Is Keto Diet right for you? Interestingly, many celebrities endorse keto diet including Kim Kardashian, Lebron James, and Halle Berry. This leaves a great debate among dietitians and doctors whether it is fruitful. You may be wondering whether going on a ketogenic, diet will help you lose weight or not, and/or whether you crave fats and high-fat meals will reduce. Let us look deeper into what the keto diet is all about.
What Is The Ketogenic Diet Anyway?
First, the keto diet has a reduced amount of sugar levels in it. Your body results in churning fat in place of sugar since sugar is less in your body. Your body uses sugar in the form of glycogen to fully function. Ketogenesis is achieved when the liver uses the available fat to produce ketones which are a source of body fuel.
Keto OS diet is a high-fat diet with moderate amounts of protein and achieving ketosis will be less than a week. This wholly depends on your carb intake though. As your body continues to burn down fat to fuel the body, you can lose weight without much restriction on calories.
Eating 20-50 grams of carbs a day results in 60-75% calories from fat, 15-30% from protein, and 5-10% from carbohydrates.
What Can You Eat On This Diet?
The diet is a high-fat diet that is somewhat similar to Atkins. However, there is a greater emphasis on fats, usually 'good' fats. On the keto diet, you can have
Keto diet is somehow similar to Atkins though keto emphasizes on higher fat intake, the ‘good fat’. It comprises of the following:
- Coconut oil
- Olive oil
- Butter
- Nut oils
- Chicken
- Grass-fed beef
- Ghee
- Eggs
- Other meats
- Full fat cheese
- Fish
- Nuts
- Seeds
- Non-starchy vegetables
- Cream
- Leafy greens
Many of these have workarounds as you can get carbohydrate-free pasta and pizza, you can have cauliflower rice and now there are even restaurants that cater to keto aficionados.
From the list above, fruits are limited and you can get a variety of snacks meant for keto dieters. Nothing good comes easy! You will have to forego your favorite fruits which are sweet or starchy and endorse in low-sugar fruits in a limited quantity such as berries.
The list also shows there is no chance of having starchy vegetables e.g. potatoes, grains, sweets or sugar, beans and lentils, pasta, pizza, burgers, and bread and cakes, and very minimal alcohol. No milk is recommended whether in tea or coffee or milk-based deserts and no ice creams.
Restaurants these days cater for keto dieters so when you pop in a restaurant, make sure to order for a carbohydrate-free pizza and pasta accompanied by cauliflower rice.
What Are The Benefits Of The Keto Diet?
If you are wondering if this diet is safe, its proponents and those who have achieved their weight loss goals will certainly agree that it is safe. Among the benefits of the keto diet, you can expect:
For most of the people who have tried out keto diet to practice weight loss, they are sure to say it is safe. Some of the benefits involved in keto diet include:
- Loss of weight
- Appetite control
- Seizure controlling effect
- Reduced or no sugar spike
- Blood pressure normalizes in high blood pressure patients
- Type 2 diabetes patients can reduce their dependence on medication
- Reduced attacks of migraine
- Some benefits to those suffering from cancer
However, apart from the first four, there is no long-term effect for the rest of the diseases. A lot of research is being done to see whether it can have a long-term effect on the rest.
Are There Any Side Effects Of This Diet?
Like any other type of diet your body may be unaware of, keto flu is achieved before the body can adjust to the ketodiet. Though not all people may get similar side effects, it starts after a few days being on the diet. They include;
- Nausea
- Cramps and tummy pain
- Vomiting
- Headache
- Diarrhea and/or constipation
- Insomnia
- Dizziness and poor concentrations
- Muscle cramps
- Carbohydrate and sugar cravings
It is also important for you to keep hydrated since you can have increased urination. This is a problem in itself when you start on a Keto OS diet. The side effects may take days or even weeks to subside. Another weird thing is that you can suffer from keto breath so be sure to keep a bottle of mouthwash near you or opt to brush more frequently. This is involved when you achieve maximum ketosis.
When your body fully adjusts to the diets, the side effects should disappear.
