Keto Diet – All you wanted to know

Overview

Today, weight loss is a common trend. Several people opt for weight loss keeping different targets in their minds. This trend has given a sudden boost to various weight-loss related workouts and diets. A particular diet, trending in India today is the ‘keto’ or ‘ketogenic’ diet. Keto diet is high in fat, low in carbs and moderate in protein.

What is Keto Diet?

A Keto diet is a popular type of low carb diet that was originally a medical diet devised to reduce the frequency of epileptic seizures in children. This diet plan focuses basically on limiting the carbohydrate intake so that the body enters into a ‘Ketosis’ phase. Ketosis is a natural phenomenon, a normal metabolic process, which puts our body into a survival mode due to low consumption of carbs. When our body does not have sufficient sugar (glucose) for energy, it will start burning the stored fats, which results in a build-up of acids called ketones within our body.

How does the ketogenic diet work?

The main aim of the keto diet is to force the body into using a different type of fuel. Instead of depending on glucose which comes from carbohydrates like vegetables, grains, legumes, and fruits, the ketogenic diet relies on ketone bodies, a kind of fuel produced by the liver from stored fat.

While burning fat seems to be an ideal way to lose extra weight, it is a challenge to get the liver to make ketone bodies. You have to deprive yourself of carbohydrates, lower than 20 – 50 grams of carbs a day (A medium-sized banana has approximately 27 grams of carbs). It typically takes at least a few days to reach a state of ketosis. Eating foods high in protein can interfere with ketosis.

What are the Health Benefits of Keto Diet?

Many research studies show that a ketogenic diet can help lose weight and improve health too. It is also known to have health benefits against epilepsy, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and cancer. Keto diet is useful especially for reversing type 2 diabetes and losing excess body fat without hunger.

What Keto Diet Chart can Indians Follow?

The following Keto Diet can be followed by Indians:

What are the drawbacks of a Keto Diet Plan

Although the ketogenic diet is considered a weight-loss wonder that is helping scores of overweight people lose their stubborn weight across the globe, there are some side effects or drawbacks to it that make this popular diet plan unhealthy too. Apart from limiting a particular food group, the weight loss after a ketogenic diet may not be sustainable.

Some people may experience fatigue as our body during a Keto diet is deprived of carbs as the source of its energy. It loses glucose, the primary energy source of our body. This may cause mood swings and put our body in confusion mode.

What are some myths associated with Keto Diet?

Myth: Our body goes into Ketoacidosis

Reality: It is ketosis that causes fat burn in a ketogenic diet.

Myth: You can go on and off Keto diet and still keep your weight off

Reality: See-sawing on keto Diet will just lead you to gain all your weight back.

Myth: Everyone has the same needs for carb

Reality: How much carbs you should consume depends really on your personal health.

Myth: As per the keto diet plan you can eat as much butter and chicken as you want

Reality: Keto diet prioritizes unsaturated fat in the diet.

Myth: you cannot eat veggies and fruits on the Keto diet as they can be high in carbs

Reality: You need to eat them to avoid constipation (a nasty side effect of the keto diet).

Myth: The keto diet is the only best way to lose weight

Reality: There is no right diet for everyone.

Conclusion

Do not start a ketogenic diet just because somebody known to you lost weight successfully or because everyone is talking about it. There is no diet plan that is an end-all, be-all answer to losing weight. There are many ways to lose weight. Success comes from finding the right plan – the right eating plan that you can be consistent with. Besides, people have different blood sugar responses to the same foods, so there cannot be one diet plan that could be the answer. Speak to a registered dietitian before going on a keto diet plan and also to find the right diet plan that fits your health goals.