8 Diet Trends That Will Dominate In 2019

The start of a new year is the time when everyone works towards setting #goals in every aspect of their lives, health and fitness included. With the first month of 2019 well on it's way, we decided to take a look at what's hot and what's in diet trends. Some diets such as Keto and Paleo seem to be going strong since 2018, alongside a few new emerging trends like the Flexitarian and Nordic diets which are seen gaining popularity. Here is a list of all the diets that will be the rage in 2019, so read on and take your pick.

1. Ketogenic Diet

The big daddy of diet trends from 2018 is going strong this year as well. Keto gained popularity after being known as a favourite of celebs like Kim K and Halle Berry. This diet involves drastically reducing your intake of carbohydrates and replacing them with fats, forcing your body into a state of ketosis i.e. when you burn fats instead of carbohydrates for energy. This infamously restrictive diet calls for you to reduce the intake of unhealthy carbs like sugar along with those that are considered healthy like most fruits and certain veggies. The problem with keto is that it should be monitored by a health care professional, otherwise it can create problems like keto-flu (yes, this is  a thing) and yo-yo weight gain if you end up cheating.

2. Paleo Diet/ Pegan Diet

This diet plan is advocated by Mark Hyman M.D. author of Food: What the Heck Should I Eat. Pegan is the vegetarian form and Paleo has animal products as well. This diet focuses on consuming types of foods our ancient ancestors supposedly ate during the Paleolithic era, hence the name. Stick to foods low in sugar and starch, and consume plant foods and sustainably grown and harvested animal foods. Foods with whole fats like nuts and seeds, olive oil and avocado are also recommended. Think like a caveman, if you can gather or hunt it, you can eat it!

3. Flexitarian Diet

This one is set to be a fad in 2019.Think of the flexitarian diet as vegetarian with a lot of cheat days. This term applies to people who typically eat meatless but occasionally incorporate fish or meat into their diet. It's Advocated by New York Times columnist Mark Bittman, who says eating vegan before 6pm is an easier way to do this diet. Another way is to 'go meatless' or vegan a few days a week.

4. Mediterranean Diet

The Mediterranean Diet advocates heart healthy foods that are typically eaten in the Mediterranean. This diet advocates people to eat plenty of plant foods that are low on 'bad' cholesterol such as legumes, nuts, wheat, fruits and veggies. You can replace butter with healthy fats like olive oil, salt with herbs and spices and red meat with fish and poultry. It also allows you a glass of red wine every now and then. Mezze platter, anyone?

5. Whole 30

A diet gaining massive popularity thanks to a New York Times bestselling book, Whole 30, encourages people to eat foods with as few ingredients as possible, and all of those should be substances you know and can pronounce (for real). A head of broccoli? Go for it. A piece of candy made with things like pottasium sorbate and glycerin? Not so much! The program's website claims that if you are completely avoiding foods such as alcohol, anything with added sugar, legumes, dairy and more for 30 days, you will eliminate cravings, restore healthy metabolism and heal the digestive tract, along with looking much better as well. Worth giving it a shot, you think?

6. Intermittent Fasting

This one restricts your eating time, not what you eat. Intermittent fasting gained popularity last year and seems to be a hot favourite in 2019 as well. It's easy to follow, and does not limit you on food groups and preparations. This diet has many variants, from fasting two days a week or going for 8 hours of eating and 16 hours of fasting everyday, and is known to show results. Beware on how it can impact your hormones though, it's not advocated for pregnant or nursing women.

7. Gut Beneficial Foods

Focusing on gut health is gaining traction and becoming a trend in 2019. But it's fresh foods that create a microbiome balance, not probiotic pills that are in the  limelight. Fermented food and drinks such as kombucha tea, kaffir, yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchi and the humble pickle or achaar are becoming all the craze. So are high-fibre foods that act as probiotics and fuel probiotic growth such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes. Not only know to promote digestion, these are also good for boosting overall immunity and gut health. Anyone up for trying some kombucha, why don't cha? 

8. Nordic Diet

Looks like area and time-period based diets are all the craze in 2019. This diet is quite similar to the Mediterranean diet, and emphasises whole grains such as barley, rye, oats, berries, vegetables, fatty fish and legumes. It's quite low on sweets and red meat. It's based on the traditional way of eating of countries like Denmark, Finland. Iceland etc. Much like its buddy the Mediterranean diet, the Nordic diet also focused less on weight loss and is  more about a  delicious way to keep healthy.