Diet Trends in 2020

Diet trends are nothing new, there’s always a crazy new way to lose weight fast, and you’ll never believe how easy it is to get rid of stubborn belly fat! The problem with these fad diets (and diets in general), is that most people think they are a quick, easy way to reverse years and years of bad eating. This couldn’t be further from the truth!

Most people don’t need a diet, they need a lifestyle change, or at least a new outlook on food. However, diets can give you an edge if you are working towards short term goals, like cutting for a competition, and they let you mix it up as those goals change. They also give you a chance to understand the food you are eating and its effect on your body.

In this article we will take a look at some of the more popular diet trends floating around today, in order to give you a better understanding of what they are and how they work. You will be able to make an informed decision that will allow you to effectively reach your nutrition goals, whatever they are.

Here are the most popular diet trends for 2020:

Low Residue

The Diet

With a low residue diet, the basic idea is to eat foods that are easy to digest, and cut back on foods that don’t digest so easy.

High-fiber foods are limited, including fruits, nuts, seeds, vegetables, whole-grain breads and cereals. By eating less of the fibers included in these foods we reduce the the amount of “residue” which is essentially undigested food.

This type of diet is usually recommended by doctors during recovery. It leads to fewer, smaller bowel movements and can get rid of the symptoms of a bad diet, such as bloating, diarrhea, gas, and stomach cramping.

The Food

Meat

Animal products don’t contain fiber, so you’re all good here. Stick to lean meats that are soft/ tender, and eggs are fine as well.

Fruits and Vegetables

The main things to avoid here are the skin and seeds, as they are both full of fiber, but that’s pretty easy. Cooked or canned veggies without seeds are great, as well as peeled potatoes and seedless tomato sauce. Stick to fruits like avocados, bananas, cantaloupes, honeydew melons, or anything cooked or canned without skin and seeds.

Milk and Dairy

As long as you aren’t lactose intolerant, milk and dairy are fine to enjoy in moderation.

Grains

Noodles, white rice and refined pasta are great here, white breads and plain crackers are fine too. Some cooked and cold cereals that are low in fiber including cream of wheat, puffed rice cereals, and cornflakes.

Our Take

The whole idea here is to avoid foods that upset your stomach and stick to foods that our body can absorb with ease. If you find you can’t get through an hour workout without running for the toilet, maybe this is the diet for you.

As with any diet on this list, you are going to get out what you put in. You’ll need to keep your caloric intake consistent to your goals in order to lose, maintain or gain weight.

Ayurvedic

The Diet

The Ayurvedic diet was one of the most searched diets of 2019, but it is an eating pattern that’s been around for thousands of years. It is based on Ayurvedic medicine and it focuses on balancing the different types of energy within the body, allegedly boosting health.

Ayurveda is a form of holistic medicine that gives personal food recommendations based on body type, and is said to improve both body and mental health.

The idea behind Ayurveda is that the universe is made of five elements: air (vayu), water (jala), space (akash), fire (teja), and earth (prithvi), and these elements form three types of energy (doshas) that circulate within the body. The Ayurvedic diet determines your dominant dosha and recommends specific foods to promote balance between the three types of energy.

Here are descriptions and characteristics for each dosha as per Healthline:

Pitta (fire + water). Intelligent, hard-working, and decisive. This dosha generally has a medium physical build, short temper, and may suffer from conditions like indigestion, heart disease, or high blood pressure.

Vata (air + space). Creative, energetic, and lively. People with this dosha are usually thin with a light frame and may struggle with digestive issues, fatigue, or anxiety when out of balance.

Kapha (earth + water). Naturally calm, grounded, and loyal. Those with a kapha dosha often have a sturdier frame and may have issues with weight gain, asthma, depression, or diabetes.

The Food

According to Ayurveda, your dominant dosha determines the best foods for you to eat to balance the energies within your body. Here are some of the foods to eat and to avoid based on each dosha:

Pitta

Protein in the form of poultry, egg whites and tofu is good, avoid red meat, egg yolks and seafood.

