We live in a world where likes and being viral could be a better basis above real science. With the internet right at the palm of our hands, it’s easy to become a nutrition expert. However, if there is more hype than fact, especially in the case of health, how are we supposed to figure out what’s best for us? Everyone is debating that the diet that they’re using worked for them and that it’s the best for the environment, or for their bodies. but that’s not always the case when real solid science is involved.

Which diet do you think is more suitable for you? Why are you dieting? How long can you rely on dieting in order to maintain a healthy weight? These are only 3 of the many questions that you probably have in mind in choosing a diet that you want to stick with. Below, I’ll list a few of the pros and cons of the 3 famous diets– keto, vegan and paleo.

The Keto Diet

It is possible to get the benefits of the keto diet while keeping it eco-friendly. However, it’s not necessarily easy. For those who are doing the vegan keto diet, you will have to rely on foods like nuts, avocados, flax products and oil. But for those who aren’t ready to give up meat altogether, here are a few ways to keep it all eco-friendly:

1. Choose the right dairy – We all know how there are dairy farms who aren’t environmentally friendly and they thrive with inhumane practices. However, there are still some farms out there that are committed to some basic principles of sustainability. All you have to do now is to make sure that your milk and cheese are antibiotic-free. If it’s from a local farm, the better.
2. Limit your red meat – Red meat is still red meat and even if it’s ethically raised it’s still bad for the environment. The good thing is, the keto diet doesn’t require all red meat. With this in mind, eat it conservatively and opt for other types of meat for a substitute.
3. Choose local – Whether it’s beef, fruit, nuts, cheese, or milk, the less distance your food has to travel, the better it is for the environment. If your food has to take a 15-hour flight in order to reach your table, then you are likely wasting precious fossil fuels.

“Keto diets should only be used under clinical supervision and only for brief periods,” Francine Blinten, R.D., a certified clinical nutritionist and public health consultant in Old Greenwich, Connecticut.

It is also said that the keto diet should only be used in extreme cases and as a short-term measure.

Vegan Diet

A vegan diet can fuel the obsession with “pure” or “clean” eating. It can all start as something healthy, but for others, it can become a major restriction of large food groups that are branded as “unclean” or “inhumane”.

It is important to know why you want to switch to a vegan diet or lifestyle. Why? It’s because the idea of believing that certain foods cannot be eaten could turn into an eating disorder or alleviate an existing eating disorder. Someone could always be saying, “I can’t eat that, I’m vegan.” or that, “I can’t go with you guys in that restaurant, there won’t be anything there that could fit into my diet.” are examples of how someone can develop an eating disorder to use veganism as an outlet to further restrict their food intake.

However, it is possible to have a healthy vegan diet. If you pursue it more as a lifestyle than a way to diet, the relationship with food can be perceived as healthy. If your pursuit of a vegan diet is appropriate and comes from a desire of making less of a carbon footprint on the world, it can be a good thing.

Personally, I choose veganism because of a number of reasons; it includes environmental sustainability, vitality and animal welfare.

A successful vegan diet must contain a variety of foods in order for you to avoid deficiencies. Vegan diets aren’t just about fruits and vegetables. It includes plant-based proteins like soy, nuts, beans, and seeds along with healthy fats and grains. Deficiencies can be an enemy when you’re on a vegan diet. You have to make sure that you’re getting more than 800 calories in order to function properly.

Paleo Diet

Just like any other diets out there, it’s not a cure-all even though it comes with potential benefits. However, it doesn’t mean it’s for everyone. It also has certain risks that you should be aware of before trying it. First, let’s talk about the benefits that you can reap from the paleo diet.

Eating fruits and vegetables can give you many of the essential vitamins and minerals that you need. The diet itself is simple, you just eat the foods that are whole, anything that can be hunted or planted during the paleolithic age. Therefore, nothing processed like dairy products, cereals, sugary soft drinks and fruit juices, processed and cured meats.

Paleo diet cuts out a lot of processed foods and sugar which helps immensely in achieving a healthy lifestyle.

The paleo diet seems to be easy and it really makes sense to go back to our roots of eating food that isn’t processed in any way. However, it can be very difficult to maintain in the long run. Since most foods are supposed to be eaten plain, it can get boring after a short time and there is very little creativity involved with your meals. Other than that, it can be very expensive because foods that are organically grown and grass-fed beef cost more. Not only that, beef isn’t environmentally friendly. Also, there isn’t a concrete and scientific proof that paleo diets actually wards off disease. Paleo diet promotes mostly meats and it has a lot of saturated fats. Saturated fat from meat has been linked with an increased risk of early death.

Now, with all of these scientific facts laid out, it’s up to you to decide what will work well for your lifestyle. However, you have to keep in mind that most diets are only for short-term and that in order to stay fit, exercise is highly recommended no matter what.