Diet Spotlight of the Week: The Keto Diet

The Ketogenic diet has become a bit of a trend in recent years, but did you know it has been used since the 1920’s?

If you are thinking of trialling the ketogenic diet for yourself, it is important to know the ins and out before you begin. Read below to see what exactly the keto diet is, how it came about, what to eat and the pros and cons…

What is the Keto Diet?

The Ketogenic diet is a high fat, very low carbohydrate diet which was first developed in the 1920’s to help reduce seizures in epileptic children. Whilst still prescribed for that purpose today, the diet has gained major traction for weight loss in recent years.

A traditional ketogenic diet is based on the ratio of 90% fat, 4% carbohydrate and 6% protein, or 80% fat, 15% protein and 5% carbohydrate, however there are variations to these ratios. If you’re not into categorising your diet into percentages, another way to look at it is consuming less than 20g of carbohydrate per day. Examples of 20g carbohydrate equivalence includes 1 medium-sized apple, 1 piece of bread, 1/3 cup cooked rice or 1 cup of milk.

If you think this is a piece of cake, don’t forget to take into account the carbohydrates coming from sources such as fruit, starchy vegetables such as potato, legumes, peas, corn and even some of your favourite non-starchy vegetables (leafy greens, broccoli, etc). If the penny hasn’t dropped yet, this also means that foods like chips, alcohol, lollies, chocolate and pasta are absolutely out of the question.

Overall, your diet is highly restricted to foods such as oils, unprocessed nuts, nut butter, avocado, eggs and some meats or dairy products.

The extremely high fat component paired with extremely low fats, means that your body is pushed into a state called ketosis. If we get technical – when a person is in ketosis, their fasting blood glucose must be between the ranges of 60-80 mg/dl. This means that your body begins to burn fat for energy, rather than using its preferred source: Glucose (i.e., carbohydrates). The ketones that are also produced additionally can be used as an energy source. This may be the main reason that some individuals opt for the ketogenic diet, however, do the cons outweigh the pros? Let’s take a look.

The Pro’s 

Firstly, let’s take a look at the potential benefits of a ketogenic diet and why you may consider trying it out for yourself…

1. Weight Loss

So, everyone wants to know – is it really beneficial for weight loss?

Due to the body being in ketosis (i.e. burning fat for energy) and reducing calorie intake through eliminating food groups, it is no wonder that successful ketogenic dieters lose weight.

However, the real question you need to ask yourself is – is this diet maintainable for me and my lifestyle? Because we all know what happens when you return to your regular eating patterns following a diet… the weight bounces right back!

2. Cholesterol & Triglyceride benefits

If strictly adhered to, a ketogenic diet may help to decrease the level of triglycerides, LDL cholesterol (our ‘bad’ cholesterol) and blood glucose, whilst increasing HDL cholesterol (our ‘good’ cholesterol) (1). This leads to better outcomes in heart health and lowered risk of cardiovascular disease.

3. Health Benefits for those with Epilepsy

This diet was originally developed to help treat children who had epilepsy and were not responding to traditional forms of medicine. It has been shown that the keto diet helps to reduce and control seizure occurrences, and more than 50% of children who attempt the keto diet see a halved reduction in seizures.

4. Increased Satiety

Individuals claiming increased satiety with a higher-fat diet is most definitely valid as it takes longer for the body to break fats down when compared to carbohydrate-rich food. Therefore, the volume of food consumed is potentially reduced with increased satiety and satisfaction of higher fat meals.

5. Potential Cognitive Benefits

Although research is currently limited, it has been suggested that the keto diet may in fact be effective in improving outcomes following traumatic brain injury and preventing cognitive diseases such as dementia (2, 3). These conclusions are drawn from the idea that ketones are protective against the inflammatory by-products, reactive oxygen species, which may improve memory and brain function in those with cognitive ailments (3).

In addition to this, it is suggested that keto diets may lead to other cognitive benefits such as improvement in memory in older adults, improved brain function and reduce the severity of migraines (4).

The Con’s 

Now let’s look at the flipside – when and why is it not ideal to begin a ketogenic diet?

1. Extremely Strict & Restrictive

The obvious downside of a ketogenic diet is that it may be too restrictive and difficult for an average person to follow. To be in regular ketosis, an individual must strictly adhere to the extremely high fat, low carbohydrate protocol otherwise they will naturally get kicked out of a ketogenic state.

“Cheat days” or “cheat meals” are eliminated entirely, as one meal of carbohydrate will switch your body back into using glucose. Implementing “cheat days”, or cycling in and out of ketosis can have negative effects on the body such as causing blood sugar spikes and insulin resistance, potentially leading to a higher risk of obesity and type II diabetes.

2. The risk of “Keto Flu”

In the bodies transition to maintained ketosis, many people experience episodes of nausea, headaches, lethargy, fatigue, irritability, and gastrointestinal distress. This is a natural response by the body, however is obviously extremely off-putting when considering the transition.

Staying hydrated and ensuring you get adequate sleep may reduce the severity of these symptoms.

3. Gut health issues & Constipation

This diet was originally developed to help treat children who had epilepsy and were not responding to traditional forms of medicine. It has been shown

As ketogenic diets are lacking in carbohydrate-rich fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes – it also means you are lacking from the amazing fibre that comes with those food groups. From a gut health perspective, this means that you potentially won’t be fuelling your gut bacteria properly which may compromise gut health.

In addition to this, a lack of fibre may contribute to constipation.

4. Nutritional Deficiencies

As well as lacking in fibre, the keto diet makes it extremely difficult to reach your daily requirements of vitamins and minerals due to the severe restriction of food groups. Main nutrients of concern include calcium, magnesium, folate, thiamine, potassium, vitamin B6, vitamin A, vitamin E and more.

It is possible to attain all nutrients from your diet, however this is unlikely without professional nutritional guidance or constant nutrient tracking.

5. Can Negatively Impact a female’s Menstrual Cycle

Cortisol (our stress hormone) production is enhanced when your body switches to starvation mode. This is why a ketogenic diet may be problematic for women, as increased cortisol can lead to amenorrhea (i.e., a loss of period), period irregularities and worsening of PMS symptoms.

Therefore, low carbohydrate diets may not be the solution for women, especially for those who already have a stressful and busy life. Fibre – which as we have spoken about is lacking in keto diets – is also key for female hormone balance.

So, Should you Try the Keto Diet?

As we always say at Inner Fit Nutrition – the best diet for you is the one that you can stick to. Always consider your lifestyle, preferences, activity levels, mental health & mindset as well as individual factors such as your gender, age, current and past health history. Whilst some people thrive on a high fat keto diet, others may find it restrictive, hard, socially isolating and particularly triggering for those with a past of dieting and/or an eating disorder. The main thing you need to consider is whether this diet is sustainable for you and your lifestyle in the long-term and whether it will help you reach your health and wellness goals.

If the benefits outweigh the cons and you would like to give the keto diet a crack, then by all means see if it works for you. If you need any additional help on your journey to ensure it is nutritionally sound and works for your lifestyle, please don’t hesitate to book an Initial Nutritional Consultation so that we can work together to reach your goals.

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