What is the Keto Diet and How Does it Work?

The keto diet shifts your body into a state where it burns fat for energy rather than glucose. This makes your blood sugar more predictable, which can help manage diabetes or keep it from developing.

It also may help control seizures, including those caused by epilepsy. But it’s important to work closely with your doctor on any changes to your diet.

Keto Basics

The ketogenic diet is a low carb, high fat plan that can help you lose weight. It can also improve health. However, it is important to remember that this diet is not for everyone.

The diet aims to shift your body’s metabolism into a state called ketosis, which is the body’s natural state of burning fat for energy rather than glucose. During this metabolic state, insulin is not secreted and ketone bodies are produced instead.

To start a keto diet, you must cut back on your total carbohydrates. The number of grams of carbohydrates you consume should be less than 25 net carbs a day (total carbs minus fiber).

It is also important to watch your water intake while following the diet. Keeping hydrated will keep you feeling full, which can help you avoid stale cravings and unhealthy snacking.

Some people have trouble sticking to the diet and adjusting to the changes. For these people, it is best to use a meal planning app like Keto Academy that can help you create personalized meals and track your progress.

Different Types of Ketogenic Diets

There are many different types of ketogenic diets that can help you lose weight, burn fat and balance your blood sugar. They all work differently, so it’s important to know what type of ketogenic diet is right for you before you start.

The Standard Ketogenic Diet is the most common and most well-known type of ketogenic diet. It involves a high-fat, moderate-protein and low-carbohydrate diet that shifts the body’s metabolism to the fat-burning state of ketosis.

This type of ketogenic diet is also known as “keto-adapted.” It can help you lose weight and may even improve your lipid markers, which may lead to improved heart health.

It can also help people with epilepsy, certain brain diseases, and polycystic ovary syndrome. However, it’s not recommended for everyone, so talk to your doctor before starting a ketogenic diet.

There are several versions of the ketogenic diet, including:

  • Standard ketogenic diet (SKD): This is a very low carb, moderate protein and high fat diet. It typically contains 70% fat, 20% protein, and only 10% carbs.
  • Cyclical ketogenic diet (CKD): This diet involves periods of higher carb refeeds, such as 5 ketogenic days followed by 2 high carb days.
  • Targeted ketogenic diet (TKD): This diet allows you to add carbs around workouts.
  • High protein ketogenic diet: This is similar to a standard ketogenic diet, but includes more protein. The ratio is often 60% fat, 35% protein, and 5% carbs.

However, only the standard and high protein ketogenic diets have been studied extensively. 

Ketosis

Ketosis is a natural metabolic process that occurs when the body depletes its glycogen stores and starts to burn fat as a fuel source. It’s a metabolic state that our ancestors naturally used when food sources were limited and carbohydrates were scarce.

Ketogenic diets restrict carb intake and encourage eating healthy fats, high-quality protein, and low-carb vegetables. This results in the body utilizing fat as a primary fuel source and reducing its need for glucose, the primary fuel source for the brain.

The body also begins to produce ketones, or ketone bodies, from fatty acids as an alternative energy source for the cells. These are highly efficient sources of fuel that have been shown to be better at regulating blood sugar and preventing disease and inflammation than glucose from carbs.

When the body is in a state of ketosis, it is considered to be “fat-adapted.” This can take weeks or even months, and you may experience symptoms such as leg cramps, increased appetite, and digestive problems at first. However, these are normal and temporary symptoms that will subside once you’re fully adapted to the state of ketosis.

Keto for Weight Loss

The keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat eating plan that can be very effective for weight loss. It’s also a great way to reduce your risk of heart disease and certain types of cancer, and it can help you get more vitamins and minerals.

If you’re trying the keto diet, be sure to consult a doctor before starting it. This is especially important if you have high cholesterol or diabetes, or if you’re on medication to control your blood sugar levels.

People who have low blood sugar or who take insulin or other blood sugar-lowering medications can experience a range of unpleasant side effects when switching to a ketogenic diet, including headaches, dizziness and fatigue. It’s best to talk to a doctor before you start this plan, and be prepared to adjust your medication doses as needed.

As you may already know, the keto diet excludes many foods that are high in carbohydrates, such as pasta, potatoes, and grains. In addition, many fruits and sweets are off limits as well.

Keto Diet for Diabetics

The ketogenic diet is a high-fat, low-carbohydrate eating plan that helps people with diabetes lose weight and get their blood sugar under control. However, it’s not without risks.

The main concern for diabetics on the keto diet is that their blood sugar levels could drop too low. This is especially risky if they are also taking insulin or other medications for diabetes.

Another potential problem is that the diet may make them more prone to developing ketoacidosis, a condition in which your blood becomes acidic due to too much ketone production. This can be dangerous if you have Type 1 or very late-stage, insulin-dependent type 2 diabetes.

In general, the ketogenic diet is a healthy way to improve your health, but it is important to follow it with your doctor’s guidance. It’s not a replacement for your diabetes medication and should be used as part of a healthy, balanced lifestyle.

Health Benefits

The ketogenic diet has several health benefits, including improving blood pressure and lowering cholesterol. It also lowers blood sugar, which can help reduce the risk of diabetes complications.

It also helps people with type 2 diabetes reverse the disease and reduce the amount of medication they need to take. It may even help with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a condition where too much fat is stored in the liver.

Epilepsy, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease are other conditions that may benefit from the ketogenic diet. However, more research is needed to determine the exact effects of the diet on these disorders.

In addition, the ketogenic diet can improve your microbiome. This is important because the bacteria that live in your gut play a role in your overall health.

Because the ketogenic diet restricts carbohydrate intake, it’s important to work with a dietitian to ensure that you get enough nutrition. Extremely low-carbohydrate diets can cause serious nutritional deficiencies, including a lack of key vitamins, minerals, and fiber.

Foods to Avoid

When on the ketogenic diet, you should avoid foods that have a lot of carbs. These can slow down your body’s ability to burn fat and can make it harder for you to lose weight.

Bread, rice, pasta, most cereals and any other grain-based product made with flour are high in carbohydrates and should be avoided. They can easily take you out of ketosis if you eat too many.

Grapes, bananas and most sweet fruits are also high in carbs and should be avoided. Even a small cup of grapes has about 26 grams of carbohydrates, while a medium banana has 24.

Nuts and seeds are low in carbohydrates, so they can be included in your diet on the ketogenic diet. Macadamia nuts, pecans, walnuts, pine nuts and Brazil nuts are all great options.

Cheese and milk products are also good for the ketogenic diet, but be sure to choose full-fat versions. Some lower-fat dairy products have added sugar and starch, which can stimulate your appetite and take you out of ketosis.

Foods to Eat

When you’re on a ketogenic diet, you’ll want to stay away from carbs and starches. Instead, you should eat lots of low-carb vegetables, high-fat dairy, and healthy oils like olive oil and avocados.

Protein-rich foods are also an important part of a keto diet, especially meats such as fish, poultry, and beef. They can help you feel full and satisfied longer.

Aside from meats, there are many other healthy foods you can eat while on the keto diet. These include avocados, nuts, and seeds, as well as nonstarchy veggies and salads.

You can even enjoy a small glass of beer on the keto diet, but be careful to choose a beer that’s low in carbs. Alcohol can cause your blood sugar to spike, which may make it harder for you to lose weight on this diet.

You can also limit your intake of saturated fats while on the keto diet, says Laura Dority, M.S., RD, LD with Keto Knowledge LLC. The American Heart Association recommends limiting saturated fat to no more than 5% to 6% of total daily calories.