To achieve better health, and in a case, you would like to lose weight permanently, we suggest turning your diet into a healthy lifestyle. There are so many people who get themselves into a circle where they go on a diet (most often an unhealthy diet), lose weight, and a few days/months later gain back the weight. Instead, we suggest picking a healthy way of living. That is why you will hear some fit and healthy people say “I am always on a diet”. What they really mean is that they have turned their ultimate diet into a lifestyle and that is when you will see a long life sustainable change!
In the below research, Cheryl Conklin from wellnesscentral.info walks us through some of the most popular diets in 2023 and concludes to just live a healthier life and not struggle with a strict specific diet. Continue reading to find out why.
Not All Diets Are Right for Everyone
Weight loss advocates from decades past always touted the same advice: calories in, calories out. We know now that it is not just about our caloric intake. Carbohydrates, protein, and even the amount of water we drink can affect our weight. And there are many diets out there that may (or may not) work for you.
Today on the Be Healthy Be Happy blog, we’ll touch on a few of the most common diet trends of 2023 and look at the pros and cons of each.
Activity Matters
It’s important to know before you begin restricting the types of food you intake that the amount you move your body is just as important as what you put into it. Living a healthy lifestyle means boosting your physical activity level. And even small steps toward more movement matter. You might, for example, take the stairs each day instead of the elevator. You also have to prioritize your mental health so that you can be in the right state of mind to emotionally handle the changes to your body that a diet might bring.
Four Popular Diets
Media touts many diets all the time. However, four of the most popular today are paleo, keto, vegan, and Dukan.
Paleo
The Paleolithic diet is one designed to mimic how our ancestors ate before modern agricultural development. On a Paleo diet, you can only eat things that may have been around during the time of the caveman. Whole foods, including meat and vegetables, make up the bulk of your daily dining endeavors. The paleo diet is considered effective at helping people lose pounds and inches off of their waist, but it eliminates certain healthy foods, including whole grains and dairy.
Keto
A keto (or ketogenic) diet is not that different from paleo in the sense that you eat more whole foods and focus on meat. It branches away from paleo, however, because you can’t always eat vegetables. The majority of your calories each day come from fat, according to Women’s Health. The keto diet essentially tells your body to start using fat cells for energy, which means you may lose weight rapidly. Unfortunately, since you are restricted to a low number of carbs, you may have less energy. Further, many people report feeling sick in the early days of their keto diet.
Vegan
A vegan diet is typically not all about weight loss but more about the overall health benefits you might receive by switching to non-animal-derived foods. You may experience better digestion, will be able to eat more of the foods you love, and reduce your risk of chronic diseases. Many vegan diet advocates also claim better mental health, but Saint Luke’s explains that this might not be entirely true and that you may experience nutritional deficiencies that can increase your risk of depression and anxiety.
Dukan Diet
The Dukan Diet was designed in the year 2000 by French dietitian Pierre Dukan. This is essentially a diet that’s all about eliminating certain high-nutrient-dense foods and claims to help you lose weight and keep it off forever by changing your dietary habits. This diet moves through four phases, the first of which is essentially a keto diet. Unfortunately, although there are some positives to the diet, the Cleveland Clinic says there are few real benefits and says that a less restrictive and more sustainable eating pattern is a better option.
Summary
Ultimately, your diet is more about a lifestyle than any trending diet. By moving your body more and keeping your recipe book full of healthy and diverse options, you’ll enjoy better health and can maintain your weight without restricting the types of nutrients you intake.
* Information and statements made by be Healthy be Happy are for educational purposes only and are not intended to replace the advice of your doctor. be Healthy be Happy does not provide medical advice, prescribe, or diagnose illness. The views and nutritional advice expressed by be Healthy be Happy are not to replace conventional medical services. Any choices and decisions you are making are at your own risk. If you have a medical condition or health concern, contact your physician.