The debate on which diet is best for weight loss will go on forever!
Today I will share which 3 diets are rated as the BEST weight loss diets, and how combining the 3 of them could yield better results than either alone.
If you still need help with diet, then consider booking in a consult and getting a thorough assessment of you hormones done, including a Food Intolerance test.
In fact, one of our current patients had a massive win this week by taking her prescribed nutrients and following her Food Intolerance Report. She lost a MASSIVE 13kg in 6 weeks!
The Okinawan Diet
The Okinawa diet describes the eating habits of the indigenous people of the Ryukyu Islands (belonging to Japan), which is believed to contribute to their exceptional longevity and health. There are more centenarians—those aged 99 or older—living on Okinawa islands than anywhere else in the world. People living in Okinawa have especially low rates of obesity and chronic diseases.
So what can we learn from this?
The diet includes plenty of vegetables and seafood and limited processed foods. Sweets are only eaten at special occasions, and meal sizes are quite small.
Many Okinawans eat in accordance with a Confucian teaching called hara hachi bu — eating until you’re satisfied, not full. They eat with mindfulness, and don’t rush their food.
A typical Okinawan meal consists of stir-fried or boiled vegetables, miso soup, and a small serving of tofu or fish. This includes breakfast – no sweet cereals or bakery items.
The Mediterranean Diet
The Mediterranean diet is a diet inspired by the eating habits of Spain, Italy and Greece in the 1960s. The principal aspects of this diet include proportionally high consumption of olive oil, legumes, unrefined cereals, fruits, and vegetables, moderate to high consumption of fish, moderate consumption of dairy products, moderate wine consumption, and low consumption of non-fish meat products.
We find that this diet is often too low in proteins for our patients, with too many legumes. The diet is rich in vegetables and good antioxidants, and works well for people without a thyroid problem to lose weight.
The GI Diet – Low Glycemic Index
The glycemic index (GI) is a measurement system that ranks carbohydrates according to their effect on your blood sugar levels. It was created in the early 1980s by Dr. David Jenkins, a Canadian professor.
The GI Diet focus on foods with a low GI as they are slowly digested and absorbed, causing a slower and smaller rise in blood sugar levels. This causes better energy throughout the day, better feeling of satiety, and reduces cravings.
Low GI Foods are a good choice, but diet plans can still be incorrect when navigated by the layman, resulting in weight issues, and nutritional deficiencies.
The Tri-fector
Combining these 3 diets seems to be the best standard approach to weight loss.
Simple steps to adopt:
- Eat lots of vegetables, and many varieties for diversity
- Eat protein at every meal
- Eat fish and seafood several times a week
- Choose low GI foods
- Include olive oil to your diet, ideally not cooked
- All approaches avoid processed, refined and take-away foods
But what if you are eating the wrong food for YOU?
This is where pathology really is a powerful tool to know exactly how to approach your health and weight loss. Food intolerances can be a huge factor sabotaging your weight loss. If you are eating foods that your are intolerant to, this causes inflammation in the body, drives autoimmune diseases, flares gut problems and results in fat on the belly. The best way to find out is with a food intolerance test done with a sample of your blood.
Here is an example of a Food Intolerance Report. This person was eating the wrong food in a low calorie, Paleo diet and not losing weight. Once she changed her diet to follow the food intolerance report, she lost 4 kg in 2 days!
If you are tired of trying every weight loss approach under the sun, book a call and get on a treatment plan based on your pathology.
Reactions to food intolerances can appear in many different forms, some not even related to the digestive system! Some examples of different reaction types are:
Weight Gain: Food can impact your bodies ability to lose weight if you have an intolerance to it – even if it is a “healthy” food choice.
Gastrointestinal: distension, bloating, gas, cramping, colic, IBS, diarrhea
Respiratory allergic reactions: rhinitis, nasal congestion, sinusitis
Dermal: Skin rashes, eczema, angioedema
Central Nervous System: mood swings, behavioral changes, learning difficulties
Neurovascular: migraines, Meniere’s disease (vertigo)
Musculoskeletal: weakness, feeling “below par”, arthralgia, myalgia
Without testing, you could be experiencing reactions to food intolerances without ever knowing it.
Book an appointment to discuss your concerns, or ask any questions about our testing. We can’t wait to hear from you!
