Below you will find a list of links dealing with five of the most popular diets that I could think of/diets that I've either been on or considered.
1. The Paleo Diet
"The Paleo Diet is based upon everyday, modern foods that mimic the food groups of our pre-agricultural, hunter-gatherer ancestors." So basically eating the way that cavemen did and/or would have. It consists of a lot of protein, low carbohydrate and low glycemic index food, foods high in fiber, foods with a lot of omega 3's and omega 6's, and non-processed foods. Here is a list of what one on the Paleo diet can and can't eat:
Eat:
- Grass-produced meats
- Fish/seafood
- Fresh fruits and veggies
- Eggs
- Nuts and seeds
- Healthful oils (Olive, walnut, flaxseed, macadamia, avocado, coconut)
Don’t eat:
- Cereal grains
- Legumes (including peanuts)
- Dairy
- Refined sugar
- Potatoes
- Processed foods
- Salt
2. Detox Diets
To some, detoxing means " drinking juice -- a whole lot of
juice and little else -- which pushes everything thing else out of your system," to others "water only." "The diet starts on Friday night with a green salad, but
Saturday's menu shows you what's really in store: Breakfast starts with plenty
of vitamin C, then take your choice of fruit juices. 'Because of its high
water content, fruit will flush you through much quicker,' she says. 'Green things give energy, but sugars will wash the system easier.' 'You're going to be drinking something every 90 minutes to
two hours, so you won't feel deprived or hungry,' Page tells WebMD. 'As
your body gets lighter and lighter through the weekend, you can feel what's
going on. You're getting rid of toxins accumulated during the winter. Your body
is starting to release fat, those extra pounds.' Dinner? That's miso soup with some chopped sea vegetables (like
the Japanese nori, used to make sushi) snipped over top. Or you might choose a
cup of brown rice with a few chopped vegetables mixed in. 'Brown rice gives
your body plenty of B vitamins, which is a stress reducer. It's very high
fiber, will fill you up, will help you sleep, and will flush you out in the
morning.' I've tried a detox diet before. Now, mind you that I was in my eating disorder mentality and I did it mainly because I wanted to restrict/starve myself in a different way than I had been, or at least have an excuse for it. Looking at detox diets now, I feel like they're a bunch of crap, to be quite honest. Why do you need to "detox" yourself? Isn't that why you poop? If it's that big of an issue, eat some beans and make friends with the Charmin bears.
3. Atkins Diet
" When you eat fewer carb foods—relying mostly on vegetables rich in
fiber—your body switches to burning fat (including your own body fat)
instead of carbs as its primary fuel source." Before I quote anything else from this site, I'd just like to throw out the fact that yes, your body will burn off it's own body fat with lack of carbs, but when that body fat is gone, than it will start burning off your muscles (which include your organs, by the way). Depending on how much body fat one has, it may take a while for it to get to this point. However, burning up your own body doesn't sound right to me (at least not to me because my body got to the point where it was burning up every reserve that it had to maintain itself).
"When you digest foods high in carbs, they convert to glucose (sugar),
which your bloodstream transports throughout your body. A rise in blood
glucose level triggers the release of the hormone insulin, which
moderates your glucose level. Because your body can store no more than half a day’s energy supply of
glucose—unlike our ability to store almost limitless amounts of fat—it
makes sense that we burn as much carbohydrate as we can as soon as it’s
digested and absorbed. After each carb-heavy meal or snack, your body
stops burning off fat as your insulin level escalates to deal with the
rising tide of blood sugar. Fat calories are always pushed to the back
of the line—where more than likely they’re stored. That’s why insulin is
called the “fat hormone.” As long as your body keeps turning glucose
into fat, you’re doomed to being heavy." Just FYI, your body needs carbohydrates. That "evil" glucose that makes you "fat" is actually what your brain feeds itself with. Carbohydrates are also your body's go-to source for energy; it's what it burns first. Personally, I'm terrified of carbs because of what this site is telling us: carbs turn into sugar the minute it hits your bloodstream, those carbs turn into sugar, that sugar turns into fat, and you are then obese... Congratulations! I'm learning that this is a bunch of malarkey (I think that's a legitimate word...I've heard it said before), and not to trust diets that don't want me to have normal brain and body functioning.
These are the reasons that the website says one shouldn't follow a non-raw diet:
- Kills enzymes. Enzymes help you digest your food. Your body can create enzymes but that process takes a lot of energy. This process makes you feel tired and heavy after a cooked food meal. Further, the enzymes your body makes are not as efficient and effective as the ones that were destroyed in your food.
- Consequently, your food is not be broken down as well and thus harder to digest. This also results in food starts rotting in your intestines, that parasites have more chance to survive. It is further believed that your body has a limited amount of enzymes that it can produce. If the supply is finished, body organs will function less and less. It will accelerate aging. Changes the pH of the food and makes food acidic. We like to eat alkaline foods. Eating acidifying food makes your body a welcome feeding ground for disease.
- Converts easy to absorb minerals into inorganic - hard to absorb - minerals. INorganic minerals such as calcium are hard to absorb and might cause calcium stones, whereas organic ones are easier to digest, make you alkaline, help you get rid of too many acid.
- Destroys most vitamins.
- Destroys the life force. Eating cooked food is eating dead food. This will make you feel heavy and tired. Live food has live energy. It will give you energy. Simply put. A raw seed will grow, a cooked seed won't. When you pick (raw) unripe fruit it continues to ripen for weeks. Cooked fruit starts to decay within days
- More energy
- Up to 3 hours less sleep
- Weight loss
- More beautiful skin
- Clarity of mind and better memory
- Improved immune system
- Improved fertility
- Prevent or even reverse diabetes
5. Vegan Diet
" Vegetarians do not eat meat, fish, or poultry. Vegans, in addition to being vegetarian, do not use other animal products and by-products such as eggs, dairy products, honey, leather, fur, silk, wool, cosmetics, and soaps derived from animal products.Many vegans choose this lifestyle to promote a more humane and caring world. They know they are not perfect, but believe they have a responsibility to try to do their best, while not being judgmental of others. The key to a nutritionally sound vegan diet is variety. A healthy and varied vegan diet includes fruits, vegetables, plenty of leafy greens, whole grain products, nuts, seeds, and legumes."
Veganism is more than just a diet; it's a lifestyle. Well, technically any "diet" is a lifestyle. I like the vegan lifestyle. I just think that it's cool. I've been vegan two different times in my life. Both times I was in my eating disorder, and I had to stop because I was abusing it as a way to restrict myself. When I'm healthy again, though, I want to be vegan. I'll admit though, it's hard. You have to be creative, able to think on your feet, and willing to spend a little more money if you want some variety. That sort of pressure excites me and I want to see if I could do it being in a healthy mindset.
I support veganism, but to an extent. There are some vegans who are straight up bonkers. 1.) Human beings have canine teeth (the really sharp ones) in order to be able to tear flesh; I believe that we were made to consume meat. 2.) Animals ARE NOT equal to humans. YES, they need to be treated with respect, BUT not more than humans (we were created in God's image; animals were not). I also like leather a whole lot, so I'm okay with that. I love animals and it makes me sad to think of them being slaughtered in mass quantities for consumption, but I understand that it has to be done. I think that veganism is as much of a moral decision as it is a food one, so I believe that it is the most acceptable "diet" on this list (although I am a tad bit biased).
So, there you have it: a bunch of info on a bunch of diets. I hope you feel more informed. I know I do. If for no other reason, I've realized that I could have spent an hour and a half less freely writing about what I was supposed to (which would have been nothing), but I enjoyed this more. What is my life, man?
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