All this information come from my Can Fit Pro Wellness Eating and Weight Loss Coach manual.
<p class="western">The term “dieting” is defined as the practice of eating food in a regulated fashion to decrease, maintain, or increase body weight. Dietary choices are often affected by a variety of factors, including ethical and religious beliefs, clinical need, or a desire to control weight. A healthy diet involves consuming appropriate amounts of all essential nutrients and an adequate amount of water. Nutrients can be obtained from many different foods, so there are numerous diets that may be considered healthy. A healthy diet must include a balance of calories from fats, proteins, and carbohydrates to support energy. It also needs micronutrients for optimal nutrition. Unfortunately, not all diets are healthy. <strong>Many people follow unhealthy diets through habit or lack of awareness, rather than a conscious decision to make poor choices.</strong> Some diets are short-term weight-loss plans that involve drastic changes to a person's normal eating habits — typically known as "crash" or "fad" diets. These types of diets are considered unhealthy.</p>
<p class="western">Recommendations from the World Health Organization:</p>

<ul>
 	<li class="western">Try to burn as much energy as you eat, and try to eat as much energy as you burn, as a healthy weight is a balance between those two.</li>
 	<li class="western">Increase consumption of plant foods, particularly fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, and nuts.</li>
 	<li class="western">Limit intake of fat and oil; avoid saturated fats, which are those that become solid at room temperature and most animal fats, including those found in red meat, dairy and eggs. Prefer unsaturated fats, which remain liquid at room temperature and are predominantly found in plant-based foods and oils.</li>
</ul>
<p class="western">Many of the most popular diets for weight loss fall into one of the following categories:</p>

<ul>
 	<li class="western"><strong>Macronutrient focused diets</strong>: manipulation of one macronutrient (i.e. protein, carbohydrate, or fat)</li>
 	<li class="western"><strong>Food group excluding diets</strong>: removing a food group due to choice, belief, religion, or sensitivity (i.e.vegetarianism)</li>
 	<li class="western"><strong>Crash diets</strong>: non-sustainable, sometimes dangerous diets, typically very low-calorie (i.e. lemonade diet)</li>
</ul>
<h3 class="western" style="text-align: center;">Macronutrient focused diets</h3>
<p class="western"><strong>The high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet </strong>(Example: Paleo)</p>
<p class="western">A high protein-low-carbohydrate diet typically promises weight loss, long-term weight maintenance, and prevention or control of many “diseases of civilization” such as Type 2 diabetes and heart disease. <em>The high-protein diet theory suggests that North American society overindulges in highly processed, refined carbohydrates, resulting in escalation of these health issues.</em> The Paleo diet, which suggests looking back to the Paleolithic period of more than 10,000 years ago. Sticking to animal proteins and plants because the human digestive system was never designed to handle the refined sugars, starchy carbohydrates, grains, legumes, and dairy products that have slowly entered our diets over the past 10,000 years, increasing waistlines and the risk of disease. This diet has a very simple guiding principle: If the cavemen didn’t eat it, humans today should not eat it either.
<strong>Pros</strong>: Diet is low in sodium.
