Ten Things We Learned About Nutritional Bites
1) Body Positivity Is Taking Over
Most diet companies now promote a holistic and healthy way of eating since the birth of the body-positive movement. Now, the goal is to feel good and not look good. Weight Watchers recently changed its name from Weight Watchers to WW in order to emphasize its new focus on “wellness” and not “weight monitoring.”
2) Small losses work wonders
You don’t need to be obese to enjoy the weight loss benefits. A Center for Disease Control and Prevention study found that even moderate weight loss of 5-10% can be enough to prevent or curb obesity-related diseases.
3) Same old resolution, new year
Losing weight is the top New Year’s resolution for Americans and many people around the globe. It’s no surprise that diets have become a $72 Billion industry with 50 million Americans starting a diet every year. It’s not surprising that obesity has become a national epidemic in America, despite all the resolutions made and billions of dollars spent.
4) Added Sugar Is Anything but Sweet
Although the jury is still out about carbs and saturated oils, there is one thing that is certain: added sugars are not good. They are known as “empty calories” and overuse is linked to obesity, diabetes and other health problems such as heart disease, tooth decay, and high blood pressure. The USDA recommends that no more than 10% of your daily calories come from added sugars.
5) Your BMI is Everything
Commercial diet plans, most if not all, are tailored based on your BMI (or Body Mass Index). This is your weight divided by your height. A BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 is normal for most people. Use our BMI Calculator to find your BMI.
6) Never Get “Hangry”
Emotional eating is an important factor in whether you will be able to stick to a diet. You will feel hungry if you eat less than your body needs. The most successful diets emphasize satiation or feeling full.
7) A Simple, Yet Flawless Equation Can Help You Lose Weight
One thing that will make it easy to lose weight is the simple CICO equation. This stands for Calories In, Calories out. Despite all the differences in diets, it is the same formula that all weight loss plans must follow. Experts agree that CICO, as a whole, is flawed. It focuses on quantity and not quality.
8) Obesity is more than skin deep
2/3 of Americans are obese or overweight right now. The number is increasing year by year. Experts consider obesity a more serious epidemic than opioids because of its contribution to the rise in life-threatening conditions like diabetes, stroke and certain cancers. American adults over 40 are at risk of 18% death from obesity, while 1 in 5 children suffer from it. Medical costs associated with obesity-related treatment have reached an alarming $150 billion annually.
9) A Different Diet Plan can yield very different results
Everybody is different, so there is no “magic” diet that will work for everyone. Even if two people have the same body composition, the results can be quite different. Carla de la Torre, a certified nutritionist based in Barcelona, said that bodies react differently to their genes and metabolism. She added that this is why some people can get abs with a bread-and-butter diet while others struggle to get the desired six pack even after rigorous exercise and eating regimens.
10) The Jury Is Still Out
Our extensive research revealed that there isn’t much information about weight loss or healthy eating. Many diet fads are created by cherry-picking specific results and studies that support their theories, while ignoring all contradictory data.
When we looked into the benefits and disadvantages of animal fats, there were two views. One that treats it like a “cure all” (keto-lovers) and one that swears off it completely (vegans). While both claim to be true, an objective analysis of the data doesn’t support either. When researching different diet plans, it is important to take all claims made about them with a grain.
Here’s a quick overview of the most popular non-commercial diets
Although the review’s main objective is to determine which diet plans are best for commercial purposes, we believe it’s important that you get a crash course in the most effective and popular diet strategies. Why? Most commercial diet plans are based on either one of the two or all three of these theories. Let’s take a quick look:
Ultra-Low-Fat
This diet, which consists of 10% or less daily calories from fat, is the opposite of Atkins, Keto, Paleo, and Paleo. Ultra-low-fat advocates eat a diet high in plant foods, low-fat animal products, and high-carbohydrate (80% or more) The TLC (Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes), a diet developed by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Association, is an example of this type. It was created to help people fight heart disease, lower cholesterol, and prevent problems with their digestive systems.
