The term “fad diet” is almost synonymous with “a shortcut to weight loss”, which can sound far fetched to some people. It’s basically geared towards individuals who want to lose weight quickly through sticking to a specific food plan. Some of the fad diets that eliminate foods with essential nutrients and promise instant results without being backed by science can increase risk of nutrition deficiency. However, it doesn’t necessarily mean all fad diets are nutritionally unbalanced. We’ve rounded up the healthy and sustainable fad diets that you should try, but bear in mind that there’s no such thing as “a shortcut to weight loss”, and it’s important to consult your dietitian or doctor before you change your meal plan.
Ketogenic Diet
Keto diet, short for Ketogenic diet, has taken the world by storm and been dubbed as the most popular and celebrity-endorsed fad diet. It’s hinged on the idea of losing weight through cutting down on carbohydrates intake instead of starvation. The reasons why we can survive for days without food is because our body automatically uses ketones, the small energy molecules as primary energy source when we’re low on glucose or carbohydrates. It is a legitimate way of burning fats and shedding pounds through lowering our insulin level. The food you should add to our cart include grass-fed meat, low-carb vegetables, cheese and seafood, etc. It encourages people to take 70% fats, 25% protein and as few carbohydrates as possible on daily basis.
Paleolithic Diet
The proponents of Paleolithic diet believe that many chronic illnesses like obesity stem from our sedentary lifestyle and the processed foods we consume. This diet is hinged on the ancestral eating principle which strictly sticks to the foods that can only be hunted or gathered. That being said, this diet is all about laying off high-fat, high sugar processed foods and loading up on fruits and vegetables that contain high amount of nutrients, like vitamins, fiber and minerals. The food choices paleo diet encourages are pretty similar to keto diet.
Intermittent Fasting
Also known as 5:2 diet, intermittent fasting is more of a pattern of eating than a diet. It’s a way to restrict your calories intake which then leads to weight loss by limiting your calories to 500-600 on two non-consecutive days but eat normally on the other five days. The reasoning behind this is that your insulin levels are high when your body is digesting and absorbing foods, and since insulin can stimulate the growth of body fats by absorbing glucose and fatty acids into your bloodstream, high insulin level means more fats. Therefore, by not eating for eight to ten hours can lower your insulin level and make your body easier to burn fats. Intermittent fasting just changes the schedule of your meals but not your food choices.
Atkins Diet
Sharing the similar principle as Keto diet, Atkins diet is touted to prevent diabetes and stimulate the body’s fat-burning abilities by eliminating the consumption of carbs. The proponents believe that you can take as much fats and protein as you want as long as you cut down on sugar, grains, processed food that slow down your fat-burning processes. Once you see significant change in body weight, then you can slowly add more healthy carbs that won’t affect your weight.