Modern society has a disease: people always want to look better (we mean different) than they already do. So, their obsession with diets isn’t new. And 2019 has solid proofs to support this claim.
Recently, Google published its Annual Report in terms of searching, and when it comes to healthy eating, diets are the crowned queens. Let’s take a look at the most popular diet trends from last year, from top to bottom.
1. Intermittent Fasting
Currently, intermittent fasting is one of the world’s most popular health trends. It refers to an eating pattern that alternates between periods of eating and fasting. This diet is not entirely about what foods to eat, but rather when is the best time to eat them. The most common chosen pattern of eating is 16:8, which means you eat whatever you want in an 8-hour window, then you fast for 16 hours.
You can also fast for 24 hours twice a week. This means, for instance, that you will not eat from lunch one day until lunch the next day. Another variation of intermittent fasting is 5:2. This means you are allowed to eat only 500-600 calories on 2 non-consecutive days of the week and eat normally the other 5 days.
By limiting the amount of calories you eat, the weight loss becomes more visible.
2. Dr. Sebi Diet
This is a plant-based diet that claims to rejuvenate the cells by eliminating toxic waste. With this diet, Dr. Sebi or Alfredo Darrington Bowman, on his real name, promises to restore the body’s natural alkaline state, while detoxifying it.
He created a specific list of approved fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains, seeds, oils, and herbs. You can read it fully on healthline.com. Other than following this list, you must drink 3.8 l of water on a daily basis, avoid canned or seedless fruits, along with animal products, alcohol, wheat products and using the microwave.
Before following this diet, please keep in mind that Dr. Sebi wasn’t really a doctor, nor he followed a medical school. This diet is not strongly supported by scientific evidences and is rather drastic.
3. Noom diet
A personalized weight loss program on a mobile app? You’re welcome! The Noom app lets you record your regular food intake, ranks the foods based on how many calories they have and gives you access to a health coach. If you want to obtain a personalized food plan, you need to buy a subscription and answer a few questions in the app. Simple, right?
4. 1,200 calories diet
Another restrictive diet that limits people to eating only 1,200 calories a day. Normally, adult people need around 1,600 – 3,000 calories per day, in order to maintain their body weight. But when someone consumes fewer calories than needed, the body starts to shed weight. First, it burns the fat. Then, other tissues or muscles.
Thus, limiting calories to 1,200 per day, you may expect to lose some weight. In order to not feel hungry constantly, you need to choose nutrient dense foods that are low in calories, such as lean proteins.
5. Keto Ultra diet
The ketogenic diet stands for a moderate consumption of protein, a low consumption of carbohydrates and a high intake of fats. The ratio among these nutrients is: 75% fat, 20% protein and 5% carbs. This dietary plan forces the body to rely mostly on fat rather than carbs, to get more energy. For the body to use fats, it needs to break them down into compounds called “ketones”.
The keto diet showed great results among people who followed it, which led to a rise in supplements that claim to have the same benefits. Here is when we begin to talk about the Keto Ultra Diet. Marketed as fat burner pills, the Keto Ultra Diet is a scientific formula created to maximize the weight loss. The supplements are said to put the body in a ketosis state, so that one can easily lose weight. It is recommended to take 1 pill in the morning and 1 pill in the evening, with plenty of water.
If you’re asking yourself if this type of diet is safe, you need to know that there is not enough research on this subject.
6. GOLO diet
Developed by a team of doctors and pharmacists, the GOLO diet plan is believed to restore the balance of the hormones, which helps you lose weight. You can purchase this plan along with a Release supplement. You need to take this supplement 3 times per day with meals. You also need to exercise for 15 minutes every day, in order to see the desired results.
7. Dubrow diet
This diet was created by a reality TV power couple – Terry and Heather Dubrow. It is a low-fat diet combined with intermittent fasting. You need to eat lean proteins, lots of healthy fats, non-starchy vegetables and plenty of fruits.
8. Sirtfood diet
This diet was created based on research about sirtuins, a group of proteins that are said to regulate several functions in the body. There is a list of so called “sirtfoods” that may cause the body to produce more of these proteins.
According to healthline.com, the list includes: strawberries, kale, onions, red wine, extra virgin olive oil, parsley, soy, matcha green tea, turmeric, dark chocolate with 85% cocoa, buckwheat, walnuts, red chicory, capers, coffee, blueberries, arugula, lovage, bird’s eye chili, medjool dates.
9. No carbs no sugar diet
This diet’s approach is based on eliminating digestible carbs, as much as possible. Since being the body’s primary source of energy, carbs are found in a lot of products, such as: vegetables, fruits, grains, beans, milk, yogurt, bread, pasta and baked goods.
If you plan on trying this diet, you will have to stop eating these foods. Instead, you will switch to eating foods that contain mostly proteins or fats, such as: fish, cheese, meats, eggs, butter, nuts, seeds, non-starchy vegetables, coconut, avocado.
10. Endomorph diet
You surely must have heard by now about the famous classification of body types: endomorph, ectomorph and mesomorph, made by William Sheldon in 1940s. People who fall into the endomorph category are said to have more body fat and less muscle mass. And they also have a slower metabolism.
Therefore, the appropriate diet for these people is one based on a higher fat and protein intake, with a lower carbs intake. Some good sources of proteins and fats are: cheese, walnuts, macadamia nuts, fatty fish, olive oil, beef, egg yolk.
A takeaway message
Diets are a complicated territory, since there is no guarantee which one will work for you. What goes for many doesn’t necessarily mean it will apply to you, as well. So, keep in mind to always talk to a nutritionist or your doctor before adopting any dietary plan – even if it’s the most searched on Google.
