you can lose weight the healthy way. You will improve your heart health, lower the risk of developing diabetes and improve your mood.
Unlike other diets, to enjoy and cook following the Med diet, you don’t have to throw away everything you have in your pantry. Because nothing is drastic, if you do it wrong (unless you’re adding 3 cups of fake olive oil / day), there are way less damaging impacts on your metabolism and your health!
Eating like a caveman a.k.a the Paleo Diet can be a little more intense.
It will require adaptation about your food perception! You will need to put aside that bacon is bad for you! If you know someone in the cross fit world, the Paleo is nothing new to you. Most of your calories will come from meat. So a high protein and high fat type of diet.
No matter witch type of diet you will be following, every time you’ll run low on carbohydrates (carbs / sugar) you will lose weight.
Paleo diet can improve your health if followed properly. And this is not only by eating Meat, nuts and veggies. An high red meat diet is also high inflammatory, so you need to be aware and get the good supporting food to go with.
Rule of thumb, this type of Diet is coming with the “beast training mode” If you’re looking to put extra muscle and get lean like the top 10 contenders at the last Crossfit games this is a diet option that you should consider!
Does intermittent fasting means something to you? 
More and more popular, the I.F. is very simple from an outside point of view. Fasting means a period without eating and it can be performed in many ways. Some will do an Alternate day fasting (Get 500 calories or nothing during the fasting day). Others will do the warriors diet (fruits and veggies during the day and a large meal at night).
The image beside is a 16-8 fasting method. The eating window is 8 hours and the rest is done without food. This is probably the best for beginners.
There is 2 more options. The eat-stop-eat. Simply meaning that you’ll get a 24 hours fasting during lunch time until the next day at lunch. Then you’ll eat normally until the next fasting day… after another 24 hours. Finally a 5-2 option, so 5 days of standard eating and 2 days at 500-600 calories a day.
This method has showed very good results. Not only to lose extra pounds, but with major health benefits. Gains like reducing the inflammation. Regulating blood sugar. Some will also pretend that fasting can improve your brain and decreased hunger.
Intermittent Fasting can work fantastically. But be aware to do not gorge yourself with low quality food.
Finally the most trendiest one these days.
The diet where you’re getting almost 75% of your daily caloric intakes from fats. The Ketogenic diet.
If you compare the Keto and the Paleo food pyramid, you’ll noticed many similarities. The main difference is a Ketogenic diet is not a low carbs diet. It’s almost a NO carbs way of eating,
The goal is to turn your body from a fat storing machine into a fat burning machine. Quick explanation… When your body can’t longer relate on glucose (sugar) to produce energy, he has to adapt or die!
How? When your healthy fats intake is way over the amount of carbs you’re eating, your body has no choice to get in a ketosis state. Then the fats that you’re going to eat will be convert by your liver into ketones and will become your primary source of energy.
A Ketogenic diet has many health benefits and can be done in different ways. The first one is the standard one. High fat, mid proteins and almost no carbs. (in average you don’t want to go over than 30g net of carbs / day. (Carbs minus the fibers = Net).
The second one is the cyclical Keto diet, who’s mostly used by athletes and very lean people. Here you’re looking for a 5 /2 ratio. Meaning 5 days on keto and 2 high carbs days. There’s 2 more like the targeted keto diet and the high protein one.
The keto diet is a very effective weight loss solution but is probably the ones who’s requiring the most attention. You need to be aware about the quality of food and all the “supporting food around”. I’m talking about spinach, kale, broccoli and cauliflower. Those particular foods will help to reduce inflammation and support your liver. You’re playing with your metabolism and should be extra careful about doing it right!
To wrap it up, there is no one size fits all diet and none of them is better than the other. IF you’re looking to improve the way you’re going to eat. Make sure you’re relating to the diet and also the nutrition Guru who’s promoting it! Some are awesome and they are providing incredible value. Other are only very good marketers attracted by money regardless your health. Please don’t fall into the quick fix method and a pill won’t make you lose weight overnight!
Thanks for reading and feel free to share and comments!
Cheers
PP Jutras