<strong>Cons</strong>: Can be expensive. Excluding grains and dairy can put individuals at risk for nutrient deficiencies. The diet also includes of a high fat intake, which may increase the risk of diseases such as atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease.</p>
<p class="western"><strong>Low-carbohydrate diets </strong>(Example: The South Beach Diet, and The Stillman Diet.)</p>
<p class="western">Similar to the theories surrounding a high-protein diet, the main idea behind a low-carbohydrate diet is that North American society overindulges in highly processed, refined-carbohydrate foods, a practice that can lead to overeating, obesity and other negative health consequences. <strong>These diets recommend an eating system designed to help people lose weight by reducing the amount of carbohydrate they consume. </strong>During normal digestion, the body metabolizes glucose from carbohydrates for energy, rather than energy from fat. If there is not enough glucose in the bloodstream due to low-carbohydrate intake, the body draws on fat stores for fuel.</p>
<p class="western"><strong>Low-calorie diets </strong>(Ex</p>
<p class="western">A low-calorie or calorie-restriction diet is a dietary regimen based on reduced calorie intake, without malnutrition, has been shown to slow the biological aging process, resulting in longer maintenance of youthful health and an increase in both median and maximum lifespan. (Anderson,Shanmuganayagam, &amp; Weindruch, 2009). Calorie restriction is a feature of several dietary regimens including the Okinawa diet and the CRON-diet. Examples of low-calorie diets are:• Body for Life: a calorie-control diet, promoted as part of the 12-week Body for Life program.• The Cookie Diet: a calorie-control diet in which low-fat, high-fibre cookies are eaten often in place of a meal.• The Hacker's Diet: a calorie-control diet that suggests that the key to reaching and maintaining desired weight is to understand and carefully monitor calories consumed and used.• Nutri system Diet: the dietary element of this weight-loss plan distributes low-calorie meals, with specific ratios of fats, proteins and carbohydrates.• Weight Watchers Diet: foods are assigned point values; dieters can eat any food with a points value, provided they stay within their daily points limit (Devlin, 2012).• Jenny Craig Diet: a weight-loss program includes weight counselling and the consumption of pre-packaged foods produced by the company (Jenny Craig Inc., n.d.).• Very low-calorie diet: an extreme version of a low-calorie diet is often referred to as a very low-calorie diet or VLCD. A very low-calorie diet involves consuming fewer than 800 calories a day. These specific diets are normally followed under the supervision of a doctor (Calorie-Count. US, 2010).</p>
<p class="western">Alkaline DietsBody acidity is an emerging concept in nutrition. Many North Americans are living in a state of permanent and systemic acidity, largely due to food and lifestyle choices. Foods are either acidic or alkaline. This grading is determined by burning a food down to ash and measuring the pH of the ash – a number of 7 or lower indicates acidity; 7 to 14 are considered alkaline. Stress can also push the body into an acid state, as does the shallow quick breathing that often goes hand in hand with stress. Environmental factors such as pollution, poor air quality, detergents and toxins can create an acid load in the body, (e.g. intense exercise training sessions).</p>
<p class="western">Hormone dietsAcknowledging hormones as influencers behind whether weight gain, weight loss, and weight maintenance is essential when considering weight loss and nutrition. These potent chemicals are produced by the body to manage everything from breathing to digestion to sexual responses and more. At the same time, our hormones are influenced by myriad factors, including exercise, diet, sleep, stress, and even the everyday chemicals that we are exposed to in soaps and cosmetics. Moves away from focusing on caloric intake and does not consider the source of our calories. It also supports the notion that health is not achieved through weight loss, but rather weight loss is achieved when the body is in a healthy position to lose weight – and keep it off. Since hormones are the key to controlling appetite and stimulating metabolism, attaining and maintaining hormonal balance is essential for achieving lasting weight loss. Diet and exercise are important, but so are sleeping well, reducing toxin exposure, maintaining healthy liver function, optimizing digestion, limiting stress, and conquering inflammation. All of these factors can influence hormonal activity — and weight-loss success — in dramatic ways. The Glyci-Med Approach is a diet that can be followed for a lifetime as a means of creating a lasting blood sugar and hormonal balance. This solution combines attributes of theMediterranean diet, which is high in healthy fats and lower in carbohydrates, with principles of glycemically balanced eating. The latter focuses on the body’s natural hormonal response to the consumption of the main macronutrients (protein, fat, and carbohydrate) in order to achieve optimal body composition, blood sugar, and insulin levels. For instance, protein is a necessary building block for many hormones including serotonin, melatonin, growth hormone, thyroid hormone, and dopamine. Lack of protein in the diet can