Keto, Paleo, Gluten Free: Are These Fads Or The Next Step In Dietary Evolution?

A speedy guide for people not in the know

I don’t know if the Kardashians are to be blamed for this, but there are an awful lot of salads lurking around the city. Salads are starting to replace meals on a lot of menus, and smoothies are available in tetra packs at coffee shops. Why is that?

Salads represent good health, and happiness and good health are interlinked. If simple changes to our diet can help accelerate good health, then pass me a fork and hand me the lettuce as well.

Here are a few types of diet regimes that promise full meals and good health all wrapped up in one – but are they worth it?

A slice of the paleo

There are many diets floating around that all promise increased metabolism and a decreased amount of cellulite. One such diet is the Paleolithic way of eating.

In the Paleolithic era, cavemen and women lived off the land. They ate lean meats, leafy greens and an array of nuts. Many followers of the paleo diet believe this to be the ideal way of eating for humans. They think that is simply the only way to nourish the human body. As a modern-day human, I personally wonder how this diet could benefit the human species today. Cavemen had shorter lifespans, they wore rags to cover their modesty and had no clue about indoor plumbing- so do we really need to be taking nutrition advice from them?

On the flip side, believers of the Paleo diet argue that this form of eating promotes good health by building immunity. It is even safe for people suffering from heart disease and diabetes. The lack of processed foods and refined sugars helps maintain sugar levels and keeps the gut clean.  It’s probably a good thing that ice cream wasn’t invented in the cave people era, because this diet does not permit dairy. So if you would like to adopt this way of living, say goodbye to cheese fries.

Keto

Another regimen of trendy nutrition is the keto diet. The ketogenic diet involves eating low carbs and high fats. Energy produced in the liver in the form of ketogens are supposed to be better energy agents for the human body; and the followers of this form of dietary control promise higher focus and increased energy.

Thanks to the low carb intake, this diet also promises a quicker weight loss process, which is the goal for most people following a diet plan anyway.

The only down side is, if you enjoy strawberries on your yoghurt or apples in your sangria look away. This diet plan does not permit fruits. On the plus side, cheese and butter are good to go.

Gluteus and Gluten: Know the difference

If you have ever been in a Pilates class you will know gluteus are the parts of your body that your trainer hates on leg days. After all our gluteus keeps our legs together and similarly, gluten helps breads keep their shape together.

The wheat proteins found in breads and other baked goods are gluten strands. These bind the dough together as it cooks to give the bread its structure.

Many people suffering from celiac disease are not allowed to consume gluten as their bodies cannot break down gluten easily, therefore the gluten in the food starts to damage the lining of their gut.

Recently gluten-free products have acquired a special place on store shelves in what is easily the golden age of screen eating. The 2010’s will forever be known as the decade in which mankind began eating with its phone screen. In hip Bandra cafes and in cute stalls at exhibitions, gluten-free goods are packaged in just the right amount of twine and recycled paper to get snatched up.

It is only a matter of time until the next new diet hits the market and makes promises that its followers may or may not help keep, but in the mean time if eating garlic bread is bad, who wants to be right?

All these diets promise clear skin, better immunity and overall better health. Even if they require a certain amount of effort and cost more time and effort than getting takeout, perhaps it is necessary to eat healthier and outlive our cave people ancestors.