There can be several different types of diets suiting different kinds of people. The diets are set up in keeping with the tastes and requirements of the concerned persons. The efficacy of the diets determines the credibility of the dieticians.
A number of specialized diets are now being marketed at any given time. Persons opting for them need to decide upon careful scrutinizing which one of these diets will be appropriate for them.
Diets sharing some basic common characteristics can be conveniently categorized into groups. This enables us to gain a better understanding of the diets popularly suggested.
Common diet types
The objective of a number of diets is to keep our body in good shape while ensuring health, fitness and well-being. Getting rid of excess weight is the prime concern of most diet programs set up today.
This takes into account the restriction of certain categories of food intake in the diets recommended. Low fat and low carbohydrate diets are commonly sought resort to by diet and health-conscious people.
Low fat diet is the most common. Fats have the highest calorific value are hence to be sparingly used in diets. Besides certain fats have also been known to promote development of various diseases and health complications- cardiovascular diseases and the like and are therefore to be avoided.
Now, almost all our favorite delicacies are characterized by the generous use of fats and oils. Adhering to a low fat diet regimen however, does not imply doing away with all these. In fact it is just not possible to provide a diet containing absolutely no fat since all food items commonly consumed contain some amount of fat.
But judiciously selecting diet items, which have had their fat content reduced can go a long way to ensure health and fitness. Our favorite processed foods can be catered in reduced-fat or fat-free versions without compromising on taste.
A low carbohydrate diet is the other common diet type. This is recommended for getting rid of or getting control over the excess body fat.
Carbohydrates are the primary energy giving food for the body. In their presence fats are not considered by the body system for being burnt to supply energy. This causes the accumulation of fats consumed leading to excess body weight and disease.
Moreover, excess carbohydrate taken in is also converted into fats and stored as such in the body. So, a damper needs to be put on carbohydrate food consumption for the well being of the body. This will ensure that excessive fats are burnt for providing energy and got rid of it.
Ideal diet regimens
It has been estimated that the ideal eating plan should involve intake of 40 percent of the body’s requisite calories from carbohydrates, 30 percent of it from fats and the rest of it from proteins. Diet charts should be prepared providing the major nutrients in these proportions involving various foodstuffs.
There should be a good balance of cereals, fresh fruits and vegetables, oils, and proteins in the diet plan. Fruits and vegetables supply necessary fibers facilitating digestion apart from a number of essential vitamins and minerals.
