If you are on the journey of weight loss, Keto diet can be an excellent option for you if your dietician has given you thumbs up! But before starting a keto diet, you need to understand what it is exactly.
What is keto diet?
Keto diet, short for ketogenic diet is a meal plan that helps your body to go into ketosis. Ketosis is a process in which your body uses fats and proteins for energy instead of carbohydrates.
Keto diets usually break down to 70-75% of calories from fat, 20-25% from protein, and 5-10% from carbohydrates.
How did keto diet come into play?
The use of ketogenic diets goes back to the early 20th century as a treatment for epilepsy. In 1920, it was realized that fasting reduced seizure activity in patients.
It has since been used as a medical treatment for epilepsy. Though the use of keto diet for epilepsy was reduced drastically. It was observed that this diet is effective for people who do not respond well to medications. It was and still applicable in the case of children with epilepsy.
Today, a keto diet is not just an effective measure for people with epilepsy but also for people who want to reduce fat.
The body goes into ketosis where it burns fat for fuel instead of glucose.
Benefits of keto diet:
When the body goes into a state of ketosis, it will prove to be beneficial for you. The most significant benefits of a ketogenic diet are:
Weight loss:
Ketogenic diet is mainly used today by the people who want to lose weight. A keto diet is planned as a high fat, moderate protein and low carb diet.
The drastic reduction of carbohydrate intake and increased consumption of fats pushed the body to induce the state of ketosis where it burns fat for fuel. This shift in the body leads to rapid weight loss.
Improved blood sugar control:
Keto diet is also beneficial for diabetic patients especially individuals with type 2 diabetes. Since the body will not consume carbohydrates while the individual is on a keto diet, the blood sugar levels will be in control. This will reduce the need for insulin medication in a few cases.
Increased energy and mental clarity:
Keto diet was introduced as the measure to treat epilepsy because the diet helped their brain to calm down so the seizures can be controlled. People who follow a keto diet experience increased energy levels and improved mental clarity. It is because when the body adapts using ketones as its primary source of energy, the energy is retained throughout the day which improves focus and cognitive functions.
Controlled appetite:
A high-fat and moderate protein diet leads to reduced appetite and fewer cravings as it is more satiating than a high-carbohydrate diet. That is the reason why it is easy for people to reduce weight while following a keto diet, especially in the initial stage.
Who should take a keto diet?
Ketogenic diet has several health benefits and essentially it is an excellent diet option for individuals seeking to lose weight. It is also beneficial for other individuals like:
Individuals with epilepsy:
Ketogenic diet was first introduced by medical experts for individuals with epilepsy. With time the diet was replaced with medication. But there are a few individuals who do not respond positively to the medication, hence keto diet comes to their rescue. Keto diet is an excellent option to control seizure frequency and severity, especially among children.
Type 2 diabetic patients:
Keto diet requires people to reduce carb intake and increase fats and protein intake in high and moderate content respectively. This improves insulin sensitivity and controls blood sugar level in the body. Thus, a keto diet is beneficial to people with type 2 diabetes and prediabetes. However, a person taking a keto diet should work closely with a healthcare professional for better results.
People on the journey of weight loss:
People adopt ketogenic diets for weight loss but it is a temporary solution for weight loss. A person might have to undergo a few consequences especially keto flu because each individual’s body reacts differently to keto diet.
Who should not take a keto diet?
Though keto diet is beneficial for people who want to shed some pounds, but there are some people who should not follow keto diet, especially people with some medical issues including:
People with medical issues:
Individuals who have issues related to pancreas, liver, gall bladder and have disorders of fat metabolism should not follow a keto diet. People with such medical issues should not incorporate high fat diets in their lifestyle. Such conditions should be monitored by health experts so their expertise can help you make lifestyle changes aligning with your medical condition.
Pregnant or Breastfeeding women:
Ketogenic diet is naturally unbalanced. A pregnant woman needs nutrients and minerals in adequate amounts for fetal development. If a pregnant woman would undergo the state of ketosis through keto diet the outcome of pregnancy could be fatal. Pregnant and breastfeeding women need to consult certified nutritionists and dieticians for appropriate dietary recommendations.
