Commonly called ‘keto’ for short, the ketogenic diet is a high fat, low carb diet that involves drastically reducing your carbohydrate intake and replacing it with healthy fat.1Diet Review: Ketogenic Diet for weight loss. The Nutrition Source. (2018, March 27). Retrieved November 30, 2021, from https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-weight/diet-reviews/ketogenic-diet/. Think avocados, eggs, nuts, seeds, fish, and so on and so forth. It shares many similarities with other low carb diets that you’ve liked heard of before, such as the Atkins diet, where the goal is to get the body into a metabolic state called ketosis.2Can a low-carb diet help you lose weight? (2020, November 18). Retrieved November 30, 2021, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/weight-loss/in-depth/low-carb-diet/art-20045831 Once your body is in this state, it becomes exceptionally efficient at burning fat, which drastically speeds up your weight loss – naturally3Is the keto diet good or bad? Is ketosis a good way to lose weight? (2019, February 26). EndocrineWeb. Retrieved November 30, 2021, from https://www.endocrineweb.com/news/diabetes/61638-keto-diet-good-bad-being-ketosis-good-way-lose-weight. When in ketosis, the body also turns fat into ketones found in the liver, to increase energy supply for the brain.4McIntosh, J. (2020, January 24). Ketosis: Symptoms, diet, and more. Medical and health information. Retrieved November 30, 2021, from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/180858 It’s one of the only “diets” that is commonly recommended by doctors due to its healthy, natural and effective benefits for your physical and mental health.
What are the different types of keto?
Yes, there are different versions of the ketogenic diet. While they all follow the low carb, high-fat approach, the different ketogenic styles offer slight variations to accommodate specific lifestyles or preferences. The four main types of keto are:
- Standard: low carb, moderate protein and high fat diet that typically contains 70% fat, 20% protein, and 10% carbs
- Cyclical: involves periods of higher carb refeeds (for example, following standard keto for 5 days and 2 days of high carbs)
- Targeted: involves adding carbs around workouts
- High Protein: low carb (5%), higher protein (35%) and high fat (60%) diet
These versions can then be broken down into different varieties. For example, you can find vegetarian keto plans or plans that only use organic whole foods, plans that add intermittent fasting into the mix, and so on and so forth.
What are the health benefits of the keto diet?
Prepare to be amazed because there’s no shortage of benefits when it comes to the ketogenic diet – and they’re all naturally occurring benefits. Keto has been vigorously studied and proven to bring a plethora of advantages to one’s physical and mental health. It’s been shown to dramatically improve the condition of people dealing with health conditions, such as diabetes, cancer, epilepsy and Alzheimer’s disease.5Gotter, A. (2020, January 7). Keto diet: Benefits and nutrients. Medical and health information. Retrieved November 30, 2021, from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/319196 Many have chosen to use the ketogenic diet as a natural alternative to treating their health concerns and diagnosis, whereas others have been able to decrease their medications due to their improved condition.
In addition to lowering risk factors for disease, the ketogenic diet has also proven to be an effective way to lose weight. Research even suggests that it is as effective for losing weight as is a low fat diet6Paoli A. (2014). Ketogenic diet for obesity: friend or foe?. International journal of environmental research and public health, 11(2), 2092–2107. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph110202092, with the added bonus that the keto guidelines are much more sustainable. The ketogenic diet has also been shown to have significant benefits on mental health. Here are some of the top proven health advantages of using the ketogenic diet:
- Weight loss
- Lower risk factors for heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, and polycystic ovary syndrome
- Reduces blood pressure and triglyceride levels
- Improves outcome of traumatic brain injuries
- Lower blood sugar levels
- Improve insulin insensitivity
- Helps diabetes and prediabetes
- Fight against cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, heart disease and epilepsy
- Improve blood sugar management
- Improve risk factors for heart disease
What makes the ketogenic diet different from the others?
The effective, natural and healthy benefits are a top advantage of using the ketogenic diet. Most ‘diets’ don’t allow for sustainable results, longevity, or practicability – all of which the ketogenic diet is all about. For example, not only can you improve your health and lose weight, you can do so without having to count any calories or track your food intake. You don’t have to follow super intense and restrictive guidelines, nor do you have to spend all of your free time doing extreme cardio in the gym. Weight loss comes pretty effortlessly when you’re on the ketogenic diet, and you don’t have to do any of the nonsense that makes other diets so unbearable.
Potential drawbacks of the keto diet
With any diet, there are some potential drawbacks. Fortunately, there are very few with the ketogenic diet. However, since the ketogenic only went mainstream a couple of years ago, there aren’t yet enough studies conducted on the long-term results of remaining in ketosis.7Campos, M. (2020, April 14). Ketogenic diet: Is the ultimate low-carb diet good for you? Harvard Health. Retrieved November 30, 2021, from https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/ketogenic-diet-is-the-ultimate-low-carb-diet-good-for-you-2017072712089 It can also be expensive, particularly if purchasing healthy, fresh ingredients isn’t something you’re used to. Although one can argue that the benefits of keto far outweigh the potential expense – they’re priceless.
Another thing to consider is that any diet change requires a significant amount of research, preparation, and planning. The good news is that there are several ketogenic programs you can join that have already done all of this for you, so you can jump right into ketosis without the hassle and stress.
Starting the ketogenic diet
How you start the ketogenic process depends on whether you’ll be doing the research yourself or opting for a program that has already done it for you. However, once you’re ready to start eating, there are a couple of basics you need to know. For example, expect to eliminate all carbs (or a significant amount of them). A good pantry clean can help you prepare for this first, major step. Here’s a quick list of the types of foods you’ll want to avoid:
- Sugary foods
- Grains and starches
- Fruit (except berries)
- Beans and legumes
- Root vegetables
- Low fat or diet products, such as salad dressings and low fat mayo
- Unhealthy fats
- Some condiments and sauces (most contain a lot of sugar)
- Alcohol
- Sugar-free food alternatives
You’ll also want to explore the different types of healthy fats and how you can incorporate them into different meals because you’ll be having a lot more of it. Other than that, it’s pretty much just following a very low carb, high fat and moderate protein diet.
Key Takeaways About The Keto Diet
The ketogenic diet is worldly respected as a healthy way to improve your health, lose sustainable weight and enhance your overall health and wellness – physically and mentally. A significant amount of research has been done on this style of eating, and the results came back supporting just how beneficial the keto diet is. It can prevent disease, treat and fight against serious diseases, such as cancer, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, diabetes, and heart disease. The ketogenic is also a healthy way to effectively lose weight, without having to count calories or spend your free time at the gym. Studies have even shown that people on keto lose almost 5 times more total body fat than those on a low-fat diet. And in addition to all of this, it’s sustainable, doctor recommended, and still allows you to eat deliciously and nutritiously. It all comes down to a science and that science is ketosis.
