Now that the New Year is around the corner, you might be thinking about going on a new diet to kick start your healthy life for 2017. However, we're also willing to bet that you may have tried a diet (or three) over the last year. Losing weight and staying fit and healthy are amongst the most popular (and commonly broken) New Year resolutions. Even with the best intentions, sometimes our diets just don't pan out like we expect.
As we approach the end of the year, here are the newest diet fads and how they compare to some of the most popular diets of the past:
1.The Alkaline Diet
The Alkaline Diet is a popular Hollywood-inspired diet that promises great results for those who jump on board. It became popular back in 2013 thanks to a tweet by ex-Spice Girl Victoria Beckham, and it's still one of the most popular diets of 2016. The underlying theme of the Alkaline Diet is that specific foods cause your body to create acid, which can lead to excess body fat storage and weight gain.
Those who have used this diet claim that it can change your biology and can help with an array of health issues, including arthritis, joint pain, and even kidney stones.
If you plan to try out this diet after the holidays, you'll find yourself eating plenty of foods that are low in acid. Think of foods such as chia pudding with fruit, chicken salads, plenty of vegetables of all varieties, almonds, and beans.
Essentially, the Alkaline Diet is an overall clean eating diet. It helps you cut out processed food and simultaneously shed pounds.
2. The Paleo Diet
While the Paleo Diet isn't necessarily new to 2016, it is one of the most popular of the year. The idea behind the Paleo Diet is to essentially eat like a caveman. This means cutting out nearly all processed foods and carbohydrates and replacing them with high quality foods that keep you full all day long.
Those who choose the Paleo Diet will strictly eat foods such as grass-fed meats, healthy oils, eggs, nuts and seeds, and more. Similarly to the Alkaline Diet, you'll be focusing on eating whole foods that contain very few carbs and other harmful ingredients.
The Paleo Diet is somewhat like Atkins with some slight overlap in food choices. The big difference is that some of the later phases of Atkins allow processed foods, where the Paleo Diet doesn't allow this at all.
3. DASH Diet
The DASH Diet is one of the lesser-known diets compared to Alkaline and Paleo, but its overall goal is to help lower blood pressure. DASH is an acronym for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. The idea is to lower sodium content in the foods that you eat to promote heart health and decrease the chance of cardiovascular disease and hypertension. The claim is that your systolic blood pressure could drop by eight to 14 points - which can have a great impact on your overall health.
You can follow one of two levels on the Dash Diet: Standard DASH Diet where you consume 2,300 mg of sodium per day, or Low DASH Diet where you consume up to 1,500 mg of sodium per day.
According to Centers for Disease and Control Prevention, nearly 70 million Americans have high blood pressure. One of the natural remedies that doctors suggest is to consume a diet that's low in sodium. While low sodium foods have been consumed for decades, the DASH Diet gives a convenient way to stay on track with your sodium intake.
Do These Diets Work?
Now that you know about some of the most popular diets of 2016, you might be wondering if these diets work at all. The one thing that these diets have in common is that you're encouraged to eat unprocessed healthy foods that contain very little carbohydrates and sodium. The reality is that if you follow one of these diets and consume the healthiest food options available to you, you're bound to lose weight and live a healthier life.
Don't forget that there are plenty of supplements that can help you drop pounds here at Netrition. Feel free to explore Netrition's online store and discover what's best for you to feel more confident about your body.
References:
1. WebMD: Alkaline Diets
2. The Today Show: I tried the alkaline diet and here's what happened
3. Mayo Clinic: DASH diet: Healthy eating to lower your blood pressure
4. CDC: High Blood Pressure Frequently Asked Questions
