by niallkennedy

In this second part of the article, we continue to investigate the philosophy behind the diets that people adhere to and the advantages and disadvantages of them.

5) Balanced Macronutrient Ratios Diet (“the zone”)

The promoters of this diet claim that it helps in losing weight, extend ones life as well as lowering the risk of a heart attack. The diet advocates eating carbohydrates, protein, and fat (macronutrients) in the ratio of 40% carbohydrates, 30% protein, and 30% fat. The diet was created and promoted by Dr Barry Sears in the “zone” books. His goal is to produce a more balanced biochemical state in the body by reducing the carbohydrate intake while increasing the protein intake.

Pros: This diet is an improvement over the high Carb, low fat diet. It has the potential of reducing weight and leads to a more balanced blood sugar levels as well as a reduction in inflammation.

Cons: The downside of this diet is that it fails to address the quality of food eaten. There is also a shortage of fat-soluble vitamins A and D in this diet. Dr Sears endorses Soy Protein isolates which is an inferior source of protein containing high levels of Pytic acid. Soy protein has also been found to be highly allergenic and estrogenic which can be problematic in men and certain women.

6) The Ketogenic Low Carb Diet.

This include Dr Atkin’s New Diet Revolution, protein power, and the South Beach Diet. This diet was popularized because of studies acknowledging the diets effectiveness as a weight loss program. Diets under this category call for eating large servings of proteins and small amounts of carbohydrates. The low -carb diets mimic fasting or starvation because as the body is denied carbohydrates its metabolism speeds up and hunger urges are suppressed. When the body is denied glucose from the carbohydrate, it resorts to burning ketones, chemicals that the body produces from fat.

Pros: The benefit of the diet is of course the ability to lose weight. Under medical supervision, this diet can be used to manage certain illnesses including obesity, GI disorders, childhood epilepsy and certain brain tumors.

Cons: The downside of this diet is that most people end up eating high fat diets as opposed to low -carb diets. Some of the recommended foods can also be dangerous to the health of a human being. For example pork rinds which according to Dr Atkins are the “zero carbohydrates consolation price for corn or potato chip addicts” are an unhealthy alternative to a carb. Some of the diets recommend artificial sweetener such as aspartame and sucralose, which have been shown to be dangerous for human consumption.

7) The Food-Combining and Acid/Alkaline Diets

Many advocates of this diet believe that alkaline forming foods are essential because human kind evolved from an environment of the ocean. The problem with this diet is that it is based on a presumption which is not backed by scientific facts or Historical evidence. There is still no empirical evidence to show that the body is affected negatively by digesting certain foods when eaten in combination. This diet divides foods into the acid forming type and the alkaline forming type. The goal is to eat 80% alkaline forming foods and 20% acid forming foods.

Pros: There is evidence that many people experience improved digestion by avoiding combination of certain foods. This diet is particularly beneficial for those switching from junk foods to a more healthy diet. For majority of people however, most healthy foods eaten in combination have no negative effects just as it has been for generations.

Cons: The downsize of this diet is that people hooked to it run the risk of nutrients deficit similar to those found with those on vegetarian diets.

The Blood type Diet

The proponents of this diet believe that “our food requirements evolved with mankind over 40 million years since prehistoric times in essentially four flavors corresponding conveniently with the blood types-O, A, B, or AB”. This diet was popularized by Peter D’ Adamo, ND, in his best selling book, Eat Right for your type (Putnam, 1997).

According to Adamo, modern people with blood type O are descended from the earliest humans, who were physically active and ate a diet composed mostly of meat of large herbivorous mammals, with little or no grain. Therefore if you are type O, you also require a large amount of meat and lots of exercise.

Type A, according to Adamo are descendants of modern day agrarian humans and are more docile, and thrive on vegetables and fruits. This type should therefore avoid meat and dairy products. Type B are descendants of nomadic herders and thrive on dairy products and require moderate exercise. Type AB do not handle meat well and they should instead eat grains, fish, and soy based foods. The proponents of this diet argue that certain blood types are incompatible with specialized proteins in foods like cereals and beans. Because of this incompatibility, diseases like kidney failure and food allergies are caused.

Pros: The beauty of this diet is that it is a low calorie diet and therefore someone who has fed on junk food before turning to this diet will reap the benefits of losing weight naturally.

Cons: The problem with the diet is that it is unproven and is deemed more of a fad by the Scientific and nutritional community. It also has no anthropological backing and neither is it biblical.

