Reading Time: 4 minutes 3 Health-Boosting Diets That Might Be Right For You
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Different diets come and go and there seems to be no end to the new and inventive ways that dietitians and health professionals can come up with healthy and original diets to suit everybody no matter their situation or health needs.
The world as we know it has never been more health-conscious and since the start of the pandemic more and more people are looking for ways to stay healthy since they can’t go outside as much as they would like in order to exercise.
While you should always seek medical advice before starting any particularly life-altering diet, there’s a wealth of information available on the internet about many diets, from slimming and toning to extreme weight loss and muscle gain.
The last 10 years have seen a variety of diets, some of which were “fads” but some diets have become almost necessary and seem to be very popular amongst dietitians, health enthusiasts, and the public alike. These include:
- Keto
- Gluten-Free
- Vegan
The keto diet seems to be a healthier version of the notorious Atkins diet and is currently very popular while gluten-free contains many health benefits, not just for those who might be allergic and the vegan diet has quickly become a popular choice for those looking to reduce meat consumption.
Table of Contents
Keto
The keto diet is essentially A healthier reworking of the Atkins diet whereby a very low amount of carbohydrates are consumed and replaced by a high-fat diet.
The name derives from the word ketosis, which is the state in which the body composes itself as it produces ketones from the fat that is consumed to use them for the appropriation of energy rather than that of carbohydrates.
This method has the effect of suppressing appetite, whereby weight loss is very easy to achieve in a short space of time while adhering to this type of diet.
Sticking to a keto diet can be quite difficult though, since there is a large number of prohibited items that one cannot consume to maintain an optimal keto diet. Protein powders, for example, which are commonly used in the replacement of food, usually cannot be consumed when on a keto diet.
However, rice protein powder is a relatively new supplement that can be consumed while on this regimen. Many items considered healthy such as rice, quinoa and oats are not to be consumed while on a keto diet but rather, healthy food items high in natural fat are encouraged such as cheese, eggs and yogurt.
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Gluten-Free
The gluten-free diet was once seen as a fad diet. However, those that suffer from Celiac disease can actually die from the intake of gluten which is found in almost every pre-packaged and pre-prepared food containing derivatives of wheat, rye, and barley.
Coeliac disease is a very serious condition in which a person is highly allergic to gluten and exposure to it can result in anaphylactic shock or death similar to those with a peanut allergy. However, the health benefits of a gluten-free diet have been recognized by many people including dietitians and physicians since gluten intake by even those without celiac disease can cause a number of issues with the human body.
Gluten intolerance is a serious condition that can cause several unpleasant issues such as diarrhea, heartburn and acid reflux and skin conditions such as exacerbating eczema.
Those who adhere to a gluten-free diet report losing weight, feeling better mentally, and an improvement in physical energy since those with gluten intolerance have been shown to suffer an iron deficiency resulting in anemia from the regular intake of gluten from various sources such as pastries, cakes or wheat-based drinks such as beer.
Vegan
The past couple of years has seen the vegan diet explode and infiltrate every corner of modern society and culture. The reason for the success of vegan-based diets comes not only from the health benefits of reducing meat consumption but also the growing public awareness of the outdated and sometimes brutal treatment of animals that are to be used within the meat production chain and processed for human consumption.
Of course, there are also other extenuating circumstances surrounding the reduction of meat consumption, not least those associated with viruses and contamination such as salmonella.
Another concern is the expansion of land mass that is to be used for the production of animal feed rather than for the production of fresh vegetables to be consumed by the population of the planet.
Currently, approximately 75% of available farmland is used to cultivate the necessary crops used for feeding livestock of which is to be raised for human consumption.
Thoughts
As dieticians, nutritionists and doctors alike continue to research new diet methods and learn more about the human body and the effects of what we consume on it, it is reasonable to assume that just like in the past, more diets will come and go.
However, these three diets seem to be some of the healthiest around, especially gluten-free and vegan, whereby the consumption of possibly toxic material can contribute to many health conditions suffered by millions all over the world.
Rachel is an Austin blogger, educator, mom, wife, young breast cancer survivor writing about health, saving money, and living a happy life in Austin, Texas.
Rachel has written for HuffPost and Hometalk and has been featured on KXAN, Studio 512, Fox 7 Austin, and CBS Austin.