There is a diet for every motivation, and every season has one or more diets that become popular, through word of mouth and social media. But choosing your diet to lose weight and stay fit is a serious matter: our health is at stake. The nutritionist Nicola Sorrentinodirector of the Iulm Food Academy, helps us by reviewing the characteristics, positive sides and possible risk profiles of five different dietary regimes: high-protein diet, zone diet, minestrone diet, Mediterranean diet and intermittent fasting.
High-protein diet
Much loved because it helps you lose weight quickly, it comes in multiple variations. Among these is ketogenic, created as a therapeutic protocol against epilepsy and characterized by the intake of very few carbohydrates, lots of fats and lots of proteins.
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“It forces the body to use fats as a source of energy, which normally happens with sugars. The goal is to lose weight quickly but it is illusory because it happens at the expense of lean mass. Furthermore, prolonged ketosis over time can cause kidney damage , liver, heart”, warns the nutritionist.
Diet the area
Created for athletes, it provides very high percentages of proteins. The objective is to reduce insulin stimulation by restricting the amount of carbohydrates. The overall caloric intake is made up of carbohydrates (40%), proteins (30%), fats (30%). “It is not a harmful diet: it encourages the consumption of whole grains, easily digestible proteins and, as fat, extra virgin olive oil. But it is not easy to respect the indicated percentages and above all the quantity of proteins is greater than the correct guidelines nutrition”, says Sorrentino.
Minestrone diet
Created in a hospital in Saint Louis for obese patients with coronary heart disease, the minestrone diet is based on an unbalanced and low-calorie diet. “You can eat vegetables, cooked or raw, in all ways, and fruit. Recommended only for a few days to purify”, the nutritionist’s advice.
Fast
“We fast for therapy, religion, politics. Even just for fashion, and it is very wrong”, Sorrentino began.
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Fasting can be practiced one day a week, consuming a maximum of 500 calories (“preferably vegetables”); every other day, always reaching a maximum of 500 calories. Among the fashionable fasts, the 12.12 fast (it involves 12 hours of fasting, you eat for breakfast, you skip lunch, you have dinner); 4.8pm (dinner, breakfast skipped, lunch). “You might think that in the time slot in which you can eat you eat everything you want, but it doesn’t work that way.” The advantages? “We provide autophagy, that is, the death of diseased cells and the regeneration of healthy ones,” explains the nutritionist.
In any case, the guidance of a specialist is always needed (therapeutic fasting).
Mediterranean
“It is the healthy diet par excellence, healthy and balanced. It provides all the nutrients in the right proportions (proteins 15-20%, carbohydrates 50-60%, fats 25-30%, vitamins, mineral salts, fiber and water)”, he says the nutritionist. Proteins are easy to digest like those of white meat and fish, legumes and eggs. As carbohydrates, preferably whole grains: pasta, rice, bread. As fats especially extra virgin olive oil. Five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, dried nuts as a snack. “The Mediterranean diet is suitable for single dishes such as pasta and beans or lentils, with meat or fish sauce, stew with potatoes, pizza. It is copied from all over the world because it prevents and treats diseases of well-being such as obesity , dysplideimia, gout, hypertension” adds the nutritionist. Disadvantages? “There aren’t any,” he concludes.