Nutrition science: Demystifying popular diets

Hear from Stanford Medicine’s clinical dietitian Leah Groppo about the health background of four current popular diets: Mediterranean, Keto, Paleo, and Intermittent Fasting. She will share the backgrounds of how these diets came to be, give insights that help you determine if one in particular is right for you, and provide tips for talking with your medical professional to begin the process.

[summarydog]

00:00 Introduction to Health Matters segment.
00:05 Leah Groppo, a clinical dietician at Stanford Health Care, shares her perspective on fad diets.
00:26 People often come to the clinic with different fad diets they found on social media or heard from family and friends.
00:50 The four most commonly asked about diets are the Mediterranean diet, intermittent fasting, paleolithic diet, and ketogenic diet.
01:06 Leah Groppo shares her favorite diet recommendations when working with clients at Stanford Health Care.
01:14 The Mediterranean diet emphasizes unprocessed foods, local foods, and plant-based foods.
01:39 The Mediterranean diet has gained popularity in recent years and is known for its health benefits.
01:57 The Mediterranean diet originated from research on people living near the Mediterranean Sea and their lower disease rates.
02:12 People in the Mediterranean have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease due to their diet rich in colorful non-starchy veggies, plant-based foods, and less processed foods.
02:50 The Mediterranean diet is not about packaged foods, but about getting back into our kitchens, including our family and friends, and enjoying raw ingredients prepared together.
03:15 Not everyone in the Mediterranean eats the same way, but the cultural choices within the region tend to be more heart-healthy.
03:48 Intermittent fasting is a popular trend that involves either calorie-restricted or time-restricted fasting.
04:14 The 8/16 diet allows you to eat for 8 hours and fast for 16 hours, only consuming water or non-calorie beverages during the fasting period.
04:38 The 5/2 diet involves eating normally for 5 days and consuming low-calorie foods for 2 days, which helps in weight loss.
05:34 The alternate-day fast involves eating normally for 24 hours and then fasting for the next 24 hours, which is challenging but less popular.
06:04 The timing of eating is more important in intermittent fasting than the specific foods consumed, and it can help reduce insulin resistance.
06:37 Not always getting fuel and food throughout the entire day can benefit cardiovascular health and blood sugar. Diets with research studies show potential benefits. Intermittent fasting may be more sustainable in the long term compared to other diets.
07:50 The paleo diet aims to eat unprocessed foods similar to how cavemen ate. However, branded paleo foods like brownies and cookies may not align with the original concept. The focus should be on eating foods as close to their natural state as possible.
08:49 In the paleolithic time, they didn't have big mills or ovens, so they focused on eating food as close to nature as possible. Eating colorful fruits and vegetables is important. The paleo diet is not just about meat, but also about veggies and produce.
09:10 People often think the paleo diet is all about meat, but it's actually about unprocessed foods, more plant-based foods, and cooking from scratch. It's also important to control blood pressure by avoiding extra salt.
10:40 The ketogenic diet, also known as the keto diet, is a high-fat diet. It involves getting most of your calories from high-fat sources, moderate protein, and very low carbs.
11:10 A severely depleted low-carb diet consists of 20-50 grams of carbohydrates per day, including fiber. High protein intake can be converted into glucose through gluconeogenesis. A true keto diet requires high fat, moderate protein, and very low carbohydrates.
12:14 The diet emphasizes high fat intake without specifying the best sources of healthy fats. Long-term consumption of high-fat foods like bacon and butter may raise blood lipids. Research on these fad diets is conducted for 12 months to assess long-term effects.
13:01 Type two diabetes is a chronic condition that requires a lifestyle change. A 12-week diet can lower blood sugar levels and reduce medication dependence, but long-term management is necessary as the disease does not disappear.
13:23 Lifestyle changes must be sustainable for life. High-fat, moderate protein, low-carb diets can be challenging to follow. Evidence-based research shows that keto diet leads to initial weight loss, but weight regain is common after 12 months.
13:51 Research studies indicate that Mediterranean, intermittent fasting, and keto diets have different effects on weight. Keto diet leads to faster initial weight loss, but it is highly restrictive and not sustainable in the long term.
14:33 Consider whether a diet fits into your life before starting. It's important to understand the evidence and research behind different diets. Discuss with your healthcare team before starting the keto diet to monitor cholesterol levels.
15:10 Be mindful of potential health outcomes when starting a diet. Our food choices are influenced by unique environments and people we eat with. Taking a diet off the shelf, like the keto diet, may not always be the best choice.
15:32 Consider your eating environment and health goals. Make a lifestyle goal to address areas that are not meeting your goals, such as specific hours or meals. Set a SMART goal, like prepping veggies for a 3-4 PM snack.
16:35 Identify habits and hunger when making food choices. Make a goal that is subjective, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely. Evaluate the goal after four weeks to determine success.
17:40 Instead of eating chips on weekdays, choose veggies. Break goals into smaller parts and make healthy substitutions or omit snacks if not hungry.
18:07 Evidence shows that setting SMART goals and evaluating health in the long run benefits people. Consider how goals fit into life and family.
18:40 Recapping the Mediterranean, intermittent fasting, paleolithic, and ketogenic diets. Mediterranean diet focuses on local, unprocessed foods and involving family. Intermittent fasting involves stopping eating after dinner and being mindful of hunger cues. Paleolithic diet emphasizes plant-based and less processed foods. Ketogenic diet involves reducing processed carbohydrates.
19:43 Think about exploring lifestyle choices and making changes in nutrition and environment. Set goals, evaluate changes, and consider energy and goals. Critically evaluate diets and rely on health and nutrition experts for guidance.
20:14 Challenge to critically evaluate diets and consider evidence and benefits. Pass on diets that don't offer anything. Seek guidance from health and nutrition experts at Stanford Health Care.
20:47 Stanford Health Care has 50 dieticians specializing in different areas. They are here to keep you healthy in the hospital and at home. They constantly read evidence-based studies to provide you with the best nutrition advice.
21:10 You are the expert in your own life, but nutrition experts can help you. Appreciate your time in listening to the clinical dietician's perspective on hot fad diets.

[kblacksheep]

Pretty good explaination and very objective.

[e.j.animations]

This is so helpful thank you so much ❤