Halal, Paleo, Keto, Whole Foods and Mediterranean Diet Trends
People who have resolved to shed a few extra pounds gained during the pandemic or over the holidays, will often choose to go on prescribed and scheduled diet plans. Some make a bigger picture, long-term decision to adopt a certain diet plan for life. The most popular diet plans in the world are Paleo, Keto, Whole Foods, Intermittent and Mediterranean Diets. These diets have a world-wide following amongst consumers.
Paleo – For the Most Motivated Cave Dwellers
The Paleo diet allows its adherents to eat only the kind of foods that their ancestors ate when they first inhabited the planet about 2.5 million years ago. It’s essentially “cave man/woman” food. It consists of protein, fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds.
The Paleo diet does not allow for any processed foods whatsoever. It also eliminates all sugar, dairy, vegetables with starch (like potatoes and corn) dairy, and beans. Paleo is a strict diet which, it has been noted, has remarkable health benefits for those who are able to stick to it.
Keto – Carnivores and Omnivores Welcome
The Ketogenic diet is best known by its short form “Keto Diet”. It is a low-carb diet that is very similar to the Atkins Diet which gained popularity in the 1970’s. The idea for this and other low-carb diets is that you should get more calories from protein and fat and less from carbohydrates. You eat more meat, fish and poultry and less cookies, donuts, pastries and bread.
The dieter’s main goal is to replace glucose calories with fat calories. On the Keto diet, instead of burning calories from carbohydrates, people burn calories from fat. Our back-up energy system kicks in when we are not consuming sugars and starch. The process is called Ketosis.
Ketosis is triggered by reducing carbs down to 20-50 grams per day. Less carbs lead to the breakdown and release of fat stored in human tissues. That fat is then burned. That’s ketosis.
Whole Foods – A Lifestyle Change
The Whole Foods diet consists of:
- grains and whole grains
- fruits and vegetables
- dairy
- beans
- lean meat
- good fats from fish and plants
This diet is recommended by many health professionals. It does allow for grains; however, grains should be whole and unprocessed – like sprouted wheat and quinoa. It is a balanced approach to healthy eating. Many clean-lifers follow this diet without realizing it.
Mediterranean – Plant Based Foods with Meat in Moderation
The Mediterranean diet is not as old as the Paleo. Its wisdom lies in thousands of years of natural and healthy eating habits developed in societies that border the Mediterranean Sea.
What is the Mediterranean diet? The main source of fat in the Mediterranean diet is olive oil. Olive oil is a well-known healthy and clean fat. People on the Mediterranean diet consume foods like meat, fish, fruit and vegetables, beans, herbs and spices, nuts and seeds. Meat, poultry and fish are most often used as flavoring for vegetable dishes. For example, in a traditional Mediterranean stew, about 5-10% of the dish would be meat and the rest would be vegetables. Sweets are eaten on special occasions, although sweet hot tea may be consumed at each meal.
Intermittent Fasting
With Intermittent Fasting, the dieter goes on a plan where they can eat during certain hours of the day and/or certain days of the week. According to Cleveland Clinic the most popular program is the 5:2 intermittent fasting schedule where people eat for 5 days and fast for 2 days of the week.
Halal and Healthy
Health-conscious eaters on high protein and low carb diets appreciate the Halal seal of approval on protein products. Other consumers that focus more on plant-based diets like Mediterranean and Whole Foods, appreciate the additional layer of oversight on flavorings, colorings, and other additives. Overall, the diet conscious consumers subscribe to a “you are what you eat” perspective. If the food consumed is clean and pure, it positively affects the diner.
Customers have trusted the ISA Halal seal of approval for over 45 years. ISA has been providing Halal certification services to a diverse range of customers, products, and brands since 1974. For example, ISA audits and certifies qualified, meat, poultry, dairy products, vitamins, supplements, cosmetics, personal care items and other consumable and non-consumable products. To learn more about Halal Certification visit www.isahalal.com