Move over horoscopes – just for fun, Healthista has a new way of choosing a diet that works for you: Fontstrology.
Buzzfeed quizzes and hilarious tweets have had us chirping in the Healthista office about what our fonts say about us and our diets. Just for fun, we’ve rounded up 10 popular fonts that may predict what kind of diets those that favour them could follow – it’s probably more than most of us use to choose a diet!
1) Times New Roman: PALEO
For some this is the font they’ve been using since about 1975. Call me crazy, but this font seems to be a little out of date in today’s world. We predict that users of this font would fancy the paleo diet, the oldest diet in the book, but unlike the font, this diet is far from old-fashioned.
The paleo diet is the latest craze with bona-fide research behind its effectiveness. The paleo, or ‘caveman’ diet, relies on the hunter and gatherer mentality: whatever you can find in the wild, you can eat. Followers of the paleo diet eat meat, eggs, fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds, and cut out grains, dairy, added sugars and processed foods.
Sounds reasonable, right? A new study published by Swedish researchers in The European Journal of Clinical Nutrition studied a group of women in a two-year study. After two years, the group of women had a significantly less amount of fat mass, abdominal fat, triglyceride levels. The study also found that satiety levels were met during the Paleo diet as compared to other diets. Although Paleo eaters consume less calories, they feel more full throughout the day. Paleo eaters claim to have clearer thinking, less fatigue and overall better well-being.
Read more on what Healthista’s editor, Anna Magee, has to say about her experience going paleo.
2) Comic Sans: THE WESTERN DIET
Where to begin with this font. At the peak of its existence, second graders used this font for their school projects circa 1994. Some actually feel so strongly about Comic Sans that they want to ban the font altogether.
We predict that Comic Sans font users follow the western diet. The western diet consists of fried foods and foods that are high in sugar – like processed foods (think donuts, cookies, and candy).
This diet can actually shorten your life, similar to how we feel about the Comic Sans font – every time we see it, we die a little inside. Dr Tasnime Akbaraly found that this diet ‘raises a person’s risk of dying early’ and found that it can contribute to cardiovascular disease after a prolonged period of time. It’s safe to say that if you use both Comic Sans or follow the western diet, you should change your habits immediately.
3) Arial: LOW CARB
Known as ‘the common man’s font,’ we predicted that anyone who loves Arial should follow one of the most common diet choices to match your typeface. A low-carb diet, like The Atkins Diet, was most popular in the ’90s, yet countless people still swear by this regimen.
According to researchers for The Nutrition Source, there is evidence that low-carb diets may help people lose weight quicker and easier than a low-fat one. The low-carb diet was proven to increase HDL (good) cholesterol and lowers triglycerides, the main-fat carrying particle in the bloodstream. Also, low-carb diets have been shown to decrease women’s risk of heart disease by 30 percent.
4) Cambria: VEGAN
Cambria is the youngest font, having only been around since 2005. We predict that Cambria font users follow the vegan diet, one of the latest trends in dieting. Although veganism has been around for ages, only recently has it become more of a trend than a way of life.
We think that, like Cambria, we are a little unsure if the vegan fashion trend is here to stay. This is because veganism isn’t just a diet, it’s a way of life. Vegans not only don’t eat or wear any animal byproducts. Some ‘go vegan’ for a short period of time, like a fad diet, to lose weight quickly. Unlike other fads, veganism does have significant research to back up its health benefits – as long as you stay with it! Vegans say that we are not designed for consuming cow’s milk and swearing off cow products can help reduce our risk of cancer, diabetes, heart disease and rheumatoid arthritis.
According to a study published in the Journal of Urology, men with early stages of prostate cancer that make intensive diet changes, like maintaing a plant-based diet, can stop or reverse the progression of their illness. Although there is some serious flack about vegans not receiving enough vitamins or minerals, there are plenty of ways vegans incorporate protein and essential vitamins into their daily routine in other ways.
5) Helvetica: NORDIC DIET
Helvetica is the typical font for designers, techies, and fashion lovers. That is why we think that the very trendy Nordic diet is the perfect fit. Nordic countries make up a region in Northern Europe and the North Atlantic consisting of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.
The Nordic diet began in 2004 when Claus Meyer, co-owner of the restaurant Noma, brought together well respected Scandinavian chefs to start the Nordic Cuisine Movement. This diet includes foods such as: dark leafy vegetables, root vegetables like beets and onions, cabbage, beans, fruits, nuts, fish, vegetable oils and low-fat dairy products. It sounds similar to the Mediterranean diet, but includes classic Scandinavian vegetables and fish like mackerel, root vegetables and cabbage. This diet increases intake of vitamin D and selenium. Research shows that in Sweden and Iceland, the number of overweight people is leveling off.
