Keto Diet: Does This Popular Diet Really Helps You to Stay Fit?

Last updated on September 26th, 2023 at 01:06 pm

What is Keto Diet?

The Keto diet is a low-carb diet.

By following this diet, your body produces ketones in the liver.

Ketones are further used as energy. 

A keto diet includes foods that have lots of healthful fats, enough protein, and the least carbohydrates. 

This diet is also known as -ketogenic diet, a low-carb diet.

This diet is followed by cutting back carbs like sugar, pastries, soda, white bread. Here we gain calories mainly from protein and fat.

It depletes the body of its sugar reserves.

Thus the fat breaks down to energy.

The diet has various versions.

The standard ketogenic diet is a very low-carb diet with moderate protein and a high amount of fat.

It contains 70% fat, 20% protein, and 10% carbs. The Cyclical ketogenic diet (contains high carb).

The targeted ketogenic diet (Adds carb while workout).

High protein ketogenic diet ( includes 35% protein, 60% fat, 5% carbs).

How does the keto diet work?

There is no carrot and stick policy on how the keto diet works.

Some say that the kind of food is consumed in this process, makes one feel less hungry than usual.

People under this diet do not really crave food.

For this reason, it is popular among general people.

Doctors say- once started, ketosis is easy to follow.

It takes one to four days to start the effect.

How long the diet will work on your body, depends on your daily activity level.

Burning fat helps a lot to lose pounds.

But the tricky thing is that the liver makes ketone bodies here. 

What to Eat in The Keto Diet?

Some 20 to 50 grams of carbohydrates are taken every day while following the diet.

It is a low-carb diet.

But the fat requirement is high here.

Every meal should have some amount of fat in this diet.

The exact ratio depends on the food needs of an individual.

The everyday meal needs to contain 2,000 calories.

There should be some 165 grams of fat, 75 grams of protein, 40 grams of carbs.

The ratio may vary from person to person.

Some unsaturated but healthy fats are allowed in this diet.

Walnuts, Almonds, avocados, seeds, olive, and tofu fall into this category.

As far as saturated fats are concerned- Palm oil, Coconut oil, butter, lard, and cocoa butter are included in this diet in a large amount.

Most of the fruits are carb-riched.

Only certain fruits like berries have a small amount of protein in them.

Since many vegetables are also rich in carbs, the keto diet is restricted to green leafy ones.

Vegetables like Swiss chard, kale, spinach can be taken.

Other than that cauliflower, bell peppers, broccoli, asparagus, onion garlic, cucumber, mushrooms, brussels sprouts, celery are the veggies that can be eaten under this diet. 

Who Can Follow a Keto Diet?

Keto diet is good for those who have insulin resistance with a 40 over body mass index.

People with type 2 diabetes are not recommended to follow it.

This diet can be followed as a short-term goal to reset the metabolism of your body.

Once it has been done, you don’t need to be on a discussed diet forever.

This diet reserves diabetes up to 60 percent if followed for one year.

It decreases the need for insulin consumption and oral hypoglycemic drugs.

People who are already very thin, who have an eating disorder, who have metabolic issues are not suggested to follow the keto diet.

There is not much data to confirm fact if this diet is safe to follow for long years.

But people with overweight and have diabetes can follow this method to get benefits.

The quality and quantity of food you intake matters a lot in any kind of diet.

Is The Keto Diet Risky?

Well yes, it has risks.

This diet is high in saturated fat.

It is recommended by experts not to have more than 7 percent in your daily diet.

Or it may cause the link to heart disease.

And truly the diet can increase LDL cholesterol to a bad level.

Nutrient deficiency may occur as a risk.

While following the keto diet one must eat enough vegetables, grains, and fruits.

So that he won’t lack micronutrients including phosphorus, magnesium, selenium, vitamin B, and C.

The amount of fat in this diet is high.

That fat needs to get metabolized in the liver.

The diet can make an existing liver more pathetic.

The kidney metabolizes protein.

A Keto diet can overload them.

Not having the right amount of protein can cause kidney problems.

Women and men are recommended to intake 46 grams and 56 grams of daily protein respectively.

This diet can create issues for people who have constipation.

This diet is low in fiber.

It may cause frequent mood swings.

It does not include sugar.

But our brain needs sugar to function well.

When the brain does not function properly, we feel confused and irritated.

It is always better to consult a nutritionist before starting the diet.  

I personally do not like this.

Good Sides of The Keto Diet:

The good side of the diet is it helps to control the extra weight of your body.

It reduces appetite and boosts the metabolism of the body.

This diet includes foods that make you feel less hungry.

Therefore you feel contented.

The diet is helpful for those who are in a hurry to reduce weight.

This diet is more effective when it comes to weight loss than a low-fat diet.

Acne is a skin problem for many.

It has to do with diet and gut health.

Eating a highly processed diet with refined carbohydrates may imbalance our stomach health.

Studies have shown that the ketogenic diet with lower carb intake may reduce the chances of acne.

In certain cases of cancer, the diet works as a complementary treatment besides chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

This diet helps to lower the problem of blood sugar.

Which further helps to lower insulin complications.

The diet controls the problem of cholesterol and thus lowers the risk of any heart diseases including cardiovascular disease.

Studies have shown that this diet has helped to improve the nerve system in some cases.

Alzheimer’s disease can be controlled to some extend by following the keto diet.

Researches have shown that the keto diet generates ketones.

These ketones give neuroprotective benefits.

They can strengthen the brain and protect the nerve cells.

Considering so, the keto diet seems beneficial for patients with Alzheimer’s disease.

Though there is a need for more research to know the amount of benefit it does for the neuro system.

The keto diet alters the way energy is used by the body.

It happens due to the ratio of carbs, protein, and fat one consumes while maintaining ketosis.

It is a metabolic process.

Ketosis may cure the problem of seizures.

So it might be helpful for people who have epilepsy.

The diet can be an option for patients who did not get a good result through other medical treatments.

In some cases, the diet helps women with PCOS problems.

It has to do with hormonal imbalance what this diet can cure.

So these are the health benefits the Keto diet has.

It is always better to know your body and get consulted with a dietitian before starting any kind of diet.

Conclusion :

So these are some crucial things we all should know about the Keto diet.

Here in this article, we tried to highlight what it is, how does it work, what to eat in a keto diet, who can follow it, and the pros and cons of this kind of diet.

If the article enriches your understanding of the above topic, the purpose of writing would be fulfilled.

Finally, let us know what do you think about this article on the Keto diet by a quick comment below in the comment box.

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