Written By Paisley Hansen / Reviewed By Ray Spotts

Choosing a new diet can be confusing. There are so many to choose from, and they're all so different, plus they probably all seem impossible before you start. Each one has you making dramatic cuts to your style of eating or totally rethinking the way you shop.

Before you get intimidated, remember that it takes time to adjust to any change in your life. Once you grow accustomed to eating new foods and learn all the rules, any diet can be a breeze. Let's look at a few of the most common diets today so you can decide which might best fit your lifestyle.

Paleo

You won't have to worry about Thrive side effects or which supplements to cut out when you start paleo. The paleo diet is focused on eating as pundits claim humans were designed to before the dawn of agriculture. This means it focuses on whole foods, eliminates grains and strictly cuts back on sugars.

The main thing people worry about when starting paleo is not having any bread. They think no bread equals no carbs, so how in the world will they stay full? This is a common misconception, though.

On the paleo diet, you'll get the bulk of your carbs from the vegetables you eat. Each plate will be focused mainly on vegetables - or meat and seafood - with things like fruit and nuts as a snack or side. The key to this diet is to avoid anything packaged and anything with processed sugars.

A typical paleo meal might look something like this: a steak seared in ghee (a clarified butter without the lactose, making it dairy-free), a baked sweet potato, baked asparagus or sauteed greens, and mushrooms, with maybe some roasted beets to round it all out. There are also tons of casseroles and meal adjustments you can use to make your favorite meals paleo.

Keto

This is the real no-carb diet. Keto focuses on transitioning the body from using carbohydrates for energy to using fats. Once your body makes the switch, you're in ketosis — hence the name of the diet. This diet has met some pushback from people claiming it's unsafe, but the thing to remember is that keto is not a long-term diet. It's used to lose weight relatively quickly and then wean back on to a normal balanced diet.

The tough part about keto for most people is what's been termed the "keto flu." This is the period when your body switches over to ketosis. When you first start the diet, you'll inevitably be hit with strong cravings for carbs because the germs in your gut that feeds on them will be dying off.

When your body switches over to its reserve energy store — fats — you'll feel terrible because your brain thinks that you’re starving. Once your body starts effectively using fats for energy, though, you'll bounce right back and might even feel better than ever!

A typical keto meal includes protein and lots of fat. So a fatty steak smothered in butter with a cream sauce, and maybe a small portion of vegetables (you don't want too many carbs) could be an acceptable keto meal.

Whole30

The Whole30 diet is great for people looking to learn more about healthy eating with a short-term goal. Its focus is similar to the paleo diet because it prioritizes eating whole foods and eliminating sugar. The 30 refers to the first 30 days of the diet where you eliminate many inflammation-causing foods and anything you might think your body is reacting to.

After the 30 days, you can start reintroducing foods to find out what your body reacts to. Many people find this diet after struggling with chronic health issues or when they're suspicious of a food intolerance or allergy. It's also a great way to reset your system and adjust a generally healthy way of eating.

Choosing a new diet can be stressful, but now that you know a little more about a few popular ones, you can make a more informed decision of what will work best for you.

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Written By:

Paisley Hansen is a freelance writer and expert in health, fitness, and growing young. When she isn’t writing she can usually be found reading a good book or hitting the gym. She loves hearing from readers so feel free to contact her through Facebook.

Reviewed By:

Founder Ray Spotts has a passion for all things natural and has made a life study of nature as it relates to health and well-being. Ray became a forerunner bringing products to market that are extraordinarily effective and free from potentially harmful chemicals and additives. For this reason Ray formed Trusted Health Products, a company you can trust for clean, effective, and healthy products. Ray is an organic gardener, likes fishing, hiking, and teaching and mentoring people to start new businesses. You can get his book for free, “How To Succeed In Business Based On God’s Word,” at www.rayspotts.com.

Photo by Louis Hansel on Unsplash