6) Courier: RAW FOOD
Those that use the Courier font are probably minimalists. Raw foodism consists of uncooked, unprocessed and organic or wild foods and we think will suit courier fontists. Raw foods typically include raw fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, eggs, fish, meat and non-pasteurized dairy. Like veganism, raw foodism is more of a way of life and philosophical diet than it is a fad diet.
Raw foodism is strict and follows the idea that by not cooking your foods, you are protecting the most nutrients and enzymes. A study by the Nutrition Society found that there is a loss of vitamins and minerals when cooking certain foods. Some extreme raw foodists even think that cooking food makes it toxic, while others follow raw foodism claim it clears up headaches, allergies, weak immune systems and bad memory. This diet is definitely ideal for losing weight because of the lack of calories consumed, and you’ll get plenty of nutrients from all of the fresh fruits and vegetables. This is great for vegans, vegetarians and gluten-free dieters.
A study from the Archives of Internal Medicine found that those who follow a raw food diet are indeed very slim, and the diet is effective for weight loss. But raw foodism is something to tiptoe carefully around as you need to consider the risk of food poisoning and make sure you are receiving enough protein and vitamins.
7) Snell Roundhand: PARISIAN DIET
We all are in awe of how Parisians stay so fit and fancy all time, which is why we predict that if you use the elegant Snell Roundhand you will love the Parisian Diet. This diet was written by Dr. Jean-Michael Cohen, P.h.D, wrote The Parisian Diet, complete with research-based meal plans and secrets on how the French stay so fit.
Dr. Cohen credits the French for staying slim by following these tips: Enjoy your food and take a lot of time to eat it, decrease portion sizes, stay active, eat fresh, drink water and recovery from cheat days quickly. Part of the French culture is about enjoying and celebrating your food which is why they eat slow, and savor every moment of it. (It doesn’t hurt that they walk or bike everywhere either). For you Snell Roundhand users, this diet is definitely in your future.
8) Papyrus: MEDITERRANEAN DIET
This diet is from the Southern European region, specifically from Crete, Greece and southern Italy. For those who use the ancient-looking Papyrus font, check out the Mediterranean Diet, credited as one of the healthiest diets ever. It incorporates lots of plant foods, fresh fruits for dessert, beans, seeds, and healthy fats like nuts and olive oil.
Cheese and yogurt are the main dairy foods, and moderate amounts of fish, poultry and eggs are consumed for protein. Red wine is also a part of this diet – yes please! One third of this diet consists of healthy fats, and as it turns out, those that live in the Mediterranean region are some of the most fit people in the world.
Researchers from McMaster University published their findings in the Archives of Internal Medicine, that said good heart health and dietary patterns that include vegetables, nuts, monounsaturated fatty acids are linked. This diet can also help protect people from type 2 diabetes and reduce the risk of stroke according to BMJ and Food Technology, respectively.
Plant-based diets such as this have been proven to reduce or totally eliminate genetic propensity of developing diseases such as cardiovascular disease and cancer. This ancient Mediterranean diet may be the perfect fit for those who fancy the look of the Papyrus font.
9) Chalkduster: FAST DIETS
This diet is ideal for those who find themselves thinking in and using the Chalkduster font, typically mums with one or more young children. This font may not be your go-to, but since becoming a mother, you realize that your life is consuming by literally dusting chalk off your children and being consumed by planning playdates and birthday parties.
Often, new mums don’t have time for intense calorie-restricting diets, which is why those that use the Chalkduster font might follow the 5:2 diet, which started in the UK. The 5:2 diet follows the idea that you eat healthy and normal 5 days a week, and for the other 2 days, you eat an extreme calorie-restricted diet of around 500 or 600 calories. A study published in 2010 by the National Institute of Health found that women placed on a 5:2 diet achieved similar results as those who were placed on a calorie-controlled diet. Another study in 2012, published on Cambridge Journals Online, found that the 5:2 model ‘may help lower the risk of certain obesity-related cancers, such as breast cancer.’
Read about Healthista’s mommy blogger who chronicles her journey of getting her body back while being a mum with the fast diet.
10) Wide Latin: GLUTEN-FREE
Like the font, Wide Latin, are you always bloated and don’t know why? It may be because you are allergic to gluten. Going gluten-free is a very misinterpreted diet, with many regarding it as a ‘quick-fix’ to losing weight. In reality, going gluten-free is often a result of Celiac disease. Celiac disease sufferers aren’t able to process gluten within their body, which in turn causes stomach and bowel problems.
Many people are also very sensitive to gluten without having Celiac. If you think that you may be sensitive to gluten, pay attention to how your body reacts after eating it. Dr David Perlmutter, author of Grain Brain, explains that high gluten and carb intake is linked to detrimental brain diseases such as: ADHD, Alzheimer’s, depression, and dementia.
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