Keto Program: How Does This Diet Work?

The keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet that offers many health benefits. It involves drastically reducing your carbohydrate intake and replacing it with fat. This reduction in carbs puts your body into a metabolic state called ketosis, where it becomes incredibly efficient at burning fat for energy. The keto diet can be effective for weight loss and certain health conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and epilepsy.

To follow the keto diet, you need to limit your carbohydrate intake to around 20 to 50 grams per day and fill up on high-fat foods such as meat, fish, eggs, nuts, and healthy oils. It's also important to moderate your protein consumption, as too much can slow your transition into ketosis.

While the keto diet can be beneficial for weight loss and improving health conditions, there are some potential side effects and risks associated with it. These include nutrient deficiencies, liver and kidney problems, constipation, and fuzzy thinking. Therefore, it's important to consult a healthcare professional before starting the keto diet to ensure it's safe for you.

What to eat and what to avoid

The keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat, and moderate-protein diet. It involves drastically reducing carbohydrate intake and replacing it with fat. This reduction in carbs puts your body into a metabolic state called ketosis, where your body uses fat for fuel instead of carbs.

What to Eat

Meals on the keto diet should centre around the following foods:

• Eggs
• Poultry, such as chicken and turkey
• Fatty fish, such as salmon, tuna, and mackerel
• Meat, such as beef, pork, and lamb
• Full-fat dairy, such as unsweetened yoghurt, butter, and cream
• Full-fat cheese, such as cheddar, mozzarella, and goat cheese
• Nuts and seeds, such as macadamia nuts, almonds, walnuts, and pumpkin seeds
• Nut butter, such as peanut, almond, and cashew butter
• Healthy oils, such as olive oil, avocado oil, and sesame oil
• Avocados
• Non-starchy vegetables, such as leafy greens, broccoli, tomatoes, mushrooms, and peppers
• Condiments, such as salt, pepper, herbs, and spices

What to Avoid

Foods that should be limited or avoided on the keto diet include:

• Bread and baked goods, such as white bread, cookies, and doughnuts
• Sweets and sugary foods, such as sugar, ice cream, candy, and honey
• Sweetened beverages, such as soda, juice, and sweetened tea
• Pasta
• Grains and grain products, such as wheat, rice, and breakfast cereals
• Starchy vegetables, such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, and corn
• Beans and legumes, such as chickpeas and lentils
• High-carb fruits, such as bananas, mangoes, and grapes
• High-carb sauces, such as barbecue sauce and ketchup
• Alcoholic beverages, such as beer and sugary mixed drinks

How to enter ketosis

Reduce Carbohydrate Intake

The most important factor in entering ketosis is to eat a very low-carb diet. This usually means limiting your carb consumption to 20-50 grams per day, but the exact amount can vary from person to person. The fewer carbs you eat, the more effective it is for reaching ketosis. Carbohydrate restriction forces the body to use fat, not glucose, as its primary energy source.

Increase Healthy Fat Intake

On a ketogenic diet, it is recommended to get 55-60% of your calories from fat. Healthy fats include fatty fish like salmon, olive oil, avocado oil, nuts, and seeds, and eggs.

Increase Physical Activity

Being more physically active can help deplete your body's glycogen stores, which encourages the body to turn to fat as a source of fuel instead. Exercise can also increase ketone production, but it may take 1-4 weeks for your body to adapt to using ketones and fatty acids as primary fuel sources.

Try Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting can help you reach ketosis by depleting stored glycogen. This can be done by limiting food intake to an 8-hour window per day and fasting for the remaining 16 hours.

Monitor Ketone Levels

You can test your ketone levels in your blood, breath, or urine to confirm that you are in ketosis. Testing can help you track your progress and make adjustments to your diet as needed.

Weight loss effects

The keto diet is a high-fat, low-carb, and moderate-protein diet. It is an effective way to lose weight and lower the risk of certain diseases.

