Fit For Life: Diets I’ve Known, Loved and Hated

Saturday, April 01, 2017

Matt Espeut, GoLocalPDX Health +Lifestyle Contributor

I am always asked my opinion on different meal plans and supplements. Is this good? Should I take this? What do you think about this pill or powder? Or what do you think about this diet? Or this food? Well, let me start by saying a general answer that I give everyone. Do what WORKS best for you!

The “type” of meal plan isn’t the most important factor, it’s how well you are going to adhere to the program that makes the difference. If you go on a program loaded with foods that you don’t like to eat, chances of success are less likely. If you must restrict the foods you love the most, then you will be miserable and will suffer more. Also, you are lessening your chances for success. I have tried several types of eating plans and I will give you my opinion on three different ones that I have tried. I think experience is the best way to decide what you like or works best, so you need to try a few and see what happens, and how you feel.

A Vegan Diet. I just recently dove into a 2-week strict vegan diet. I did this because I saw the “Knives over Forks” documentary, and attended a seminar by Dr. Michael Greger. Both are huge advocates of a plant based nutrition plan, all backed by scientifically proven theories that plants heal. My opinion: I hated it. I am a big meat eater, and this was a huge challenge to me. I went out of town for a few days during this “challenge” and struggled even more. To be a healthy vegan, you need to do a lot of work preparing your meals, and combining the right nutrients to get a complete amino acid profile and get enough protein to heal an active body. I also have a big appetite, and found myself eating a bagel here and there, as well as eating more processed food to fill the void. Not good. To do it right and be healthy, you better do your homework, or you will end up looking like most vegans, soft, pasty, and lethargic. Can it be a cure for illness? Yes, but again, only if you do it correctly. Eating bread and processed foods containing sugar is not the way to go.

The Atkins Diet is also another popular plan used to lose weight. I also do not recommend this diet. It restricts your carb intake to as low as 20 grams a day, and encourages you to eat as much fat and protein as you want. Although you may lose a few pounds, I don’t see eating processed meat such as sausage and salami, and indulging in endless amounts of cheese and bacon - healthy. Although it claims to be “healthy” I have a tough time advocating for such a thing. I tried it years ago, and found myself mentally exhausted and not feeling well. Some swear by it, but from a health and fitness professional standpoint, I don’t think its sustainable.

The Paleo Diet. This was brought to popularity by the cross-fit community a few years back, and its premise is to eat like a caveman, and only live off the land, while eliminating processed, manmade foods. A well-known pioneer named Jack LaLanne established a quote years ago by saying, “If it’s man made…don’t eat it”. Another doctor named Barry Sears came out with the Zone Diet a few years later, and it hits on the same points. Eat quality food, and eliminate processed carbohydrates and dairy products. This plan dictates eating the proper amount of grass fed/free range meats, lots of vegetables, and carbs such as quinoa, sweet potatoes, brown rice, and limited amounts of fruit. It also recommends lots of quality fats such as avocado, nuts, and quality unprocessed oils. The only thing I can’t understand about the Paleo is that it eliminates legumes such as black beans, lentils etc.

At my gym, we are starting our second annual Paleo challenge at Providence Fit Body Boot Camp, and judging by last year’s success, people are going to get amazing results. After going vegan for two weeks, I am dying to jump in with my clients for the next four weeks.

Except for eating legumes, and the occasional piece of cheese and Greek yogurt, I have been eating what people are now calling Paleo for the last 15 + years. I feel that the quality of your food is the number one factor that determines your health. The next important thing is the amount you eat. I first tell my clients to “clean it up” before you take out the scale and measuring cups. When these vegan researchers are giving meat a bad rap and telling us that we eat too much, they are correct on some levels. Too much meat and protein will tax your body, but if you eat the proper amount and eat high-quality food, I find it hard to go wrong. So, to sum it up, I would say to go for quality first. Stay away from industrial farmed meat products, and processed man made garbage, eat lots of organic vegetables, and watch your body transform, all while improving your overall health.

Matt Espeut, GoLocal's Health & Lifestyle Contributor has been a personal trainer and health & fitnesss consultant for over 25 years.

Related Slideshow: The 7 Best Health and Fitness Apps

Here is a list of some of the most obsession worthy health apps.

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MapMyRun

MapMyRun is the number one selling running app for a reason: it is easy to use, offers community support if you want it, and tracks and stores your exact routes for you. If you are training for a race or a serious runner, users say that the extra perks in the upgraded paid version are well worth it.

Made for iPhone, Android and Blackberry

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MyFitnessPal

MyFitnessPal seems to be the clear favorite amongst everyone polled. It is helpful not only for the fitness tracking aspect, but everyone polled mentioned how much they loved the food/diet aspect as well. From carb counting for diabetics to recipe ideas to complement your fitness goals, users love this app.

Made for iPhone and Android

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JeFit

JeFit is another fitness app that has rave reviews. It not only tracks progress for you, but offers a huge database of workouts. While many apps offer community support, JeFit allows you to sync workouts with friends who use the app, offering a (real) virtual buddy system.

Made for iPhone and Android

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Strava

Strava gets the highest mark of all the cycling apps. While it is also great for runners, the cyclers seem particularly inclined towards the fierce competition that can be ignited by this app. You can track all of your rides via GPS, then you can compare your efforts to those logged by others in the community on the same stretch of road. You can also join ongoing challenges that can net you great prizes (in addition to bragging rights).

Made for iPhone and Android

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YogaStudio

YogaStudio gets the top vote for Yoga apps. It has a lengthy collection of full class-length videos available at your fingertips. Unlike many other apps, this one also allows you to customize your own video yoga class. All of the poses are done by qualified yoga instructors, and you can find classes suitable for all levels of yogis.

Made for iPhone only

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SimplyBeing

SimplyBeing meditation app offers the best of both worlds. You can choose to run this app as a background for your meditation with soothing music or natural sounds that run for a set amount of time. Conversely, for those of you who have trouble focusing during meditation, you can choose a soothing voice-guided meditation.

Made for iPhone and Android

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Fooducate

Fooducate is an app all about educating people so that they make healthier food choices. Although not perfect, this app is easy to use (you can even take pictures of bar codes to instantly find foods in their database). It gives food a letter grade, tells you the pluses and minuses, and gives you better ranked alternatives. You can also use it as a weight loss tool by tracking your daily calories.

Made for iPhone and Android