13 Steps to Bloody Good Health

by Ashwin Sanghi

Atkins Diet: People on the Atkins diet avoid carbohydrates but can eat as much protein and fat as they like, particularly meat. This lowers their insulin and results in fat burn. However, drastically cutting carbs in the early phase of the programme can result in side-effects like headache, dizziness, weakness, fatigue and constipation. Ketogenic Diet: This involves reducing carbohydrate intake and upping fat intake. While it may sound contrary to common sense, it allows the body to burn stored fat as a fuel rather than sugar. In the beginning of this diet, you may experience some negative symptoms, collectively referred to as ‘low-carb flu’ or ‘keto flu’ because they resemble the symptoms of flu. These may include headache, fatigue, increased hunger, diarrhoea, poor sleep, nausea, decreased physical performance and brain fog. South Beach Diet: This is not a traditional low-carb diet and instead focuses on selecting the right carbohydrates that have a lower glycemic index. It is considered to be safe if followed right. However, if you severely restrict your carbohydrates intake, you may experience the same problems as in the keto diet. Mediterranean Diet: This diet codifies the nutritional habits of the people of Crete, Greece and southern Italy. The emphasis is on plant foods, fresh fruits, beans, nuts, whole grains, seeds, olive oil, cheese, yoghurt, fish and poultry. There are no proven studies indicating the harmful side effects of this type of a diet, as it does not r...