“What diet should I follow?”, is one of the most common questions patients are asking their doctors, naturopaths, and nutritionists over the past several decades.

The answer? It depends.

There is no single universal diet that works for every one of us. We are all different and require individual attention, and choosing a diet that’s in line with your health needs is something that a well trained naturopathic doctor and nutritionist can help you determine.

These days there is a constant stream of trending diets coming across our news feeds, and it can be overwhelming to try to distinguish the benefits and pitfalls of each of them. Our staff is here to help. In this Diet Trends guide, we’ll be diving into three of the most popular diet trends of 2019: Keto, Intermittent Fasting, and Carb Cycling.

KETOGENIC DIET | OVERVIEW

One of the most unique aspects of the keto diet is that it was born from research done on medical nutrition therapy for specific health conditions. This diet emphasizes the ratio of fat consumed, instead of emphasizing protein, carbohydrates, or fiber. The general ratio of a ketogenic diet (with some minor fluctuation)  is 75% fat, 20% protein, and 5% carbohydrates. The overall goal of the ketogenic diet is to transition your body away from burning carbohydrates (glucose) as energy, into burning fat (ketones) as your main energy source. In the absence of blood sugar circulating in the body, our bodies will quickly begin using fats (which turn into ketones) as an energy source. This encourages the body to burn through fat, rather than store it. After a brief period of consuming very high amounts of fats in the diet with extremely minimal carbohydrates, the body transitions into a state of ketosis.

BENEFITS OF THE KETOGENIC DIET

• Research shows that following a ketogenic diet can result in more rapid overall weight loss in comparison to following the traditional “low-fat” diets or even the Mediterranean diet. Burning fats (or ketones) as the body’s energy source is a very effective way to rapidly lose weight and give people an immediate, heightened sense of increased energy.

• Keto can improve blood sugar levels in people with Type-II diabetes, at least short-term. There is significantly less blood sugar circulating in the body when following a ketogenic diet. 

KETOGENIC DIET PRECAUTIONS

• Although there can be significant benefits to Keto for some, the long-term use and sustainability of this diet is still unknown and remains relatively unresearched. The majority of people will not be able to sustain this diet long-term due to the body’s preference for using glucose as fuel rather than ketones. The Keto diet is both difficult to follow and difficult to maintain, and once the diet is discontinued it’s likely that long-standing health issues will reappear.

• The keto diet heavily emphasizes high-fat foods such as red meat and other animal products, which are inflammatory to the body when consumed in excess. 

• There is always a concern when any diet drastically limits daily consumption of leafy greens and vegetables. To this day, there is significantly more research on the long-term health benefits of a whole foods-based diet than there is research on the benefits of the keto diet.

INTERMITTENT FASTING | OVERVIEW

Soaring in recent popularity, intermittent fasting has officially been trending in Google searches for well over a year now. However, intermittent fasting is in no way a new way of eating and has been practiced for thousands of years. The foundation of intermittent fasting is to only eat during specific blocks of time, which allows the digestive system to fast for longer periods of time. This helps boost metabolism, enhances digestion, and encourages sustained blood sugar control. There are several different variations of intermittent fasting, each method having its own benefits for certain groups of people, but the long and short of it can easily be summed up to not snacking after dinner. If you allow yourself three meals per day with appropriate snacks and eliminate snacking or desserts after your dinner time, then you break the fast at breakfast the next morning. Break-Fast…Breakfast. That’s what we’ve all mostly been doing this whole time. Intermittent fasting simply brings more awareness to the timing of our meals and allows our bodies to rest and digest. 

BENEFITS OF INTERMITTENT FASTING

• Allows for lots of flexibility, and is not restrictive. This diet does not restrict calories, foods or food groups, and is not accompanied by all of the rules most other diets come with. It’s a simple, easy-to-follow nutrition plan appropriate for both single persons or families.

•  Encourages mindfulness eating. By establishing specific blocks of eating times (such as 10 am – 6 pm), you eliminate mindless eating after dinner, or unconscious snacking outside of blocked eating times. 

