5 Popular Diets of 2020 Vs. The OS Nutritional Approach
Everywhere you look there’s a new fad diet promising instant results. The rise of the social media Influencer has made fad dieting more mainstream and spread faster than ever. The more popular diets of today aren’t all bad. Some of them hold some tried and true eating tips but the problem lies in education of those attempting to adhere to the latest diet trends.
At Optimus Strength we believe in taking a balanced approach. Not labeling foods as “good” or “bad”, but learning to view food as fuel for the body. We educate our members on eating with intention. We do not endorse nor discredit any of the diets we list in this blog post. We simply did a little research and want to pass along the information for those who are interested.
5 Most Popular Diet Trends of 2020 (so far…its only February)
1. Volumetrics
We were honestly surprised that this style of eating had a name. The Volumetrics Diet is based on eating mostly foods low in energy density (aka calorie density) and high in nutrient density. In this diet, foods are not categorized as good or bad, but instead based on their energy density.
Volumetrics breaks down food items into 4 categories:
Group 1. Non starchy fruits & veggies, nonfat milk, broth based soups
Group 2. Starchy fruits & veggies, grains, breakfast cereals, low-fat meats, legumes, & low-fat mixed dishes.
Group 3. Meat, cheese, pizza, French fries, salad dressing, bread, pretzels, ice cream, and cake.
Group 4. Crackers, chips, chocolate candy, cookies, nuts, butter, and oil.
These categories move from lowest calorically dense to highest calorically dense. The foods in group 1 are considered “free” and you may eat as much as you want. As you move down the list, attention to portion size becomes a factor.
With this diet no food is “off-limits” which gives the eaters the power to choose where the more calorically dense items fit into their eating patterns.
2. Paleo
The Paleo Diet is based on eating foods that humans during the Paleolithic era would have eaten. These foods presumably would have been obtained through hunting and gathering.
Includes: Meat, Fish, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds.
Omits: legumes, grains, dairy, refined sugar, low-cal sweeteners, “Processed” foods.
Due to its natural carbohydrate elimination, people tend to lose weight with the paleo diet. The paleo diet does not count calories or macro nutrients and places no restrictions on portion sizes.
The paleo diet helps eaters to cut out foods with little nutritional value and emphasizes the intake of fresh, whole foods. Paleo may be too restrictive for some eaters due to its omission of grains, legumes, dairy, and refined sugars/low calorie sweeteners.
3. Vegan
The Vegan Diet is a 100% plant based lifestyle. It eliminates all animal products and byproducts. People choose Veganism for a number of reasons. There are religious groups who practice veganism, some people choose it for political reasons, and others choose to go vegan for health reasons.
Eliminates: All animal products and byproducts; meat, eggs, dairy, honey, poultry, seafood. This also includes clothing and personal hygiene items made from animal byproducts.
Includes: fruits, vegetables, soy, legumes, nuts/nut butters, plant based dairy alternatives, sprouted/fermented plant foods & whole grains.
Vegan diets are rich in some nutrients while lacking in others. The lacking nutrients include Iron, Calcium, and Vitamin B-12. The Vegan diet can seem very restrictive for someone who has consumed animal products for most of their life, however, there are a multitude of products on the market today that replicate and replace meat making it easier to make the switch.
4. Ketogenic
The Ketogenic Diet is high in fat, moderate protein, and VERY low in carbohydrate intake. Keto is the newest buzzword in the fitness industry. It seems like everyone is doing it and it works for everyone! It’s being marketed as the newest quick weight loss cure all. But, the reality is If you do not have a professional monitoring your Keto diet, you probably aren’t really doing keto…
The Ketogenic diet is based on the idea that when our body runs out of glucose (carbs) to burn it starts to break down fat as it’s main source of energy and produces Ketones to provide energy for most cell types (including brain cells). A buildup of ketones in the body is known as Ketosis. Measuring Ketones and staying in Ketosis takes a LOT of testing and carbohydrate restriction.
Why does the ketogenic diet seem to work? Because cutting out an entire food group naturally reduces your caloric intake! The Keto diet is VERY restrictive of carbohydrate intake and is not suitable for everyone. It may work wonders for some people but leave others in a metabolic mess.
5. Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent Fasting is the most recent “all the rage” diet trend we’re hearing about right now. It’s been around for years but has recently been endorsed by prominent individuals in the entertainment industry.
Intermittent fasting focuses on specific windows of fasting time and eating time. There are no food item or calorie restrictions. The most popular ratio is 16:8. A 16 hour fast followed by an 8 hour eating window. Black coffee, unsweetened tea, and water are permitted during the fasting time.
Why does it seem work for weight loss? A smaller eating window naturally reduces caloric intake! Shocker!! Less time spent eating equals less calories consumed.
The Optimus Strength Nutritional Approach
At Optimus Strength we do not endorse any of these trends as the perfect way of eating. We prefer a balanced approach to nutrition and not a one size fits all program. Each individual is different and it takes trial and error to find out what works. We don’t believe in adhering to one “diet”, but instead educating our members to make the best food choices for their goals.
We believe that 100% restriction or removal of a food group/item can create a negative relationship with food. Instead we want to create a positive relationship with food. We view food as fuel for the body and each food group can contribute in its own way. There is no such things as “bad” food. Eating should be intentional and goal based. Education on how each food group interacts with your body is the first step to a lifestyle of eating to fuel your goals.
Links to more Information:
https://foodinsight.org/basics-of-volumetrics-diet/
https://foodinsight.org/what-is-the-paleo-diet/
https://foodinsight.org/basics-of-vegan-diet/
https://foodinsight.org/keto-diet-101-what-to-know-before-you-commit/