Lose weight

What’s the best diet for weight loss?

To discern what is a healthy and sustainable diet from the diets that are literally anything but, according to UK experts who sort the claims from the gains. Consider this your sheet to discovering the best diet for you.

1.Low-Fat Diet

This approach was popularized 40 years ago with the “Pritikin Program.” Any low fat-diet is based around food choices which are low in total fat, low in “bad” fats, and low in cholesterol. It will also suggest consuming 20-30 grams of fiber per day, primarily through the use of whole grains instead of wheat ones, and eating lots of fruits and vegetables.

These diets are still quite popular for weight loss, because the basic idea behind them is sound: fat contains more than double the calories of carbs or protein. However, many people simply substitute commercial “low-fat” versions of foods – including junk foods – and end up consuming way too much sugar and trans fats, defeating the effectiveness restricting fat. The low-fat diet can work, but only if it’s accompanied with smart eating and healthy, fresh ingredients.

2. Keto Diet

 

The ketogenic diet – keto among friends – is so-called because it aims to get the dieter into a state of ketosis, when the body stops using glucose as its main energy source and starts using ketones instead. The high fat, moderate protein, low carb diet is beloved by Silicon Valley for its alleged brain-boosting benefits.

Typical meal: Grilled chicken breast with vegetables

What the diet advocate says: ‘The classic keto diet was very strict and nowadays what’s become more popular even to use from a clinical scenario is called the Modified Keto diet which is more liberal in protein. And that’s generally what people are following for weight loss and energy. That would be roughly 65-70% fat, 20-30protein with a very small carb amount 5-10%,’ says Dr Dominic Dagostino, professor of neuropharmacology at the University of South Florida?

What the expert says: ‘you will lose weight quickly. The ketogenic diet is used in medicine, but under strict supervision and for set periods of time, so with appropriate support it can be safe in the short to medium term. The brain does use glucose as its fuel of choice, so ‘brain fog’ lethargy are common side effects. You’ll known when your body is running off ketones by your breath – it’s known as ‘keto breath’, and it’s bad. It also can affect your ability to exercise by due to a lack of quickly accessible energy.

The risks are more long term, such as risk of nutritional deficiency (vitamin c, a, k and b vitamins) and also increased risk of bowel and possibly breast cancer cancer due to limited fibre intake. Ketosis generally isn’t recommended and it’s not exactly a state that would the body would usually be in, but it can be done safely for set periods of time.’

  3. 16:8 intermittent fasting
The diet for people who love to eat. Interested? Thought so. You have an eight-hour window during which you can eat, then you fast for 16 hours.
Typical meal: Whatever you fancy. As long as it’s within your window.

What the diet advocate says: According to David Zinczenko, author of The 8-hour Diet, eating all your meals within a set window is the key to burning fat. ‘By carving out an eight-hour window in which to eat to your heart’s content, you’ll burn your body’s fat stores effortlessly. The science is actually simple: for several years, researchers have been producing remarkable weight loss results in people using “intermittent fasting”. In this case, fasting is about eating whatever you want, but staying within a sensible eight-hour window. This gives your body the chance to burn away your fat stores for the energy it needs.’

What the expert says: ‘This is based on the same principle as 5:2, but the fact that it doesn’t involve any calorie counting or dietary restriction is a bonus. There may be some benefits to IF in relation to healthy ageing, but again, more research is needed.’

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