Ketogenic Diet – The Keto diet is becoming more and more popular lately. The low-carb diet is taking over the number one spot. Is it safe and effective as they promote it to be? Will it give the promised results quickly? There are many benefits to keto and it is not a surprise that a lot of people around the world implemented the keto diet in their lifestyle.
There are also different products that go in addition to this diet such as keto protein shakes and tasty bars. These healthy snacks and food supplements make it easy for people to start and maintain a keto diet. For example, the Kirkland protein bars ingredients make this snack a great addition to a well-balanced keto diet, providing enough nutrients to regulate the body’s energy levels and most importantly – it’s keto-friendly.
It may surprise you, but the ketogenic diet is nothing new. In fact, it has been used for over 100 years for patients with different illnesses, such as drug-resistant epilepsy. It only became known to the public 50 years ago, when it was promoted as a weight loss diet.
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What is the ketogenic diet?
Briefly said, it is a diet that allows ketones to get into the bloodstream. Our bodies have cells that need carbohydrates. Because the body lacks sugar on the keto diet, the next on the list for cells to use are fats. The body turns fat into ketones, and cells use them to make energy until the next dose of sugar is available. Because of the keto diet, the next sugar dose is far away, so the cells must use the fat. As a result of this, the body loses fat, thus losing weight.
People that practice the ketogenic diet, ingest lots of fat and protein, but they avoid sugar. Normally sugar is found nearly everywhere and it makes up to 50% of our daily food nutrients. Because of sugar availability, the diet seems a little bit too strict. People must avoid sweets, cakes, as well as fruits and certain vegetables. Once they get to know the diet, it becomes normal to them.
Benefits of the keto diet
It’s not just the weight loss. There are many other potential benefits of the ketogenic diet.
Diabetes management
Diabetes is a popular disease lately. Because of the unhealthy lifestyle that we lead, it is on the rise. Practicing the keto diet is a great deal when it comes to fighting this disease. Even if you can’t win, you can still manage it, and that is a victory.
Lowering cholesterol
Keto is more of a lifestyle than it is a diet. With its benefits, people often opt for a ketogenic diet because of their health, while weight loss is just a plus that comes with the change. It is proven that this diet helps with lowering cholesterol levels which has many benefits on the body.
Healthy brain
Brief abstinence from sugar can really benefit the brain. It can also prevent seizures, like epileptic ones. Again, being on a keto diet won’t cure most of the illnesses but it will help greatly in managing them.
Polycystic ovary syndrome
Great news for the ladies battling with PCOS. A Keto diet can help manage PCOS complications. PCOS is a hormonal illness, but its complications, such as acne and weight gain can be managed by restricting sugar intake.
Cons of a keto diet
Like with any other diet, even the ketogenic diet has its own disadvantages. Restricting the sugar intake is not life-threatening, but small amounts of sugar are a great deal to our bodies.
Here are some disadvantages of the keto diet:
- Diarrhea
- Heart disease
- Low blood pressure
- Ketoacidosis– all of the above sound familiar, except for this one. Ketoacidosis is a condition when there are too many ketones in the blood and they mess with the pH of it making it more acidic. It comes with a number of complications, but if you’re following your doctors’ advice, you don’t have to worry about it. Ketoacidosis is accompanied by insomnia, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, constipation, etc. If you have any of those symptoms, you should consult with your doctor immediately,
Is the ketogenic diet the right one for me?
Keto diet has its own pros and cons, but if you are in one of the groups mentioned below, you should consider other diets, or at least consult with your doctor or nutritionist beforehand:
- Kidney diseases;
- Heart diseases;
- Liver disease;
- Pregnancy;
- You take insulin injections for your diabetes;
- You had gallbladder surgery.
Summary
A ketogenic diet comes with a handful of benefits. There are some contraindications, but as long as you’re consulting with your doctor and nutritionist, you shouldn’t worry too much. The most important thing is to follow all of the advice given to you and to do regular checkups.
Also, it’s really important to say that the keto diet is not to become a lifestyle. You need to take a break from it for a while, before proceeding with it again. It is best to stay on the diet for 3-6 months and take a break after that.