Types of Diets, what is right for you?

Distributing Your Macronutrients- Diet Types Explained

By Dr. Heather Hunt DC & Liz Dreher 

Think about your body composition goal. Is it fat loss?  Easier weight maintenance?  If so, consider looking a little closer at the diet you typically follow and compare it to the ranges (pie charts) below. Every body is different, therefore it will serve you to know what you usually do and what your results have been. You may find that you don’t fit into any of these common categories, but you might not know unless you track. Once you track your diet, you can move forward with some information. Sign up with a free online diet tracker/analysis program such as Cronometer. It is easy to use, and will provide you with a lot of information. Keep in mind, certain diet restrictions aren’t appropriate if your body is overly stressed. It is counter productive to impose strict diet restrictions when your body needs to rebuild. 

   Examples of Popular Diet Macronutrient Ratios (% CHO-Protein-Fat) 

The Zone Diet (40% carb - 30% pro - 30% fat)

The Zone Diet aims for a nutritional balance of 40% carbohydrates, 30% fats, and 30% protein each time we eat. The focus is also on controlling insulin levels, which results in more successful weight loss and body weight control. The Zone Diet encourages the consumption of good quality carbohydrates - unrefined carbohydrates, and fats, such as olive oil, avocado, and nuts.

Mediterranean Diet (~50% carb - 20% pro - 30% fat)

The Mediterranean Diet is Southern European, and more specifically focuses on the nutritional habits of the people of Crete, Greece, and southern Italy.  The emphasis is on lots of plant foods, fresh fruits as dessert, beans, nuts, cereals, seeds, olive oil as the main source of dietary fats, cheese and yogurts are the main dairy foods, moderate amounts of fish and poultry, up to about four eggs per week, small amounts of red meat, and low/moderate amounts of wine.

Paleo (varies depending on choices, 30% carb-30% pro-40% fat)

In its purest form, the Paleo Diet or the Caveman Diet allows only those foods that man ate when he first roamed the planet millions of years ago: Fish, lean meats, fruit, non-starchy veggies, and nuts are in; starchy veggies, dairy foods, grains, and processed foods are out. Because of its straightforward guidelines, focus on nutrient-rich produce, and emphasis on exercise, the Paleo Diet has earned a loyal following among fans who say it helps them not only lose weight but get — and stay — healthier. However, others say the long term results aren't proven yet and say the diet is also difficult to maintain.

Ketogenic (~20% carb - 15% pro - 65% fat)

Ketogenic diets are becoming more popular, and for a variety of reasons. In addition to weight loss, they are beginning to be studied as a treatment or prevention for other conditions. They are already well-established as a treatment for epilepsy, and researchers are interested in uses for other neurological conditions. A June 2013 paper in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition listed the following conditions as possibly being helped by ketogenic diets:

Strong Evidence: Epilepsy, Overweight and Obesity (weight reduction), Type 2 Diabetes, Cardiovascular Risk Factors 

Time-Restricted Eating or Intermittent Fasting

Our thoughts around adding this as an option is to give those with the goal of weight loss another tool to try. Post cleanse, this method can be used to help with weight management as well.

Intermittent fasting (IF) isn’t for everyone. If you are pregnant, nursing, chronically stressed, have adrenal health issues, have a history of disordered eating, or suffer from poor sleep; save experimenting with this tool for another time or not at all.

We could spend a lot of time talking about the benefits of fasting, if you are interested in learning more Liz recommends “The Complete Guide to Fasting” by Jason Fung, MD.  He also has a series of youtube videos available online. 

Briefly, we are limiting the eating window or extending the number of hours you spend in a fasted state.  Employing this technique can help with fat loss and easier weight maintenance.  This is achieved by keeping insulin levels low, allowing the body to go internally for energy during fasting hours.  Intermittent fasting has various health benefits, including improved insulin sensitivity and lower glucose levels.

The average American eats 5-6 times per day (according to NHANES data).  Most Americans have a wide eating window and a short fasting window.  This contributes to elevated insulin levels for more hours during the day than not.  When insulin levels are elevated, our body will not use stored body fat for energy.  The goal is to give the body a chance to utilize its own stored body fat for energy.

Start slowly by pushing the first meal of the day out for a couple of hours. This utilizes the overnight fast plus a little more time in the fasted state. Depending on your tolerance and experience, you can titrate your dose (number of hours in the fasted state) to suit your goal.  You may find closing the kitchen at 7 pm and waiting to eat your first meal till 10 am the next day is enough to get the benefits.  Everyone comes to the table with a different body and different needs and goals. Don’t go too crazy thinking too much about it. Always be mindful about how you feel, and be flexible with the changes you choose to make or not.

 Feel free to have non-caloric beverages during your fast hours, including bone broth and tea.

I recommend you consider using a time-restricted eating window/IF if it seems to come naturally. This is not a method you should force upon yourself; if it feels like a struggle then don’t do it.  It should improve your life, not make it harder.  Always listen to your body with awareness and respond with self-compassion.

Also, intermittent fasting is not meant to be every day. Choose a day a week or more if you can tolerate it to do this sort of fasting.

“Fasting is a stress.  Whether it is a hormetic (beneficial) stress or potentially a detrimental stress is largely determined by what other life stressors are at play.”  Robb Wolf

Pic courtesy of FreePik, JComp