What is a “Keto” Diet?
The Keto diet, also known as the ketogenic diet, is a high fat and low carbohydrate diet that contains several health benefits. According to facts, this diet is the most suitable diet if you want to live healthy while losing weight. A ketogenic diet gives you proper nutrition and saves you from diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, and epilepsy.
The carbohydrates reduction in your keto diet increases the metabolism of your body. This, in turn, increases the efficiency to burn fats. While the fat turns into ketones, your brain starts getting more energy.
Here are some of the different types of Ketogenic diets:
– High protein ketogenic diet
– Targeted ketogenic diet
– Cyclical ketogenic diet
– Standard ketogenic diet
The difference between each of them depends upon the carbohydrate intake level. You can choose any based on your body requirements.
“Keto” Diet vs. Other Options?
Most people choose the keto diet over other options due to its maximum health benefits. For example, some people want to remain healthy and lose weight at the same time. For this purpose, there is no option better than a keto diet.
When comparing it with other diets, the keto diet can help you lose weight in the first 3 to 6 months. You intake calories that turn fat into energy and you get a satisfactory diet with high protein and high fat.
The ketogenic diet burns sugar fuel resulting from insulin.
Low insulin production stops cholesterol levels in your body.
Purpose of “Keto” Diet
The purpose of the keto diet is to get a proper intake of healthy nutrition while keeping yourself physically fit. It provides very few carbohydrates, high proteins, and healthful fats. Basically, the goal is to eat high calories from fats as compared to carbohydrates.
How Can You Follow a “Keto” Diet?
When you are planning to start a keto diet, you have to keep in mind a few factors. You have to consider the proportions of total carbohydrate consumption as well as the overall caloric intake.
If you have a mild caloric surplus or deficiency of caloric level. You need to limit your carbohydrate intake level to less than 80 grams per day. Also, you need to keep a target of reaching a carbohydrates level of fewer than 50 grams per day.
According to experts, your ketogenic diet should consist of 20-50 grams of carbohydrates, 10-30% of proteins, and 60-80% of fats.
History of “Keto” Diet
The Keto diet originated as a therapy for epilepsy in the 1920 and 30s. However, due to the emergence of so many other epilepsy therapies, the keto diet was abandoned. It was later determined that the keto diet can be one of the contributing factors to controlling various factors of epilepsy. With this in mind, the keto diet was re-introduced for epileptics, particularly children.
In 1921, Rollin Woodyatt, an endocrinologist observed that our liver produces acetoacetate, β-hydroxybutyrate, and acetone (together known as water-soluble ketone bodies) when you eat a diet with low carbs and high fats. This diet was named as ketogenic diet by Russel Wilder.
Later in 1971, Peter Huttenlocher introduced the keto diet with more proteins and carbohydrates as compared to the keto diet by Rollin Woodyatt.
Who Gets Most Benefits of Keto Diet?
The ketogenic diet is found to be effective for people having higher insulin levels. Because the ketogenic diet is useful for lowering insulin in the body by up to 75%. Hence people having type 3 diabetes and prediabetes would benefit from the keto diet.
Can It Be Unbeneficial for Anyone?
The ketogenic diet is considered harmful for the following problems:
– People with kidney problems
– People with heart diseases
– People affected with type 1 diabetes
– People who went through gallbladder Removal surgery
Superfoods That Come Under a “Keto Diet”
Superfoods are those foods that have high nutritional density. Some superfoods that come under the keto diet are:
– Coconut
– Cacao
– Avocado
– Leafy Greens
– Eggs
– Cinnamon
– Olive oil
– Cruciferous Veggies
– Organ meat
– Bone broth
Health Benefits of “Keto” Diet
– Promotes weight loss without affecting health.
– Acne reduction
– Lowers risks of cancers
– Heart health improvement
– Bran functionality improvement
– Reduction in Sugar levels
– Reduction of Insulin
– Lowers blood pressure
– Increases metabolism