At one point or another all of us have come across this peculiar word- Keto. Maybe it was someone at a dinner party who shared her experience on going on this diet or some random video you came across on youtube who wouldn’t stop gushing about the miraculous effects their bodies underwent after Keto. But if you’re anything unlike us, you probably never gave a serious thought about it, or bothered to actually explore what entails behind this mystifying keto.
Well maybe now you should?
With our lifestyles becoming slaves to convenience with each passing day and packaged food available at the click of a button, our reclusive habits are likely to send us on a downward spiral and that’s when Keto can swoop in and save the day.
As #policystreetcares about your health and overall well-being, this quick and comprehensive guide walks you through everything keto!
But let’s understand it first, shall we?
In short, the ketogenic diet , most commonly known as keto, is a low-carb, high-fat diet that offers many health benefits.
This is so because it involves drastically reducing carbohydrate intake and replacing it with fat. This reduction in carbs puts your body into a metabolic state called ketosis.
When this happens, your body becomes incredibly efficient at burning fat for energy. It also turns fat into ketones in the liver, which can supply energy for the brain.
It is no surprise, therefore, that extensive research has proven that this type of diet can help you lose weight and improve your health. So much so that ketogenic diets may even have benefits against diabetes, cancer, epilepsy and Alzheimer’s disease.
Types of Keto Diet
Keto diet comes in different variations depending on your goal and endurance. Here are the four most popular types-
- Standard ketogenic diet (SKD): This is a very low-carb, moderate-protein and high-fat diet. It typically contains 75% fat, 20% protein and only 5% 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.
The most popular diets amongst these are the standard and high protein ketogenic diets. Cyclical or targeted are more advanced methods primarily used by bodybuilders or athletes.
Intrigued and wondering where to start? Check the information below!
| FOOD TYPES | EXAMPLES |
|---|---|
| Sugary foods | Soda, fruit juice, smoothies, cake, ice cream, candy, etc. |
| Grains or starches | Wheat-based products, rice, pasta, cereal, etc. |
| Fruit | All fruit, except small portions of berries like strawberries |
| Beans or legumes | Peas, kidney beans, lentils, chickpeas, etc. |
| Root vegetables and tubers | Potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips, etc. |
| Low fat or diet products | Low fat mayonnaise, salad dressings, and condiments |
| Some condiments or sauces | Barbecue sauce, honey mustard, teriyaki sauce, ketchup, etc. |
| Unhealthy fats | Processed vegetable oils, mayonnaise, etc. |
| Alcohol | Beer, wine, liquor, mixed drinks |
| Sugar-free diet foods | Sugar-free candies, syrups, puddings, sweeteners, desserts, etc |
Foods to eat
| FOOD TYPES | EXAMPLES |
|---|---|
| Meat | Red meat, steak, ham, sausage, bacon, chicken, and turkey |
| Fatty fish | Salmon, trout, tuna, and mackerel |
| Eggs | Pastured or omega-3 whole eggs |
| Butter and cream | Grass-fed butter and heavy cream |
| Cheese | Unprocessed cheeses like cheddar, goat, cream, blue, or mozzarella |
| Nuts and seeds | Almonds, walnuts, flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, etc. |
| Healthy oils | Extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, and avocado oil |
| Avocados | Whole avocados or freshly made guacamole |
| Low carb veggies | Green veggies, tomatoes, onions, peppers, etc |
| Condiments | Salt, pepper, herbs, and spices |
Sample Keto Diet Plan
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Did you try it? What was your experience? Let us know, policystreet.com would love to hear from you!
Will Keto diet help me lose weight?
Ketogenic diets are the best approach for weight loss. It begins with losing the water weights in your body. The larger you are, the more water weight you will lose in keto diet.Once your body drains out the excess water, it will start using the body fats which will eventually lose your overall weight. This diet also benefits heart disease, Cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, Epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, Polycystic ovary syndrome and brain injuries.
Side effects of keto diet
Ketogenic diet is very effective and is suitable for most people, there are some side effects in the beginning stage of this diet depending on your body type and previous food consumption diets.
- Effect 1: About 25% of people who start the Keto diet experience vomiting, gastrointestinal distress, a lot of fatigue and lethargy. This is called Keto Flu. This happenecause your body runs out of sugar to burn for energy, thus it starts using your body fats.This process makes your body tired and restless.
- Effect 2: Another common problem faced by people during the initial stages of keto diet is diarrhea. Diarrhea is caused when you switch to a high fat,low carb lifestyle and when your food doesn’t supplement with fiber rich foods like vegetables.
- Effect 3: Keto diet is not suitable for diabetes patience. It triggers a condition called Ketoacidosis which makes the blood acidic and damages the liver, kidneys and brain.
- Effect 4: This diet causes back and forth weight fluctuations especially when people go back on carbs.
Effect 5: Another consequence of keto diet is you will lose a lot of muscles because muscle burns more calories than fat, which will affect your metabolism.
FAQs on Keto Diet
1) What fruits can I eat in a Keto Diet?
Agriculture carb counts, here’s what can fit on keto:
Raspberries: 3 g net carbs per ½ cup
Strawberries: 2 g net carbs per ¼ cup slices
Blueberries: 4 g net carbs per ¼ cup
Blackberries: 3 g net carbs per ½ cup
Coconut: 2.5 g net carbs per ½ cup, shredded, raw (unsweetened)
Avocado: 3 g net carbs per 1 cup, cubes
2) Should I be concerned about Keto flu?
Keto flu is an important part of knowledge when it comes to Keto diet. It occurs a number of people because our body is designed to work on carbohydrates and it functions less efficient in making energy when it switches to fat burning.
3) How long do you need to stay on a Keto Diet to lose weight?
It is suggested to not go more than 12 weeks in keto diet, because practising this in the long term would lead up to nutrient deficiencies.
4) How much protein will you eat on a Keto diet?
The best sources of protein on a keto diet is fatty fish, as it offers a source of heart-healthy protein and omega-3 fatty acids. Eggs are another good choice; one large egg contains 6 g of protein and 5 g of fat. A typical keto diet may include 20 to 25 percent of calories coming from protein.
5) How might Keto diet affect my periods?
Keto diet might bring some changes in menstrual cycles. When you start limiting carbohydrates in your diet, it causes hormonal imbalance that disrupts the women’s cycle.
6) Can Keto diet reverse Type 2 Diabetes?
Yes, keto diets have shown successful results for Type 2 diabetes patients with reduction of their weights and a tremendous fall in their A1C (a measure of average blood sugar over a three-month span).
