All About Diets

The key to successful dieting is finding a diet that suits you. So knowing the different types of diet around is the first step in choosing the right dietary program. Here are some basic categories of diet:

Diets based on Insulin principle:

• Zone diet: This diet talks about how best to balance the carbohydrate, protein, and fat in the diet and stay in the safe zone of the given values.
• Atkins diet: This diet was introduced by Dr. Atkins based on the premise that when we let go of the carbohydrates in our diet the metabolic hormone of the body called insulin, which is responsible for facilitating the utilization of the carbohydrates, stabilizes.
• South beach diet: It is advanced version of the Atkins plan where there is a differentiation made between the good carbs (whole wheat, brown rice) and the bad carbs (white rice, maida).

Diets based on the low calorie principle:

• The low calorie diet: These are the very simple diets which entail cutting down on calories and eating less of whatever one is usually eating.
• General Motors (GM) diet:  This diet was developed for employees and dependents of General Motors, Inc. and it prescribes some specific foods on particular days.
• The Cabbage Soup diet: It is a radical weight loss diet designed around heavy consumption of a low-calorie cabbage soup over the time of seven days.

Diets based on high fiber, low fat and whole grains principle:

• High fiber diet: It believes in including a lot of fibrous foodstuff in your daily diet which helps prevent constipation and straining.   
• The Hip and Thigh diet: It is a very low fat, low calorie diet (approximately 1200 calories only). The diet is fairly restrictive with foods such as all nuts, seeds, oils and dairy (except skim milk, low-fat yogurt, low-fat cottage cheese) forbidden.

• The Ayurvedic diet: This diet originates from old scriptures of Hindu civilization and is based on the constitution of your body.
  
• The Blood Group diet: This diet is based on the basic principle that a person has to eat according to his blood type.
• The Nutrigenetics diet: It believes in creating personalized diets based on an individual's genetic makeup.

How can a Diet benefit Me?

A balanced diet is healthy and is of prime importance, owing to the overall well being of the individual. The merits of a balanced diet include:

1. relaxation to the mind
2. maintenance of body weight
3. increase in muscle performance
4. better workout capacity
5. regulation of emotions

Whatever diet you choose to adopt, make sure that it contains the average recommended vitamins and minerals, protein, carbohydrates, fiber and fat your body needs. Remember that many people tend to regain lost weight because they discontinue the diet. Eating a healthful and nutritious diet to maintain your new weight, combined with regular physical activity will help you to prevent weight regain.