TLC, which is described in the 80-page guide “Your Guide to Lowering Your Cholesterol With TLC”, recommends consuming less than 7% daily calories from saturated fat and less than 200mg cholesterol. It also suggests 30 minutes of daily exercise and drug treatment if necessary. Critics of the low-fat diet point out the omission of high-fat, healthy plants and the neglect of the fact that calories are what determine whether or not someone loses weight.
Vegetarian
There are many vegetarian groups, but all share the same basic rule: there must be no meat, fish, or poultry. This is the only thing that makes this eating plan/lifestyle appealing to 18% of the global population. A vegetarian diet has been shown to be beneficial in lowering cancer risk, stabilizing blood sugar and improving heart health. However, some studies have raised concerns about nutritional deficiencies such as vitamin B, Omega 3, calcium, and iron. The most flexible plans can be as restrictive or flexible as you like. These are two examples of extremes that are most in demand:
* Vegan: A vegan diet does not allow for the consumption of meat, poultry, or fish. It also prohibits all animal products such as dairy, eggs and gelatin.
Flexitarian: This is a mix of the words “flexible”, “vegetarian” and “vegetarian”. It can be described as a vegetarian on a short carnivore vacation. This diet is mostly vegetarian but can sometimes include meat, fish, or poultry. It’s ideal for those who enjoy vegetarianism but are unable to resist the temptation of animal products. A recent study has shown that if you eat less meat, it may help to combat climate change.
Low-Carb
This is currently the most popular of all diets. This diet emphasizes foods rich in protein and fat, while keeping carbs to a minimum of 20%. This means avoiding starchy vegetables and fruits and consuming more protein and fat. The Keto Diet is the most well-known low-carb plan. It’s based on ketosis, where your body uses fat as the main fuel source and reduces your carb intake to 70 grams per day.
Ketosis can reverse Type 2 diabetes by causing significant blood sugar and insulin reductions, according to some studies. The American Heart Association recommends that a ketogenic diet contain no less than 90% of the daily caloric intake from fats. However, it is not recommended to consume more than 5% of your daily fat intake.
Mediterranean
Eat like the Greeks and the Italians! This diet is the darling of dieticians and was named the #1 non-commercial diet in weight management and health by experts. This is not a set diet with a menu. It is a guideline that focuses on healthy foods, such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, fish, olive oils, red wine (yes red wine), and small amounts meat and dairy. This is one of most flexible diets available. It can be adapted to suit any individual’s needs and tastes. This diet does not require you to count calories. It is easy to digest because the majority of the food in it are high in fiber and healthy fats. You feel fuller for longer.
DASH
The Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension, which is similar to the TLC, has been approved by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Association, American Heart Association, and 2015 Dietary Guide for Americans. It was created to help people lower blood pressure, increase calcium, potassium and magnesium intake, and most importantly, avoid sodium.
This means that salt can be substituted for herbs and spices. There are two types of models: the Standard Model which recommends less sodium than 2,300 mg per day and the Low Sodium Model which recommends less sodium than 1,500 mg per day. DASH may also be beneficial in preventing osteoporosis and heart disease.
Volumetrics
Volumetrics is based on the concept caloric density. This means that certain foods have fewer calories than others (say, lettuce), and other foods have a lot of calories packed into small portions (e.g., regular chocolate chip cookies). It allows people to binge eat certain foods while losing weight. Volumetrics, unlike the calorie counting approach does not consider the quality of calories and prioritizes quantity. This diet theory is shared by Weight Watchers and Noom (both of which were reviewed above).
Intermittent Fasting
Its fervent supporters claim that humans weren’t made to eat constantly. Instead, they were meant to eat for short periods followed by hours (and sometimes even days) of fasting. Much like vegetarianism, intermittent fasting is practiced for two main reasons: health and religion/spirituality. There are no restrictions on food or calories, but there is a restriction on when you can eat. The most popular are the 16/8 (16 hours of eating followed 16 hours of fasting), and the Eat-Stop-Eat (two 24-hour fasts per month on non-consecutive dates). Although it is generally considered healthy to eat moderately, studies have shown that extreme fasting can cause hair loss and anxiety.
