DIETS OF THE MOMENT
It's a cliché, but also a truth; It's early January, we've just completely indulged in all the December gear for a month and now it's over. Christmas tree out the door and time to turn the ship around. Because we like to keep a sharp eye on trends, we’ve lined up the most popular diets for 2014.
THE CAVEMAN / PALEO DIET
In the U.S., it is by far the most popular diet of the moment. The name says it all. The premise of this diet is to eat like in the past. The caveman diet assumes that the food we ate thousands of years ago is the right food. Our bodily processes today would be almost identical to those of the ‘caveman‘. Our body has not yet evolved with commonly used products like cornflakes, grains, and soft drinks. So we are actually still all ‘caveman‘. A growing number of followers of the so-called Caveman diet claim that a return to the food of the hunter of yore can reduce problems like obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart diseases. This movement is supported by some academics and fitness gurus, and of course, it has already garnered quite an impressive celebrity following.
What to eat?
- Eat vegetables and fruits, nuts and berries, meat and fish
- Eat 6 meals a day
- Drink 3 liters of water
- Exercise regularly
- Establish a regular sleep rhythm
What isn’t?
- No grains
- No fats other than light olive or coconut oil
- No sugars, except from whole fruits
- No fruit juices
- No legumes and beans
- No dairy
Who does it?
Megan Fox, Miley Cyrus, Jessica Biel, Matthew McConaughey, Jack Osbourne
THE FOOD SAND TIMER
The nutritional movement that has firmly taken hold in the Netherlands and Belgium over the past year is The Food Sand Timer by Kris Verburgh. We talk about a movement instead of a diet because that’s absolutely not how the author wants to label it. The goal is to live healthier. Consequently, the vast majority eating according to this method loses a fair amount of weight. The principle? Replace unhealthy foods like soft drinks, fast food, sweets, bread, and pasta, etc., as much as possible with healthy foods like nuts, oatmeal, legumes, and ginger tea. Essentially, you can continue eating in the same way, just swapping everything for the healthy variant.
What to eat?
- Nutritional supplements
- healthy oils and sugar substitutes
- pure chocolate, soy, nuts
- fatty fish, poultry, eggs, cheese, tofu
- oatmeal, mushrooms, fruit, vegetables
- tea, red wine, fresh juice, plant-based milk, water
What isn’t?
- Soft drinks, drinkable yogurt
- Bread, potatoes, pasta, rice
- Sweets
- Salt, omega 6 oil, sugar, butter, sauces
- Medication
Who does it?
Our own Peggy Weijergang
THE FASTING / 5:2 DIET
Coming over from England and becoming increasingly popular in our own little country is the fasting diet. The principle is quite simple. For five days, you eat pretty much whatever you want; on the other two days, you live on a very strict diet of about 500 calories.
What to eat?
Basically, you can eat anything as long as you stick to the 5:2 ratio.
What isn’t?
On your fasting days, you may not exceed 500 calories. Usually a combination of vegetables and proteins. You cannot have two fasting days in a row.
Who does it?
Jennifer Aniston
THE BLOOD TYPE DIET
The blood type diet has been around for 30 years but is currently rising enormously in popularity. It is assumed that not every person reacts the same to different types of food and therefore not one diet works for everyone. Based on your blood type, American Dr. Dadamo has compiled various diets. For example, people with blood type A do better living vegetarian, while people with blood type B can eat meat, but for example, not chicken. The theory is that if you know what is good for your blood type, you will remain slim and healthy your whole life.
What to eat?
This is entirely dependent on your blood type
What isn’t?
This also depends on which blood type you are.
Who does it?
Kate Upton
