Top 6 Diet Trends of 2018

With every new year comes a raft of new diet trends along with overwhelming desire to make resolutions for the year to lose weight, get a better body and bring a drastic change in our lifestyle. If you are one of the mere mortals, you might have already made a thousand such diet resolutions in the beginning of every year only to banish them midway. Well, whether you like or not, diet trends are there to stay, but it’s up to you how you wade through all of them and pick the right one for you. To clear the fog and pass along the right information regarding the top diet trends, we reached out to Gympik’s expert Nutritionist Sujetha Shetty to review the top diet trends of 2018 and here is the list with the most popular diet trends that became the talk of the town among the fitness enthusiasts.

1. Ketogenic Diet:

Ketogenic or keto diet is one of the most popular diet trends of the year. This diet gained its popularity among the weight watchers due to its high fat diet that helps the body to use fat as the source of energy and promote weight loss in lesser time. Though Keto diet is followed by many as a shorter route to weight loss but the fact is, this eliminates most of the major food groups including vegetables, whole grains, fruits and daily foods that play pivotal role in nourishing your body and contributing towards your overall well-being. According to Gympik’s expert Nutritionist Sujetha Shetty, “Keto diet circuitously replicates the concept of starvation; this is not a sustainable diet plan and shouldn’t be prescribed for normal human being as this particular diet had been medically designed to treat severe cases of epilepsy.” Read more about Ketogenic diet here.

2. Paleo diet:

Paleo diet is the replication of the diet followed by our ancestors, the paleolithic humans. The concept of paleo is to stick to what were available during the ancient times and hence there is a strict banishment of dairy foods, processed foods and meats, artificial sweeteners, trans fats, grains like cereals, bread, wheat, barley etc, legumes, peas etc. The Paleo diet plan includes all that are easily available which includes meats of beef, chicken, lamb, pork, turkey, fish etc, eggs, vegetables, fruits, seeds, nuts, herbs and spices, healthy fats and oils like coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil, soybean oil, grapeseed oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil etc. This is considered to be a healthy diet plan though elimination of some of the major food groups can be cited as one of the draw-backs of this diet. It is a holistic approach towards maintaining a strong, lean and energy boosting food ethics. Read more about the Paleo diet here.

3. Clean Eating diet plan:

Let’s admit that. Clean eating has taken the world of social media, and world of health & fitness by storm whereas the concept is still ambiguous. To throw some light on the nutritional facts of the diet, we have compiled a bit of information and an overview about how the diet looks like and how it benefits people. The diet is designed to promote eating foods that are least processed and natural. According to Sujetha, “Clean eating is all about eating foods that are wholesome, less or minimally processed which is basically following ‘fresh from the farm’ concept while abandoning foods that are highly processed.” While following this diet, it is advisable to stick to home cooked foods which will ensure you have control over the kind of ingredients you are using and have control of the calories, the way it is cooked, and the freshness of the meal.

4. Gluten Free Diet Plan:

A family of proteins found in certain grains, Gluten may cause some health disturbances in people who have non-celiac gluten sensitivity and celiac disease. Though this diet plan proves to be beneficial for people with celiac disease, it takes away some of the major nutrients like niacin, fiber, vitamin B12 and folate. Hence, it is necessary to include more of healthy foods to compensate the dearth of nutrients in the body. Gluten free diet plan encourages excluding foods that may contain gluten, namely rye, wheat and barley. Primarily made to ease out the health issues of gluten intolerant people, this diet has also gained much acceptance and sometimes been followed by people to speed up weight loss though if people without any gluten sensitivity are following this diet plan for weight loss, might miss out on major health benefits of foods that are associated with gluten.

5. Bulletproof diet Plan:

Created by Dave Asprey, the Bulletproof Diet is an anti-toxin diet which encourages a holistic approach towards avoiding food sensitivities or kryptonite foods and designed to promote weight loss. Popular among the weight watchers, this diet plan advocates reducing the intake of foods that are anti-nutrients, such as mycotoxins, phytate, lectins, mold toxins, oxalates, etc. and recommends foods that encourage the growth of good bacteria in the gut. Unlike Keto diet, Bulletproof diet doesn’t require painstaking calorie counting while consuming foods. But it clearly specifies that the followers of his diet should start their day with the bullet coffee which is a combination of brewed coffee, butter, and oil as it helps keeping hunger at bay for longer hours. In this diet plan, the daily food consumption should contain 50%-60% of healthy fats including avocado, coconut oil, and grass-fed and or pastured animals, 20% of the food intake should have protein, and 20%-30% should include vegetables.

6. Intermittent Fasting:

Intermittent fasting is in vogue not only because of its simplicity but also because it’s effective, has multiple health benefits like quicker weight loss, improved blood sugar level, decreased risk of cancer, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s to name a few. More of a dieting pattern than a diet, Intermittent fasting recommends fewer calories consumption with alternate days without any calorie restrictions. Another approach of following this diet pattern is periodic fasting that involves limiting the time period of eating to 8-16 hours. According to studies, this type of fasting, if planned properly, can lead to effective fat burning without losing muscle mass or hampering metabolism. Read more about it here.

So, here is all you wanted to know about the top diet trends of the year to take your diet to the next level. But it is always advisable to consult with your physician or dietitian before including any of these in your resolution list.

If you are still unsure about whether to look at your diet and bid adieu to your free flowing diet patterns or yet to come out of the dilemma, we have the best solution for you- The Clean Bowl by Gympik that will not only help you to get the best out of your food and lifestyle, but also guide you to adopt and maintain a sustainable eating habit that can change the way you look at dieting. So, what are you waiting for? Grab your diet plan right now! Also, don’t forget to leave your thoughts about the article in the comments section below! Till then, stay fit, stay happy!