What are paleo, keto, and plant-based diets? What is vegetarianism? What foods can the diets really entail?
Even the word “diet” has multiple but separate definitions in the modern day –
1) the kinds of food that a person, animal, or community habitually eats
2) a special course of food to which one restricts oneself, either to lose weight or for medical reasons.
Looking through dietary patterns both old and new has shown me that there are many aspects of diet that are misunderstood because diet terminologies are often thrown around without mention of their grouping or context.
This post entails a way to make sense of many eating patterns I have collected data on, pulling from weight-loss diets, historical patterns, ethics-based patterns, and diets that aid in the prevention or treatment of disease.
Background
( Term )
( Definition / Example of term )
cal
Calories
A term used in nutrition and science as a measurement of energy. Our bodies use the energy/calories in food to fuel activity and maintain bodily function. Eating many fewer calories than your body burns in a day leads to weight loss while eating many more calories than your body burns usually leads to weight gain.
Macronutrients
Common properties of food (carbohydrates, proteins, and fats) that provide energy in one’s diet.
Carb Carbohydrate
Potatoes, grains, beans, and winter squash are high in carbohydrates. One gram of carbohydrate has 4 calories.
Fat
(Dietary Fat)
Nuts, seeds, and animal products contain a lot of fat and few carbs. One gram of fat has 9 calories.
Protein
Beans, animal products, grains, nuts, and seeds are all good sources of protein. One gram of protein has 4 cal.
Dietary Patterns
Standard American Diet
Standard American Diet – a diet with a high intake of sugar, processed foods, and fat content (especially saturated fat) from sources like sodas, fried foods, processed meats, processed grains, red meat, eggs, and full-fat dairy.
Common Paleo Diet
Common Paleo Diet – diet that excludes foods that were not believed to be consumed in the Paleolithic era of human history. Foods that are normally excluded are grains (including corn), beans and legumes, and dairy.
low - carb diets
Low – carb (LC) diets limit carbohydrate intake in an attempt to lose weight, maintain health, and / or aid in the treatment of medical conditions (like epilepsy, some cancers, and type 2 diabetes).
Ketogenic (Keto) Diet
Ketogenic (Keto) Diet – a diet consisting of foods that are very low in carbohydrates and high in fat (VLCHF) in an attempt to enter ketosis – a state that occurs when carbohydrate consumption is not high enough to fuel the body and fats are instead metabolized for the main source of energy. Foods and additives avoided are grains, beans, high-starch vegetables, high-carb fruits, sugar, honey, high fructose corn syrup as well as other blood sugar spiking additives, and milk.
vegetarianism
Vegetarianism – the habitual abstinence from meat and fish (and meat and fish products). Dietary habits can be due to health reasons, economic reasons, ethics.
Dietary Veganism / Strict Vegetarianism
Dietary Veganism / Strict Vegetarianism – the habitual exclusion of meat and other dietary animal products (milk, cheese, eggs, bone broths, lard)
Raw Veganism
Raw Veganism – habitual exclusion of animal products and consumption of raw plant foods only (foods not heated over ~118°F)
Vegan Paleo
Vegan Paleo – a diet that excludes meat and other dietary animal products and includes only the plant foods consumed in the Paleolithic era
Vegan Keto
Vegan Keto – a very low carbohydrate, high fat diet (VLCHF) diet that excludes meat and other dietary animal products
