We checked the most popular diets of 2017 so you know exactly what to expect.
Lose weight and eat healthy. This is possibly the most popular new year’s resolution, prompted by a billion dollar industry of shakes, bars, healthy meals, snacks, and supplements. And even though doctors and dieticians all support following a balanced diet and consuming food and beverages in moderation, radical diets, strict protocols and depriving food plans continue to thrive.
At PERC360 we are familiar with this annual invasion of inventive dietary programs, which promise immediate weight loss, painlessly and permanently, as well as dietary ideologies like the paleo diet and the raw food movement, and we evaluated the most popular nutritional regimens of 2017. We rated diets on a scale of 1 (avoid) to 3 (highly recommended). A 2 rating might be both beneficial and harmful depending on the individual, and so requires the customized advice of a professional.
Diet low in sugars
Sugar is the new devil and should be avoided at all costs. It is responsible for moodiness, disease, and weight gain. Even so, it is quite charming. After our glycogen storage in the liver is full, all sugar is stored as fat in your belly, your thighs – and stays there. It’s not easy to quit sugar consumption for many reasons, especially since it impacts your brain chemistry thus influencing your energy levels and mood.
PERC360’s rating: 2
Your first thought might be that if you don’t eat sugar you will lose weight, but there is one main problem: many times we replace white sugar with natural sugars thinking that only white sugar is bad for you. Things are definitely more complicated than that. Limiting sugary foods and processed carbs allows you to maintain your weight easier and reduces the risk of developing chronic illnesses like diabetes. However, when we talk about a diet low in sugar, we are referring to all sugars – including natural ones. And because it is wise to know about hidden traps when dieting, it is good to ask a dietician to train you how to choose sugars that are right for you.
Fermented foods
Weight problems begin in the intestines (digestion, bloating, liquid and fat retention, and irritable bowel syndrome). The promise: start eating foods that have been fermented, like pickles, olives, and yogurt, and you will lose weight without realizing it. These foods are full of probiotics, good bacteria which support the proper functioning of your intestines and lead to an inevitable reduction in weight.
PERC360’s rating: 2
There is a lot of discussion around fermented foods and their probiotic properties. These foods have comprised a part of our diets for centuries and there is a long list of benefits to ingesting them. Even so, they are no Panacea (Greek goddess in mythology that cures all diseases) and they should be consumed as part of a healthy and balanced diet. Dieticians speak of the importance of good bacteria in the intestines, and while it seems they play a role in weight loss, they are only one piece of the puzzle.
Gluten-free diet
We used to believe that this diet was only for people with celiac disease, but its popularity has steadily climbed. People who feel a little bloated after a plate of pasta (shocking!) to those wanting to lose weight in a more trendy way.
PERC360’s rating: 2
A gluten-free diet is recommended for those with celiac disease, an illness found in less than 5% of the population, while approximately 30% of people with a gluten sensitivity could benefit from a diet low – not without – gluten. It is a myth that a diet without gluten is a healthy diet. It is not fact and we wouldn’t recommend it for people that don’t need it. Additionally, gluten-free foods are hardly healthy. Contrary to popular belief they are processed foods low in nutritional value, with lots of added sugar and fat in comparison to their glutenous counterparts.
Diet low in FODMAP
This diet restricts foods containing certain molecules that are not absorbed well by those suffering from irritable bowel syndrome, celiac disease, and lactose intolerance. Even so, more and more people are using this diet for weight loss. What does the acronym FODMAP stand for? FODMAP are ingredients or foods that should be avoided or restricted. The F is for fermented foods, the O for oligosaccharides (garlic in large quantities, leeks, onion, wheat in large quantities) and galactooligosaccharides (lentils and beans), the D for disaccharides (lactose and dairy), the M for monosaccharides (large quantities of fructose – honey, apple, mango, pear, watermelon) and the P for polyols (apple, apricot, nectarine, prunes, mushrooms and sorbitol, mannitol and maltitol).
PERC360’s rating: 2
It is recommended for people with food allergies or intolerances. In these circumstances, you must be careful to consume the right combination of nutritional elements and adopt the recommendations of the diet. For everyone else, it is simply not recommended since it restricts many healthy foods.
Vegan diet
The number of vegans is multiplying fast. Vegans, in contrast to vegetarians, don’t avoid just meat, but anything coming from an animal. They do not consume eggs, dairy or honey. Obviously, this diet is low in fat, while it contains lots of carbs.
PERC360’s rating: 2
This diet encourages you to eat lots of fruit and vegetables, usually high in fiber, vitamin C and low in saturated fat. On the other hand, removing basic food groups from your diet can cause nutritional deficiencies making it less viable long-term. Dieticians often do not recommend the vegan diet because it is so limited. Whoever follows it needs a carefully planned dietary regimen with the help of professional.
Juicing – Detox
Juicing sounds attractive: toxins are bad and juices are tasty. It can’t be harmful, right? First, you are fasting in a way – your body is taking a break from eating-digesting. Secondly, you are consuming a lot of nutritional elements from fruit and vegetables. Add to the mixture a little spirulina, kale and other greens and you really have a superfood in a glass.
PERC360’s rating: 1
The only thing that is certain is that you cannot detoxify your body with fruit juice. And if you over consume fructose for many days from fruit juice, you will actually do more harm than good to your liver. Our bodies have built-in detox mechanisms and it is ideal to avoid food and beverages that burden the liver and kidneys, like alcohol, some medications and foods of low quality that cause inflammation. Weight loss, if it occurs, is temporary and not fat and can lead to constipation. Juicing should only be used to supplement or kickstart a healthy nutrition plan.
Learn how to detoxify your body using juicing and other detox drinks in a healthy way by visiting whatdetox.
Paleo diet
The paleo diet has surpassed every diet by far in popularity. You can eat as much meat as you want, but no dairy, processed oils nor some grains like wheat. This diet allows nuts, vegetables, roots, fruit and organic meat. The theory is that if we eat like our ancestors in caves, we will be as thin as they were.
PERC360’s rating: 1
Restrictive diets are hard to maintain long-term. This particular diet has some benefits, but also some drawbacks. You should approach it as a way to find out if you have hidden food intolerances, not as a weight loss program. If you decide to go this route though, make sure it is under the guidance of a dietician so that you can customize a food plan that meets your specific nutritional needs.
Which diet gets a 3? The Mediterranean diet because it includes all nutritional elements, has been proven to fight disease, and is highly conducive to weight loss!