The keto diet involves drastically reducing your carbohydrate intake and replacing it with fat. This reduction in carbs puts your body into a metabolic state called ketosis, where your body becomes very efficient at burning fat for energy. The diet also lowers blood sugar and insulin levels, which can be beneficial for people with type 2 diabetes.

• The keto diet can lead to significant weight loss, even without counting calories. Research shows that the keto diet may be as effective for weight loss as a low-fat diet. In one review, people who followed the keto diet lost an average of 2 pounds more than those on a low-fat diet.
• The keto diet can help reduce hunger and increase satiety. This may be due to the reduction of ghrelin, a hunger hormone. As a result, you may naturally eat fewer calories, which can contribute to weight loss.
• The keto diet can promote the loss of water weight. When you reduce your carb intake, stored carbs are released along with additional fluid, resulting in weight loss.
• The keto diet may not be superior to a traditional calorie-restricted diet for weight loss when calorie intake is matched. One study found that the keto diet was associated with a small increase in calorie burning but did not lead to increased body fat loss compared to a traditional baseline diet.
• The keto diet's weight loss effects are likely due to a calorie deficit, reduced hunger levels, and water weight loss.
• The keto diet may be challenging to maintain in the long term due to its restrictive nature. It may also be difficult to stick to when dining out or during social gatherings.
• Combining the keto diet with regular exercise can enhance weight loss. When adapted to the diet, your body can use fat as its primary fuel source for exercise, which is especially beneficial for endurance-based sports.
• It is important to consult a healthcare professional before starting the keto diet, as it may not be suitable for everyone.

In summary, the keto diet can be an effective tool for weight loss, but it is important to consider the potential challenges and restrictions of the diet, as well as consulting with a healthcare professional to ensure it is safe and appropriate for your individual needs.

Health benefits

The keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet that offers many health benefits. Here are some of the health benefits of the keto diet:

• Weight Loss: The keto diet can help people lose weight by reducing hunger and lowering insulin levels. Research has shown that the keto diet may be as effective for weight loss as a low-fat diet.
• Improved Health: The keto diet can improve health by lowering the risk of certain diseases, such as diabetes, cancer, epilepsy, and Alzheimer's disease.
• Increased Energy: The keto diet can increase energy levels and improve athletic performance.
• Better Brain Function: The keto diet may improve brain function and reduce the risk of neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.
• Disease Management: The keto diet can help manage and treat chronic illnesses such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

Side effects and risks

The keto diet is generally considered safe, but there are some side effects and risks to be aware of.

Side Effects

The keto diet can cause dehydration, as it involves a significant reduction in carbohydrate intake, which can lead to a loss of fluids. This may result in changes in urine colour and frequency.

The diet can also cause gastrointestinal issues, such as constipation, diarrhoea, nausea, and vomiting. Diarrhoea is the most common of these, potentially due to the body's difficulty in absorbing the high-fat content of keto-friendly foods.

Another side effect is the so-called "keto flu", which includes symptoms such as fatigue, nausea, and dizziness. This usually passes within a few days to a few weeks.

Risks

The keto diet may also pose some longer-term health risks. Firstly, it could lead to nutrient deficiencies, particularly of vitamins and minerals. This is because the diet restricts several nutrient-dense foods, such as fruits, whole grains, and legumes. Over time, this could result in vitamin and mineral deficiencies.

Secondly, the keto diet may stress your kidneys and increase your risk of kidney stones. This is because the diet often includes a high intake of animal foods, which can make your blood and urine more acidic. This leads to increased excretion of calcium in your urine, which can form kidney stones.

The keto diet may also damage your bone health over time, as some studies have linked it to decreased bone strength and increased levels of blood markers for bone breakdown.

Finally, the keto diet has been associated with an increased risk of chronic diseases and early death. Some evidence suggests that high-fat, low-carb diets that focus on animal foods may lead to poor health outcomes, while those emphasising vegetable sources of fats and proteins provide benefits.

It is important to note that the long-term effects of the keto diet are not yet fully understood, and more research is needed to confirm these risks.

Frequently asked questions