Popular Diets: Which Ones Work, Can I Do It On a Budget?

When people hear the word "diet" they automatically assume that you're trying to lose weight. This is the most common misconception in diets. For many people, yes, diets help lose weight; but have you ever noticed how sometimes people stay on those diets even after losing weight? It's because diets are not meant to be there just for those who wish to lose weight, it's also there for people who want to eat and live healthier or maintain the weight that they are at.

I'm not talking about "special diets" such as gluten-free or the FODMAP diet, as those are required by some people who cannot process food the same way a normal body can. I call these "special" diets because they are also technically unavoidable, as it matters what you intake so that your body can process it correctly and you won't get sick. The diets we are discussing today are-primarily-diets that you can choose to begin at any point in your life just because you wish to live a healthier lifestyle. While the gluten-free and FODMAP can become a chosen diet, those diets are primarily medical in need. Caution: If you choose to research and undertake either of these diets, you MUST speak with a Medical Professional due to Nutritional Implications that can happen if not followed properly.

Today I'm going to address four different diets that are both quite popular and unpopular in their own ways: Paleo, Keto, Mediterranean, and the 3 Hour or "grazing" diet. Please keep in mind that before you choose to completely change your diet around that you speak with either your Primary Care Doctor, or a Nutritionist, as your body may not need to have a diet change, or you may need to be careful implementing a new diet.

First off, we are going to discuss the two diets that for those who are on a budget, they may not be the best choice. Health wise there are definitely benefits, but your wallet is not always one of those. So, let's dive into the Paleo and the Keto diets.

Paleo & Keto

The Paleo diet aims to support weight loss, improve overall health, and reduce the risk of chronic diseases. It is nicknamed the "caveman" or "Stone-Age" diet due to the fact that it is modeled after the dietary patterns during the Paleolithic era. It's focus is primarily on foods that were available way back then: lean meats, fish, veggies, nuts, and seeds.

The main principles of the diet are eating the following:

• Whole, unprocessed foods

• High protein intake

• Healthy fats

• Restricted carbohydrates

The main reason the Paleo can get expensive is due to the high intake of two things: eggs and meat; primarily fish. As we have all seen, eggs have suddenly skyrocketed in price. I'm pretty sure the joke has gone around plenty about if Gaston is really a human and that's why our eggs are so expensive. But on the serious side of that, meat has always been expensive even when you buy it in bulk. I heavily suggest for anyone choosing this diet, that you make sure it can fit your budget and maybe even have a membership to bulk-type stores like Sam's Club, BJ Wholesale, or Costco. If you live in another country, you may recognize the names Makro, Metro Cash & Carry, and Makro Cash & Carry as well.

While buying in bulk is heavily suggested for this diet, keep in mind that the unit or per pound price may be cheaper than normal, but you will still be spending more because you are buying a higher amount. This diet is great for those who meal plan, as I knew someone who every Sunday bought what the needed for the week before prepping and breaking it down into days for the week.

Despite how well received this diet is, it has received some criticism for its restrictive nature even though some professionals (although scientists have yet to prove the truth or rumor) will state that the Paleo diet is much closer to those of our ancestors from many, many, moons ago rather than what our normal day to day diets have become.

The Keto diet has gained popularity for its potential benefits in weight loss, improved blood sugar control, and increased mental clarity. The ketogenic diet, often referred to as the keto diet, is a low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet that aims to induce a metabolic state called ketosis. In this state, the body primarily relies on fat for energy instead of carbohydrates.

The main intake of this diet includes the following:

• Low carbohydrate intake

• High fat intake

• Moderate protein intake

• Ketosis (glucose and ketones)

This diet requires careful planning and monitoring, and it may not be suitable for everyone, especially those with certain medical conditions. This can be one of the more difficult diets to plan and follow. It can be considered an expensive diet due to the specifics of how much intake you can have of specific things, as sometimes those foods are generally much more expensive. Many people on this diet stick to organically grown foods, which are always more expensive.

Mediterranean

Funny enough, I had heard of but never studied much about the Mediterranean diet before. Since doing my research, I have actually found that this is a much more common diet than I realized; most people just don't specifically name it as such. It is very similar to what most people call the "College Student diet" but the major difference is the college student diet has a high sodium intake because of the amount ramen they consume. If most who are on that diet cut out the junk food they intake, they would basically be eating the Mediterranean diet.

The Mediterranean diet is known for its emphasis on whole, unprocessed foods and has been associated with various health benefits. While it can (also) be considered similar to the Paleo, it is inspired by the traditional dietary patterns of countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea.

