The keto diet is a popular diet that is known for being low-carb and high-fat with moderate protein. One thing that makes the keto diet different from the other low-carb diets is that it brings the body into the state of ketosis. In this state, the body burns fat instead of carbs to fuel the body.
What Are the Benefits of the Keto Diet?
Research studies recommend three circumstances where the keto diet must be used: treating epilepsy, ensuring weight loss, and stabilizing the blood sugar for type 2 diabetes management, and for weight loss in general.
Keto Diet on Diabetes
It makes sense that keto could benefit those who have type 2 diabetes because the diet requires carb intake restriction. Lower carb intake also improves insulin sensitivity. A keto diet may result in an A1C reduction. This is a test that measures the average blood sugar control for two to three months. This is something that may be useful in reducing medication.
One concern that is linked with the keto diet is that you tend to eat more fat, and this can be saturated fat, which is unhealthy and may lead to cardiovascular disease. Whether you start the keto diet to lose weight or to treat a certain medical condition, it’s crucial to ask for guidance from your medical doctor and a professional nutritionist. Without proper medical advice, the keto diet may cause an increase in bad cholesterol, and the diet may lead you to get fewer nutrients such as vitamin C, folate, and magnesium, due to the restrictions. This advice also goes to those who use the keto diet for treating epilepsy.
Moreover, studies also revealed that the keto diet could aid short and long-term cognition among those who suffer from Alzheimer’s disease and those who suffer from a mild cognitive disorder.
Keto Diet and Weight Loss
The keto diet is known for causing weight loss, but the amount of weight lost varies from one person to another. It’s usual for those on keto to lose weight during the first week. What’s lost during this time is water weight. It comes as a result of the body’s using up all the glycogen stores, the stored form of carbohydrates.
The keto diet is also good for weight loss for a long time. One review of the keto diet showed that it can lead to fat loss in people who suffer from obesity when followed for a couple of weeks up to a year. A meta-analysis of the data revealed that the weight loss achieved is brought about by fat consumption, which can suppress hunger.
Potential Risks of the Keto Diet
Among the downsides of keto is that it could be hard to sustain for a long time due to its stringent restrictions. Another criticism of the diet is that it can be difficult to dine out with family and friends when you follow the keto diet.
Another possible downside of the keto diet is experiencing the keto flu. During the first couple of days into the keto diet, you will experience symptoms like muscle cramps, constipation, headaches, nausea, fatigue, and other symptoms like those of the flu. Keto flu symptoms are usually gone in a couple of days or weeks. These can be countered by taking lots of fluids with electrolytes.
How Often Should One Eat While on Keto?
By now you know that the goal of the diet is to bring your body to a state of ketosis. However, before you start following the keto diet, you may have to ask first how often should you eat in a day. You can check the simple diet plans first. Some people reported experiencing positive results by consuming nine meals while others like three to five meals. The golden rule states that you should eat when hungry and stop when you are satisfied. No rules or limitations are imposed when it comes to meal patterns. Every individual is different, but you have to be extra careful not to become hungry in between meals. Once you allow yourself to become too hungry, there’s a tendency for you to overeat later on.
Tips for Making a Meal Plan for Keto
Once you have decided to follow the keto diet, you may want to stick with the parameters of the eating plan. When you follow this diet, you have to consume 70 to 80 percent of calories from fat, 5 to 10 percent from carbs, and 10 to 20 percent from protein. You have to consume oils, fats, meats, and even some nonstarchy and low-carb veggies. The remaining calories must come from a moderate protein intake of 1 gram for every kilogram of body weight. For carb intake, every person is different. However, most people sustain ketosis by consuming between 20 and 50 grams of net carbs every day. Net carbs are the total carbohydrates minus fiber. One thing you have to keep in mind is that it’s easier than you think to revert to a non-ketosis state.
Complete Food Guide for Keto
If you have been wondering what foods are included in the keto diet and what is not. If you are familiar with a certain low-carb diet, perhaps you already have an idea about the starchy foods and high-carb foods that have to be restricted. The only difference in this diet is that you have to increase your fat intake. The following is a short guide to foods that can be consumed under keto:
For proteins, you can consume large amounts of dark meat like chicken, fish, and grass-fed beef. Occasionally, you may eat bacon and low-fat proteins such as shrimp and chicken breast. The following are some foods that you must never consume under keto: meat marinated in sugar-loaded sauces, chicken or fish nuggets, and cold cuts with additional sugar.
For veggies and fruits, you may liberally consume avocado, celery, asparagus, and leafy greens like spinach and arugula. Occasionally, you’re allowed to consume raspberries, tomatoes, leeks, eggplant, spaghetti squash, and lemon. You must never consume potatoes, corn, and raisins.
For dairy products, you are allowed to consume large amounts of parmesan cheese, cream cheese, blue cheese, and feta cheese. Occasionally, you may eat cheddar cheese, full-fat cottage cheese, full-fat ricotta cheese, full-fat plain Greek yogurt, and American cheese. You must never consume milk, ice cream, and sweetened nonfat yogurt.
For nuts and seeds, you’re allowed to consume lots of almonds, walnuts, nut butter, flaxseed, and chia seeds. Occasionally, you may consume cashews, pistachios, and unsweetened nut butter like almond or peanut butter. You must never consume choco-covered nuts, sweetened nuts, and seed butter, and mixes using various fruits.
For drinks, you have to liberally consume plain tea, water, bone broth, and unsweetened almond milk. You may also drink diet soda, black coffee, unsweetened carbonated water, alcohol, and 0-calorie drinks occasionally. On the other hand, you must completely avoid fruit juice, soda, and lemonade.
