From Intermittent Fasting to Paleo: 5 Modern Dietary Patterns You Should Know About
Your favorite influencer follows a keto dietary pattern, or maybe you’ve heard of a colleague following intermittent fasting. Have you ever wondered how exactly these diets affect metabolism and help attain the desired goals?
With the growing prevalence of obesity and nutritional deficiencies around the globe, diets appear as a quick and effective medium to lose weight and stay in shape. The days when people used to enjoy random meals and carry on with their lives seem to be gone. With the rising concerns about health plans and quality of living, a majority of the population worldwide is revolutionizing their lifestyle. From following disciplined diets to the integration of supplements, the world is embarking on a transformative journey. Let’s explore how to achieve the health benefits while enjoying the journey.
In this article, we explain dietary patterns and how they affect the body. Based on your physical needs and requirements, you can select a diet pattern that positively influences your lifestyle. However, it is advised to seek guidance from a professional health performance coach or medical expert. Before you start such a diet to ensure it has the desired impact and that you are fit for such a change.
Understanding the Role of Dietary Pattern in Enhancing Healthspan
Did you know that the World Obesity Federation predicts that by 2030, one billion people globally will be living with obesity? When combining all nutrition related deaths by risk factor, unhealthy diets are by far the number one cause of chronic diseases and premature death.
The Global Nutrition Report reviews that obesity alone is linked to numerous health risks such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, certain cancers and many more. At the same time, individuals are presented with a growing list of radical and unbalanced diets. It results in nutritional deficiency and other health vulnerabilities.
Healthspan, in common terms, is defined as adding quality to the years of life. This can only be achieved by implementing adequate dietary pattern. What we eat and how we eat directly affect the metabolism of the body, creating a major impact on our aging process and age-associated chronic disease. You are what you eat!
Understanding the Modern Dietary Patterns
A study outlined that the global supply of calories has increased, without a corresponding increase in individuals physical activity. A higher caloric intake with insufficient physical activity will certainly generate weight gain and obesity. A balanced diet not only helps adjusting your calories intake to the level of activities you perform, but also supplements your lifestyle, has positive effects on self-esteem and energy level, as well as supports good sleep and enhances your lifespan. The National Library of Medicines defines a healthy diet as follows.
“A healthy diet is one in which macronutrients are consumed in appropriate proportions to support energetic and physiologic needs without excess intake while also providing sufficient micronutrients and hydration to meet the physiologic needs of the body.”
The traditional method of diet classification includes the approach on the basis of regions and local nations, but the modern approach classifies patterns based on purpose as well. Here is some information for building a better understanding of the common dietary patterns. Going through the information, you can choose the pattern that will work best for your lifestyle and overall goals.
Intermittent Fasting
If you are into celebrities and fitness influencers, you have certainly heard about, or may even have tried out intermittent fasting (IF). As the name suggests, intermittent fasting is termed as a time-locked eating strategy where you have to consume all your calories in a set time, and for the rest of the day, you stick to strict fasting.
Core principle: To narrow down your calorie-consuming hours and oppose taking them throughout the day.
Types of Intermittent Fasting
There are different splits and approaches to intermittent fasting. The most common is the 8:16 split, where you can consume calories for 8 hours of the day. For the other 16 hours, you have to go on strict fasting. During your fasting period, you are allowed to consume zero-calorie beverages, such as black coffee, herbal tea, and water.
There are many IF variations: You can choose to increase the fasting window throughout the day; opt for a reduced calorie intake, consuming e.g. 500-600 calories on two non-consecutive days; or fasting for longer periods, e.g. 24 hours once or twice a week. You will be amazed to hear that some individuals can fast for several days in a row.
Health Impact
Studies revealed that intermittent fasting effectively improves the body composition and overall health of individuals, specially when sourced with quality food and when ensuring that hydration, vitamins and minerals are managed well. Not only does IF result in quick weight loss, but it also improves insulin resistance, balances blood sugar levels, reduces oxidative stress, and thus prevents the risk of strokes.
The cons of the IF include the limited intake of vitamins and minerals. Studies also show that Women are more sensitive to changes in energy balance, which can affect menstrual cycles and overall hormonal health.
Vegan Diets
Veganism is one of the fastest-growing food traits in the world. As per Ipsos, there are over 230 million people on the globe that follow a vegan diet, which is rapidly growing.