lead to mood disorders, memory loss, increased appetite and cravings, decreased metabolism, sleep disruption, muscle loss, and weight gain. Upon consumption, protein triggers glucagon, which maintains normal levels of glucose in the blood. Protein also stimulates the release of Peptide YY from the gut, suppressing appetite by acting on the feeding centre in the brain. A protein-rich diet also helps to shed stubborn belly fat, according to a study published in Diabetes Care. Researchers compared a high-protein diet with a low-protein diet in 54 obese men and women with Type-2 diabetes. Those on the high-proteindiet had significantly greater reductions in total and abdominal fat mass and a greater reductionin LDL cholesterol. Healthy fats make up the membrane of every cell in the body and are a vital component of sex hormones. They also help people feel full and satisfied because of their effects on the appetite controlling hormones, leptin and CCK. Fats, therefore, prevent cravings and actually help people lose weight when consumed in the right forms and amounts. Research prove that old fat stored around the belly, thighs or butt cannot be burned off effectively unless new fat comes in via food or from the liver. Lastly, and contrary to protein’s effect on increasing blood sugar via the stimulation of glucagon, the macronutrient carbohydrate triggers the release of insulin. Insulin removes the sugar from the blood stream to be used as energy or stored as fat. In essence then, insulin is the one and only hormone that is always telling the body to store energy as fat. Insulin imbalance does not always outwardly manifest as obesity. Sometimes the increase in fat occurs in the liver, where its dangers can remain unseen. Unlike protein and fat, carbohydrates are not a building block of hormones, although they do play a role in the production of serotonin and testosterone in the body.</p>
<p class="western">The rules for hormonally balanced nutrition Glycemically balanced eating simply means eating to maintain stable blood sugar, which ultimately stimulates less insulin release. Since insulin tells the body to store energy as fat, lower insulin is always better for weight loss. Maintaining consistent blood sugar and insulin</p>
<p class="western">is one of the most important steps to balancing all hormones in the body and ensuring that metabolism stays in high gear. In fact, weight loss is almost impossible when insulin levels are too high.</p>
<p class="western">Those who eat frequently, at the right times, and consume protein, healthy fat, fibre and low glycemic carbohydrates together at every meal will achieve glycemic balance. This approach to nutrition involves three simple rules:1. Eat the right foods, including a balance of protein, healthy fats and low glycemic or fibrous carbs,2. Eat at the right times, and3. Avoid hormone-hindering foods — 80 to 100 percent of the timeSome of the many hormonal benefits to this method of eating include:1. Better fat-burning potential through increased glucagon from eating the right amounts of protein.2. Enhanced melatonin for better sleep from consuming protein and avoiding excess carbohydrates at dinner.3. Maximized growth hormone levels from consuming protein, avoiding excess sugar before exercising and having a meal containing protein and carbohydrate within 45 minutes of finishing a workout.4. Better testosterone status for muscle building from consuming the right balance of protein, carbohydrates and fats.5. Elimination of harmful excess estrogens from consuming sufficient fibre and enjoying phyto-estrogenic foods such as soy, pomegranate and flaxseeds.6. Improved serotonin from avoiding excessive carbohydrate restriction and consuming enough protein.7. Better appetite control by increasing appetite-suppressing hormones, leptin and CCK, when fats and protein are eaten at each meal. Consuming enough fibre will have the same effect on appetite because, in addition to raising leptin and CCK, it also leads to less insulin release.8. Eating enough and frequently will also prevent the appetite-stimulating hormones ghrelin and NPY from being released.9. Maximized metabolism by increased thyroid hormone from eating enough, eating frequently and obtaining the nutrients needed to enable the body to make thyroid hormone.10. Increased acetylcholine for muscle function and memory from including lecithin and eggs in the diet.11. Reduced insulin and inflammation from eating balanced meals and avoid excess sugar, harmful fats, alcohol and processed foods.12. Keeping cortisol in control by avoiding skipped meals, excess protein consumption, and severe caloric restriction.</p>
<p class="western">Food group excluding dietsFood group excluding diets remove a food group due to choice, belief, religion, or sensitivity, notal ways to lose weight. This includes vegetarianism, gluten-free, as well as belief-based, non weight-loss eating such as kosher (food prepared in accordance with Jewish dietary laws), or halal(foods that are allowed under Islamic dietary guidelines).</p>
<p class="western">Vegetarian dietsVegetarianism is the practice of consuming primarily plant foods. Vegetarians abstain from consuming meat products, including red meats, poultry and seafood. It may also include abstention from animal by-products such as animal-derived rennet and gelatin (The VegetarianSociety, n.d.). An ovo-vegetarian diet includes eggs but not dairy products. A lacto-vegetarian diet includes dairy products but not eggs. An ovo-lacto-vegetarian diet includes dairy products and eggs. Those following a vegan diet avoid all animal-derived products, including eggs, honey and dairy products such as milk, cheese, butter and yogurt.</p>
