In the second instalment on our nutrition series where we look at a few of the popular diets at the moment, we’re going to take a look at the Ketogenic Diet. You may have heard of it referred to as ‘Keto’. What' we’re doing in this article is looking at what it is, why you’d do it and how you’d go about it.
In the series we’re staying away from opinion and sticking to facts. We’re not promoting one diet over another, we’re just giving you the lowdown on each.
What is the Ketogenic Diet?
The Ketogenic diet is a high fat, low protein and almost zero carbohydrate diet that is designed to force the body to switch from using sugar (glucose) as its primary energy source and instead use ketones.
The diet achieves this by feeding the body no carbohydrates, forcing it into a state called ‘ketosis’ once all of the available sugars have been used by the body. Ketosis refers to a state in which the body breaks down fats and uses them for energy, giving off ketones in the process.
The ketogenic diet was originally designed in the 1920’s as a treatment protocol of epilepsy. It remains to be an effective treatment for the condition, but its use is limited because it’s really quite difficult to follow compared to standard medication.
Recent research into nutrition has highlighted benefits of fasting, low carbohydrates and ketosis, bringing the diet back into the spotlight for a number of reasons.
The Importance of Monitoring on the Ketogenic Diet
In order for the Ketogenic diet to be strictly followed (and therefore useful in its purest sense), you have to reach and remain in a state of ketosis. You check this by testing your urine regularly for ketone bodies.
You’ll need to stay within a range of 0.5-3.0 mmol/L to be in nutritional ketosis. If you are below this level, you’re not in ketosis - your body is still burning glucose. If you go too far above this level you risk tipping into a state called ‘Ketoacidosis’, where the levels of ketones in the body become too high, poisoning the body.
It’s important to understand this before you embark on a ketogenic diet. If you’re aware of the need to monitor and are happy to do so, you’ll make the diet far more successful.
Isn’t Keto Just Atkins?
In the late 90’s and early 2000’s the Atkins diet became the most famous diet in the world - its low carb message swept the world but there’s a big difference between low carb and ketogenic diets.
On a low carb diet you’re still allowed to eat carbohydrates, just not many. Most low carb diets will have you eating below 100g of carbs per day, with some going as low as sub 50g. The rest of your energy comes from a lot of protein and fat, which is why people on Atkins were famously eating steak, bacon and eggs all day!
On the ketogenic diet, you’re essentially banned from eating carbohydrates if you want it to be successful - you’ll possibly be able to get away with around 20g per day, but that varies from person to person.
You also have to dramatically reduce your protein, so only around 20% of your total daily calories will come from protein sources. This is because of a biological process called ‘gluconeogenesis’, whereby your body produces carbohydrates form protein.
A lot of people think by going on the ketogenic diet they’ll live on steak and eggs all day, when the reality is completely different.
What Can I Eat on a Ketogenic Diet?
Your diet will be around 80% fat and 20% protein, so will be made up things such as omelettes with a lot of butter, or really fatty cuts of meat with cheese. Oily sea food will play a bit part too because it fits a ketogenic diet profile.
You’ll also have the option of a few very limited plants to eat. Avocado with its high fat content is acceptable, as is broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, various forms of lettuce, nuts and seeds. It’s important to avoid the high carbs plants, so no wheat products, potatoes, carrots, parsnips, squash, pumpkins, fruit etc. They’re all far too high in sugars and will knock you out of ketosis quickly.
There has been a growing market for ketogenic diet snacks and now a lot of companies are providing both sweet and savoury snacks that allow you to stay in ketosis. Whether or not they all taste good is another matter entirely, but it certainly helps you to add a bit of variety into your diet!
Does the Ketogenic Diet Work? Concluding Thoughts…
It does work, but it only works in the same sense that any other diet works - it feeds your body fewer calories than it needs.
The best use for the ketogenic diet may lie in a medical field, because there are medical reasons why you could or should consider a ketogenic diet. Some early research suggests it can help people undergoing cancer treatment, but of course consult your specialist before taking matters into your own hands. There are also people who struggle to metabolise carbs effectively such as diabetics who may benefit from a ketogenic diet. Again though, talk to your doctor first.
When it comes to weight loss, there are arguably more successful approaches, as backed up by research. There are certainly diets that are easier to follow - ones that don’t involve counting carbs, avoiding every possible carb-based temptation and testing your urine daily for ketone levels!
The ketogenic diet does work, but it’s VERY strict, very hard work and is likely to be difficult for the vast majority of people to follow. For most people, there’s a simpler diet that’d be easier to follow.
If you’d like some help using the ketogenic diet for weight loss, contact us on 07921465108 or email us at admacfitness@gmail.com. We look forward to hearing from you!