Diet plans are facing us every where we look. Some of them are so questionable you would wonder why anyone would want to follow such a plan. But many people do!  Luckily the best diets were evaluated and written about in the newest U.S. News and Word Report.  The top rated plan is and has been the Mediterranean Diet. Second in line is the DASH Diet. The third is The Flexitarian Diet.

The best weight-loss diets were Weight Watchers, Volumetrics Diet,  and The Flexitarian Diet. The article on the best diets were broken down in several catagories, such as Best Commerical Diet Plans, Best Diabetes Diet, Best Diets for Healthy Eating, Best Fast Weight-Loss Diets, Best Heart-Healthy Diets, Best Plant-Based Diets. Easiest Diets to Follow. The Mediterranean Diet was at the top of each list.

Other plans such as the Nordic Diet have been gaining notice. Yet like the Mediterranean plan it recommends plenty of fish, vegetables, and whole grains, berries and beans. It has placed third as the best plant-based diet.  Olive oil is the go to oil for the Mediterranean Diet. The Nordic Diet uses canola oil.

Low ranking plans include the Dukan Diet. Named for the doctor who created the plan, which limits carbs and emphasizes protein.

The DASH Diet was originally developed with research sponsored by the U.S. National Institute of Health. The DASH Diet was designed as a medically sound method to lower blood pressure without medication. In the process researchers discovered that it not only successfully lowered blood pressure, but proved to be an effective way to lose weight.

Hypertension is more common then the ordinary cold and a lot more deadly. It is a very serious health threat because it puts a person at risk for heart disease, stroke, congestive heart failure, kidney disease and other health issues. Like most health issues that can be controlled, when someone is diagnosed with hypertension, patients are often prescribed medication and advised to make lifestyle changes like increasing their exercise regimen, managing stress and lowering dietary sodium.

Instead of promoting what to give up, The Dash Diet promotes the importance of what to add to the diet to make you healthier and it is suitable for the entire family!

As with any healthy eating program, The Dash Diet also recommends a physical activity component. For a personalized plan, it is best to consult with a specialist such as a registered dietitian or a  nutritionist who can tailor an eating program based on your medical history, exercsie and personal preferences.

The Mind-Dash Diet Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND diet) is a hybrid of these two diets. But the MIND DIET also emphasizes brain-healthy foods, such as green leafy vegetables, berries that are loaded with antioxidants, and olive oil.

The Flexitarian Diet is a combination of two words, flexible and vegetarian.  In the book The Flexitarian Diet: The Mostly Vegitarian Way to Lose Weight, Be Healthier, Prevent Disease and Add Years to Your Life, by registered dietitian Dawn Jackson Blatner says you don’t have to eliminate meat completely to reap the health benefits associated with vegetarianism. You can be a vegetarian most of the time, but still consume a burger or steak when the urge hits. By eating more plants and less red meat, it’s suggested that adherents to the diet will not only lose weight but can improve their overall health, lowering their rate of heart disease, diabetes and cancer, and live longer as a result.

The most and highly promoted diet plan currently is the Ketogenic Diet. But not the best overall! Books are plentiful on this plan, TV talk shows promote it, having representatives on who followed this diet!  However, I’m still sitting on the fence about the long term results of this plan.

This plan was first developed in 1921 due to the ability of this type of diet to reduced or suppress seizures. As new medications to treat seizures were developed, the ketogenic diet became less popular as a way to manage seizure disorders. However, in 2008, a clinical trial showed that a ketogenic diet could help children with treatment-resistant epilepsy become seizures-free. The reasons why a ketogenic diet works to help reduce seizures are unclear, but it is believed to induce metabolic changes that lower a risk of seizures.

The diet itself is a low-carb, high-fat diet that involves extreme reduction of carbohydrate consumption and replacing it with fat, up to a concentration of 70-80% of calories fat. There isn’t one standard ketogenic diet, and different ratios of nutritients have been used in so-called keto diets variations. All have a combination of carbohydrates and an increase in fat along with a moderate amount of protein.

