Keto And Calories: Friends Or Foes?

The ketogenic diet is a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet that puts your body into a metabolic state called ketosis. In this state, the body burns fat for energy instead of glucose, which is derived from carbohydrates. While the keto diet is typically high in fat and low in carbs, there are variations, such as The Fast 800 Keto, which combines keto principles with a lower-calorie diet.

The keto diet has been associated with several health benefits, including weight loss, improved insulin sensitivity, and reduced risk of chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and Alzheimer's. It may also help suppress appetite and reduce visceral fat.

However, the traditional keto diet can be restrictive and lead to side effects like headaches, insomnia, nausea, and dizziness, often referred to as the keto flu. Additionally, it may be challenging to sustain due to the restriction of certain vegetables, legumes, and beans.

The Fast 800 Keto is a variation that is slightly higher in carbohydrates and lower in saturated fats, focusing more on quality protein and nutrient-dense Mediterranean-style meals. It aims to make the diet easier to follow and sustain while still providing weight loss and health benefits.

What is a keto diet?

The ketogenic diet, or keto diet, is a low-carb, high-fat diet. 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 very efficient at burning fat for energy.

When following a keto diet, meals and snacks should be centred around the following foods:

• Eggs
• Poultry, such as chicken and turkey
• Fatty fish, such as salmon, herring, and mackerel
• Meat, such as beef, venison, and pork
• Full-fat dairy, such as unsweetened yoghurt, butter, and cream
• Full-fat cheese, such as cheddar, mozzarella, brie, and goat cheese
• Nuts and seeds, such as macadamia nuts, almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, and flaxseeds
• Nut butter, such as no-sugar-added peanut, almond, and cashew butters
• Oils rich in healthy fats, such as olive oil, avocado oil, and sesame oil
• Avocados
• Non-starchy vegetables, such as greens, broccoli, tomatoes, mushrooms, and peppers
• Condiments, such as salt, pepper, vinegar, lemon juice, fresh herbs, and spices

The keto diet is often used for weight loss, but it can also help manage certain medical conditions, such as epilepsy. It may also help with heart disease, certain brain diseases, and acne, although more research is needed in these areas.

There are several versions of the keto diet, including the standard ketogenic diet (SKD), the cyclical ketogenic diet (CKD), the targeted ketogenic diet (TKD), and the high-protein ketogenic diet. The SKD is the most researched and most recommended version.

The keto diet is not suitable for everyone. It is not recommended for people with kidney failure, liver disease, or type 1 diabetes, as it can lead to diabetes-related ketoacidosis. It is important to consult a healthcare professional before starting the keto diet.

Is a keto diet difficult to follow?

The ketogenic diet is a high-fat, low-carb diet that has been advertised as a weight-loss solution. It is also used to help reduce the frequency of epileptic seizures in children. While it can be an effective way to lose weight, it is best to make this only a short-term dietary change to jump-start weight reduction.

The keto diet aims to force your body to use a different type of fuel. Instead of relying on sugar (glucose) from carbohydrates, the keto diet relies on ketone bodies – a type of fuel that the liver produces from stored fat.

To reach a state of ketosis, you must deprive yourself of carbohydrates – consuming less than 20 to 50 grams of carbs per day. Eating too much protein can interfere with ketosis. In a 2,000-calorie diet, you may consume 165 grams of fat, 40 grams of carbs, and 75 grams of protein. However, the exact ratio depends on your particular needs.

There are several versions of the keto diet:

• Standard ketogenic diet (SKD): This is a very low-carb, moderate-protein, and high-fat diet. It typically contains 70% fat, 20% protein, and only 10% carbs.
• Cyclical ketogenic diet (CKD): This diet involves periods of higher-carb refeeds, such as five ketogenic days followed by two high-carb days.
• Targeted ketogenic diet (TKD): This diet allows you to add carbs around workouts.
• High-protein ketogenic diet: This is similar to the standard ketogenic diet, but includes more protein. The ratio is often 60% fat, 35% protein, and 5% carbs.

You should base the majority of your meals on meat, fish, eggs, butter, nuts, healthy oils, avocados, and plenty of low-carb veggies.

The ketogenic diet can help you lose excess fat, which is closely linked to type 2 diabetes, prediabetes, and metabolic syndrome. It can also improve insulin sensitivity and cause fat loss, leading to significant health benefits for people with type 2 diabetes or prediabetes.

The keto diet has been shown to have benefits for a wide variety of health conditions:

• Heart disease: The keto diet can help improve risk factors like body fat, HDL ("good") cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and blood sugar.
• Cancer: The diet is being explored as an additional treatment for cancer, as it may help slow tumor growth.
• Alzheimer's disease: The keto diet may help reduce symptoms of Alzheimer's and slow its progression.
• Epilepsy: Research has shown that the keto diet can cause significant reductions in seizures in epileptic children.
• Parkinson's disease: The keto diet has been found to improve symptoms of Parkinson's disease.
• Polycystic ovary syndrome: The keto diet can help reduce insulin levels, which may play a key role in polycystic ovary syndrome.
• Brain injuries: The diet could improve outcomes of traumatic brain injuries.

