What about the keto diet? You may have heard of it before. This article will give you a friendly and informative overview of what you need to know about going keto. It will help you understand the benefits of the ketogenic diet, as well as some of the pitfalls associated with it. From providing you with more energy and mental clarity, to the possibility of nutrient deficiencies and raise in cholesterol, this article will show just how the keto diet can affect your health. So put the kettle on, make yourself a cup of tea and let’s get into the keto diet.
Overview of the Keto Diet
Understanding the concept of the keto diet
Low-carb, high-fat; it’s the ketogenic diet, also known as the keto diet. Over the past decade, this diet has become increasingly popular. The basic idea behind the keto diet is to achieve a metabolic state called ketosis, in which your body burns fat for energy instead of carbohydrates. To achieve ketosis, you drastically cut back on carbohydrate intake and increase your intake of dietary fat.
Principles and rules of the keto diet
To eat a keto diet, you must also focus on your macronutrients, or the types of foods you can eat, in the right proportions. According to an article in Harvard Health, the key to these ratios for a standard ketogenic diet (SKD) is to get 75 per cent of your calories from fat, 20 per cent from protein, and 5 per cent from carbohydrates. This means you will be cutting back on grains, some fruits, starchy vegetables, and sugary snacks. What you’ll be eating more of is healthy fats, some protein, and non-starchy vegetables.
The Science Behind the Keto Diet
Explain the concept of ketosis
Ketosis is a normal metabolic state that happens when you run out of glucose (a simple sugar that comes from carbohydrates in food) and start producing ketones, which your body can use for fuel. If you eat few carbs, your liver will begin to make ketones out of fatty acids. When you are ketosis, your body is running on ketones instead of glucose.
How does the body behave under a low-carb high-fat diet?
Following a low-carb, high-fat diet – whether it’s called keto or someone else’s version – signals your body that you’re low on carbs and it can start burning stored fat as its major fuel source. If you’re eating very few carbs (and less than 50 grams a day is considered very few), your body starts to shift to burning fat, and if it’s not getting much other food as fuel, it’ll start to burn the fat it’s stored. As a result, weight loss often follows. The keto diet also seems to have a number of effects on the body, including on hormones, appetite and metabolism that make it a useful tool for managing weight.
Health Benefits of the Keto Diet
Weight loss through ketosis
The main reason most people do keto is to lose weight, and it provides a lot of support for that goal. Because the diet substantially reduces carbohydrate intake and increases fat intake, your body is pushed into a state of ketosis. In this state, your body will burn fat instead of glucose for energy, leading to weight loss. At the same time, the diet can reduce hunger and cravings, which makes it easier to keep a calorie deficit.
Improved mental focus and clarity due to ketone utilisation
Because when your body is in ketosis, your brain is getting fueled by ketones and not glucose. And ketones are a more consistent and efficient source of fuel for your brain compared with glucose. Evidence suggests that ketones can potentially improve mental focus, cognition, mental clarity and productivity.
Potential benefits for skin and hair health
The keto diet might also benefit your skin and hair. Due to the diet’s avoidance of high-sugar and processed fast foods, which both increase inflammation, acne or eczema might get better. Finally, the high-nutrient, whole foods nature of the diet can promote hair growth.
Potential benefits in managing Diabetes
The ketogenic diet has also been used to treat diabetes, including type 2 diabetes, which affects up to 370 million people worldwide. Restricting carbohydrates with the keto diet is a way to control blood sugar levels and improve insulin sensitivity, allowing better glycaemic control and less reliance on medication.
Potential benefits for epilepsy control
The keto diet was originally formulated as a therapeutic diet for children with epilepsy. Patients on the ketogenic diet have been shown to experience a reduction in seizure frequency and severity. Although the precise mechanisms are still being elucidated, it is believed that the diet stabilises brain activity, possibly by altering the function of certain neurotransmitters.
Potential reduction of risk factors for heart disease
The keto diet, despite its reputation, might actually be beneficial for certain risk factors for heart disease. Cutting out carbs and eating more healthy fats can contribute to better cholesterol, with increased levels of HDL (good) cholesterol and decreased levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol and triglycerides. Some evidence suggests it can lower blood pressure and inflammation, two important risk factors for heart disease.
Risks and Side Effects of the Keto Diet
Possible initial side effects: Keto Flu
For some people, the initial period of transition to a keto diet can be marked by an episode of what’s known as the ‘keto flu’ – a constellation of symptoms such as fatigue, headaches, irritability, nausea and dizziness. As you might expect, these side effects are usually short-lived, and easily managed through hydration, higher electrolyte intake and time for the body to adjust.
