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There's nothing more frustrating than losing weight just to gain it back with interest. Unfortunately, fad diets and other lose-weight-fast plans are almost always doomed to fail. The problem, ironically, is that their extreme or unbalanced approach often aggravates underlying disease states that cause obesity.
Dr. Whit Roberts at Health Utah explains how two of the decade's most popular diets, keto and paleo, have led many to ultimately gain even more weight.
Paleo
1. Insulin resistance
The gist:
- Studies show meat raises insulin levels as much as carbohydrates.
- Insulin resistance is associated with weight gain as shown by additional research.
The details:
The Paleo Diet proposes that we eat foods that are thought to have been eaten by humans in the paleolithic period - foods that were acquired by hunting or gathering. This low-carb diet includes fruits, vegetables, lean meats, fish, eggs, nuts and seeds.
Many proponents of this diet discuss the fact that carbohydrates raise insulin levels and high insulin leads to weight gain. The problem with this argument is that meat raises insulin levels even more than a plate of plain pasta. In fact, meat of any kind causes as much insulin release as pure sugar. This leads to insulin resistance.
Insulin resistance is when the insulin receptors on cells stop responding to insulin.
"This is a major problem since these receptors are the only mechanism for opening the gates that allow sugar into cells. The result is that sugar stays in the bloodstream where it does all kinds of damage," Dr. Roberts says. "The body's solution to the problem? Store the excess sugar in a safe place - in fat cells. Fat cells get fatter and you see yourself gaining unexplained pounds."
Dr. Roberts says he isn't recommending that you eat no meat. His point is that you can't cut out whole categories of food. They all have their place in people's diets.
2. Dyslipidemia
The gist:
- Dyslipidemia is when good cholesterol is low and bad cholesterol and/or triglycerides are high.
- Research shows the Paleo Diet has been shown to cause dyslipidemia.
- Dyslipidemia is associated with Insulin resistance, according to scientific studies.
- Additional studies show insulin resistance can lead to obesity.
The details:
Weight loss by any method will at least temporarily lower bad cholesterol and triglycerides except, strangely, when you lose weight on the Paleo diet. Some research participants on the paleo diet even saw a 20% increase in these bad lipids. This is significant enough to effectively counteract any benefit from exercise.
"This is a problem since this imbalance in lipids is always associated with insulin resistance. And insulin resistance of course leads to weight gain," Dr. Roberts says.
"The take-home message is that there's not one single diet that's right for everyone. Obviously, the paleo diet has helped many people lose weight. But just as many have probably gained back the weight and more because it resulted in increasing their insulin resistance," Dr. Roberts says. "Specialized testing at Health Utah helps us identify what metabolic challenges a person has and how to best support their weight loss efforts."
Keto
3. Dysbiosis
The gist:
- The keto diet has been shown to decrease the richness and variety of gut bacteria.
- The resulting condition is called dysbiosis where there are more bad bacteria than good, according to medical research.
- Studies demonstrate dysbiosis can lead to obesity.
The details:
There are five basic categories of bacteria native to the intestines. Dysbiosis is a condition where these are out of balance. A lack of fiber in the Keto Diet basically starves good bacteria leaving bad bacteria to fill the void. This imbalance leads to a host of other chemical imbalances, altered energy metabolism, inflammation and obesity.
Dr. Roberts explains, "When the wrong bacteria becomes more prevalent in the intestines, you often gain weight because the bad bacteria converts more of your food to sugar. So two people can eat the exact same thing and one will gain weight and the other won't - all because one has bad bacteria in the gut."
The reality is that these diets have probably helped thousands to lose weight and keep it off. However, they have probably also caused rebound weight gain in thousands of others. The problem is that no single diet is effective for everyone. For example, those more susceptible to insulin resistance might regain their weight rapidly after losing weight on the keto diet.
"The solution is to test," Dr. Roberts says. Health Utah utilizes four new scanning technologies to identify your body's tendencies and metabolic state in order to know exactly where you are and chart your progress as you lose weight.
These tests will also help to identify other contributing factors such as toxins, insomnia, infection, allergies, hormone imbalances, candida, liver and gallbladder dysfunction.
No test is perfect. However, thousands have had extraordinary results with Health Utah's testing and scientifically validated weight loss protocols. A consultation and same-day testing are only $59.
Visit Health Utah today to schedule your weight-loss consultation and introduction to a unique weight-loss modality with Dr. Roberts.
Summary of what you get for $59
- Functional Body Scan
- 17-page report
- Consultation
- Laser Contouring Session
- Bring a friend or loved one at no additional cost.
Schedule you and your loved one's appointments here. If you have questions, you can call 801-810-CARE (2273).