The reduction in carbohydrates deprives the body of glucose and causes a metabolic state known as ketosis, due to the accumulation of molecules known as ketones in the bloodstream. Ketones are produced from fat when the body burns stored fat for energy after glucose has been depleted or in situations in which there is inadequate insulin present for glucose to be used as energy. In addition to seizure disorders, ketogenic diets have been tested in the management of some people with other conditions including diabetes, cancer, polycystic ovary syndrome, and Alzheimer’s disease.

Further, the “keto diet” has gained attention as a potential weight loss tool. Its proponents argue that a carefully controlled ketogenic diet can avoid the dangers of ketoacidosis and be an effective way to lose weight. The health benefits are said to be numerous.

IS THE KETOGENIC DIET SAFE?

Dean Ornish, M.D. is the founder and president of the nonprofit Preventive Medicine Research Institute, clinical professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, and the author of six books, all are national bestsellers. He is well know for reversing heart disease.

In his new book, UNDOIT, he states that “after so many studies were published showing that people on low-carb, high-fat, high protein diets were mortgaging their health to lose weight. I was hoping that it would no longer be necessary.” In his work he believes that the optimal way of eating is low in fat and low in refined carbohydrates, as well as low in animal protein. He also writes that “what makes high fat, low carb diets so appealing is that it is based on half-truths. The only diet that has been scientifically proven to reverse heart disease, to slow, stop, or reverse early-stage prostate cancer, and to reverse aging by lengthening telomeres among the benefits, is a whole food plant based diet low in both fat and refined carbohydrates.”

For example, in a study of over 130,000 men and women, animal protein intake was associated with higher premature mortality from all causes, whereas plant protein was associated with lower mortality from all causes, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and the most common trypes of cancer. Replacing animal protein with plant protein lowered the risk of premature mortality.

Dr. Ornish also states that “When you try to lose weight by only reducing the amount of food you eat instead of changing the type of food, your body responds not just by increasing the amount of insulin and lipoprotein lipase but also by increasing your body’s sensitivity to the effects of these – a double whammy. As a result, your body increases the uptake of fat from our blood stream and you tend to regain the lost weight. Also when you reduce only the amount of food, your metabolism slows down so you burn calories more slowly because your body thinks you are starving.”

In controlled studies, the ketogenic diet has been shown to be effective in children and adults who have failed two lines of standard antiseizure medication. However, it is not safe for use in people with certain genetic conditions that affect the metobolism of fatty acids. Nutritional deficiencies are a risk for any severely restriced diet. In 2008 there was a report of two cases of suddent cardiac arrest in children who had been on the ketogenic diet for three years. Impairments in cardiac function may be due to deficiency in the mineral selenium from following the diet. Support from a dietician or nutritionist may be required to help ensure that these and other potenial nutrient deficiencies are addressed.

While there is some evidence to support that a keogenic diet can be effective for weight control, there are also defintive health risks and complications associated with this type of diet. Some of the positive effects of the diet that have been described in addition to weight loss include decreased food cravings due to the high fat content, decrease in the levels of hormones that stimulate appetite, fat loss, and an increase in calories burned. In some people following a ketogenic diet has shown improvements in blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and blood sugar, but these effects are similar to those seen with conventional weight loss programs.

Also, the extreme carbohydrate restriction of the keto diet may cause symptoms including hunger, depressed mood, constipation, headache and irritability. It has also been proposed that long-term effects of this diet may include osteoporosis and an increased risk for kidney stones and gout. Currently, it remains unkown if the potential benefits of the keto diet for weight loss outweighs the health risks.

Other health risks are women and those with a history of chronic metabolic diseases seem to be most susceptible to unwanted side effects due to low-carb eating, including irregular menstrual cycles, trouble sleeping, brain fog, gastrointestinal symptoms, moodiness and fatigue.

The information on the  Ketogenic Diet is endless. The details on all food plans are also extensive. My personal opinion is this! I don’t believe it is necessary to subject our health to the dangres of going into ketosis. We can stay above that, eat clean, eliminate sugars, starches and refined carbs and the benefits can be very beneficial. We need clean carbohydrates for optimal health. We don’t have to risk the side effects of the keto plan! Balance is necessary!