The Ketogenic Diet: Let's Break It Down

The “Keto” diet has been a popular fad diet for many years now.. and for good reason. It gets results quick and with very broad dietary restrictions. The diet focuses on high fat and protein but low on carbs. The key curb appeal of this diet include the high focus on getting protein and fat in the diet so that hunger is kept at bay. However, like Thanksgiving, it’s great but can be upsetting to analyze why everyone is eating so much turkey together.

What Is The Ketogenic Diet

There are several new variations of the ketogenic diet but this discussion is going to be focused on the traditional method of low carb, high fat and moderate protein. When a body is deprived of carbohydrates, less than 20 g a day in the diet, it breaks down stored fat in the body and makes something called ketones to replace the energy source of carbs that create glucose. This is a form of starvation called ketosis and hypothetically can be continued for long stretches. Daily life on ketones can reduce energy, cause irritability and there is some hunger in the beginning of the diet. That is why it is recommended to slowly ease out of carbs and not do an abrupt start.

Good vs. Bad Foods

Since the keto diet is heavily focused on keeping the body in a state of ketosis, there is a strict list of foods that cannot be eaten. That being said, it takes some learning to understand the everyday foods that have carbs, such as fruit.

• Bad Food List: fruits, starches, grains, root vegetables, beans and alcohol

• Good Food List: meats, fatty fish, nuts, eggs, cheese, low carb vegetables, butter and oils

The strictness around the diet exists because in order to stay in that form of starvation, the diet has to be followed exactly for fast results.

Health Concerns with Keto

So many people choosing keto as the fast way to burn off unwanted fat that it brings up the question of if it is safe for everyone. The diet if done right, will cause a certain amount of extra strain on the kidneys and liver. Therefore, it is a concern or not compatible for any diabetic or person with heart disease. There is also a fine line for someone who is borderline for either of those issues if the diet isn’t meeting requirements for nutrients and consists a piece of bacon and a huge cheese ball. Reducing body fat does reduce the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes but education about the best way to do keto is key for a successful experience.

Does it work?

The diet works. If it is strictly followed, it will reduce body fats, no question. However, there are issues even with that. Ketosis takes about 3 days to reach and even one alcoholic drink can throw the body off track and start all over again.

Then there is the issue of sustainability within the diet. Eating less than 20 grams of carbs a day isn’t sustainable for long periods of time for most. A recent study linked below showed that Keto followed by a mediterranean diet allowed for the weight to stay off in most subjects. However, this diet doesn’t teach the proper ways to conform to a mediterranean diet and even discourages specific vegetables considered otherwise healthy while encouraging fatty meats. The mediterranean diet is all about lean proteins and can be difficult to switch back and forth between with portion control and food cravings that exist in either diet. It’s not just about learning which foods are on a good and bad list, its an entire life structure change and it’s hard to imagine the ease of such an abrupt change being possible for a working professional with a limited amount of time to focus on the change. That being said, anyone with the determination to not eat bread for weeks on end should get the respect they deserve.

Everyone will make their own health choices, they just need to be informed choices that are best for their individual health and hopefully this read did just that. For more information, click on the links below. If you have a strong opinion on the keto diet, one way or another, comment below about your experience!

PSA: All information gathered in this article is from various articles linked below and knowledge gathered from nutrition classes at The University of Texas at Austin, fueled by green tea and a deep fear of failure.