Paleo, Keto, vegan, the Sana method… there are so many different eating styles and diets these days. It's so hard to see the differences and honestly, after a while no one knows what's good anymore...
I have also tried a number of different eating styles myself, so I can certainly speak from experience. I liked one more than the other, and thought it would be nice to list the most popular lifestyles for you with the corresponding advantages and disadvantages.
What is the Ketogenic Diet?
The ketogenic diet, also known as keto, has been gaining popularity in recent years. There are many proponents, but also many opponents of this principle.
With this diet you limit the number of carbohydrates and you mainly eat proteins, healthy fats and vegetables. Because you limit your intake of carbohydrates, the body will go into a phase of fat burning (ketosis).
The downsides of keto
Let me start immediately with the disadvantages, because a man forewarned is worth two. :-)
1. The transition to ketosis can be unpleasant
When you suddenly eat less carbohydrates, your body can react strongly. There's even a word for it: the keto flu. The first week you may suffer from weakness, headache, dry mouth and bad breath. It is very similar to a flu, after all, your body has to get used to this new eating pattern. After a few days that is fortunately over and from that moment on you will start to experience the benefits.
2. Shortages can quickly arise
Carbohydrates are found in many foods, so your choices are very limited. Attention fruit lovers: during the ketogenic diet you can hardly eat any fruit. Most fruit contains a large dose of carbohydrates. A juicy pear or a tasty banana are therefore not allowed.
Because you barely eat fruit, shortages of vitamins and other important substances can also quickly arise. Variation is therefore extremely important and take separate vitamin supplements if necessary. Such supplements are often recommended when you follow the keto diet so that the deficiencies are replenished.
The advantages
1. It lowers your insulin
Did you know that your body produces insulin when you eat carbohydrates? The production of insulin disrupts your metabolism and your body will therefore stop burning fat. You keep producing insulin again and again to lower your blood sugar level and therefore no longer burn fat. Actually, your body has forgotten that energy can be obtained from fat burning.
Via keto you teach your body to burn fat by limiting the intake of carbohydrates.
2. You get less hungry
With the ketogenic diet you usually lose weight because you are less hungry. You mainly eat fats and proteins, which ensures a saturated feeling. Your portions get smaller and as a result you lose weight.
What to watch out for
In principle, the ketogenic diet is not difficult: you should pay particular attention to the carbohydrates, you can eat a maximum of about 30 to 40 grams of carbohydrates per day. If you keep the dose of carbohydrates low, your body will use the fat reserves as a source of energy and you will therefore lose weight.
Yet it is difficult for many people to cut out their fruit, pasta, pizza and other sources of carbohydrates. Did you know that a banana contains about 18 grams of carbohydrates? Then you know that you will quickly arrive at those 30 to 40 grams.
So with keto you mainly eat a lot of vegetables and healthy fats.
paleo
Keto and paleo are often confused or even linked. Yet there is an important difference between the two.
With paleo you actually eat purely what our distant ancestors ate. You go back to the roots, people used to live from collecting and hunting. Of course you don't have to go hunting ;-), but you know what I mean.
What are you not eating?
If you follow paleo, you leave the processed products aside.
So you don't eat or drink
- legumes and grains
- dairy products such as butter, cheese, milk (...)
- soft drinks
- sugar
You do eat vegetables, fish, meat, eggs, fruit, nuts and seeds.
With this lifestyle you do eat carbohydrates, which is immediately the big difference with the keto diet.
The cons of paleo
Almost every eating style has both disadvantages and advantages. I'll list the disadvantages for you.
1. You should avoid processed products such as sugars
Sugar is bad for us, everyone knows that. And yet it is secretly added to so many foods because products must be tasty. So the food industry makes us addicted to sugar and without you knowing it you ingest a lot of sugar…
Paleo completely bans processed products. But that is not that simple: in the supermarket your options are much more limited and going to a restaurant is also difficult.
If you live according to paleo, you will probably have to cook a lot yourself and you will choose restaurants that focus on paleo. Via this website you can discover in which restaurants you can eat well paleo, in Belgium, the Netherlands and London.
2. It's a tough option for vegetarians
Meat and fish are part of this eating style, so it is not really an option for vegetarians.
As a vegetarian you don't get enough nutrients.
The advantages
1. It can be a solution for all kinds of diseases caused by unhealthy food
With paleo you really go back to basics. You eat exactly the same as people ate in prehistoric times.
