Keto - What you need to know
Diets such as Vegetarian, Vegan, Paleo, and Keto attract attention. Keto has high profile famous ambassadors, including Hale Berry, Kourtney Kardashian and Vanessa Hudgens. Ketosis is a metabolic state where the body uses fat as a fuel source instead of carbohydrates. A ketotic diet is a low- or no-carb plan that forces metabolism into ketosis where the body will use fat for energy.
Keto diets allow fish, seafood, low-carb vegetables (forget potatoes or carrots), cheese, meat, poultry, eggs, plain yogurt, and fats. You will forgo fruit, grains (bread and pasta), legumes and anything with added sugar. On a standard ketogenic diet, calories are made up of 75 percent fat, 20 percent protein, and 5 percent carbohydrate. Most American diets have a higher carbohydrate percentage, even when structured health consciously, to avoid excess calories and fats.
Research has shown keto diet can be hard to maintain although it does result in weight loss, at least in the short term. Research from 2014 published by the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health affirms its success.
CONCERNS:
People can feel unwell when they first start the keto diet, a phenomenon known as the “keto flu.” Symptoms such as headaches and fatigue, dizziness, nausea, difficulty focusing (brain fog), lack of motivation and irritability are common inititally. Dieticians and addiction specialists suggest that these are similar symptoms to those experienced where people wean from caffeine. This happens in the first days to weeks – to see results from Keto it is important to stick to the diet. Many authors have stated that beginning of the keto diet can be a challange. Management of hunger can be difficult. These symptoms do resolve over time.
Many people who oppose this diet are concerned that despite successful short-term results, the keto philosophy lacks research on long-term effects. Renal (kidney) damage, nutritional and healing abnormalities, increased illness and immune system dysfunction and side effects including constipation, dehydration have been symptoms that some people can experience.
On this diet people often eat foods they have traditionally been told to avoid, including more meat and saturated fat. Keto diets involve a higher intake of animal products, which contain a saturated fat and protein. LDL cholesterol tends to increase on this diet which is a risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease.
BENEFITS:
The Keto diet has been felt to help with seizure reduction in the treatment of epilepsy. In the treatment of diabetes, a lower carbohydrate intake positively impacts blood sugar. Small studies have also shown results in for decreasing pain in symptoms in Women who have Polycystic Ovarian Disease when they follow a ketotic diet.
Strong medical proponents of this diet have suggested that very low carbohydrate diets can be helpful in the prevention and treatment of certain cancers. However other cancers have been linked to high protein diets.
LAZY KETO DIET:
The lazy keto is less restrictive than the traditional high-fat, very-low-carb ketogenic diet. Traditional keto diets require you to closely track your intake and follow a strict, very-low-carb, high-fat eating pattern that includes only moderate protein. As we initially discussed this induces ketosis, a metabolic state in which your body burns fat as its primary source of fuel. What likely happens in reality is that there is always some ketosis occurring in everybody regardless of being on a keto diet and a strict keto diet simply increases the component of fat metabolism which occurs. In more ketogenic diet this metabolic pathway can increase significantly. It is quite likely that by decreasing carbohydrate intake without completely removing it – increased fat metabolism can occur. With a persistent negative calorie balance this “Lazier” version of keto can also result in weight loss, sugar reduction, epilepsy improvement – but in a more sustainable method. There will of course be less ketosis if carbohydrates are increased.
Like most variations of the ketogenic diet, lazy keto restricts your carb intake. Typically, carbohydrates are restricted to around 10% of your total daily calories — or around 20–50 grams per day for most people. Keto diets are often not specific about tracking calories – just macronutrients (carb/protein/fat). Even though normal ketotic diets do not have any rules about calorie restriction, studies suggest keto diets may suppress appetite and food cravings by increasing the fat intake. This may make it easier to reduce your calorie intake without feeling hungry.
This effect is not unique to ketotic diets. Studies show that any diet that reduces calorie intake and is followed long term will likely lead to weight loss over time. It is quite possible that the weight loss benefits of Keto relate to this appetite suppression rather than being in the ketotic state – which can produce some unwanted symptoms.
Keep in mind that the benefit of Keto has often been attributed to ketosis. Diets such as “lazy keto” increase carbohydrates – but count on calorie reduction for weight loss there will be less ketosis but weight loss from a negative calorie balance which must come from smart eating choices.
POSITIVE TAKE AWAYS:
When followed consistently the Keto diet can lead to weight loss. As always it is important to consider you total calorie intake and make healthy food choices. Selecting a Ketotic diet plan does not guarantee weight loss. In order to lose weight calorie balance has to remain negative – you have to expend more calories than you consume. As always the “calories in” side of the equation is the area for which we have the most control.
The first step to weight loss is to evaluate what you are currently consuming and assessing how best to modify this. This blog believes that small sustainable changes rather than bold moves are the keys to sustainability. Happy eating!!!