• Our bodies are enhanced and designed to eat this way. Evolutionarily, our digestive system was designed to adapt to times of restricted food intake. In fact, we tend to function less optimally when we are constantly consuming foods. Giving the body a long window of time to rest and digest is generally well-tolerated and leads to overall enhanced digestion.

INTERMITTENT FASTING PRECAUTIONS

• Some people may use the concept of “fasting”, or intermittent fasting, as an excuse to under-consume foods or skip meals altogether. Be cautious and aware, especially among younger adults, adolescents, and those with a history of eating disorders, that this popular diet trend is not being used as an excuse to limit food intake under the guise of following a “healthy diet”. 

• If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, this is not recommended, as pregnant and breastfeeding women should not limit or restrict their calories or frequency of eating.

CARB CYCLING | OVERVIEW

Carbohydrate cycling is a practice where you alternate carb intake on a daily or weekly basis. This diet encourages eating more carbs one day or week, and then drastically decreasing carb intake on other days. It is designed to help people lose weight and gain muscle quickly. Generally speaking, carb cycling is beneficial for high-performance athletes who are capable of adhering to individualized diets for a short time in order to enhance performance and training. Carb cycling is ultimately a dietary tool for short-term use. It is not designed to be used long term, but rather as a technique to help people overcome a weight loss plateau, and to be used alongside daily exercise.

BENEFITS OF CARB CYCLING

• This diet requires that you stay mindful of carb consumption each day, which overall, can encourage you to consume more fiber-rich leafy greens and vegetables.

• Eating fewer carbs generally helps prevent energy fluctuations in the body. Carbohydrates provide quick energy by breaking down as glucose in the body. When we consume high amounts of carbs daily, our energy levels and blood sugar fluctuate wildly. Limiting carbohydrates – especially processed carbohydrates – helps to keep our energy levels stable and blood sugar more balanced.

CARB CYCLING PRECAUTIONS

• Some people experience constipation and/or bloating during higher carbohydrate days due to fluctuations in water retention. 

• Carb cycling is not recommended for women with any type of hormonal dysregulation or thyroid imbalance, or who are pregnant or nursing.

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What To Keep In Mind When Selecting a Dietary Plan:

• Every person is different, and their dietary needs are specific to them. Although we all require the same basic macro and micronutrients, the quantity and frequency of these vary greatly from person to person. Some people function much better with a higher protein, higher fat diet, while others can function optimally with plant-based proteins and fewer carbohydrates. It is common for people to get attached, vocal, and defensive about their diets. Never feel peer-pressured into following a diet just because it worked for someone else. Make sure your dietary needs dictate what’s best for you, regardless of what’s working for someone else. 

• Not everyone responds well to every diet. You may have tried a diet in the past and had great success. When another trendy diet comes along, don’t be surprised or discouraged if you don’t feel your best on that new diet. Remember, everyone is different, and your body may thrive with one diet, but struggle on another. 

• Where’s the research? And for what group of people was this plan designed? Always find the where, how, and why for a specific diet plan. For example, the ketogenic diet was originally used as a therapeutic diet for people with epilepsy and seizures. It was later found to be a useful strategy in conjunction with some cancer treatments, and then later for overall weight support and energy levels in certain groups of people. It was never designed as the perfect diet for all humans, but rather for a specific subset of people with unique health conditions. Don’t forget to ask who created a dietary plan and what their qualifications or motivations are for doing so. Are they financially gaining or selling products from you subscribing to a dietary plan? It’s always a good idea to run these diets by a licensed nutritionist or dietitian before committing financially to something that may require unnecessary or expensive supplements, and still be ineffective for your health needs in the end.

Questions about the newest diet you read about? Looking for support with your diet or need help making a transition in your diet? Our naturopathic doctors are here to guide you to better health. RNM practitioners incorporate nutritional therapies, herbal remedies, homeopathy, and many other modalities to help you thrive in life. From preventative medicine to chronic illness care, our Naturopaths can help. To book a Naturopathic or Nutrition appointment, call our office at 804-977-2634 or visit our website here.

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References:

1. Ketogenic Diet: Is this ultimate low carb diet good for you?
2. History of the Ketogenic Diet
3. Effects of fasting on glucose homeostasis