In the modern western world, our diets remain a constant source of fascination. Whether it be a matter of managing weight issues, trying to be the ideal shape, controlling health issues or wanting to live in the healthiest way possible, there is now a seemingly endless list of different diets.
Today we are going to be comparing two popular and relatively modern diets, the Paleo diet and the keto diet.
The Paleo diet is often referred to as the ‘caveman diet’ because it is all about following a diet that requires you to only consume foods that were available to humans during the Palaeolithic era. Typically, this diet includes meat, vegetables, fruits, nuts and roots and excludes dairy products, grains, sugar, legumes, processed oils, salt, alcohol and coffee.
The keto diet is very similar to a low-carb diet. Basically, it involves eating a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet combined with enough protein, with the aim to put your body into a state of ketosis. Ketosis is when your body goes into survival mode when food intake is low and produces ketones which are created when the body starts breaking down fats in the liver.
Benefits of each Paleo and Keto Diet:
Main pros of the Paleo diet:
- Good for many allergies as the Paleo diet is dairy, gluten, soy, and corn free.
- Avoids processed foods which can only be a good thing as many processed foods contain added chemicals and high amounts of salt and sugar.
- Avoids alcohol, which contains empty calories
- Increases your intake of vitamin B12 which is found in many animal-based foods and can be beneficial in terms of increased energy.
- Assists with weight loss
Main pros of the keto diet:
- Assists with weight loss. Cutting carbs can also lead to your body retaining less water, which also assists in weight loss.
- Suppresses hunger pangs. Due to the high amounts of fat in the keto diet, you will find that your cravings for carbs are minimized.
- Associated with lowering cholesterol and blood pressure.
- Assists in controlling blood sugar and can assist with reducing insulin levels.
- Boosts energy levels – eating a high-fat diet can provide a steady low of energy and avoids post-meal sluggishness that can be associated with a high-carb diet.
What are the disadvantages of the Paleo or Keto Diet?
Main cons of the Paleo diet:
- The Paleo diet is difficult to follow for vegetarians and impossible to follow for vegans
- Requires more meal preparation as ready to eat meals and conveniences meals are not permitted on this diet
- Can be very restrictive and difficult to maintain long-term
- Omits many food groups so may need to look at vitamin supplementation
- As this diet omits complex carbohydrates it can lead to diminished energy levels
Main cons of the keto diet:
- May cause high cholesterol due to the mismanagement of your intake of fats
- Can cause constipation and irregularity
- Getting to that state of ketosis can take up to two weeks and this transition can be uncomfortable and include flu-like symptoms
- Can be very difficult to incorporate socially
- Difficult to maintain long-term
How can meal kits help to maintain your Paleo and keto diets?
One of the biggest challenges in maintaining your Paleo or keto diet is that following any type of diet generally requires substantially more time in terms of meal planning.
In addition, when you omit certain food groups, cannot consume processed foods and need to be aware of everything that goes into the meals that you eat, a large amount of your time is going to dedicated to preparing your weekly meals. This can be daunting and impede any chance of success you have of following your Paleo or keto diet properly.
The beauty of using a meal kit service is that they have menus that are specifically designed to cater to the Paleo and keto diets. Their menus are made up of delicious meals that meet all specifications of the diet that you are following. As these meals are designed by nutritionists, and in some cases doctors and then crafted by professional chefs, they also contain all the nutrients that you need.
This is essential when you are following a specific diet, to ensure that you maintain your overall well-being. A meal kit service can be of great assistance when following a diet, providing creative and delicious menus that will avoid any feelings of deprivation and doing all the planning and preparation for you.
To further read about the best meal kit services available for the Paleo diet please click here
To further read about the best meal kit services available for the keto diet please click here
