Our Thoughts On Ketogenic, Paleo, Intermittent Fasting And High Carb Diets

What Is Keto?

The ketogenic diet is a very low-carb, high-fat diet. It involves reducing carbohydrate intake and replacing it with fat. This reduction in carbs puts your body into a metabolic state called ketosis

What is a High- carb diet?

This diet is based on eating a very high starch/high fiber diet. It suggests that you can actually eat a greater total weight of food than usual, and still lose body fat. As a result, the diet advocates very high carbohydrate intake. It will lead to the same level of protein consumption but only about one-third the usual quantity of fat. Carbohydrates like whole grain breads and cereals, fruits and vegetables. This makes the diet very high in volume and fiber even though total kilojoule intake is low.

What is intermittent fasting?

Intermittent fasting is a blanket term used to describe eating habits. It involves a strict timed period of eating and a period of fasting.

One of the most common forms of intermittent fasting is an 8 hour eating period and a 16 hour fasting period. Some individuals will choose to do a 24-hour fast. Usually at 5 normal eating days and 2 fasting days, or alternative fasting and eating days. The longer fasts believe to be more beneficial in boosting metabolic rate and fat loss. But hard to do alongside your regular active lifestyle.

During the eating period, individuals may choose to eat unrestricted or follow a diet. During the fasting period, individuals will consume no calories. Water, black tea and coffee, or other zero calorie beverages are fine.

What is the paleo diet?

The Paleo diet is a modern fad diet where you only eat foods that were available during caveman years. Foods to avoid are – dairy products, pasta, bread, rice, grains, refined sugars, etc.

Our thoughts and recommendations towards finding the right diet:

First off, if your goal is to lose weight and maintain it, then you need to be in a calorie deficit. Reduce your calorie intake and/or start exercising each day. Little steps are more maintainable and achievable.

What we don’t recommend is trying a new fad diet to lose weight. You don’t need to avoid certain food groups when they already work well with your body! Why take out dairy if it sits fine with your gut? When you feel like dairy after time without it, it will make you sick. The only reason you should be cutting food groups out of your diet is if you are having a reaction from them.

Fasting? Yes, this diet is going to make you lose weight if you don’t eat all day! You will be in a major calories deficit but also not a healthy one! Yes, you will lose weight, but no you won’t be able to maintain that weight loss. When you decide to go back to normal eating after a period of fasting, you will put your weight back on. Your body became accustomed to a very low-calorie diet, so when you eat normal again it will store food as fat. In simple terms, it thinks it may be the last time it gets food!

In conclusion, some of these fad diets such as the paleo diet may work for you to lose weight. If you’re looking to keep the weight off then we recommend keeping a well-balanced diet. Consume all food groups (meat, dairy, carbs) and if something doesn’t sit right with your gut, then take it out.

This approach is going to be maintainable and manageable during your lifetime. If you are looking to lose weight, you don’t have to cut out a food group! Reduce your calorie intake each day by about 200 calories.

Find a healthy relationship with food! Never stop yourself from eating if you are hungry or avoid food groups for no reason.