“Which diet is best?”

“Which diet should I do?”

“What do you think of ____ diet?”

I often get questions like this when people find out I’m a nutritionist. Are you also wondering which of the diets you’ve heard about is best? In this blog I will clarify some of the fad diet confusion and help you answer the question of which diet is best for you. Here’s what to expect:

1. Explaining popular diets and how they differ
2. How to choose which diet is right for you
3. What a Nutritionist recommends
4. Some simple “rules” for smart “dieting”
5. Final Tips

Popular Diets for Weight Loss and Health

First, let’s run through the most popular diets I get asked about that you may be considering. There are many more diet fads out there, but I’m going to focus on the most common ones and will try to summarize their differences in very simple terms.

1. KETO DIET

• Basis: High fat, moderate protein, low carbs. Macronutrient amounts are more important than calorie counting.
• Purpose: Stay in ketosis to switch the body from burning carbs for fuel to fat, which usually requires testing your urine to see if you’re in ketosis. This was originally used for medical purposes like epilepsy, not weight loss.
• What to Know: This is helpful for weight loss, but it was never intended for that, and if/when you start eating carbs again, you’ll likely gain some weight back. It can also help some people with cognitive function, but can also interfere with hormones. Keto is a very restrictive diet and hard to maintain if done correctly (staying in ketosis). This is more a lifestyle change, not a short-term diet, although many people use it that way. Some people also cycle on and off of keto for a more sustainable approach. Low amounts of carbs and fruits/veggies could lead to nutrient deficiencies and low energy, especially for athletes.

2. PALEO DIET

• Basis: Eat like our paleolithic ancestors would have eaten and avoid modern processed foods. Do eat meat, fish, eggs, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, herbs, spices, healthy fats and oils. Avoid sugar, soft drinks, grains, most dairy products, legumes, artificial sweeteners, vegetable oils, margarine and trans fats.
• Purpose: Better health and weight loss
• Approach: While this can be used as a diet, this is more of a lifestyle approach to eating healthier the rest of your life.
• What to Know: The Paleo diet gets criticized because the food our ancestors ate looked far different from the genetically modified foods that now grows in our impure soil. And it all depends on where you live – our ancestors didn’t all have access to the same food. Calling it “the Paleo Diet” is not accurate, but under another name, some of the principles are still good. It focuses on whole, natural foods and reducing processed foods and refined sugars. This is one form of a low-carb diet, and eliminates certain foods like legumes, which can be very beneficial to health.

3. ALKALINE DIET

• Basis: Eat foods that are alkaline (not overly acidic). Eat minimal meat, dairy, grains, processed food. Lots of fruits, veggies, legumes, nuts, seeds.
• Purpose: To reduce acidic “ash” or waste and keep our body at a more ideal pH level with alkaline foods for improved health.
• What to Know: The alkaline diet can be quite restrictive and is a version of a plant-based diet as it reduces or eliminates meat, dairy, fish. The focus is on whole, natural foods, which is a benefit of this diet, and it doesn’t eliminate fruits and vegetables. It does eliminate grains and lentils and peanuts. This may be challenging for many people to eat this way long-term and could require cycling or used for short-term health benefits.

4. VEGETARIAN AND VEGAN DIETS

• Basis: Strict vegans eat no animals or animal products at all, and some vegetarians might eat foods that come from animals like eggs or cheese. Those who follow these diets can range from junk-food eaters to almost only plant eaters.
• Purpose: Reasons behind these diets vary – everything from moral conflict to health issues to weight loss to religion.
• What to Know: Depending on the foods you choose, these diets can be very healthy or awful (eating mostly processed carbs, cheese, synthetic meats, etc). It’s also easy to become protein or B12 deficient if you’re not careful about the foods you choose. For most people, these diets are lifestyle changes, but they are also commonly used short-term for weight loss or health because diets high in animal products are associated with many health issues and chronic diseases. .

5. PLANT-BASED DIET

• Basis: Similar to vegan/vegetarian but less definitive regarding animal product intake and more focused on a plant-rich diet. Some “plant-based” dieters are vegans, others avoid meat and dairy products about 80-90% of the time. Typically focused on eating whole, natural foods like vegetables, fruits, grains, avocados, nuts and staying away from processed foods, refined sugars, etc.
• What to Know: See “Vegetarian & Vegan” section above. The main difference is this approach is more flexible and allows meat and dairy, making it easier to get sufficient protein and B vitamins. It’s also easier to follow since no foods are completely eliminated.

6. CARNIVORE DIET

• Basis: Quite the opposite of plant-based, on this diet you eat ONLY animal products and exclude everything else.
• Purpose: Claims to be for health reasons and fat loss
• What to Know Due to lack of nutrients, this would not be a wise long-term lifestyle change to make. Many people may use it for quick weight loss or other health issues, but cutting out entire food groups that supply vitamins, minerals, omega 3’s and antioxidants could lead to serious health issues or symptoms of malnourishment.

