Dieting is a complex endeavor and conveying a simple message of “eat less and move more” can often be inadequate advice. Today, individuals hoping to manage their weight, health, and lifestyle may find themselves needing to adhere to more complicated dietary plans. From keto to SIBO and intermittent fasting, modern diets offer a variety of approaches, each boasting their own unique benefits.
This guide seeks to shed light on the various diets and explore the unique benefits that each may provide. Its insights will help individuals to decide whether combining multiple diets might be a suitable approach to their dietary goals, or if they should opt for a more straightforward plan.
To begin, let’s review the basics of each diet.
What is SIBO?
SIBO stands for small intestine bacterial overgrowth and is a dietary plan that restricts fermentable carbohydrates. Despite the ‘bacterial overgrowth’ in its name, it is not a diet plan designed to manipulate bacterial populations within the individual’s gut. Instead, it seeks to reduce the total carbohydrate content found within the diet.
The diet avoids: sweets, heavily processed or pre-packaged foods, starchy vegetables such as potatoes, refined grains, and strong flavored vegetables, such as onions and garlic. The plan also limits most fiber and dairy-rich foods, threatening to reduce the amount of nutrients in a diet.
What is Keto?
Keto is an abbreviation of ‘ketogenic’ and is a dietary plan that works to bring the body into a state of ketosis. To achieve this, a person typically needs to eat significantly fewer carbohydrates (less than 20g per day) while increasing their fat intake.
The idea is that when glucose levels are reduced, the body finds an alternate fuel source from stored fat. As a result, fat burning increases, and weight loss proportionately follows. The short-term nature of the diet also provides possible benefits for managing illness and chronic conditions.
What is Intermittent Fasting?
Intermittent fasting is not typically thought of as a diet, but rather a style of eating that seeks to manipulate meal timing and total calories eaten each day. The practice involves following periods of prolonged ‘fasting’ in which betweens meals are either prolonged or skipped altogether.
Typically, a person follows one of two approaches: either a 16/8 cycle, which involves fasting for 16 hours and eating all meals within an eight-hour window (e.g. 9AM-5PM) or 5:2, which involves fasting for two days of the week and eating normally for the remaining days.
The Benefits Of Navigating Multiple Diets
Each of these plans bring their own unique benefits, but all may be effective for weight loss and improved health. The SIBO diet helps those seeking to reduce IBS-like symptoms and may be suitable for reducing bloating. Keto provides assistance to those looking to burn fat quickly while keeping hunger and cravings at bay. And, intermittent fasting is a tool to use to promote hormonal balance in the body and may be suitable for encouraging autophagy (cellular cleaning and renewal process).
Moreover, individuals may want to consider navigating multiple diets if they want to benefit from the benefits of each. By carefully planning meal timing around each of the dietary plans, individuals may increase their adherence to the diet and further heighten its effects.
Navigating the combination of all three diets may take time and effort to master. However, if done correctly, individuals can find themselves reaping the rewards of all three. For example, each diet works to reduce the amount of carbohydrates in the body, helping to reduce glucose levels in the blood and encouraging the body to burn stored fat for fuel. Coupled with intermittent fasting, this combination serves as a powerful tool for fat loss.
While navigating multiple diets may offer greater benefits, it’s important to remember that it’s not suitable for everyone. For instance, people with pre-existing medical conditions should always consult with their doctor to ensure any diet plan they follow is suitable for their individual circumstances.
In Conclusion
Navigating multiple diets can be a daunting yet rewarding experience. SIBO, Keto, and Intermittent Fasting all bring unique benefits and may offer an individual greater success when it comes to achieving their dietary goals. However, it is important to remember that any disruption to an individual’s diet should always be discussed with their healthcare provider before changes are made.
With the correct insights and preparation, navigating multiple diets can be an effective, rewarding experience.
