I think something we will hear a lot about this year is the Keto diet. It is probably the fasted growing diet right now. Even though it has actually been around since the 20s and 30s, it wasn't popular again until just recently. I have done a lot of research on this diet for both school and because I was very briefly doing it (more on that later). I also have a few friends who are on it and have talked with them about it. Someone asked me if I could do a post on it and I thought I might as well put all the information to use, right? I am going to be sharing some of what I believe are the pros and cons about the diet. I'm not a health expert and It's important to talk to your Dr. about any drastic life changes such as this, specially if you have health conditions. With that said, I am actually a big fan of the Keto diet and have been considering getting back on it recently. So my post might be a little biased but I will also share what I believe to be the cons of the diet.
What is the Keto diet?
The Keto diet was originally used to treat epilepsy in kids but they found other health benefits to it and people started adapting it as a lifestyle. The Keto diet is high fat, moderate protein, low carb diet (75%, 20%, 5%). Our bodies burn glucose for fuel but on the diet you don't have enough glucose for your body to burn so it burns stored fat instead.
Does it work?
Diets aren't a one size fits all. What works for someone might not work for you. Generally people seem to do well on the Keto diet. When done correctly you can lose a high amount of fat, very quickly. I personally know a lot of success stories of people who have lost a crazy amount of weight. Your body needs to stay in Ketosis in order for you to keep burning fat, this is crucial to the diet.
Pros
You can lose weigh quickly
The obvious health benefit if you're doing this for weightless is that you can lose weight quickly. One you get into Ketosis, your body burns fat quickly and many people see fast results.
It reduces insulin levels
insulin helps glucose move from the bloodstream to the muscles and tissues. Which in turn can help increase inflammation.
You can eat more
You can eat more fat than just about any other diet you do. Theres also a lot of foods that are allowed that aren't typically allowed in other diets. I really liked being able to have mayonnaise.
Mental Clarity and more energy
One of the things that people really like about this diet is the mental clarity they seem to have once in Ketosis and the increased energy. A lot of them say that they've never felt better.
Cons
It is very restrictive
In order to stay in Ketosis you need to maintain a mostly fat, moderate protein, and very low carb lifestyle. If you break that, your body kicks you out Ketosis and Its sort of like starting all over (depending on how long you break it). It can be really difficult to maintain that on a regular basis You really need to adapt the lifestyle and think of it as a life change.
Not the best for athletes
If you're an athlete or have a vigorous workout schedule, this might not be the best option. the maximum rate of ATP resynthesis from Ketones is only about 0.40 moL/min. Aerobic or anaerobic breakdown of glycogen can resynthesize ATP at a rate of 1.0 to 2.0 moL/min.
Takes a while to get into Ketosis
You will need to be eating Keto safe for about a week or two before you actually get into Ketosis. This can be really for some people because it can actually be quite difficult and at times confusing to stick to the diet in the beginning. You also need to buy some sort of test (pee strips or blood monitor) to make sure you are in Ketosis.
Overall I think that the Keto diet can be a great choice for someone with extremely good self control. Because it is so easy to get out of Ketosis it is extremely important that you remain strict. It can also be hard to do at social gathering, but like anything else it requires sacrifice. There are a lot of really good resources out there and people to follow who can really help. I personally found this video really helpful as well as following this awesome IG.
Let me know below if you have tried the Keto diet and how it went! Hope this answers some peoples questions about Keto.
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