7. MEDITERRANEAN DIET

• Basis: Eat some fish, lots of veggies, fruit, olive oil, whole grains, eat meat/poultry only rarely, moderate wine consumption.
• Purpose: Improved health, disease prevention
• What to Know: The Mediterranean Diet is based on studies done of the exceptional quality and longevity of people who live in Mediterranean regions. This is more of lifestyle change based on research on people who eat this way most of their lives, and it is maintainable long-term. It is very similar to plant-based diets and more balanced than most.

8. LOW-CARB DIET

• Basis: Any diet where the intake of carbs is lower than the average person or RDI (recommended daily intake, which is 45-65% of food daily).
• Purpose: Most common for weight loss but also for health purposes
• What to Know: Followers typically eat anywhere from 50-200 grams of carbs per day, all depending on weight, gender, and activity level since “low-carb” depends on what a normal level of carbohydrates is for each person. Depending on the amount of carbs, these diets be hard to maintain long term. Many people also cycle carbs, creating a more sustainable way of lowering carbs for periods at a time.  The main concern, aside from low energy and, is that the type of macronutrients are not defined, so technically low carb could consist of junk foods.

9. Whole 30 Diet

• Basis: Focus on eating whole, natural foods and eliminating potentially problematic foods like dairy, sugar, alcohol and legumes
• Purpose: a health-focused “nutritional program” focused on healthy eating, not losing weight, exercise or calorie control
• What to Know: This is restrictive in terms of eliminating foods entirely, like dairy and grains. But the focus is on balanced, healthy eating of ideal foods. For many people this is used as an elimination diet to try and determine if and which foods may be causing health or digestion issues. The focus is not on weight loss, so it may be easier for many people to stick with for general health purposes.

What Diet Does a Nutritionist Recommend?

I can tell you what I recommend as a nutritionist, but that doesn’t mean you’ll stick to the diet or even try it. That’s because us humans are weird. We want to be told what to do, but as soon as we’re told, then we want to make our own choices. So, before I share my recommendations, I’d like to flip that question around to have you answer.

Let’s pretend we’re chatting over coffee about your goals and diet options. Respond to them out loud, and/or grab a piece of paper and jot down your responses to these questions if you can. Take some time to really think them through!

All diets have their strengths and weaknesses and no one option works for everyone. So let me ask you some questions to help you figure out what may work best for you.

Questions to Ask Before You Diet

1. Why do you want to change the way you eat?
   • Do you need to change?  Do you need to diet? What’s driving your question about which diet to follow?
2. What is your goal?
   • Weight loss? More energy? Better skin? Athletic performance? Cardiovascular health? Diabetes prevention? The answer to this is critical because it has a huge impact on which foods and even herbs/spices you use, supplements you take, and even how safe something may be for you.
3. How is your current health? Family health history?
   • Are there any health conditions or genetic predispositions that could be exasperated or improved by certain food or dietary choices?
4. What’s realistic for you?
   • Do you have time to figure out all new meals you can cook for you and your family? Can you stick to a diet plan, or should you just start making small changes one at a time?
5. What appeals to you about a certain diet or lifestyle change?

Do these questions bring some clarity and help you to know why you want to diet and what you’re hoping to get out of it? Your responses should help narrow down what you’re looking for and what will best serve you and your goals.

Do Your Research

My next encouragement would be to do some of your own research if you haven’t already. Have you looked into all of these diets and studied what they are all about? Not only magazine articles, but scientific articles? Read books and really understand what the diet is about before you take it on. Don’t only rely on Instagram stories, brief blogs and Google articles that may have misleading information. Like the bible teaches, “Test everything, hold on to what is good.” (1 Thess. 5:21).

Part of going through these processes is to learn that what your friend “Sarah” or “Billy” says isn’t a good reason to start a diet. The majority of people don’t fully understand why they’re even doing a certain diet or the long-term implications of it. Most people are simply looking for a quick fix that could end up causing more damage than good.

The Best Diet for You –  A Nutritionist’s Opinion

If you have thoughtfully and truthfully answered the questions above, you may have already narrowed down your options and found the answer! If not, continue your research by testing them out for a week or two so it can help you hone in on what dietary approach makes most sense for you, because in reality, the one we’ll stick with is usually best one!

Now that you’ve done some of your own critical thinking, here are my two cents…  

Notice above that I said “dietary approach”, not diet. A diet is short-term, usually to achieve weight loss….and usually ends up in re-gained weight not long after. A dietary approach is something you can do long-term that results in good health as well as achieving a healthy weight.

My advice?  DON’T DIET!

I don’t prescribe to following one specific diet. The truth is that aside from extreme diets like Keto or the Carnivore Diet, most diets are very similar! Of course, the details may vary slightly based on your needs, but the premise of each diet has a very similar foundation, which I’ve outlined below. These basic ideas are what I think make up a great, long-term, healthy dietary approach.