<p class="western">The gluten-free dietGluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, rye and triticale (a hybrid mix of rye and wheat). Gluten is also an additive to many foods, and this diet excludes all gluten-containing products. While oats are gluten free themselves, they can be contaminated by contact with gluten-containing grains during processing. The dietary intake also excludes casein, a protein found most often in milk and dairy products. Some less obvious sources of gluten are beer, croutons, marinades, sauces, and some salad dressings. The gluten-free diet is one that eliminates foods containing gluten. This diet is indicated for those with celiac disease, defined by the Canadian Celiac Association as a “medical condition in which the absorptive surface of the small intestine is damaged by a substance called gluten,” as well as individuals with an allergy to gluten. Recently, this diet has gained popularity in people without specific allergies to gluten. Some followers hypothesize that long-term exposure to these opiate peptides may have effects on brain maturation and contribute to social awkwardness andisolation. On this basis, a gluten-free, casein-free (GFCF) diet may be recommended for those with autism to minimize the build-up of opiate peptides. Although this assumption remains unproven, there have even been claims that this diet may help to treat autism. Pros: may decrease carbohydrate consumption and encourage an increase in fruits and vegetables intake. Cons: many gluten-free foods are also not enriched with iron, fibre, or folate. It is a limiting diet and difficult to adhere to. It is commonly used by those without celiac disease or wheat allergyCrash dietsCrash or fad diets are general, often negative</p>
<p class="western">terms. They describe diet plans that involve making extreme, rapid changes to food consumption or promote eating habits that can be unhealthy. These diets are typically extreme in terms of nutritional deprivation, often severely restricting overall daily caloric intake. The idea is to achieve rapid weight loss, and the diet is not meant as a means for lasting change. These diets are often viewed as quick-fix solutions, contrary to the belief of many who use this type of diet; this way of eating is neither healthy nor largely success fulfor achieving long-term weight loss, as it can provoke a slowdown of the body's basal metabolicrate. Usually, the dieter will see some initial weight loss; however, that weight is usually regained quickly in the weeks that follow, as individuals revert to their original pre-diet habits. Within this vicious cycle, more weight is often regained than originally lost, which may send the dieter spiralling back into extreme habits. This roller coaster of weight lost and then regained, then lost then regained can pose health risks (BBC News, 2008).Some crash or fad diets include:• The Beverly Hills Diet: An extreme diet that prescribes only fruits in the first days and gradually increases the selection of foods up to the sixth week.• The Cabbage Soup Diet: A low-calorie diet based on heavy consumption of cabbage soup.105• Grapefruit Diet: This fad diet is intended to accomplish quick weight loss by eating large quantities of grapefruits at meal times.• The Israeli Army Diet: This is an eight-day diet where only apples are consumed in the first two days, cheese the following two days, chicken on days five and six, and salad for the final two days. This diet is not followed or endorsed by Israel Defence Forces.• The Subway Diet: Subway sandwiches are consumed two times a day in place of higher calorie fast foods. This diet has become famous thanks to a student named Jared Fogle who lost 111 kg (245lb) after replacing his meals with Subway sandwiches as part of an effort to lose weight.• The Watermelon Diet: Watermelon does contain nutrients that promote anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits, as well as citrulline. This compound found in watermelon, is said to potentially promote weight loss and heart health by lowering blood pressure and cholesterol(Romero, 2012).•Detoxification dietsMost detox diets claim to have a detoxifying effect on the body deemed necessary because food is often “contaminated” by various unnecessary, potentially harmful ingredients. These substances include food colourings, pesticides, and preservatives. The premise of these diets is to cleanse ordetoxify the system. Detox diets can involve extreme limitation of foods. For example, some fasting-type detox diets prescribe only water or juice and usually promote elimination of processed foods. A detox diet is often high in fibre, which is said to cause the body to burn accumulated stored fats, releasing fat-stored "toxins" into the blood, which can then be eliminated through the blood, skin, urine, feces, and breath. Proponents claim that changes such as analtered body odour support the notion that detox diets are working; this claim has been criticized for misidentifying that the body is actually undergoing ketosis (Davis, 2002). These specific detox diets often target an array of invaders.</p>