5 “fad diets” to lose weight with their pros and cons

The concept “fad diet” does not suggest anything good, since a healthy diet can only be one that it can be maintained over time indefinitely. This is the case of traditional diets, such as the Mediterranean, Asian or Nordic. Well-designed vegetarian or vegan diets are also healthy models.

In the media you can find articles about “fad diets” that bring together different more or less reasonable proposals. Some are therapeutic diets indicated in the face of specific imbalances. We are going to review the most mentioned ones.

1. Gluten-free diet

It’s certainly in vogue, although it seems that enthusiasm for eliminating wheat and other gluten-containing grains from diets is waning.

In principle, the gluten-free diet is only indicated for people who have received a medical diagnosis of celiac disease, a disorder that prevents gluten from being digested and causes an autoimmune reaction.

Some people who have not received a diagnosis of celiac disease have a more or less pronounced sensitivity to gluten and may benefit from reducing or eliminating this component of the diet, temporarily or permanently.

Some dietitians and nutritionists deduce that gluten has an inflammatory effect in all people and therefore recommend avoiding it, but this is not proven.

The recommendation not to consume gluten to lose weight is not justified by gluten itself, but people who give up bread and wheat pasta (cookies, pastries, sweets…) may end up consuming fewer calories, which will help them lose weight. .

2. Diet to lose weight with shakes

Shakes that replace meals -such as those marketed by the Pronokal or Bicentury brands- can help you lose weight because they help reduce your total calorie intake.

However, they are ultra-processed products that can contain a good number of sweeteners and other additives. That is, the complete opposite of the natural and whole foods on which a good diet should be based.

Although shakes can help you lose weight as part of a diet under the supervision of a specialist, it is not a type of diet that can be maintained over time. By leaving the shakes and returning to the usual diet, weight is gained again.

3. Ketogenic or keto diet

on the ketogenic diet calories are obtained mainly from fat and protein, while carbohydrates, which are the main source of energy in most people’s diets, only provide a small amount (less than 5 percent).

This type of diet causes an important metabolic change, because the organism must adapt to a new main source of energy. This change implies that the body gets used to burning fat and if you don’t consume excess calories, you end up losing weight.

But the ketogenic diet can cause a excessive consumption of saturated fats and proteins, which can have an inflammatory effect on the body, as well as favor kidney, liver and cardiovascular problems.

The ketogenic diet can be used temporarily under the supervision of a doctor for the complementary treatment of some diseases.

4. Intermittent fasting

A diet that includes intermittent fasting can encourage the body to start its mechanisms to convert fats into energy (which can reduce the amount of adipose tissue), to eliminate toxins and to regenerate the body and prevent diseases through autophagy.

There are several ways to perform intermittent fasting:

Overnight fasting of more than 14 hours. If you eat dinner early and leave a minimum of 14 hours until breakfast (for example, have dinner at 7:00 p.m. and have breakfast at 9:00 a.m. the next morning), ketosis occurs (getting energy from fats). The fast can be extended until 16 or 18 hours.5:2 system, whereby for five days a week you eat normally (in a healthy and balanced way) and for two days you consume a maximum of 500 calories. According to specialists such as Dr. Valter Longo, this diet produces the same benefits as fasting.24 hour fast. For one or two days a week there are no solid foods or sugars.

If you do any form of intermittent fasting regularly It is advisable to undergo the control of a specialist to assess the evolution of the different metabolic variables (cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose, etc.).

It is not recommended for young people, pregnant women or people with sensitivity to changes in sugar levels.

5. Paleo diet

The paleolithic diet tries to imitate the type of diet that human beings followed before the invention of agriculture, to which the excess of cereals and other products in the diet is attributed.

That is to say, eats what could be hunted, fished or gathered (fruits, nuts and seeds, vegetables and roots).

In the case of an omnivorous diet, it is true that you could follow this type of diet and get all the essential nutrients, but it would also be very easy to fall into excess protein.

For a vegetarian or vegan it is very difficult to get the necessary proteins without resorting to legumes and cereals.

In relation to weight loss, the paleo diet probably favors reduction because it radically reduces carbohydrates. The problem is, as we have said, if this diet can be maintained over time without falling into excesses.

What is a healthy diet to lose weight?

It must provide fewer calories than the diet that has led to weight gain. It must provide all the essential nutrients with whole natural foods, such as legumes, whole grains, vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds. It must not contain ultra-processed products or products with added sugars. It must be accompanied by physical exercise, rest and stress control.