Core Principle: To avoid the consumption of animal-based food products such as milk, meat, eggs, fish, and many more.
Thus, it won’t be wrong to state that a vegan diet comprises a population that reflects special interests for the protection and dignity of animals. A decade ago, vegan diet consisted of legumes, beans, grains, fruit, vegetables, and egg-free pasta. Advances in technology have introduced the concept of plant-based meat alternatives and a variety of products comparable to milk, eggs and other animal based nutrients.
Health Impact
Well balanced vegan diets with minimally processed plant foods and supplemented with necessary nutrients have been linked to a lower risk of several chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, and obesity, with randomized clinical trials confirming these protective effects.
However, there are risks associated with vegan diets when not appropriately planned and implemented, including hemorrhagic stroke, bone fractures, and deficiencies in vitamins and minerals like vitamin B12, iron, and omega-3 fatty acids, which are crucial for overall health.
Ketogenic Diet
Have you ever been to a supermarket and seen keto diet packages on the store shelves? In recent years, the keto diet has earned significant popularity. In 2020, it turned into the most Googled diet in the US, taking the entire search volume to 25.4 million unique searches.
Core Principle: The Keto diet works by depleting carbohydrate consumption, which is a primary source of energy.
Health Impact
Studies reveal that the keto diet can be an effective treatment for diabetes and cancer. Following a ketogenic diet supports short-term weight loss and can reduce epileptic seizures. It might also lead to irritability, fatigue, constipation, and brain fog, known as “keto flu.”
Carnivore Diet
Quite as the name suggests, the carnivore diet is restricted to the consumption of meat, fish, and animal foods, like eggs and other dairy products. Yes, you got it right; the carnivore diet excludes the consumption of plant-based foods like fruit, vegetables, nuts, and seeds.
Core Principle: The carnivore diet traced its core from the controversial belief that the human ancestral population relied on meat and fish.
Health Impact
Shawn Baker, a proponent of the carnivore diet, cites that the carnivore diet can cure anxiety, depression, obesity, and arthritis. However, the statement lacks scientific evidence. Further, the carnivore diet consists of animal food only; it is usually rich in cholesterol that may increase the risk of heart disease.
Paleo Diet
Like the carnivore diet, the paleo diet also resembles our ancestor’s eating habits; the only difference is that it doesn’t solely rely on animal-based produce. Based on the early dietary pattern, like hunting and gathering, the diet includes both animal and plant-based products, such as meat, eggs, herbs, spices, seeds and so on.
Core Principle: To eliminate the intake of modernized and processed food and implement the early dietary pattern.
Health Impact
Scientific evidence suggests the outcomes of the paleo diet to be associated with better satiety, improved cholesterol balance, weight management, and lower risks of early mortality. Moreover, the paleo diet eliminates processed foods from our lives that significantly impact our health and lifestyle. On the other hand, it reduces the body’s carbohydrate intake, which is a major source of energy for human beings.
Which is the Most Suitable Dietary Pattern?
Now comes the question of which diet is best for you – or most suitable- for you. One of the biggest drawbacks is that each of these patterns is restrictive in nature, which can restrict the essential nutrients in the body, and in many cases is unsustainable in the long term. Additionally, while accepting a diet may help you shed a few pounds at the beginning, the results are often not evergreen. Stopping a diet may result in regaining even more weight.
You should always consider the advice of a nutritionist before jumping into a new diet, and keep a balanced diet on top of your list. A balanced diet includes a variety of foods. This increases the chances of your body getting all the essential nutrients. The key components of a balanced diet are carbohydrates (45-65% of daily calories) from whole grains, fruits, and vegetables; proteins (10-35%) from lean meats, beans, and dairy; and unsaturated fats (20-35%) from healthy sources like avocados and nuts. Aim for at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables daily, include whole grains, moderate portion sizes, limit added sugars and salt, and stay hydrated.
A Way Forward
The scientific data proves that dietary pattern significantly impact our body’s metabolism and can have major positive or negative effects on our overall health. The dietary cycle is directly related to physical and mental health, contributing to our health span. However, rather than experimenting with your body, it is better to consider a balanced diet and the guidance from an expert when implementing major changes. Each nutrient, either macro or micro, plays a crucial role in our body, make sure to stick to the right diet and get all the nutrients you need. You can also check out our Life Health & Performance Program, which is equipped to help you adhere to a healthy diet in the long run, ensuring lasting results.