Stick to ripe fruits like oranges, pears, pineapples, and melons and sweet or bitter vegetables like Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, and cucumbers. Avoid sour and unripe fruits like grapes and cherries and spicy vegetables like peppers and onions

Milk and butter are fine, as well as barley, basmati rice, oats and wheat. Avoid or limit sour cream and cheese, and grains like brown rice and corn.

Vata

Forms of protein like poultry, seafood and tofu are recommended, try to avoid red meat.

Ripe, sweat, and heavy fruits like bananas, blueberries, mangoes, and cooked vegetables like beets, sweet potatoes, and green beans are great. Try to avoid dried, unripe fruits, and any raw vegetables.

All forms of dairy are good to go, for grains stick to cooked oats and rice and stay away from wheat and corn.

Kapha

For protein try small amounts of poultry, seafood and egg whites, and avoid red meat, shrimp and egg yolks.

Apples, blueberries and dried fruits are recommended, along with vegetables like asparagus and leafy greens. Stay away from bananas and mangoes and vegetables like sweet potatoes and tomatoes.

Stick to skim milk or goat milk for dairy and for grains try oats and corn. Avoid rice and wheat.

Our Take

The theories of the Ayurvedic diet are based on a form of traditional holistic medicine dating back thousands of years. It is based on assumptions about body type and personality type and therefor is not supported by scientific evidence.

For the most part, the diet recommends foods that are high in nutritional value and limits the unhealthy food that most people are used to eating. The best part of this diet is the mindfulness that it promotes towards what you are putting into your body.

Mindful eating can enhance self control and promote a healthy relationship with food that will lead to better decisions that will further you diet goals.

Carnivore

The Diet

The carnivore diet is exactly what it sounds like. It is an extremely restrictive diet that consists entirely of meat, fish and other animal products like eggs and some dairy products. All other foods, such as fruits, veggies, and grains are off limits.

Claims have been made that the carnivore diet supports blood sugar regulation, mood issues, and weightloss, as well as other health issues. The diet is very restrictive and the long term health effects point in the negative. The diet is not backed by any scientific research but has become popular in recent years among some fit celebrities that swear by it, including Joe Rogan and Mark Bell.

The idea behind the carnivore diet is the controversial belief that ancient humans ate meat and fish almost exclusively, and that the switch to mass agriculture and high-carb diets are to blame for the populations high rates of disease.

The Food

As we said before, the only food that you are allowed to eat on the carnivore diet is meat, along with some animal products. These include meats like beef, chicken, pork, lamb, turkey, fish, eggs, and small amounts of low-lactose dairy products like butter, cheese, and heavy cream.

The carnivore diet does not provide any information on number of calories, serving size, or meal timing.

Our Take

The carnivore diet is extremely restrictive and therefor it is likely that people utilizing the diet may lose weight. Studies have shown that high-protein and low-carb diets promote weight loss but they aren’t absolutely necessary.

Protein will make you feel fuller after meals, and this can lead to a reduced calorie intake and an increased metabolic rate, promoting weight loss.

Overall this means that you will likely feel fuller, eat less calories, and lose weight, at least in the short term.

We think that for a short term goal, or just to try something new, the carnivore diet is worth a try just to see how your body will react. However, due to lack of scientific support and the extreme restrictions, we don’t recommend it for the long term.

Whole Foods Plant-based

The Diet

On the completely opposite side of the spectrum, we have the whole foods, plant based diet. The emphasis here is on fresh whole ingredients, which are superior to processed foods.

This one is great because its less of a set diet and more of a lifestyle, as individuals will choose the extent to which animal products are included in the diet.

Nevertheless, the basic principals of this diet are to focus on whole foods that are minimally processed, especially plants including vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, seeds, and nuts, limit or avoid animal products, and avoid refined foods and sugars.

The Food

There are some pretty substantial differences between this diet and the also popular vegan and vegetarian diets. Vegans abstain from any and all animal products including meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, dairy, and even honey, while vegetarians will sometimes still eat seafood, eggs and dairy. The difference is that a plant-based diet allows small amounts of animal products at the discretion of the individual, but encourages the bulk of your nutrition come from plant-based foods.

Meat

As we said before, nothing is off limits, just enjoy your animal products in moderation because most of your nutrition is going to come from plants.

