In today’s society everyone has different diets. Some are healthier than others, some more delicious than others. Social media has been swarmed with different perspectives on what type of diet maximizes both health and enjoyment. I hope this article can offer some insight and help you make the decisions best for your health.

Low carbohydrate, whole food diet

This diet is high in vegetables, meats, eggs, fruits, nuts, and fats. It contains low starch, sugar, and processed food. This diet is best for people who have the goal of losing weight, optimize health, and reduce the risk of disease. 

Mediterranean Diet

This diet includes vegetables, fruits, fish, poultry, whole grains, legumes, dairy products, and extra virgin olive oil. Though this diet includes meat like fish and poultry it mainly focuses around the fruits, vegetables and whole grains. 

Vegan Diet

This diet exclusively eats plants and non animal based foods. This diet has grown in popularity in the last decade. This diet has been linked to health benefits such as weight loss, heart health, and better blood sugar control. However, on the vegan diet you may lack nutrients that are found in animal products. It is recommended to take supplements on this diet to ensure health. The supplements recommended are vitamin B12, Vitamin D, Long chain omega-3s, Iron, Calcium, Zinc, Iodine.  

Paleo Diet

 The paleo diet focuses on eating unprocessed foods. Its primary focus is eating foods that our “paleolithic ancestors.” It is currently the world’s most popular diet that is effective for weight loss and overall health. 

Gluten Free Diet

This diet is essential for people who are intolerant to gluten. Gluten is primarily found in wheat, rye, and barley. This diet focuses on whole foods that avoid gluten. 

Key Takeaway

Even with all of this data and research, I would still say that there is no clear diet that is going to make you into the healthiest person of all time. If I were to recommend a diet, it would have to be the low carb diet or the paleo diet. If you look at the contents of the diet that I listed, both share similar traits. These diets seem to  provide your body with all the nutrients necessary without the need of supplements. 

Overall in today’s world everyone might share a different perspective on what diet is best for them. From my perspective as a student, if you want to start to get healthy, following one of the diets listed above might be in your best interest. But, of course talking to a medical professional is going to be the best way to find a diet right for you.