Any food that is high in carbs should be limited or eliminated. This includes sugary foods, grains or starches, fruit, beans or legumes, root vegetables and tubers, low-fat or diet products, some condiments or sauces, unhealthy fats, alcohol, and sugar-free diet foods.

Tips for eating out on a ketogenic diet

Many restaurant meals can be made keto-friendly. Order meat- or fish-based dishes and replace any high-carb food with extra vegetables. Egg-based meals, bun-less burgers, and Mexican food (meat with cheese, guacamole, salsa, and sour cream) are also good options. For dessert, ask for a mixed cheese board or berries with cream.

Side effects and how to minimize them

Although the keto diet is usually safe, there may be some initial side effects while your body adapts. These include diarrhea, constipation, vomiting, poor energy and mental function, and decreased exercise performance. To minimize these side effects, you can try a regular low-carb diet for the first few weeks to teach your body to burn more fat before completely eliminating carbs.

Additionally, the keto diet can change the water and mineral balance of your body, so adding extra salt to your meals or taking mineral supplements may help. It is important to eat until you're full and avoid restricting calories too much, as a ketogenic diet typically causes weight loss without intentional calorie restriction.

While the keto diet has its benefits, staying on it in the long term may have some negative effects, including risks of low protein in the blood, extra fat in the liver, and micronutrient deficiencies. Anyone taking sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors for type 2 diabetes should avoid the keto diet, as it can increase the risk for diabetic ketoacidosis, a dangerous condition that increases blood acidity.

Although no supplements are required, some can be useful. These include MCT oil, minerals, caffeine, exogenous ketones, creatine, and whey.

In conclusion

While the keto diet can be challenging to follow, there are tips and tricks to make it easier. Familiarize yourself with food labels, plan your meals in advance, and bring your own food when visiting family and friends. Additionally, many websites, food blogs, apps, and cookbooks offer keto-friendly recipes and meal ideas.

However, it is important to consult your doctor prior to engaging in the diet for an extended period of time, as it may have some side effects, and more research is needed to understand its long-term effects.

How is The Fast 800 Keto different?

The Fast 800 Keto is different from a typical high-fat, low-carb ketogenic diet. It combines the keto principles with a Mediterranean-style diet, which is considered one of the healthiest diets.

The Fast 800 Keto is a lower-calorie diet, with around 800-1000 calories a day, and is slightly higher in carbohydrates than a traditional ketogenic diet. This makes it easier to follow and sustain, with fewer side effects and similar weight loss and health benefits.

The main differences between a traditional keto diet and The Fast 800 Keto are:

• Slightly higher in carbohydrates
• Lower in saturated fats
• More focused on quality protein
• Filling and nutrient-dense with Mediterranean-style meals

What foods to eat on The Fast 800 Keto Diet?

The Fast 800 Keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet that puts your body into a state of 'ketosis'. This is when your body burns fat for energy, rather than glucose from carbohydrates.

The Fast 800 Keto diet is slightly higher in carbohydrates than a traditional ketogenic diet, as it combines a keto diet with a lower-calorie diet (around 800-1000 calories a day).

• Protein: Fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, and sardines), quality meat and poultry, and eggs. Aim for at least 50-60g of protein a day.
• Fibre: Broccoli, cauliflower, and leafy greens. Fibre is essential for a healthy gut microbiome and is often lacking in traditional keto diets.
• Healthy fats: Olive oil and Greek yoghurt.

What are the benefits of a keto diet?

The keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet that has been around since the 1920s. It was initially used to reduce seizures in pediatric patients with epilepsy, and it is still prescribed for that purpose today. The diet is also touted as a weight-loss tool, and there is some evidence to support this. Here are some of the benefits of a keto diet:

Weight Loss

The keto diet may help a person lose weight. The diet may boost metabolism and reduce appetite. Studies have shown that people following ketogenic diets lose more weight, and faster, than those following low-fat diets.

Acne Reduction

Eating a diet high in processed and refined carbohydrates may alter the balance of gut bacteria and cause blood sugar to rise and fall significantly, both of which can adversely affect skin health. A 2012 study found that decreasing carb intake could reduce acne symptoms in some people.

Cancer Prevention

Some research suggests that the keto diet may help prevent or even treat certain cancers. A 2018 study found that because the ketogenic diet reduces blood sugar, it could lower the risk of insulin complications, which may be linked to some cancers. However, more research is needed in this area.

Heart Health

Some evidence shows that eating healthful fats, such as avocados, can help improve heart health by reducing cholesterol. A 2017 review of studies showed that people experienced a drop in levels of total cholesterol, "bad" LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides, and an increase in "good" HDL cholesterol.

Brain Function

Some studies suggest that the ketones produced during the keto diet provide neuroprotective benefits, strengthening and protecting the brain and nerve cells. As such, a keto diet may help prevent or manage conditions such as Alzheimer's disease.

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)

A high-carbohydrate diet can cause adverse effects in people with PCOS, such as skin problems and weight gain. A 2005 pilot study found that a ketogenic diet improved several markers of PCOS, including ratios of luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and levels of fasting insulin.

Seizures

The keto diet may reduce seizures in people with epilepsy, especially those who have not responded to other treatment methods. A 2019 review supports this hypothesis, suggesting that the keto diet can support people with epilepsy by reducing symptoms through several different mechanisms.

Frequently asked questions