Nutrition expert reveals the pros and cons of popular diets, including intermittent fasting

Many of us want to lose a few pounds, but with so many diets and eating plans to choose from, it can be difficult to know which ones work best — and produce lasting results.

Diets like intermittent fasting, the Mediterranean diet, and keto have grown in popularity over the years because of their results.

Kourtney Kardashian and Jennifer Aniston are among the many celebrities to endorse the benefits of intermittent fasting, while celebrities like Vanessa Hudgens and LeBron James have embraced the keto diet.

Speaking to FEMAIL, American nutritionist Anthony O’Reilly of BarBend explained that every popular diet has pros and cons and that there is no magic quick fix.

Anthony said: “IIt’s crucial that you do your own research before making any changes to your diet, and that you understand that there is no quick fix for weight loss, or that one diet is guaranteed to work better than another.

“Make sure you prioritize calories first, and then choose an eating style based on your preferences.”

However, with a better understanding of the most common types of diets, you can decide which ones work best for your lifestyle and overall goals.

Here, Anthony explains the ins and outs of six of the most popular…

Intermittent fasting

Intermittent fasting involves consuming all calories within a set period of time and then fasting for the rest of the day.

There are several approaches to intermittent fasting, with the most popular being an 8:16 split — meaning you burn your calories in an eight-hour eating window and fast for the other 16 hours of the day.

You can also do a 10:16, 4:10, or even a 6:20 eating: fasting split. The concept is that since you’re cramming them into a tighter time frame, you’re consuming fewer calories, rather than consuming them throughout the day.

Intermittent fasting is the most popular diet on the internet, receiving an average of 1.2 million searches per month worldwide.

Kourtney Kardashian and Jennifer Aniston are among the many celebrities who endorse the benefits of intermittent fasting.

Mediterranean cuisine

As the name suggests, the Mediterranean diet is inspired by the eating habits of people living near the Mediterranean Sea, for example Greece, Italy and Spain, who have some of the longest life expectancies in the world.

The diet is rich in heart-healthy foods like vegetables, grains, fish, fruit, olive oil, and nuts.

Red meat consumption is kept to a minimum and dairy intake is moderate and consists of quality sources such as yogurt and cheese.

The Mediterranean Diet is the second most popular diet on the web, receiving 610,000 searches worldwide each month.

paleo diet

The Paleo diet, sometimes called the “caveman diet,” involves eating only meat, fish, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds.

Grains, dairy, processed foods, beans, legumes and sugar must be avoided when following this diet.

The Paleo diet is the third most popular diet on the internet, with an average of 200,000 monthly searches worldwide.

Celebrities like Matthew McConaughey, Miley Cyrus, and Uma Thurman are all reaping the benefits of the Paleo diet.

Sirtfood Diet

Thanks to the recommendations of Adele and Pippa Middleton, the sirt food diet has grown in popularity in recent years.

The diet focuses on foods rich in sirtuins, a group of proteins found in the body that help regulate metabolism.

Foods high in sirtuins include red wine, dark chocolate, walnuts, arugula, coffee, and extra virgin olive oil.

The Sirtfood Diet receives an average of 52,000 searches per month, making it the fifth most popular diet online worldwide.

Benefits of the Sirtfood Diet:

Many of the foods recommended in the Sirtfood Diet are packed with beneficial micronutrients and antioxidants.

Disadvantages of the Sirtfood Diet:

There is little evidence that the sirt food diet results in weight loss or better health.

You have to follow a strict routine.

The ketogenic diet

In recent years, the ketogenic diet has been arguably one of the most talked about and debated diets.

Keto, as it’s called for short, prioritizes fat (65-75 percent of your daily calories), with moderate protein consumption (20-30 percent) and very few carbs (only about five percent, though some versions prohibit carbs). all in all).

The keto diet is the sixth most popular diet on the internet with 44,000 average monthly searches worldwide.

The keto diet is designed to keep the body in a near-constant state of ketosis, a metabolic state in which the body creates ketones from fat to use as energy instead of sugar from carbohydrates (the body’s primary and preferred source of energy). to use.

The keto diet has become increasingly popular in recent years, particularly among the Hollywood elite, with celebrities like Vanessa Hudgens and LeBron James embracing the keto diet.

It’s important to note that neither of these options is the be-all and end-all for your health needs. You can lose weight with almost any diet as long as you are in a calorie deficit (ie you burn more calories than you use).

Prioritize calories first, then choose a diet style based on your preferences.

Studies have also shown that the quality of the food you eat is just as important as the number of macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates and fats) you eat.

In other words, if you’re on a low-carb diet, you need to make sure you’re also getting high-quality fats and proteins.

Conversely, when on a lower-fat diet, opt for whole grains over refined starches.