This is the start of a new series I'm going to be writing about fad diets, and the truths behind them. I'm going to be giving my thoughts about how effective they are and what they entail. If there's any other diets you'd like me to tackle feel free to leave them in the comments below. Thanks for reading!
What you need to know about the keto diet
The ketogenic diet is a high-fat, adequate-protein, low-carbohydrate diet . The diet forces the body to burn fats rather than carbohydrates. Normally, the carbohydrates contained in food are converted into glucose, which is then transported around the body and is particularly important in fueling brain-function. However, if there is very little carbohydrate in the diet, the liver converts fat into fatty acids and ketone bodies. The ketone bodies pass into the brain and replace glucose as an energy source.
Many people swear this diet gives them miraculous results through it's ability to utilize fat to create energy instead of carbs.
Some important things to consider
- The weight loss results you see from a keto diet will be more of a result of the caloric deficit than the actual ketosis you are putting your body in
- There is a long list of foods you can't eat in order to maintain ketosis
- There can be some danger of placing yourself in keto-acidosis
There are three key elements when implementing a ketogenic diet.
- Eating few enough carbohydrates to put the body into ketosis.
- Eating enough fat to make up the calories lost from not eating carbs.
- Eating enough protein to maintain your muscles and body structures.
As with any diet there are both pros and cons
Pros
- Lets you continue to consume fat filled foods while losing weight
- Reduction of seizures in people with epilepsy
- Probably provides benefits in people with metabolic diseases
Cons
- Ketosis can have little to no benefit for certain people depending on genetic factors
- Limiting carbohydrate intake can limit your cognitive abilities, and you ability to perform anaerobic activity
- No carbohydrate intake can be hard to sustain for some individuals
- Eating a diet consistently high in saturated fats can have implications in long-term cardiovascular health
Conclusion
While the keto diet can be used effectively, it's important to keep in mind that you won't see any "magical" results. It can be difficult to consistently eat such a small amount of carbohydrates, and it can hamper your ability to perform difficult physical activity. If these things don't seem like they apply to you it can definitely be worth it to give it a shot.
Further Reading
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC524027/
http://www.precisionnutrition.com/ketogenic-diet
As always thank you so much for reading and feel free to let me know your thoughts down below. I love to know what you guys think!
Thanks for this nice summary of the ketogenic diet. It sure doesn't sound like a diet to be maintained long-term! I would worry about the extreme lack of fiber in this diet, as well as the high fat content. So sad that carbs have gotten such a poor reputation in the last few decades. Processed carbs, not good. A wide diversity of whole food carbs, good!
Interesting article. I'm using my Steemit Diet, an intermittent fasting focused lifestyle that focuses my body into ketosis and hasn't fallen out but a couple times in 3 weeks thus far. It's part of my 72 lbs in 72 days Steemit Diet Experiment. Check it out and follow along for updates and results. You've been upvoted followed and resteemed. =)
Interesting option, but hey if it works for you thats all that matters
Great article one little thing to consider
As long there is glucose in your blood your body can't burn fat
The insulin stops all the fatburning
So if you eat carbohydrates your body will take the carbohydrates first and then start the fatburning
All the carbohydrates you don't need at the time will be stored as fat in your body and in your liver
Id be curious to see your research supporting insulin shutting down fat loss
Dr Lustig
This guy is great -maybe nr1 in us
He also explains what happens when you stop dieting - jojo effect
In the second video he explanes why one calorie protein is better then one calorie glucose
Insulin signals your body to anabolic processes; building and storing. Fat does not cause insulin to be released.
This is one reason why intermittent fasting is awesome. With each fast you use up your glucose that comes from the food.
Fasting helps -I think
Yes this is the best way for people to get rid of stubborn fat yet restricted cards can drive some people mad 😡
Thanks for the share of knowledge.. upvoted, and resteemd.. all the best follow @tuakanamorgan
I know i couldnt do restricted carbs
I did Keto for about 3 months. The first 3 weeks i felt kinda like i had a mild flu, but after that I was great. I confirmed that I was in Ketosis by testing with Keto-sticks from Amazon.
I don't have an active lifestyle, at that time I think all I did for excercise was walking for work. I would have continued it except I had family issues.
What I ate was veggies (non-starchy), some meet, eggs, coconut oil and cheeses.