When it comes to diet, there are many variations that come to mind, each with different characteristics, but which often converge in the single goal of losing weight.
Among the most famous, the Paleo and the Ketogenic, which are often indicated with the abbreviation Keto or Keto.
Here are their main characteristics and differences.
, sometimes referred to as the "caveman's diet", consists of eating only the foods that existed in the "Paleolithic era."
The basic idea is that foods that have always been present in nature are good for health, while everything that has undergone production and processing techniques is harmful.
This diet eliminates cereals, legumes, refined sugar, milk and most of its derivatives.
The main foods allowed are:
- meat,
- fish,
- egg,
- nuts,
- seeds and roots,
- fruit,
- vegetables,
- coconut oil, olive, avocado,
- lard,
- clarified butter,
- some sweeteners including raw honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar and raw stevia.
Paleo is not just a diet but a real lifestyle that is also based on the strong attention to practices that encourage overall well-being and reduce the environmental impact.
For this, incorporate short, intense periods of exercise into your daily routine, as well as moments of yoga and meditation. All activities designed to reduce stress and which, when combined with the diet, have the purpose of stimulating the total well-being of body and mind, leading to better overall health.
, also known as keto, is characterized by the drastic reduction of carbohydrates and by the increase, on the other hand, of proteins and fats, in order to force the body to use fats as an energy source, instead of the glucose of carbohydrates. This mechanism is called ketosis and can be effective for weight loss and blood sugar control.
Roughly, the macro nutrients in a keto diet are distributed as follows:
- fats: 65-90%,
- proteins: 10-30%,
- carbohydrates: less than 5%.
Due to the fact that total carbohydrate intake must remain below a certain threshold to maintain ketosis, many high-carbohydrate foods, regardless of their source, simply do not fit on a keto diet.
The Paleo, on the other hand, provides for an unlimited use, as long as the sources fall within the specified types.
Dairy product
Milk and dairy products are virtually banned from the Paleo diet, as is soy, which falls into the legume category. Grass-fed butter is the only dairy product allowed on the Paleo diet, although not everyone who follows this philosophy agrees.
This is one of the most obvious differences between the two diets, given that the Keto diet allows and even encourages the intake of many dairy products, especially those with a high fat content such as cream, butter and unsweetened whole yogurt.
Some dairy products such as ice cream or milk are banned, but mainly because of their low fat-to-carbohydrate ratio.
Soy-based foods such as tofu, tempeh and soybeans are allowed on the keto diet as long as they fall within the specific amount of daily macro nutrients. Soy milk, on the other hand, is usually not recommended.
.The keto diet, on the other hand, is stricter and not suitable for everyone, although it can be useful as a treatment method for some specific health conditions.
In both diets go ahead with carrots and baby carrots.
Another type of diet that promises various benefits is the pescetarian one or the green Mediterranean diet.