History of eating disorders:
If an individual has a history of eating disorders they should avoid following a ketogenic diet. People with such history undergo frequent mood changes and they might find it difficult to follow a keto diet properly. Moreover, the restrictive nature of keto diet can trigger disordered eating behavior in individuals with the same history. People with eating disorders should keep their health above all and consult professionals for appropriate guidance for their diet.
Children:
Though the keto diet is a successful measure of treatment for children going through epilepsy, growing children need a balanced diet for proper growth and development. Growing children should only follow such diets without medical supervision.
Tips to follow before starting a keto diet:
Here are a few steps for beginners who are going to start a keto diet:
Educate yourself:
You need to learn about the keto diet. For starters, you need to know the basics of what a keto diet is and how it works. Every human body responds differently to keto diet so make sure you get appropriate information from an expert. Consult your dietician, nutritionist or trainer to know more about the diets that would best suit your fitness goals.
Manage stress:
Stress can boost a hormone called cortisol which will raise your blood sugar level. Excessive sugar levels can hinder the process of ketosis because it blocks the body from burning fat to use as energy. Before you start your keto diet journey you need to be mindful of the stress levels. Start taking proper sleep so your body can relax appropriately. Stop using the screen as a measure of endless scrolling. Start moving your body to cope with day-to-day stress in your life like the one you usually get from office work.
Sleep well:
Stress could be a result of lack of sleep. Work on your sleep schedule before starting a keto diet. Ensure you get at least 8-9 hours of sleep.
Stay hydrated:
Water is essential for your body to keep it hydrated for supporting your metabolic processes.
Consult an expert:
A keto diet should be followed under an expert’s supervision. You should consult a certified dietician or nutritionist that would help you make a diet plan that aligns with your fitness goals.
Foods To include:
A keto diet plan contains high-fat, moderate protein and low carbs. For a keto plan to work, you need to include some food items like:
Sea food: you can add fish, especially salmon. Seas food is carb free and fishes are rich in vitamin B, selenium and potassium.
Healthy fats: fats will make the most portion of your diet. Choose healthy fats like avocado, nuts & seeds, olive oil, butter and of course, fatty fish like salmon.
Low-carb vegetables: Include vegetables with low carb content like leafy green vegetables, broccoli, cauliflowers, mushroom, zucchini, lettuce and bell peppers.
Protein: you need to take moderate amounts of protein in a keto diet. Choose protein sources like mild, poultry, eggs and fish.
Fruits: A person on a keto diet will choose fruits from a limited list including strawberries, raspberries and blackberries.
Foods To Exclude:
Fruits and starchy vegetables: vegetables are high in fiber; that is why you have to be picky while choosing vegetables in your diet. Avoid vegetables like corn, peas and sweet potatoes. Avoid fruits like bananas, grapes, mangoes. Your only option in fruits is restricted to a few berries mentioned above.
Grains: A keto diet does not include whole grains like wheat, rice, oats and barley.
Legumes: though legumes are nutritious, they are also rich in starch. A person on a keto diet has to cut starch, hence legumes like beans, lentils and chickpeas are a no for you.
Sugar: Sugar contains the highest content of carbohydrates. You need to avoid sugar. Be it sugary beverages, candies, cakes, refined sugar, your favorite cocktail or your favorite barbeque sauce, you have to avoid it while following a keto diet.
Before you make a keto diet plan for yourself, remember that every human body has different needs. If you are on a weight loss journey, you need to consult a certified nutritionist who can guide you and let you know your specific needs regarding your keto diet.
How Can We Help You?
We at Desi Nutrition help people in their weight loss journey by providing meals crafted by our culinary experts and designed by our certified nutritionists and dietitian.
A keto diet should be taken under the supervision of medical experts. Our certified team of nutritionists and culinary experts collaborate to give our customers the meal plan that aligns with their fitness goals.
Subscribe to Desi Nutrition to get customized keto meal plans for your specific fitness goals. We at Desi Nutrition are committed to help you in planning your meals to achieve your health goals so you don’t have to go through the hassle of daily planning and cooking your meal.
No fitness goal is unachievable and our experts make sure to keep you motivated by right guidance and tasteful meals!