What to Eat for Weight Loss and Health

Use these key foundational pieces that most “good diets” (if that’s even a thing) share that you can follow:

1. Eat whole, organic, God-given “clean” foods that naturally grow on this earth
   • Such as potatoes, colorful veggies, fruits, brown rice, beans
2. Avoid highly processed and man-made “pretend” foods full of chemicals or pesticides.
   • Such as potato chips, cookies, donuts, bread, chips, most meat substitutes, bologne, cereal, ham, sausages, pastries, frozen dinners, etc.
3. Eat lots of fresh, organic vegetables and fruit.
4. Choose whole grains and starchy vegetables as your carbohydrate sources, and don’t limit them excessively.
   • Oats, potatoes, squash, beets, brown rice, quinoa, barley, farro, etc
5. Regularly eat beans and legumes. They are associated with lower occurrence of many preventable diseases and a good source of protein.
6. Keep animal product consumption low, and select ones like organic grass-fed meats, wild caught fatty fish, pasture-raised organic eggs and grass-fed butter.
   • Why? Animal products are associated with higher likelihood of multiple diseases and often contain harmful antibiotics and hormones.
7. Consume pure oils and healthy fats like quality olive oil, olives, nuts, seeds and avocado. Don’t fear good fat!
8. Avoid added and refined sugars and reduce sodium intake (which contribute to weight gain, hunger, stress & anxiety, diseases and issues like diabetes and autoimmune disorders).
9. Consume none or low amounts of alcohol.

These dietary principles will help to keep you energized, less likely to have to be hospitalized for non-emergency health issues, and even make your skin and hair look better! They’re also filling –  it’s harder to overeat these types of foods, making it easier to manage weight. Quality dietary approaches avoid processed food, junk food and most restaurant food because it’s full of sugar, chemicals, salt, additives, colorings, and it’s NOT filling and tends to be served in huge portions

Notice that this list doesn’t say anything about major calorie restriction (can I get an “Amen”?!) It’s not about how much to eat, it’s simply about eating enough quality foods without overdoing it. These foods are packed with so many heart-healthy, disease-fighting benefits from vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants that if we fill our plates this way, we live better, longer lives.

HOW to Eat a Healthy “Diet” and Lose Weight

Now that you know what to eat, let’s talk about HOW to eat. Most people only succeed temporarily on a diet and eventually regain lost weight because they are not sustainable. Instead of dieting, choose a “dietary approach” that aligns with the factors listed above and focus on consuming it in appropriate portions. Keep these guidelines in in order to lose weight and improve health without drastic calorie restriction:

1. Eat Intuitively – Eat when you’re hungry. Don’t eat when you’re not hungry. Don’t starve yourself.
2. Don’t Stuff Yourself – Stop eating when you feel mostly full, not after you already feel full. Easier said than done, I know. If you need help with emotional eating, contact me for nutrition coaching or consider seeing a therapist if you feel you have an unhealthy relationship with food.
3. Eat Slowly – Chew your food well, breathe between bites, and take sips of water during your meal so your brain has more time to register how full your stomach actually is.
4. Drink More Water – when you feel hungry, gulp down a glass of water before you eat. You may find that this takes the hunger away and that you were actually dehydrated. If you’re still hungry, then go ahead. It can also be helpful to drink a large glass about 15-30 minutes before you main meals. Just don’t drink too much while you’re eating as it can dilute digestive juices.
5. Balance Your Plate – Try to keep the foods on your plate balanced fairly evenly. For instance, fill about 1/2 with veggies, another 1/4 with grains or starchy vegetables, and fill the rest with beans or meat/fish and a source of fat (if it’s not already coming from your protein).
   • Ex: 3 oz chicken breast, 1 cup broccoli, ½ sweet potato with butter.
   • Ex: Bed of lettuce/greens, ½ cup beans, ½ cup brown rice, ½ cup bell peppers/veggies, 1/8 cup guacamole (mix in a bowl Chipotle style)

When you focus on fueling your body with nutrient dense, low-calorie foods, it’s much easier to lose weight and harder to gain unwanted weight. You feel full faster, it doesn’t cause intense cravings and withdrawals, your skin improves, your energy goes up and maintaining your weight is far easier. Plus, you’re less likely to get sick because your immune system will be stronger.

Final Tips – Specific Dietary Advice

In case you’re someone who needs be given a detailed plan to follow and my prior answer feels disappointing to you, then my recommendation would be to first try a 90% plant-based diet or a Mediterranean diet.

If you’d like a better idea of what appropriate portion sizes are for you and how to manage calorie intake, then check out my blog on how to determine your calorie needs for your goal. That blog plus this one will serve as a great starting point to lose weight and get healthier for good!

If you are still struggling and would like some additional help, remember that I’m a Certified Personal Trainer and Holistic Nutritionist and am here to help you Renew your life! Contact me for a nutrition assessment to help you create a roadmap to your success!