Everyone seems to be going gaga over the ketogenic or as you may call it the “keto” diet.
Those who are a fan of the high-fat, low-carb diet say that the keto diet actually helps people lose weight. In fact, it even helps in managing diabetes and improving memory.
Keto has been making headlines as the go-to-diet but what is it actually?
As described by the website Healthline:
” The ketogenic diet is a very low-carb, high-fat diet that shares many similarities with the Atkins and low-carb diets. It involves drastically reducing carbohydrate intake and replacing it with fat. This reduction in carbs puts your body into a metabolic state called ketosis.”
The Ketogenic diet is said to be heavy on fats which means that it eliminates almost all fruits and limits the vegetable. It’s a meat lovers dream, we guess!
Before you dive in head-first, let’s consider why you should and should not opt for the ketogenic diet.
Here’s Why You Should Do The Keto Diet:
Weight Loss
Scientifically, Keto has shown better results compared to low-fat and high-carb diets; even in the long term. The weight loss benefits are obvious as the ketogenic diet essentially uses your body fat as an energy source. The diet helps to drop your insulin (the fat storing hormone) levels greatly which eventually converts your body into a fat burning machine.
Controls Blood Sugar
According to various studies, that the keto diet is a better way to manage diabetes as compared to other low-calorie diets. Your blood sugar levels tend to decrease due to the type of foods you eat during keto.
Increases mental performance
When you lower the carbohydrates intake, you avoid an increase in blood sugar. Moreover, Ketones are a great source of fuel for the brain. A lot of people use the keto diet, particularly for the increased mental performance rather than weight loss.
Increases Energy
Studies show that fats are the most effective molecule to burn as fuel. On keto, you give your body a better source of energy which lets you feel more energized throughout the day.
Normalized Hunger
On keto, as your fat intake is high, you don’t crave for food all the time, unlike other diets. It helps you feel satisfied for a longer period of time.
Medical Benefits
Epilepsy: The keto diet is one of the most widely used therapies for children who have epilepsy.
Cholesterol: Studies show that the keto diet improves the triglyceride levels and cholesterol levels.
Blood Pressure: Various studies prove that low-carb diets also show better improvement in blood pressure over other low-fat diets.
Insulin Resistance: Keto can help people lower their insulin levels.
Better Skin: On keto, it’s proven to experience improvements in your skin.
Here’s Why You Should NOT Do The Keto Diet
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Too much planning: You have to really plan ahead, using calorie and carbohydrate calculators. The induction period is hard for some people.
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Digestive issues: You will likely experience some digestive issues initially.
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Bad breath: Some people find they get a bad breath in the beginning. This can be due either to having too many fats and not enough carbs, or dehydration.
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You feel dehydrated: Carbs helps our bodies to store water, so you end up finding yourself drinking a lot of water without them.
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Nutritional risks: Without fruit and limited carb intake, it’s very easy to get low on things like potassium, magnesium and vitamin C.
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Sugar cravings: You will likely experience massive cravings for carbs and sugar.
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Hard to build muscle: You will find it harder to build muscle on keto mainly because carbs help with the absorption of protein into muscle, whereas fat slows it down.
- Weight gain: Once you start including carbs back into your diet, you possibly end up gaining a lot of weight. So you have to be careful by gradually adding carbs to your diet.
If you can deal with all of this then the ketogenic diet is good. However, whether this approach is intended to last long-term is up for debate.
Firstly, the loss of water weight is a short-term solution. Secondly, glucose provides fuel for the brain, and muscle glycogen for your workouts. So if you are a sporty person or you want to build up muscle then keto isn’t for you.
We suggest that before start keto or any other diet, consult your physician.
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