Mediterranean diet vs Keto? Which is which when it comes to weight loss?
This is the elephant in the room. We are demystifying what works between the Mediterranean diet and Keto.
Understanding what each of the diets means is the first concept to grasp, which is the best weight loss option.
Mediterranean diet for weight loss plays out as more of a lifestyle than a diet. It is named after a community living adjacent to the Mediterranean Sea, which had a unique feeding pattern.
Interestingly, research conducted showed that people from these communities were much healthier and had a low risk for lifestyle diseases than Americans.
The Mediterranean diet menu features various fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, moderate amounts of proteins, dairy, and healthy fats. Physical activity is part of this diet.
Processed foods, refined sugars are not common in the Mediterranean diet.
Mediterranean diet for beginners is not anything complicated. The meal plan for beginners is simple and has some repetitive options for breakfast and lunch.
At times, leftovers for dinner come in hands in Mediterranean diet recipes.
A Keto diet involves foods low in carbs and fats but rich in proteins, such as white meat, lean meat, nuts, legumes, and dairy.
From a Keto diet, ketosis happens. Ketosis is a nutritional process that kicks in when your body lacks enough carbohydrates to burn for energy.
The process involves the burning of fats, which are converted into ketones. The body then uses them as fuel or energy.
HOW DO I SWITCH FROM KETO TO MEDITERRANEAN DIET?
The secret behind the weight loss regarding Mediterranean diet vs Keto when switching from Keto to Mediterranean diet lies in adherence more than anything else.
Being realistic about how your meal plan will be is key in achieving weight loss.
When the switch button is pressed, start with a Keto-friendly Mediterranean diet such as the Greek-Mediterranean foods are Keto friendly.
You start with more veggies on your plate and healthy fats.
Legumes such as beans, peas, chickpeas, lentils are high in protein, and when taking with minimal carbohydrates, they regulate blood sugar.
When starting, always make sure that you pair carbohydrates with proteins and good fats.
This regulates blood sugar and keeps you off from feeling hungry.
Reducing the intake of red meat in your diet is vital. Red meat in the Mediterranean diet is consumed once a week.
Vegetables form a considerable part of the Mediterranean diet. They are the main meals on the table. What’s impressive about them is that they are healthy and they give more satiety.
A little spruce up with cheese is good for absorption. Whole grain bread is a good option too to include in the Mediterranean diet vs Keto.
MEDITERRANEAN DIET VS KETO FOR WEIGHT LOSS: WHICH IS BETTER?
Mediterranean vs Keto, which is the better option to lose the extra pounds?
Let’s start with a focus on the merit and demerit of the Mediterranean diet.
For many people, the Mediterranean diet is ago because it is not limiting at all. There are no limits in calorie counting, like in other diet plans.
The Mediterranean diet focuses more on some foods, takes less on others, and lets the body strike a balance naturally.
For example, high carb foods do not feature much in the Mediterranean diet.
You will find high protein content foods, healthy fats, and vegetables on your table with minimal amounts of carbs in cases complex carbs are not present.
By default, this diet promotes a healthy way of weight loss by only giving the body optimal daily calories of 1,200.
The rest of the diet is proteins, veggies, and healthy fats from low-fat cheese, fish, and nuts.
Due to its unrestrictive nature, the Mediterranean diet is easy to follow in the long term. The bottom line is that it is an excellent recommendation for weight loss. It comes without much hustle.
Not without it dot, the Mediterranean diet is time-consuming to prepare. In terms of cost, it is expensive too.
The Dietary Guidelines also add that the liberal nature of the Mediterranean diet lacks guiding steps in serving portions and calorie counts.
KETO DIET PERKS
The Keto diet helps you lose weight much faster.
Being restrictive, you don’t have to keep tabs on the calorie count because the food on the plate has already eliminated these high-calorie foods.
Keto diet lowers blood sugar and improves insulin sensitivity.
Studies by the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition show that a Keto diet is sufficient for the Mediterranean diet vs Keto.
It contains a high-fat and protein diet and avoids high carbs, which creates a satiety feeling.
This suppresses weight appetite and increases metabolism. It further suppresses ghrelin, a hormone that sends signals of hunger to the brain from doing so.
When you decide to lose weight via a Keto diet, you don’t feel hungry all the time.
The downside of the ketogenic diet is that the rapid weight loss shifts the body calorie burning to fat burning to produce energy, which in most instances, causes “keto flu.”
Being a highly restrictive diet, people’s ability to follow it for long periods becomes a daunting task.
The long periods of consuming high-fat foods in Keto and low amounts of carbs could have health side effects in the long term, though this is yet to be scientifically proved.
In the Mediterranean diet vs Keto, the Mediterranean diet proves superior for, among other reasons, the consumption of healthy oils.
Heart-healthy oils from Olive oil, nuts, salmon, and shrimp have high contents of omega -3, antioxidants, and polyphenols, which lower obesity and prevents diabetes, heart diseases, and cancer.
On the other hand, Keto leans on the heavy consumption of red meat, cheese, eggs, butter, and bacon.
Scientists opine that while the long-term effects of a Ketogenic diet remain unknown, past research and studies show that heavy consumption of red and processed meat causes colon cancer and heart ailments.
However, the low-carb diet in Keto is effective for weight loss.
CONCLUSION
In the Mediterranean diet vs Keto battle, the Mediterranean diet seems to carry the day with no special preferences. It is more approving and practical.
It is possible to follow it in the long term, and though expensive, it is effective.
For Keto, it is restrictive but has a rapid weight loss effect. However, the fact that there is no known long term effect for Keto makes it a second choice for weight loss.
Should you be looking for an option to cut down on your weight, pick the Mediterranean diet.
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