Risk of nutrient deficiencies
Since the keto diet eliminates many food groups, there is a risk of nutrient deficiencies, especially if you don’t plan your meals carefully. Try to eat a variety of nutrient-rich foods such as non-starchy vegetables, high-quality proteins and healthy fats. A multivitamin supplement may also be a good idea.
Risk of liver problems
For many, the keto diet can be a good thing. But for those who already have compromised livers, the diet might not be a good idea. High-fat consumption places more stress on an already-stressed organ, and any form of fatty liver disease (steatosis) will potentially be accelerated by the keto diet. Anyone with liver disease should consult a medical professional before embarking on the keto diet.
Potential for kidney stones
Because the keto diet is very high in animal proteins and can have a dehydrating effect, it raises the risk of developing kidney stones. Proper hydration is key here: be sure to drink enough water, and include plant-based proteins (nuts, seeds) in your diet.
Possible mood and energy level fluctuations
There can be mood swings or ‘energy lability’ during the initial phase of the diet, which can be explained by the metabolic changes associated with induction of ketosis, but these tend to settle in the longer term as your body becomes fat-adapted and energy supply more consistent. As well as this, energy levels and mood often improve.
Concerns over heart health due to high fat intake
Another common concern is the high fat intake, including a high saturated fat intake. While the diet requires choosing healthy fats, such as avocados and olive oil, eating these fats still requires you to balance your fat intake with calories burned. For people with pre-existing heart conditions or a family history of heart disease, a high-fat diet like keto could potentially be detrimental to their health.
Debunking Common Misconceptions Around the Keto Diet
Clearing up myths about saturated fats
Saturated fats, and in particular meat, have long been considered an enemy of the heart, to be avoided at all costs. But evidence for this is now weak, and it’s clear that when consumed in moderation and as part of a balanced diet, saturated fats can be a healthy part of any diet. The keto diet promotes healthy saturated fats, such as grass-fed meats and coconut oil, and avoids unhealthy ones, such as hydrogenated vegetable oils. These healthy fats promote satiety and offer essential nutrients that can contribute to an improved state of health.
Understanding the difference between ketosis and ketoacidosis
Another thing that people get wrong is they think that being in ketosis is the same thing as ketoacidosis. Both of them have the same molecule — ketones — but ketoacidosis is a life-threatening condition that only happens in uncontrolled diabetes. Ketosis is a natural metabolic state that we go into any time we go without eating for a while, or if we go on a very low-carb, high-fat diet like a well-formulated keto diet.
Clarity on the need for fiber and the role of vegetables in the diet
In a diet that’s low in carbs, it’s easy to worry that no one is getting enough fibre and that vegetables are somehow unimportant. Some high-fibre foods must be eliminated on a keto diet, but some of these restrictions are not as restrictive as you might think. Leafy greens, broccoli, cauliflower and other veggies have important nutrients, fibre and antioxidants. These are all essential for the proper functioning of your gut and the rest of your body.
The misconception that more ketones equals more weight loss
One misconception is that more ketones in your bloodstream equates to more weight loss. While being in ketosis can definitely promote weight loss, there is no necessary relationship between total number of ketones in your body and rate or degree of weight loss, as these are influenced by many other factors including calorie intake, quality of food choices and individual metabolic differences.
Exploring Variations of the Keto Diet
Standard ketogenic diet (SKD)
The standard ketogenic diet, known as the SKD, is the most common and well-known version of the keto diet. The SKD involves consuming high-fat, moderate-protein, and very low-carbohydrate foods. Generally, carbohydrates are restricted to between 20-50 grams per day, depending on the person.
Cyclic ketogenic diet (CKD)
So, the cyclic ketogenic diet (CKD) involves switching back and forth between periods of strict keto dieting and carb refeeding days. CKD is great for athletes or other high-intensity exercisers, as it is a way to take advantage of carbohydrates – which are replenished when you refeed. The CKD generally involves following a strict keto diet for most of the week, and then a high-carb day or two.
Targeted ketogenic diet (TKD)
The targeted ketogenic diet (TKD) is a modified form of the CKD, where small amounts of carbohydrates are consumed either before or after the workout, depending on the person, to provide the added boost of quick, readily available energy for exercise. This approach helps to reduce the time spent in ketosis at a fasting state, but still maintains overall ketosis. This approach might be useful for those who need to maintain slightly higher carbohydrate intake for specific periods to support their physical activities.
High-protein ketogenic diet
The further modified high-protein ketogenic diet will allow for a higher intake of protein, which may be necessary for example for someone who is a lot more active or who may just prefer a higher protein intake. For this reason, the high-protein ketogenic diet can still sustain a person in ketosis but should be monitored for ketones in case there is too much protein, which then might interfere with ketosis.
