Approximately 45 million Americans embark on a diet annually, spending in excess of $33 million on weight-loss products and services. The DASH Diet together with the Mediterranean Diet ranked in the top spots according to the U.S. News & World Report’s best diet rankings for the year, both featuring real food while being nutritionally sound. While it serves as common knowledge that a weight-loss diet should focus on healthy, balanced eating and regular exercise, countless Americans are still engaging in fad diets in a desperate attempt to shed some unwanted weight.
Over recent years, weight-loss programs such as the Keto Diet, the Flexitarian Diet (a flexible vegetarian diet) and the Master Cleanse, have all seen individuals lose substantial amounts of weight just to regain most of it after ceasing the diets. Luckily not everyone is turning to quick-fix solutions. Medically-prescribed weight loss approaches including injections filled with fat-fighting abilities remain popular among a population of weight-conscious individuals. In order to make an educated diet choice that will best benefit your health, it is important to gain as much knowledge as possible about all the options available to you, including the latest diet trends doing the rounds.
Time-restricted eating
Fasting is not a new trend by any means and has been practiced by our ancestors since the dawn of time, when food was not as readily available as it is now. Diet trends tend to come in waves with 2018 seeing time-restricted eating once-again rising in popularity. This method of eating differs from conventional modern-day fasting as it does not prescribe any specific calorie restrictions.
The average human eats throughout most of the day, affording the body with very little time to cleanse and reset itself. The concept behind TRE is fairly simple – you eat only during a set number of hours every day, and fast the remainder of the time. There are no cheat days allowed on TRE-it is pretty much calls for an all-or-nothing approach. You are free to determine your own fasting duration but research suggests that an ideal fasting period lasts between 12 and 14 hours every day.
Apple cider vinegar shots
Apple cider vinegar was the top diet trend of 2017 and is still one of the most searched diet-related phrases on Google. This vinegar has been used as a home remedy for various ailments, as well as an appetite suppressant, for many years with celebs like Katy Perry and Victoria Beckham swearing by it as a weight-loss aid. Before striving towards gulping down bottles of it, it is important to note that due to its extremely acidic nature, apple cider vinegar can irritate your stomach, throat, and teeth and should never be consumed undiluted.
According to research conducted Dr. Carol Johnston at the Arizona State University, drinking apple cider vinegar before eating can lead to a decrease in the way blood sugar levels are affected by food. ACV furthermore results in a feeling of fullness after a meal which helps tremendously to combat unhealthy snacking. Research has proven that apple cider vinegar can aid in blood sugar regulation, appetite and insulin control as well as curbing cravings but can it aid in fat loss as well? It is believed that acetic acid can also aid in fat breakdown – underlining the reason why overweight individuals continue to turn to it for weight-loss assistance.
Regardless of whether you want to lose 5 or 50 pounds, it is imperative that you research the options available to you thoroughly before making a decision that could impact all facets of your life. It may be very tempting to try one (or all) of the quick-fix diets available but in the long-run, a more sustained and gradual approach is always best. Don’t ever compromise on your general health and well-being for the sake of losing weight and remember to always consult with a medical professional before making any drastic lifestyle changes.