The sheer number of diets available for one to choose from is enough to leave anyone discombobulated and indecisive. They all purport to have a plethora of health benefits and there are always success stories with each diet.
So, which one diet is the best?
In this article, we’ll compare the keto diet with the paleo and low carb diets and analyze the pros and cons based on the macronutrient ratios required by the diets.
This will allow you to make an informed decision.
Our choice is the keto diet… but you’ll have to decide for yourself.
* The Macros
The keto diet is made up of 75% fat, 20% protein and 5% carbs.
The paleo diet is made up of 20% fat, 40% protein and 40% carbs.
The low carb diet is made up of 50% fat, 40% protein and 10% carbs.
Now that we’ve gotten the numbers out of the way, let’s see the impact each diet has on your body.
* How your body reacts to the diets
The keto diet will put your body in ketosis in about 5 days or so, if you adhere to the rules strictly. When you’re in ketosis, your body burns ketones for fuel. It’s a clean fuel source and you’ll feel more energetic and notice increased mental clarity.
In order to stay in ketosis, your blood sugar levels must be low and stable. This is the fundamental principle of the diet and it’s exactly what makes the keto diet so powerful. By controlling the insulin hormone, it eliminates a lot of problems.
The low carb diet is relatively high in fat and made up of 40% protein. However, it aims for 10% carb intake. The problem here is that at 10% carbs, your blood sugar levels might go up and take you out of ketosis.
The only way to be sure would be to use a ketone meter. But generally, 10 percent carbs is pushing it a little and while your blood sugar levels will be stable because of the low carb intake, you may not derive the full benefits because your body is not in ketosis.
With the paleo diet, you’ll be eating a lot of meat and protein. One problem here is that too much protein causes the body to release insulin too. This can result in weight gain.
Over and above that, at 40% carb intake, you’ll never be in ketosis. You’ll need to adopt an intermittent fasting protocol with a 6-hour eating window to encourage ketosis.
Whatever the case may be, the paleo diet is extremely stringent and a nightmare to abide by. The copious amounts of meat that one is required to eat will deter many people.
Your digestive system will be taxed and it’s not a diet that most people want to be on. The weight loss benefits are also nowhere close to what the keto diet can give you.
* Conclusion
The diet you choose should align with your goals. If you wish to lose weight fast and enjoy eating bacon and fatty foods, the keto diet has your name written all over it. It will help reduce inflammation, bad cholesterol levels and prevent many other diseases.
Your body will become fat adapted and you’ll be burning fat round the clock while feeling great. It’s also a simple diet to follow. You’re mostly eating fat and minimal carbs.
You won’t even need to plan your diet that much because you know that you can’t go beyond 50 grams of carbs. So, everything becomes simpler.
The keto diet will give you far more benefits than most of the other diets out there and your food will be tasty without you constantly starving yourself or struggling to comply with an insane diet. Keto is the way to go.
