Diets

The Carnivore Diet is an eating pattern that focuses on meat, fish, and animal products like eggs and some dairy products, excluding all other foods. In addition, it allows the consumption of salt, pepper, some seasonings, and honey. Weight loss, blood sugar regulation, and mood issues are just some of the health benefits claimed by this diet. However, the Carnivore diet is a highly restrictive eating pattern and may not be healthy in the long run. Moreover, there is no scientific evidence that it is beneficial.

Low-carb diets have been around for decades. Some of them are overly restrictive, leaving only about 10% of daily calorie intake from carbohydrates. Alternatively, others are more flexible and allow the consumption of "good" carbs. The South Beach diet is an eating plan created by cardiologist Arthur Agatston in 2003. It focuses on lean protein, carbohydrates with a low glycemic index, and healthy fats. This nutritional approach aims at weight loss and improving levels of "bad" and "good" cholesterol and insulin. Therefore, the South Beach diet may benefit people with type 2 diabetes and improve heart health.

Can you believe that the diet aimed at weight loss can include bacon, butter, cream, and steak? Sounds like easy? However, what if, at the same time, your carbs intake must be minimal, meaning you cannot eat grains, bread, pasta, some fruits and vegetables, and legumes? All of these describe the Atkins diet. The Atkins diet is an eating plan that limits carbohydrates and focuses on fats and proteins. It aims at weight loss and consists of several phases directed toward weight loss and maintenance. This nutritional approach is offered as a healthy lifelong eating plan that can help you lose weight, keep it off, and prevent related health problems like high blood pressure, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and heart diseases. However, more research is needed to confirm the health benefits of the Atkins diet.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a quite common digestive tract disorder in the United States. According to the statistics, 10% to 15% of the United States population suffers from this health condition. People with this condition commonly experience stomach discomfort and bloating after eating certain foods. A low-FODMAP diet is an eating plan that restricts fermentable carbohydrates to manage IBS symptoms. FODMAP stands for fermentable short-chain carbohydrates, a class of carbohydrates that are difficult to digest. Eliminating food irritants gives your gut lining an opportunity to repair itself and help restore healthy gut flora. If you noticed an improvement in your symptoms, you might use the low-FODMAP diet to identify which foods irritate your gut and should be limited. Due to the risk of nutritional deficiencies, experts do not recommend following this diet for longer than six weeks.

An elemental diet is a liquid-only medical diet that consists of an easy-to-digest formula that comes as liquid or powder. Carbohydrates, proteins, and fats are broken down into short-chain sugars, amino acids, and short-chain triglycerides. These dietary "building blocks" are combined with electrolytes, vitamins, and minerals. The upper digestive tract easily absorbs this "pre-digested" form of food that allows the rest of your digestive system to rest and heal from injury or illness. The Elemental diet aims to replace food and minimize digestive activity. It is used for people with severe digestive problems and should be performed under the healthcare provider's supervision. The Elemental diet is beneficial for people with eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), Crohn's disease, inflammatory diseases, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), and other conditions affecting the digestive tract. In addition, the Elemental diet can be prescribed for people who have had surgery on the digestive tract or intestine or those who struggle to meet their nutrient needs due to illnesses like cancer or anorexia nervosa.

Low-carbohydrate, high-protein diets are in high demand among people who want to lose weight. One of such eating patterns is the Protein Power diet. It is a high-protein eating plant that involves eating healthy fats and limits carbohydrate consumption. Also, this diet completely restricts the consumption of foods with added sugar. Along with weight loss, restricting carbohydrates to small amounts contributes to lowering blood sugar, bad cholesterol, insulin, and blood pressure. In addition, such an eating pattern can boost high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, which is considered a good type of cholesterol. Therefore, the Protein Power diet can work for people with high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, or heart disease.

Most experts agree that people living on the Mediterranean coast tend to live longer and have a lower incidence of heart diseases and cancer than most Americans. Of course, their diet plays an essential role in these statistics. The Sonoma Diet is a low-calorie eating plan inspired by the Mediterranean diet that promotes weight loss and overall health improvement. It focuses on vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, olive oil, and nuts. In addition, this diet includes portion control.

The Engine 2 diet is an eating pattern that focuses on plant-based, whole foods and eliminates processed foods, added salt, sugar, and oils. The Engine 2 diet emphasizes eating nutrient-dense foods, such as vegetables, fruits, and legumes. Also, it promotes excluding refined grains and focusing on the whole, intact grains. The Engine 2 diet promotes overall health improvement and well-being. It does not focus on quick weight loss or increased fat burning like other eating plans. Instead, this eating pattern claims to help establish long-term health benefits and protect against chronic diseases. The Engine 2 diet is designed to prevent or even reverse diseases associated with the standard American diet, such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer's disease, and metabolic syndrome. In addition, this diet plan may help in weight loss and increasing lean muscle mass.

Most people at least once heard about "the danger that sugar possesses to our body and health." However, is this carbohydrate that bad? And the answer is no, at least not all sugars. The sugar we get from fruits and berries isn't harmful. However, refined sugar is linked to obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart diseases. This type of sugar, including high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and table sugar, can be found in cookies, candies, pastries, cakes, salad dressings, pasta, bread, sugary beverages, etc. The Sugar Busters diet restricts the consumption of added sugars, refined carbohydrates, and foods with a high glycemic index. Instead, this diet focuses on vegetables and fruits high in fiber, lean proteins, and healthy fats. The Sugar Busters diet may benefit people with diabetes or insulin resistance, improve heart health, and reduce inflammation in the body. In addition, cutting off refined sugars and carbs promotes weight loss and may help people with obesity.

Some people believe that eating raw food is healthier since heating destroys nutrients and natural enzymes. Some of them even claim that cooking makes food toxic. However, there is no research done to confirm these statements. Moreover, experts say that eating a primarily raw diet can have a negative effect on health. The raw food diet is an eating practice that involves the consumption of only or mostly uncooked and unprocessed foods to improve health and prevent chronic diseases. This diet allows blending, juicing, soaking, sprouting, and dehydrating foods. The raw food diet can be vegan (includes only plant-based food), vegetarian (includes plant-based food, unprocessed dairy products, and raw eggs), or omnivorous (includes raw animal products and raw or dried meat).