Its key features are:

• Abundance of fruits and vegetables

• Whole grains

• Legumes and nuts

• Lean proteins

• Plant-based fats

• Moderate dairy

• Limited processed foods

The reason why this diet is considered to be so budget friendly, is in part due to the very lax nature of what you take in; it is not as restrictive as the Paleo or Keto. The other reason, too, is because there are several stores all around the world that will do sales on many of these; I used to shop at a store that was always doing 10 for 10 sales on pasta.

Another helpful tip to this diet is changing the type of butter you use. If you're like me, butter is basically its own food group. However, one of the best butters I feel is useful with this diet are the Country Crock Plant-based butters. They have butter made with Almond Oil, Olive Oil, and Avocado Oil. Unfortunately, my recent research shows that they discontinued it; however, I have found some every now and then. Plant-based butters (regardless of brand) are great for this diet though because it uses plant-based fats while also cutting down on the dairy, but it still tastes like regular butter. (**In the five hours since posting this, I am editing to state that my research seems to be conflicting as my mother literally just had a box of the Country Crock Plant Butter delivered to her house. Therefore, I am unsure if they have actually discontinued it or if that was a piece of misinformation. Best advice would be to check with your local store.)

Keep in mind that limiting processed foods includes cutting back on sugary snacks, high sodium foods, and drinks; basically "depression" or comfort foods and soda. Thinking back over the years, I have actually gone on this diet a couple times without realizing it; that is how simple and budget-friendly this diet is.

3 Hour or Grazing Diet

By technicalities these are two completely different diets; however, they are extremely similar in nature. Both diets come with the approach of consuming smaller meals more frequently throughout the day. Most diets, even just eating in general, you only eat three times a day: breakfast, lunch and dinner. However, these diets have you eating more often.

The 3 Hour diet, which was created by fitness expert and author Jorge Cruise, is self-explanatory; you literally eat every three hours. This is also considered "grazing" because you are not eating heavy and large meals but are, in fact, "grazing" like an animal. The positive for this type of diet is that you are more mindful of your body, you listen to when it tells you that you are full so that you don't overeat.

A few years ago my library had a bunch of books they were giving away for free, and Jorge's book about this diet was there. His book is called "The 3-Hour Diet: Lose up to 10 Pounds in Just 2 Weeks by Eating Every 3 Hours!" This book outlines the principles of the diet and provides guidance on how to implement the eating plan. As my mother had been struggling with her weight due to other medical issues, I brought her this book to see if it would help. After discussing it with her Nutritionist, they decided this was a good diet for her to go on.

She got up and had breakfast a seven am, and then ate small meals every three hours after that throughout the day. The type of foods she ate didn't change much, other than continuing to cut out large amounts of sodium, so her food budget didn't change at all. She ate breakfast, lunch, and dinner but they were smaller in size and in between each meal she had a small snack; generally consisting of nuts and fruits. During this diet, she lost 4 pounds in the first week, which was all water weight. After that it was about 2-3 pounds per week. In her first month alone she lost 10 pounds, and over the following nine months lost just over 40. She also made the choice to completely fast one day a week as well; this is something that was not included in his book.

This diet is one of the most budget-friendly because you really aren't actually changing your diet that much, you're just eating less and more often. Although, you can make choices to make it healthier. For example, you might eat half a pint of ice cream at a time but for this diet you would only eat a scoop or two at a time; however, you can make it even healthier by switching from ice cream to Sherbert instead. This way, you are still eating something cold and delicious but at the same time it is just a tad healthier for your body.

These diets have many benefits and are easy to do on your own. Some people may struggle and will go to somewhere like Weight Watchers or another group to help keep track of what you are doing, even getting a personal trainer. This is absolutely okay! Not everyone can track everything themselves. However, most will not warn you that the first week of a new diet (where losing weight is the primary goal) is that all the weight you lose is water weight. Don't be alarmed by this! Considering our bodies are made up of 70% water, it is okay to lose some of that when you first change your diet.

I hope that this has proven insightful, and helpful, in the case of diets and which ones are best for you. All of these are very popular and are ranged from expensive to a normal everyday budget for someone with, say, a lower income.

However, as I always do on posts like these, I strongly encourage you to remember that you should always consult a Nutritionist and your Primary Care Doctor before embarking on major dietary changes. This is to help make sure you choose the right diet and have clear goals for the changes such as if you are trying to lose weight or maintain it.

As always my friends, stay hydrated and healthy as we are now entering the hottest part of the year! See you next time!