Diet↕ | Core Principle↕ | What You Eat↕ | Evidence Level↕ | The Controversy↕ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mediterranean | Eat like coastal Europeans | Olive oil, fish, vegetables, whole grains, red wine | Strong (Blue Zones research) | Is it really the food, or is it the lifestyle (walking, community, stress)? |
Ketogenic (Keto) | High fat, very low carb (<50g) | Meat, cheese, avocado, butter, eggs, nuts | Moderate (epilepsy: strong, weight loss: mixed) | Rapid weight loss → rapid regain? Keto flu, cholesterol concerns, bacon-as-health-food cognitive dissonance |
Intermittent Fasting | Time-restricted eating (16:8, OMAD, 5:2) | Anything — during eating window only | Moderate | Is it just calorie restriction with extra steps? Autophagy claims overblown? Works great for some, disaster for others |
Veganism | No animal products | Vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, tofu | Moderate (ethical: strong) | B12 deficiency risk, 'but where do you get your protein?', ethical vs health vs environmental veganism |
Paleo | Eat like cavemen (supposedly) | Meat, fish, vegetables, fruits, nuts — no grains/dairy/processed | Mixed | Cavemen actually ate grains (archaeological evidence), cherry-picking which era to emulate |
Carnivore | Meat only, zero carbs | Beef, organs, eggs, some dairy | Weak (mostly anecdotal) | Jordan Peterson family popularized it, scurvy risk?, no fiber, 'lions don't eat salad' argument |
Whole Food Plant-Based | Unprocessed plants only | Vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes — no oil/sugar | Moderate-Strong | Different from veganism (no processed vegan junk food), strict, Dr. Greger/Esselstyn evangelism |
DASH Diet | Lower blood pressure through diet | Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, low sodium | Strong | Works great for hypertension, but boring branding — nobody goes viral saying 'I'm on DASH' |
Flexible Dieting (IIFYM) | Hit your macro targets, eat what you want | Literally anything that fits your macros | Moderate | 'If It Fits Your Macros' — Pop-Tarts in a bodybuilding diet? Technically works but food quality matters |
Raw Food Diet | Nothing heated above 48°C (118°F) | Raw fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, sprouted grains | Weak | Cooking actually makes nutrients MORE bioavailable, serious deficiency risks, very difficult to sustain |
Volumetrics | Eat high-volume, low-calorie foods | Soups, salads, fruits, vegetables, water-rich foods | Moderate | Sensible but unsexy — no influencer has gone viral saying 'eat more soup' |
Atkins | Original low-carb (phases approach) | Meat, cheese, eggs → gradually add carbs | Moderate | The OG keto from the 1970s, Dr. Atkins died and critics blamed his own diet (actually a fall) |
Intuitive Eating | Listen to hunger cues, reject diet culture | Whatever your body tells you to eat | Emerging (mental health: moderate) | Anti-diet movement, 'honor your cravings' — but does it work for weight loss? (proponents say that's not the point) |
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