At some point or another during the last 5 or so years, you've no doubt heard mentions of "Keto", "Paleo", "Bulletproof" and/or "Whole30". But what are the differences between the Keto Diet, Paleo Diet, Bulletproof Diet and what the heck is Whole30? Below is the way I generally categorize them, along with some of their potential "plusses and pitfalls" as I see them:
Keto Diet (high fat, low carb, maintain state of nutritional ketosis)
Emphasis is on eating a diet that is comprised mostly of high fat, low carb foods and proteins with little emphasis on the quality of the food sources. Number one priority is hitting the correct macros to keep your body in a state of nutritional ketosis.
Plusses:
Can feel satisfying to eat this way due to the high fat content.
Can be easy to eat this way as foods that fit this way of eating are generally readily available.
Pitfalls:
Some food choices can be inflammatory to your system, especially when consumed in abundance.
Tracking your macros can be cumbersome.
Paleo Diet (high quality, but not low carb, not in nutritional ketosis)
Emphasis is on eating a diet that is comprised of high quality food sources with little to no emphasis on macros such as carb counts. Number one priority is eating good quality foods that are not deemed to be inflammatory to your system.
Plusses:
Can help heal your body by avoiding foods that may be inflammatory to your system.
No macro tracking required.
Pitfalls:
Some food choices can cause you to gain weight, especially when consumed in abundance.
Can be difficult or expensive to find foods that fit this way of eating.
Bulletproof Diet (high fat, low carb, high quality, cycle in and out of nutritional ketosis)
Emphasis is on eating a diet that is comprised of high fat, low carb, moderate protein foods - all from high quality food sources. Secondarily, cycling in a high carb day once or twice a week comprised of high quality carb food sources such as sweet potatoes. Number one priority is eating good quality foods that are not deemed to be inflammatory to your system, and that will keep you in a state of nutritional ketosis most of the time, cycling out of ketosis once in awhile for overall hormone health.
Plusses:
Can feel satisfying to eat this way due to the high fat content.
Can help heal your body by avoiding foods that may be inflammatory to your system.
No macro tracking required.
Pitfalls:
Can feel overly restrictive.
May require more and specialized preparation.
Can be difficult or expensive to find foods that fit this way of eating.
I hope this helps highlight some of the overall differences, albeit in a very generalized way. I obviously didn't go into specifics like dairy, grains, gluten, etc. To learn more about each of these ways of eating, please try Googling them. There are tons of great resources available online for free. You can also post questions in the comments below and I'll try and answer them as best I can. As with most things, there are some "gray" areas with certain foods in certain plans.
With that said, if you were to ask me which way of eating I feel is the best, I'd say "it depends". There are many factors that can come into play, things like:
- your body's current state of health
- what you're "used to" and "comfortable" eating currently - maybe it's too big of an adjustment to give up all grains AND all dairy at the same time, so starting smaller might work better (Did you read my last post "Small Changes Lead to Big Differences"?)
- what your overall goal is (lose weight, eat healthier, feel better, etc.)
For me personally, the Bulletproof diet way of eating works well for me "most" of the time. It feels well-rounded to me in terms of having a focus on good quality, anti-inflammatory foods and I don't normally feel deprived. Still there are many foods that are widely recognized as healthful, yet categorized as "suspicious", or foods you should avoid, when following the Bulletproof Diet. Things like mushrooms or garlic, for example. While, I'm sure some small part of the population has a mold sensitivity or other reason for avoiding these, I believe that for the majority of people, the health benefits far outweigh the possible sensitivity. You just have to try for yourself and see. In this regard, I believe the Bulletproof Diet can feel too restrictive.
On the plus side, the (good quality) high fat nature of this diet helps a lot with the satiety part, so I feel full and cravings are turned off(!). The high quality foods make me feel great and seem to naturally keep my weight balanced as well. Over time cycling in and out of ketosis, my body has become adapted to quickly switching back and forth between being a sugar burner and being a fat burner, so I've found this way of eating is one that I have been able to live with long term. Again, this will vary from person to person and you may start out eating one way and then move on to another based on your changing needs.
Speaking of which, what about the Whole30 diet, what's that all about?
I like to think of the Whole30 Diet as a form of an elimination diet (or you could do an actual "Elimination Diet" - if you don't know what that is, just Google it). It could also be viewed as a kickstart or reset. In my opinion, it's a 30-day-at-a-time commitment to eating better. The rules are very finite and you can find them all online. In fact, there are a lot of great, free resources and a very active community full of support to help you through. If you're currently eating a Standard American Diet, completing a Whole30 or two or three, can be a great way to segue slowly over to something like the Paleo way of eating.
Baby steps. Remember small changes can lead to big differences.
I'm grateful for your questions, comments and feedback. Please share any below.