Keto Diet- Just A Fad? Or There’s Science Behind It?

Millions of people around the world are trying new diets to lose weight, feel healthier and look better. For a newcomer to this game, it can be daunting when you first type the words “weight-loss diets” into Google and are slammed with 8, 9 or even 21 different dieting options. However, one of these diets seems to be based on some pretty sound logic. The Keto diet is one where you consume roughly 60-75% of your daily calories through fat, 15-30% through protein and 15% through carbs. This sort of high-fat, low-carb and low-sugar diet is meant to keep your body in a heightened metabolic state called Ketosis where your body relies on its fat reserves for energy, rather than the more readily accessible energy resources found in your body’s glucose stores. 

The recipes for this diet centre around mostly animal products such as meat, fish, eggs, milk, cheese and animal fats; although you can also get away with using plant oils as your source of fats if you’re worried about your cholesterol skyrocketing. Vegetables should be included in your diet as well, but you should be mindful about the carbohydrate content of the vegetables you eat. Veggies like carrots, broccoli, spinach and cauliflower are great additions to most meals and do not contain that many carbohydrates. Fruit can be eaten but only in small quantities as they often contain massive amounts of sugar. There is no need even to eat fruit if you keep your vegetable consumption high since they share many of the same nutrients.

One of the downsides of this diet, however, is that it is somewhat restrictive in what you can and can’t eat. Your body naturally wants to rely on glucose for its energy and will jump at the chance to use that “little bit” of sugar and carbs you got from the donut you ate on a cheat day, and this will take you out of Ketosis. You also can’t eat hamburgers without the buns all day because your body needs more nutrients than they will supply so it’s best to grab a Keto recipe book and cook for yourself as much as possible. 

Note: Some doctors warn that if you have a history of eating disorders the restrictive nature of the Keto diet might increase your risk of developing bad eating habits