In recent years we have seen more and more diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. The reason? We eat too unhealthy, our eating habits ensure that more and more people are also confronted with obesity.
But not only that: food is mass-produced and really contains much less nutritional value. So we don't get enough good nutrients. In addition, our body also receives a lot of bad substances such as pesticides and even hormones (did you know that meat is sometimes sprayed with hormones?) Our food industry is therefore largely at the root of all these diseases.
2. You eat less bad food and get more nutrients
The paleo diet allows only non-processed foods. So you are going to scrap the sugars and chemical additives for the most part. Because you leave processed food aside, you will also eat much healthier. You eat more fish, vegetables, nuts and seeds: this forms the basis for a healthy lifestyle.
Sandra Bekkari's Sana method
I conclude with Sandra Bekkari's Sana method. It's been a while since I first met this lovely lady at my very first fair, the Nooit Meer Dieten fair in Ostend (by Sandra Bekkari.)
The Sana method uses the 7-step plan, which forms the basis for a healthy life. So it is so much more than just healthy eating, but it encompasses a complete lifestyle. I briefly explain the 7 steps to you:
- Eat with attention : that sounds logical, but many people still eat on autopilot. If you eat slowly and chew every bite well, you also give your brain the signal that you are full. In other words: you will have enough sooner.
- Drink plenty of water and healthy drinks: it is recommended to drink at least 1.5 liters of water per day.
- Start your day with breakfast : it also helps you make healthier choices throughout the day.
- Eat two healthy snacks : this will make you less likely to suffer from energy dips. For example, eat a piece of fruit followed by a handful of nuts, because they make you feel full (thanks to the healthy fats and plant proteins.)
- Eat Sana: with the Sana method, your plate should consist of at least half of vegetables . These are packed with vitamins and minerals and therefore you also limit your calorie intake.
- Alternate with superfoods : there are a lot of vegetables, fruit and other things that are packed with healthy substances. Apples, strawberries, blueberries, peppers and broccoli are some of them. Did you know that Sandra Bekkari starts her day with a cup of matcha ? Matcha fits perfectly in this list of superfoods! :-)
- Exercise is equally important: it reduces the risk of heart disease and other diseases. It is just as important as proper nutrition. Don't like sports? Going for a walk every now and then can also do wonders!
The benefits of the Sana method
1. You shouldn't count calories
Sana is about using the right nutrients. So you don't have to count calories or avoid certain things. It's about a good balance between vegetables and other things on your plate.
2. Allow yourself something now and then: the 80/20 rule
The Sana method is not a diet, it is a lifestyle where you follow the 80/20 rule. If you eat healthy 80% of the time, then you can certainly indulge yourself during the other 20%. At that moment you choose what you feel like, it's just important to find a good balance.
3. It's a simple method
The great thing about the Sana method is that it is very simple. No, it is not a complicated diet where you have to avoid many nutrients. This also makes it easy for you to keep up.
The cons
I could think of disadvantages with the other two eating styles, but I have not yet found any with the Sana method.
Perhaps it is a bit difficult for some to keep motivating themselves. Sana is a lifestyle and that requires effort from yourself. It already starts in the supermarket: here you make the right or wrong choices. You have to think about everything you put in your mouth. Buy products that are good for you and be aware of them.
Understand labels: in general, the smaller the label, the less it has been edited. So much healthier!
What's best now?
There is no right or wrong answer to this question, you have to do what feels best for you. Paleo will work great for one, while the other is more of a fan of the Sana method.
If you provide enough variation on your plate and exercise regularly, you will already achieve very good results.
I'm curious: do you follow one of these eating styles and if so, would you like to receive recipes that fit within these lifestyles? Be sure to let me know.
Greetings
Ronny
Sources
https://www.ketogene.nl/benefits/
https://keto.nl/ketose/
https://www.eetpaleo.nl/wat-is-paleo/
https://www.eetpaleo.nl/paleo-en-uit-eten-gaan/
https://www.optimalhealth.com/the-benefits-and-disadvantages-of-the-paleo-diet/
https://dietistelore.weebly.com/sana-method.html
https://www.nooitmeerdieten.be/over-sana/de-sanamethod/
Comments
Isabelle Vervaeke said:
Bedankt voor de interessante vergelijking van diëten.