Keto Diet: A Break-Through formula for Weight Loss.

Who doesn’t prefer healthy lifestyle? Although everyone wants to live a healthy life; no one is interested in following healthy dietary pattern incorporated with physical exercise. But, at-least one could include ketogenic foods in their daily diet to extract its unbelievable health-related benefits.

But the major questions lies in what are the ketogenic diet, how we could incorporate it in our daily diet plan and does this type of diet really provide us with such benefits….

Let’s explore some facts on ketogenic diet and Learn about it. 

INTRODUCTION

Ketogenic diet is a very low carbs, higher fat diet similar to other low-carbs diet or Atkins diet from multiple perspectives. Protein and healthy fat consumption is preferred and carbohydrate practice is avoided in this type of diet. The reason behind the name of Ketogenic diet is that this food consumption pattern causes our body to produce small fuel molecules called Ketones. Ketones serves as a fuel source throughout the body but, most particularly to the brain.

HOW KETO-DIET WORKS

• Instead of utilizing sugar (glucose); this diet utilize fats.
• Diet with low-carbs puts your body in the metabolic state called “Ketosis“.
• This in turn make the fat from your diet and body burn incredibly (24/7 hrs.)  for energy production.
• It also converts fat into ketones in liver, which supply energy to the brain.
• The brain is a organ which require glucose or ketone to function smoothly.

TYPES OF KETOGENIC DIET

1. Standard Ketogenic Diet (SKD)

Diet with very low amount of carbohydrate with moderate protein and high fat. This type of diet typically contains 70% fat, 20% protein and 10% carbohydrate.

2. Cyclical Ketogenic Diet (CKD)

Diet which involves certain period of higher carbohydrates plan in between ketogenic diet cycles. For instance; 2 high carbohydrate days in between 5 days of ketogenic diet.

3. Targeted Ketogenic Diet (TKD)

This type of diet involve addition or inclusion of carbohydrates during the periods of intensive physical and tiresome workouts.

4. High-protein Ketogenic Diet (HPKD)

Include more protein amount than other types of ketogenic diet. It typically contains 60% fat, 35% protein and 5% carbohydrate. 

Note: CKD and TKD are the recent and most advanced types which has not been in use as compared to SKD and HPKD. Among these types, SKD is most researched and recommended to bring it in practice (Shilpa and Mohan, 2018).

BENEFITS OF KETOGENIC DIET

1. Supports weight loss by burning fats from diet and reserved in body.
2. Improve insulin sensitivity by 75% (beneficial for prediabetes and metabolic syndrome).
3. Improve acne and heart health.
4. Reduce or slow down Alzheimer’s disease and risk of certain cancers.
5. Increases brain function and keep it energized.
6. Reduces seizures in people with epilepsy.
7. Treat hormonal disorders- such as Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

CARE DURING KETOGENIC DIET

1. High blood pressure patients: Although Ketogenic diet is useful for these kind of patients; keto-diet along with medication could lower blood pressure to such extent you could faint too so, be careful with it.

2. Pregnancy: It is better for pregnant woman to avoid ketogenic diet as it may lead to Ketoacidosis in many cases. It causes metabolic changes and might effects on milk production too. 

RISK OF KETO-DIET

Although Ketogenic diet have multiple health related benefits; long-term practice of this could cause severe health issues. So, it should be practiced for short period of time and then, its necessary to focus more on physical exercises to remain healthy.

Some of the health problems resulted from long-term practice of keto-diet includes:

• Kidney stones.
• Liver problems.
• Excess protein in the blood.
• Constipation 
• Mineral and Vitamin deficiencies.
• Low-blood sugar.
• Headaches.
• Nausea and vomiting.

FOODS TO INCLUDE FOR YOUR KETOGENIC DIET

1. Low-carb Veggies

Non starchy low carb vegetables are recommended to have in your keto-diet. This includes tomatoes, eggplant, asparagus, broccoli, cauli-flower, spinach, green beans, cucumber, bell peppers, kale, Zucchini and many more.

2. Avocados

Heart healthy monosaturated fats such as Avocados are considered as the best ketogenic food. Half of medium sized avocados typically contains 7 gm fiber and 9 gm of total carbohydrates. This species also helps to improve cholesterol and triglycerides level.

3. Plain Greek Yogurt and Cottage Cheese

Plain Greek yogurt and Cottage cheese are rich source of calcium and protein. Five ounces of Greek yogurt usually contains only 5 gm of carbohydrates and 12 gm of proteins. Similarly, 5 ounces of cottage cheese contains 5 gm of carbohydrate and 18 gm of protein. 

Calcium and protein present in yogurt and cheese reduces your appetite and promote fullness which helps you to relieve hunger for a longer time period. 

4. Nuts, Seeds and Healthy Oils

Nuts and seeds are rich source of poly-saturated and mono-saturated fats, fibers and proteins, and are also very low in carbs. Hence, this make perfect addition in keto-diet. Healthy oils such as coconut oil also increases ketone production and hence must be included in ketogenic diet.

Example of nuts, seeds and healthy oil includes olive oil, avocados oil, coconut oil, flaxseeds, chia seeds, Pumpkin seeds, Hemp hearts, coconuts, avocados, olives and many more.

5. Berries

Being low carbs and high fiber fruits; berries are great addition preferred by many health experts for keto-diet. These fruits are also rich in anti-oxidants which reduces inflammation and protect against diseases. 

Berries and their carb content:

• Black berries: 3 gm net carbs (7 gm total carbs)
• Blueberries: 9 gm net carbs (11 gm total carbs)
• Raspberries: 3 gm net carbs (7 gm total carbs)
• Strawberries: 3 gm net carbs (6 gm total carbs)  

FOODS TO AVOID ON KETO-DIET

• Grains (Oatmeal, Flour, Wheat, Rye, Corn, Buck-wheat, Quinoa, Sorghum, Barley, Rice, etc.).
• Starchy vegetables and high sugar fruits (under ground growing vegetables such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, peas, and fruits such as Oranges, Tangerines, Bananas, Apple, Pear, Grapes, Mangoes, Nectarines, Pineapples, etc.).
• Sweetened yogurt.
• Honey and syrup.
• Processed meats.
• Legumes (Black beans, chick peas, Baked beans, and so on).

REFERENCES

1. Shilpa, J., & Mohan, V. (2018). Ketogenic diets: Boon or bane?. The Indian journal of medical research, 148(3), 251.
2. https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/keto.
3. http://www.eatingwell.com/article/291245/complete-keto-diet-food-list-what-you-can-and-cannot-eat-if-youre-on-a-ketogenic-diet/.
4. https://www.womansday.com/health-fitness/nutrition/a25602934/keto-diet-foods/.
5. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/should-you-try-the-keto-diet.

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