Read part 1 at http://www.bukisa.com/articles/406317_the-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-modern-diets-that-people-buy-into-part-1

select: More Diets Articles

by Valeri-DBF

1) The Standard American Diet (SAD)

The standard American diet might typically consist of a doughnut or muffin with coffee and or Orange Juice for breakfast. For mid morning a person on such a diet will have a bagel with cream cheese. Lunch will generally consist of a sandwich with some chips and a soft drink or a fast food burger with extra cheese, a large order of French fries, and another large soft drink.

Ideally with this diet there is an afternoon snack consisting of a candy bar and perhaps another soft drink or coffee. Dinner will consists of some meat with a potatoes entrée with rolls laced with margarine and some kind of vegetables like green beans. The dessert will be a cake or ice-cream.

Cons: This diet needless to say is very unhealthy and left unchanged can lead to sadness as its name clearly describes it. Altering some of the foods in this diet will have an enormous positive effect on one’s energy and general health.

2) The vegetarian Diet (also known as The Genesis or Hallelujah Diet)

This ranks as the oldest of all specialty diet. People become vegetarians for various reasons which include both spiritual and philosophical reason. Others shun meat for health reasons based on the fear of saturated fats found in animal meats. There are various categories of vegetarians namely;

a) Lacto-ovo-vegetarians - These ones add dairy and eggs to their vegetable only diet.

b) Lacto vegetarians- They include dairy in the diet but do not eat eggs.

c) Vegans- They consider themselves purists because they do not eat any animal products. They have sworn to “never to eat anything that has or comes from something that has a face”. Because of this some will not even eat honey because of the bees that the honey comes from.

d) Fruitarian diet - A variation of the vegetarian diet and consume a diet that comprises fruits, nuts and seeds. Some who subscribe to this diet will only eat fruits and nuts that fall from a tree or plant because they avoid “killing” anything including plants.

e) Hallelujah and genesis diets- This diet is based on God’s instructions to Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. God told Adam and Eve” I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be food” Genesis 1:29.

Pros: The benefits of the vegetarian diet is its focus on vegetables and fruits and its avoidance of junk foods. This diet is known to decrease the toxic burden on the body and is of great value as a short term cleansing diet.

Cons: The diet is however unsuitable for long term because it deprives the body essential nutrients available only from meat and animal products which can have dire consequences to the body in the long run.

3) The Raw- Food Vegan Diet

Raw-food advocates never cook food before eating it. They believe that cooking weakens the potency of vitamins and minerals, which in the process destroys enzymes, and possibly introduces toxins. Some in this group suggest eating raw meat as well as raw fruits and vegetable.

Pros: The benefits of this diet are similar to those found with a vegetarian diet in that they consume organic fruits, vegetables and nuts. These are foods rich in antioxidants that prevent free radicals from damaging body tissues.

Cons: The downside of this diet is similar to that of the vegetarian diet. The diet is mostly lacking in quality protein unless raw meat is included. It is a diet that is difficult to stay on and may be lacking in vitamins (notably A,D and B) and essential fatty acids derived from animals and animal fats. Some of the advocates of this diet supplement the raw vegetarian diet with raw animal products such as unpasteurized dairy products, raw eggs, uncooked meats, poultry and fish.

There is however the added risk of contamination common in raw foods. Another factor to consider is that humans lack the enzyme cellulase necessary for digesting plant fibers. Undesirable intestinal microbes can ferment undigested sugar and fiber leading to gas production, inflammation, and abdominal pain in certain people.

4) The Anticandida (Antiyeast) Diet

This diet aims to avoid diet that activate Candida that affects many women in the form of vaginal yeast. Candidiasis, is a disease caused by a yeast fungus , candiada Albicans. This yeast often breeds in the throat, mouth, digestive tract, vaginal tract and on the skin. This same yeast however also has valuable functions in the digestive tract when checked by other more beneficial microorganisms in the intestine. Many cases of Candida occur after taking antibiotics that kill all bacteria in the gut.

Pros: The benefit of this diet is that it eliminates sugar in every form. This includes foods and beverages containing sugar which unfortunately also include fresh fruit and fruit juices. The basis of doing this is to starve the Candida fungus which feeds on sugar. Foods fermented with vinegar are also to be avoided which include soy sauce, vinegar pickles among such. Avoiding these foods may have an added advantage of lowering carbohydrates which help in balancing sugars and hormones as well as in weight management.

Cons: The downsize of this diet is that it can be very hard to follow because it excludes some very healthy foods like fruits and honey.

Read part 2 at http://www.bukisa.com/articles/406954_the-advantages-and-disadavantages-of-modern-diets-that-people-are-sold-into-part-2