Some of the Top Diets Explained

1. Paleo

Diet in a sentence: Eat like the cavemen did; meat, fish, veg and fruit.

The name paleo comes from the word Paleolithic, which is the name given to the era 2.5 million-10,000 years ago. It is believed that at this time the main sources of nutrition were foods that could be hunted or foraged; nuts, seeds, fruit, vegetables, lean meats and fish.

Meal examples:

Salmon and veggies

Fruit and nuts

Steak and salad

Pros: A great choice for those who are lactose or gluten intolerant

Cons: Is difficult for vegetarians or vegans to follow

2. 5:2

Diet in a sentence: Eat less on some days, and eat normal on the rest.

Intermittent fasting. The idea is that you put yourself into a calorie deficit on some days, but on others you eat as normal. The daily recommendations for what a normal calorie intake look like vary based on age, height and gender, but on a fasting day, you’ll typically eat around 500 calories a day.

Fasting day meal examples:

Boiled eggs

Nuts and fruit

Grilled chicken and cauliflower rice

Pros: Perfect for people who don’t want to change their lifestyle too much

Cons: Fasting isn’t ideal for everyone, including those with certain types of diabetes and expectant mothers

3. Keto/High-fat

Diet in a sentence: Cut back on carbohydrates and eat more healthy fats.

If you thought weight loss meant you had to eat less fat, here’s some reassurance for you. High-fat, low-carb diets like keto are all about bringing your body to a point where it starts to burn stored fat rather than carbs for energy. This is known as Ketosis, and is the key to the weight loss element in the keto diet.

Meal examples:

Chicken Parmesan

Cheesy eggs

Peanut butter protein balls

Pros: Helps to increase focus

Cons: Carbohydrate withdrawal, also known as carb-flu, is really rough, and you have to cut back on fruit, because it does contain a lot of sugar.

Which of these diets are you interested in? What do you think will work best for you?