Fruits and Vegetables

Go crazy here, variety is your friend! Fruits like apples, berries, bananas, citrus fruits, peaches, pineapples, etc. and vegetables like asparagus, broccoli, Brussel’s sprouts, carrots, kale spinach etc.

Starchy vegetables like potatoes, sweet potatoes and squash are excellent sources of carbs.

Grains

Unrefined, whole grains are king here, stick to barley, brown rice, quinoa, rolled outs, etc. and try to avoid bagels, white bread, white pasta, white rice, etc.

The Rest

You can find healthy fats in avocados, coconut oil, olive oil, and more. You can also enjoy legumes and nuts like black beans, chickpeas, lentils, almonds, peanuts, and seeds.

Avoid all junk foods and processed foods. This means no fast food, no added sugars or sweets, no packaged foods like chips or frozen dinners, and no processed animal products like bacon or jerky.

Our Take

Plant-based diets have been linked to tons of health benefits, ranging from cancer and heart disease to diabetes and obesity. More than a dozen studies including over a thousand people have found that people on plant-based diets have lost significantly more weight compared to those not on the same diet.

If you aren’t a huge fan of meat and animal products, or just want to try something new, this is a great diet that’s only limitation is to healthy whole foods. Not to mention its great for the planet! You’ll cut the unhealthy stuff like added sugars and refined grains and you will see some major changes.

We definitely recommend a plant-based diet to anyone whose looking to boost their health. It is a proven path to a healthy body and mind and its a great first step if you are looking to change you eating habits for the long term without limiting yourself too harshly.

Caveman/ Paleo

The Diet

The caveman diet (also known as the paleo diet), is very similar to the whole foods, plant based diet, only you aren’t going to be cutting back on your animal products.

It is an eating plan modeled on the diets of prehistoric humans, and the focus is on fresh, whole foods, that an individual could find out in the wild. The idea is that this is what the human body evolved to eat, and that all the processed foods, sugars, and grains mass produced by agriculture are a step in the wrong direction.

Similar to the plant based diet above, all processed foods and refined sugars are out. You are going to stick to foods that you could potentially hunt and gather. Its as simple as it sounds. If it didn’t exist for prehistoric humans, it doesn’t exist for you.

The Food

Meat

Any thing you want here, as long as its not processed. Beef, pork, lamb, poultry, eggs, seafood, etc. No bacon, jerky or anything else processed or with added sugars.

Fruits and Vegetables

Go crazy, if you could go out and pick it from a bush, or out of a tree, you’re good to go. Nuts and seeds are great too. We only want to avoid legumes such as beans, peanuts, peas, and lentils. Potatoes are off limits too.

Milk and Dairy

Dairy products are off limits on the caveman diet as they didn’t become popular for human consumption until modern farming practices.

Grains

Grains including barley, oats, and wheat are a no no, as our caveman ancestors didn’t have the agriculture we have today.

Our Take

This diet is pretty limiting to those of us used to the many foods offered by modern farming practices. However, the reduction of processed foods and refined sugars is a large step forward in a healthy direction.

The biggest difference we see here is the absence of whole grains and legumes, which are considered good sources of nutrients including fiber and vitamins. We are also missing dairy products, which are a good source of calcium and protein.

The caveman diet is sure to help you lose weight or maintain weight, however the limitations may be hard to sustain if you have lower will power. The low levels of carbohydrates are a proven way to lose weight and improve health as well.

Keto

The Diet

The keto, or ketogenic diet is a low-carb and high-fat diet that offers many proven health benefits. The idea is to reduce carbohydrates drastically and replace the lost calories with fat. The significantly low carbohydrates in the diet put an individuals body into a metabolic state known as ketosis.

While in this metabolic state, the human body becomes super efficient at burning up fat to use as energy. Some benefits of ketosis include huge reductions in blood sugar and insulin levels, and allowing the body to turn fat into ketones in the liver, providing energy for the brain.

The keto diet has been shown to help individuals lose much more weight as opposed to low-fat diets, and the high fat intake is incredibly filling so you wont be hungry. Studies have also shown that the ketogenic diet provides benefits to a number of health conditions including Alzheimer’s, cancer, epilepsy, heart disease and Parkinson’s.