Role of Exercise in the Keto Diet
Impact of the keto diet on exercise performance
While adapting to burning fats for fuel, many people experience a period of exercise performance reductions (aka, the ‘keto flu’) but, once fat-adapted, many athletes report exercise performance improvements, especially endurance.
Type of physical activities recommended while on a keto diet
The keto diet can be compatible with many types of exercise – but some are better than others. Endurance exercise is well-suited to the keto diet, because it relies on fat for fuel. Long-distance running or cycling are great activities for people following a low-carb high-fat diet. Strength training can be performed well on a keto diet, as long as you eat enough protein. High-intensity, anaerobic exercise may be affected in the short term by the fact that it uses up the limited stores of glycogen that you’ll have on a low-carb diet. However, over time, as your body adapts to using fat for fuel, this may also improve.
Importance of Medical Supervision in the Keto Diet
Individual health assessment before starting the diet
If you’re considering starting a restrictive diet like the keto diet, it’s always a good idea to check in with a doctor first. They can evaluate your overall health condition and any underlying conditions or medications that could affect your keto journey. They will also guide you in making the right decisions.
Regular monitoring of health indicators while on the diet
With the keto diet, it’s important to keep getting these health indicators monitored and track any changes once you are on it: blood sugar, cholesterol, blood pressure, weight. It’s particularly important to get these numbers checked by your provider on a regular basis, so that you can be on the lookout for any problems, and adjust your diet if necessary.
Need for guidance in case of underlying health conditions
People with certain underlying medical conditions – such as diabetes, liver disease or kidney disease – should consult a medical professional before starting the diet. These conditions might need to be monitored or treated differently while on a low-carb high-fat diet.
Precautions to Take While on the Keto Diet
Importance of hydration
As a result, if you’re on a keto diet, it’s essential that you stay hydrated, especially during the initial diuretic phase (where water is lost) that some experience when they transition to a ketogenic state. Monitoring your water intake, making sure you drink enough water, and listening to your body’s thirst cues are all key.
Awareness of keto-friendly foods
Keto is a dietary choice, so the main key to success is getting to know keto foods and ingredients. You want to eat whole foods that are low in carbohydrates and high in healthy fats. These include avocados, nuts and seeds, olive oil, fatty fish, and low-starch vegetables. Educate yourself about food labels so you can tell at a glance what you are eating. When eating out, make smart choices.
Understanding the role of calorie intake despite being a low-carb diet
The keto diet might be low in carbs but – unless you’re on it for therapeutic reasons, not just weight loss – you still have to worry about calories. Fat is very calorie-dense; portion control is still in order, so don’t go overboard.
Importance of a balanced diet and avoiding extreme dietary restrictions
While following the keto diet doesn’t have to mean a lifetime of deprivation, it can be challenging to eat keto if you have a medical history that puts you at risk for nutrient deficiencies. If you’re eating a healthy, balanced keto diet – and you should be! – there’s no reason to think it could be detrimental in the long term. But if you eliminate entire food groups, such as fruits and whole grains, you might want to consider taking a multivitamin and/or a multimineral supplement, just as an extra precaution – especially if you have a medical history that puts you at risk for deficiencies. The most important thing is to eat a wide variety of foods to get as many nutrients as possible.
Adapting to the Keto Lifestyle Long-Term
What to expect while adapting to ketosis
And while adaptations to the keto diet (and ultimately your entry into ketosis) can be slow and tedious, there is usually a period where you experience the keto flu or a reduction in your exercise performance. That said, the majority of people report being more energetic, mentally clear and improved quality of life in the long run as they become fat-adapted.
Understanding the cyclic nature of the diet
The keto diet is sometimes followed at a cyclic level, in which case you alternate between periods of strict ketosis and periods of higher carbohydrate consumption, for example to optimise athletic performance or to have a bit more flexibility with your eating.
Tips to sustain the ketogenic diet in the long run
This diet is a marathon, not a sprint, and a solid plan for long-term keto living – a plan for eating that works with your lifestyle, family commitments, job obligations and more – means creating routines for eating well. Get a calendar and create a plan for your meals, sourcing recipes and groceries in advance of the week. Make keto food you like, and meet others who want to do keto with you. Get some exercise, and manage your stress levels, too. Be patient with yourself.
Conclusion
In summary, the keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet. It is known to provide a number of health benefits, such as weight loss, improved mental focus, benefits for skin and hair health, and help to manage certain medical conditions, including diabetes and epilepsy. However, the keto diet also has a number of risks and side effects, such as nutrient deficiencies, liver problems and kidney stones. Moreover, there are a number of misconceptions about the keto diet, as well as several variations to consider. Additionally, the keto diet must be considered in tandem with exercise, medical supervision and precautions. With careful planning, guidance and a balanced approach, the keto diet can be adapted into a long-term lifestyle.
