By — Njeri Jackson

Within the last year there has been a trend of health and attaining a healthier lifestyle. This has paved the way for not only working out and eating better, but special diets as well. One of these diets is Veganism, which has and still is, a trend with food products in the grocery stores today. Another is the gluten-free trend, which is still going strong years later. There are so many different health trends that line the store shelves today.

Popular Special Diets (to name a few):

Veganism:

Veganism is basically a diet where a person chooses to not consume any type of product coming from an animal. Some vegans even extend that to the clothes they wear. They are different from Vegetarians because Vegetarians will still usually consume foods such as milk, eggs, or honey, but there are categories for that in that realm. Vegans tend to consume a large amount of vegetables, legumes, beans, and other plant-based foods.

Dairy-Free:

As of recently there has been a trend with not consuming dairy. There are claims that point at the supposed “bad” side of dairy and paint it as evil which gives some people a reason to give it up, or at least reduce their intake of it. The other factor is that it makes a large section of people feel sick. According to a source from MedlinePlus (see at the bottom of the article), 65% percent of people are technically lactose intolerant in some type of way, which means they have a harder time digesting lactose, the sugar found in milk. Both of these factors have contributed to the hype of dairy-free products such as almond milk, “yogurt”, and other alternatives to normally dairy foods.

Keto:

The Keto diet is a diet based on the principle of eating large amounts of fat and meat, while eating a low amount of carbs. It is supposed to get your body to use fat as an energy source rather than carbs, which is why it appears to be a popular choice for those looking to lose weight right now. That’s why there’s a trend for items such as cauliflower “rice” or alternative flours such as almond or cassava.

My Experience with a Special Diet

I consider myself to have a plant-based diet, so I don’t consume much meat, and when I do it is in extremely small portions. In addition I also don’t consume any dairy. Normally I eat a very vegetarian-like diet on a typical day. I eat a lot of beans, grains, tofu, legumes, vegetables, and fruits, on most days.

I think while I honestly like a restricted diet, it is also difficult sometimes. I find a lot of stuff off limits and I understand the pain of those with a more restrictive diet, like vegans. 

I believe that it would be a good experience for people to try a special type of diet in their life, even if it doesn’t work for them. Trying new things is a great experience and it can be something new to do, with regards to Covid happening and people being stuck at home more now.

Lactose Intolerance Source: https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/condition/lactose-intolerance/