The Food

Meat

Beef, pork, poultry, seafood, eggs, pretty much all meat is fair game. Fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, or trout are perfect here.

Fruits and Vegetables

Pretty much all fruit is off the table in a ketogenic diet, however you can get away with small portions of berries. Root vegetables, beans, and legumes are to be avoided, including carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, chickpeas, kidney beans, etc. Avocados are awesome, and so are most green veggies as well as onions, peppers, and tomatoes.

Milk and Dairy

Butter, cream and unprocessed cheese are good, as they are high in fat.

Grains

Wheat-based products like cereal pasta and rice are off limits.

The Rest

Although the diet is high fat we want to avoid unhealthy fats like those found in mayonnaise and processed vegetable oils. Alcohol is a hard no due to is carbohydrate content. We also want to avoid all sugary foods including cake, candy, ice cream, and soda.

Our Take

The drastic reduction of carbohydrates may be hard for some individuals and the diet only works with absolute consistency, however there are a lot of delicious and nutritious keto meals.

Ketogenic diets are great for people looking to lose weight and increase metabolic health. Maybe not so great a choice for elite athletes or individuals looking to build muscle or gain weight as it can be difficult with the super low carbs.

The well studied and proven health benefits are numerous and the keto diet is a fantastic choice for anyone looking to become healthier.

Honourable Mentions

Intermittent Fasting

While not quite a diet per say, intermittent fasting is still one of the most popular health and fitness trends out there. Its a great way to simplify eating habits, improve health, and lose weight.

Intermittent fasting is a pattern of eating that cycles between periods of eating and fasting, so rather than controlling what you eat, the focus is on when you eat.

The two most common methods are fasting daily for 16 hours, or fasting for 24 hours twice a week. There are also more extreme fasting techniques, like the Warrior, which only allows a 4 hour eating window between 8 pm and midnight.

Fasting has a basis in human evolution, as ancient hunters and gatherers were forced to forage and fight for there food, sometimes unsuccessfully. Before supermarkets and modern preservation techniques like fridges and freezers, our ancestors were sometime forced to skip a meal.

Fasting affects your body in a number of beneficial ways as it forces your body to adjust hormone levels to more easily access stored body fat. Studies have shown that fasting can cause extreme increases in human growth hormone and drastic decreases in insulin levels.

Intermittent fasting is and easy way to train yourself to eat fewer calories, and can provide a slight boost to your metabolic rate. It can also make healthy eating simpler by decreasing meal frequency and saving you time in the kitchen. In short it is a very effective way to shed some weight.

IIFYM

IIFYM or “If It Fits Your Macros” is another big health and fitness trend. It is a flexible form of dieting that gets down to the nitty gritty of what you put in your body. Its meant to be less restrictive so that you can still indulge on your craving while still losing weight.

Rather than focusing on specific foods or even calories, IIFYM keeps track of macronutrients instead, i.e. protein, fat and carbohydrates. The best part is that any and all types of food can be enjoyed, as long as they fit into your daily macros.

IIFYM has an individual determine the amount of protein, fat, and carbohydrates they need to meet specific weight goals. Then through out the day food choices are tracked and adjusted in order to meet but not exceed the calculated macros.

Calculating your macros is a relatively simple process. You first calculate your basal metabolic rate, then you adjust based on your activity level and weight goals, then you determine your required macronutrients.

Your basal metobolic rate, or BMR is determined through standardized equations that take into account your sex, age, height, and weight. This BMR is is multiplied by an activity factor based on your activity level and leaves you with your personal total daily energy expenditure, or TDEE. This number is reduced for weight loss or increased for weight gain.

When calculating your macros, you should be looking at about 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight, and about 0.25 to 0.4 grams of fat per pound of body weight. Protein and carbohydrates each have 4 calories per gram and fat has 9. So the remaining calories should be allotted for carbs.

You can easily calculate your macros for free on the IIFYM website.

An IIFYM diet can be very eye opening, as you will get to see the nutrition content of all different types of food and it well help you make informed decisions about what you put in your body. The best part is as long as you meet your calculated macros you are guaranteed to meet your weight goals no matter what you eat.

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