The Hottest Fad Diets You Should Know About

It isn't always easy to eat healthy and stay in shape. With summer creeping up on us, it is almost time for the winter-weighted masses to flood the search engines looking for the "fastest ways to lose 5 pounds." While many people are looking for a way to burn some fat before throwing on a bikini or a pair of swim trunks, they should also take into account the effects these diets have on their overall health. Before you dive into crunching your macros or start living off of only potatoes, we've gathered five of the most popular fad diets in the world right now so you can find which one is your perfect fit. We gathered the run down on the Paleo Diet, Keto, DASH, and a few others worth examining. All you have to do is figure out which one would fit into your ideal healthy lifestyle.

The Paleo Diet

The Paleolithic diet claims to work with our genetics and is based on the foods that our ancestors would have eaten. In the Paleolithic era, people lived off the land; so, theoretically you can eat anything you could grow out of the ground or hunt. Though, you can eat as much of those things as you'd like, it is a restrictive diet depending primarily on meats, healthy fats, and vegetables. This diet is targeted as a dream if you're a bacon lover. However, this diet is not a miracle fat melter. Many people will not find success with this diet if they are not at the same high activity level of the hunter-gatherer ancestors the diet is modeled after. Although, it high had some very impressive results, the weight loss is not guaranteed to stay off considering the degree of difficulty of painting this diet for a long period of time.

The DASH Diet

This diet was designed without weight loss in mind at all. It was developed to lower blood pressure without the use of medication. This diet has shown to improve overall healthy, reduce the risk of diseases, and, as an added bonus, it has shown to be an effective way of dropping pounds. This diet allows a wide range of food that are considered heart healthy. It is high fiber with low fat. You are allowed whole grains, nuts, beans, poultry, fish, and other lean meats. DASH is more of an eating plan than it is a diet. It is considered great for overall health maintenance.

The Keto Diet

The Ketogenic diet is one that seems to be bursting onto the scene as a high fat, low carb diet with mounting results. The popularity of this diet over the last year is soaring. This diet is only moderately restrictive. You are allowed proteins, dairy, and vegetables, but no starches or sugars. If you are a type A personality who thrives under strict guidelines with a penchant for fatty foods, this is the diet for you. Many dieters have claimed that Keto has given them a clearer mind and an energy boost. The science behind it says that without sugar or glucose, the body begins running off of ketones. This is a clean energy process known as ketosis. This ketosis is an ideal state for the human body to burn fat. This is a diet designed to lose weight fast without concern for the long term need of your body.

The Mediterranean Diet

This diet is based on the eating habits and cuisine from the countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea. This heart-healthy style of cooking promotes the use of healthy fats such as olive oil instead of butter. The diet allows fish, poultry, plant-based foods, herbs, spices, whole grains, and even the occasional glass of red wine. A variety of your meals should be plant-based, with occasional fish or poultry while skipping red meat entirely (no more than once or twice a month.) It also requires you to limit dairy and opt for low-fat versions when you are able. For the most part, this diet is fairly easy to follow, with lenient guidelines.

The Weight Watcher's Diet

Weight Watcher's is a diet that was founded in the early sixties. The aim was to make dieting something easy and measurable. Weight Watcher's focuses on a healthy, steady weight loss of two pounds per month. This is a more body positive approach that you won't find in other diets. They shift focus away from dangerous dieting habits such as counting calories and assign points to food based on the nutritional value of the items. It also offers meetings for support so that you don't have to diet alone throughout the struggle with body image that can accompany the process of dropping weight.