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Popular Diets and how to narrow down what really matters.

I initially started this blog post as a look at different diets and their advantages/disadvantages, but during the research process it took a life of its own and I am going to allow it to do so. I started by looking at the different books I read and the Doctors of Functional Medicine I follow and wanted to give you a run down of their books, instead at the end of this article I will leave you with a list of those books for you to read yourself and reach your own conclusions. I found them helpful and informative and if something fits then by all means use it, make sure you discuss diets with your doctor if you are trying something that is very restrictive.


So, let’s discuss some of the diets I promised last week and then we will look at what I feel is the common theme of all of them. I started with the Mediterranean Diet, and I will be straight forward with you, this is the diet I suggest to most of my clients starting out. I suggest this one for multiple reasons, one it has been around a long time and has a lot of research behind it proving it’s benefits, it’s one of the easier diets to follow, it’s been proven to be heart healthy, and most importantly to me is the base of this diet pyramid is time with family and friends. This is plant-based diet that avoids refined foods and allows for limited amounts of red meat, dairy, eggs, and sweets.


As with any diet there can be drawbacks or disadvantages. In an article presented through Penn Medicine they point out this diet can cause low levels of iron; fat consumption can cause unwanted weight gain; and there could be a possibility of calcium deficiency due to lack of dairy. If you are subtracting a food source that provides needed vitamins and minerals it is important to ensure those are supplemented if/when needed.


The next diet I looked at was the D.A.S.H or Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, according to the Mayo Clinic this diet focuses on foods high in potassium, calcium, and magnesium. The focus of this diet is lowering sodium intake to 2,300mg a day, the equivalent of 1 tsp of salt. This diet limits high sodium foods, processed foods, foods high in saturated fats, and foods with added sugar. I’m hoping you are seeing a trend at this point, but we will continue with several more diets. This benefits with the D.A.S.H. diet are lowered blood pressure and LDL.


The keto diet is currently on everyone’s mind and many people are trying it. While there are disease processes that this diet works well for and therefore it has its place. With that said, this is not a diet that just anyone should go on and is a very hard diet to stick to. Now, I know there will be naysayers to this statement and if you discuss it with your doctor and this is the one you decide is best than ok, but I want you to be aware of some of the negatives of this diet.


Some of the negatives of this diet is 90% of the calories of a true keto diet come from fat, which sends the body into ketosis, this allows the body to use fat for energy instead of carbohydrates. So some of the negatives of this diet are nutrient deficiency due to fruits and vegetables being a low priority, the break down of high amounts of fat can cause liver and kidney issues, constipation from lack of sufficient fiber sources, and mood swings or brain fog.


The Pegan Diet, created by Dr. Mark Hyman, is a mixture of the paleo diet and vegan diet and focuses on a diet consisting of fruits and vegetables. I like this diet as well because it focuses on whole foods, appropriate animal protein servings, low to non-starchy vegetables and low-glycemic fruits. There are foods this diet avoids such as dairy, gluten, legumes, sugar, refined oils and food additives. Some of the deficiencies that can occur because of the restrictions are nutrients that will need to be replaced with supplementation. Another problem with this diet is it’s focus on whole and organic foods which can be hard to find and expensive.


The last diet I want to discuss with you is the anti-inflammatory diet. This diet is plant based with a focus on antioxidants and Omega-3’s. This diet also limits red meats, processed foods and sugar. The purpose of this diet is to remove foods that are prone to cause inflammation within the body and to promote consumption of healing foods.

There are several other diets but after researching these I noted a trend and decided I wanted to keep things as simple as possible for you. What trends did I notice? Well, here is a list of those and hopefully it will help you in your healthier living journey:


1. Exercise

2. Vegetables and Fruits are the basis of your diet

3. Healthy fats found in olive oil, and fatty fish such as salmon.

4. Lean meats

5. Seeds & nuts

6. Healthy Carbohydrates and limit your intake

7. Dairy, limit intake

8. Limit or stay away from processed, packaged and foods with added sugar


These are just a few trends I noted that will help you with your healthy living journey. If following a diet is more helpful for you then make sure it’s the right one for you and have your doctor check your nutrient levels before starting. Also, if you choose a diet that takes away a food group make sure you supplement the missing nutrients. So, if you don’t know where to start just look at the list above and start there, you’ll be surprised how just doing the above 8 items can help your journey into healthy living.


In the references below you will find the books that have helped me on my journey and webpages that offer a lot of information. I would strongly suggest you do your own research as well so you can make well informed decisions.



References:

1. Bland, J. S. (2015). The Disease Delusion. Harper Wave.

2. Hyman, Mark. (2009). The Ultramind Solution. Scribner.

3. Myers, Amy. (2015). The Autoimmune Solution. HarperOne.

4. Perlmutter, David. (2019). Grain Brain. YellowKite.

5. St. Amand, R.P., Craig Marek, C. (2012). What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Fibromyalgia. The Revolutionary Treatment that can Reverse the Disease. Grand Central Publishing.

6. Mayoclinic.org

7. Penn Medicine. Pennmedicine.org

8. Harvard University. Health.harvard.edu.

9. Hill, A. The Pegan diet. Healthline.com. January 15, 2019.

10. Johnson, J. Our Guide to the Mediterranean Diet. Medical News Today. January 18, 2019.


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