Keto diet is becoming the buzzword in health circles because of its guaranteed weight loss results and incredible control over blood sugar levels. While on a keto diet, emphasis is placed on energy from fats rather than carbohydrates. It is recommended that you consult experts before taking this form of diet because it limits the amount of food consumed. An average person should consume less than 50 g of carbohydrates daily, and sometimes less than 30 or 20 g. The amount of fat is increased to 80 percent in this diet scheme.
One of the benefits is to lose weight quickly, which is why it is optional as a short-term goal. The downside is that you will consume very little protein, vegetables without starch and other dietary sources. The purpose of a keto diet is to limit the consumption of carbohydrates so that the body automatically enters a metabolic condition called ketosis. At this stage, large amounts of fatty acids are released from fat stores to offset the drop in insulin levels. Many of these fatty acids are transferred in the liver, making it ketones. These are water-soluble molecules that can cross the blood-brain barrier and energize the brain. Through this diet the brain starts to depend on ketones for energy. Some variations of this diet, even restrict protein intake because too much protein may cut back the amount of ketones you produce. It is used to treat drug-resistant epilepsy in children, neurological conditions and type 2 diabetes.
If you intend to skip this extreme form of low-carb diet and switch to other food, friendly versions then there are plenty of alternative diets to keto.
Dubrow Diet:
Intermittent fasting is gaining momentum rather than following the basic meal plan every day. A Dubrow regimen is an intoxicating mixture of keto and fasting. Any individual who wishes to get into perfect shape within a stipulated time frame has to fast and eat only within a window of 12 to 16 hours given the plan. It is observed in phases – the first step consists of fasting for 16 hours a day. This means skipping breakfast and lunch. The evening meal makes it possible to have a set of food combinations that promote weight loss. Once the objective is reached, the individual may spend 12 hours fasting for five days a week and 16 hours fasting for two days. This phase is dubbed as stage two. Stage three is a continuation of stage two with only one cheat meal allowed during a week.
The difference here is that in the second and third phases the Dunrow diet allows moderate consumption of alcohol, carbs, sugar and proteins. Processed food is not allowed and calorie intake is limited to 1,000 per day.
Atkins Diet:
The main difference between the Atkins diet plan as compared to a keto based one is that the former allows the intake of carbs on a regular basis once the weight loss goal has been achieved. Atkins diet works in three different forms – the primary goal is to eat more fat and protein with limited consumption of carbohydrates for a month. The second goal is to progressively increase the consumption of carbohydrates such as nuts, legumes, starchy vegetables – potatoes, beets, etc. and whole grains. It has to be kept in mind that the maximum level must be 40g carbs per day. Once the person has reached the final stage, they can draw up a permanent diet plan based on the consumption of only 80 to 100g of carbohydrates a day.
The diet forbids the consumption of processed foods, white bread, pineapples, mangos and sugar products. Vegans and vegetarians on the Atkins diet must ensure the intake of multivitamins and a fish/flaxseed oil supplements. This diet, however, does not consist in skipping meal plans or be on an empty stomach for long durations.
Paleo Diet:
The idea behind this kind of regime is in fact based on our ancestors. The modern man is high on sugar, processed food and junk. To reduce sugar consumption and promote a healthy gut, the Paleo diet encourages the return to food sources inspired by hunters and cavemen alike. An individual on the Paleo diet has to fuel the body with eggs, fish, fruits, lean meats, onions, pepper, pumpkin, asparagus, walnuts, flaxseeds, nuts, and olive oil. The food products that have to be chucked out are – all artificial sweetners, sugar based drinks, processed meat, hot dogs, all dairy products, legumes, beans, wheat, rice, barley and starchy vegetables.
By cutting back on processed food the individual will lower the risk of cancers, diabetes, and heart diseases. Along with the diet emphasize is also given to considerable amount of exercise to get into shape.
Dukan Diet:
This diet plan works in four different phases, it was first introduced by a French nutritionist Pierre Dukan. He proposed one hundred dietary sources that are rich in protein to keep the body in shape through this diet. The attack phase consists of regular exercise and intake of lean meats, eggs, fish, soy, cottage cheese and fat-free dairy products. This can last up to a week, it is also accompanied by the intake of 1.5 liters of water per day and 1.5 tablespoon of oat bran to suppress hunger. The cruising phase entails eating spinach, okras, lettuce and green beans. The amount of oat bran consumption is increased to 2 tbsp per day along with thirty minutes of rigorous exercise.
The consolidation phase requires the individual to avoid gaining the weight that he/she has just lost. This means exercising regularly along with one cheat meal per week. The intake of proteins is continued to be high. With the stabilization phase the individual is expected to consume three tbsp of oat bran, exercise for twenty minutes per day, include one pure protein day in a week and drink 1.5 liters of water daily.
South-Beach Diet:
This diet plan emphasizes on continuting to eat healthy carbs and eliminating white breads/ processed sugar products. It encourages the individual to follow a low whole grains, lentils, and fruit based diet plan. The first step in this diet is to reduce sugar and starch on the list of products. Completely moving away from processed foods, soft drinks and sources of high sugar. Stage two is to introduce healthy carbohydrates with high protein foods into the diet. And finally, phase three is the weight maintenance phase, where you learn to control your body mass without deficiency or hunger.
Since the South-Beach diet was first proposed by a cardiologist Arthur Agatston, MD, during the 90s it has become a popular form to control heart related diseases.
Conclusion:
These low-carb diet functions are packed with nutrients and minerals to obtain the ideal body weight within a short period of time. However, it is recommended that you consult a health expert before diving into the socially popular dietary standards.
