Keto Diet: What You Need to Know

What Is Ketosis?

Ketosis is when the body burns fat instead of the usual sugar from carbs. In this state, the liver turns fat into stuff called ketones, and the body uses that for energy. Normally, our body uses sugar, but to get to this ketosis thing, you gotta eat way less carbs and protein. It takes a few days to get there, and you gotta be really careful with what you eat to stay in it.

Keto Diets: The Different Kinds

There are many keto diets out there, but they ain't all the same. Some are more like "kinda-keto" or just diets with fewer carbs 'cause they have more carbs than real keto ones. Real-deal keto is super low on carbs, packed with fats, and has the right protein.

Some well-known diets, like Atkins and South Beach, are more like keto's cousins. For true ketosis to happen, the diet should keep carbs under 50 grams a day and not go crazy on protein. Too much protein, and boom, you're out of that ketosis zone.

Keto Diet: What to Eat

On the keto diet plan, you aim for foods loaded with fats, light on carbs, and with a good amount of protein. You'd be looking at things like avocados, eggs, and fats from things like olive oil, coconut, and yup, butter. Sea stuff? Yeah, fish and things like shrimp are cool. Green veggies that don't pack a lot of carbs are good too. You can munch on meat, chicken, cheese, nuts, and even some seeds. Berries? Yeah, but not too much 'cause they got some carbs, even if it's less than other fruits. And if you've got a sweet tooth, a bit of dark chocolate or cocoa won't hurt.

Benefits of a Keto Diet

A keto diet offers several potential health benefits:

Weight Loss: While many report weight loss success with keto, its efficacy isn't universal. A 2019 review in the Journal of Clinical Lipidology found that keto diets aren't necessarily superior to other diets, like low-fat diets, for sustained weight loss.

Reduced Appetite: The keto diet might help curb hunger. This could be attributed to changes in hunger-related hormones such as ghrelin, leptin, and insulin.

Blood Sugar Regulation: Lower carbohydrate consumption can reduce insulin secretion and lower blood sugar, benefiting those with conditions like prediabetes, insulin resistance, or diabetes.

Decreased Triglycerides: Initially, the keto diet may reduce triglycerides, fats present in the bloodstream linked to heart issues. However, this effect seems temporary. 

Risks of a Keto Diet

The keto diet, while presenting certain uses, also comes with potential risks:

Elevated Saturated Fat: 

A lot of foods that are a thumbs-up on the keto diet, like some meats and oils, have a lot of saturated fats. These fats can bump up the LDL cholesterol, which folks often call the "not-so-good" cholesterol, and that can up the chances of heart troubles.

Compromised Diet Quality: 

The keto diet meal excludes or restricts many nutritious food groups, including specific fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, and dairy. This limited range can result in missing out on essential nutrients. Additionally, its low fiber content can lead to constipation.

Health Concerns: 

If you've got health stuff going on like heart problems, high blood pressure, eating issues, sugar problems (diabetes), or kidney stuff, the keto diet might not be your friend. She's pretty clear on this: if you're thinking about trying keto and you've got health concerns, you better chat with a doctor first. It's super important.

Keto Diet: The Ups and Downs

Jumping into the keto diet can be a bit rocky at the start. This switch from sugar to fat as fuel can give some folks what's called "keto flu." You might feel all foggy in the head, mixed up, backed up (you know, constipation), and kinda dizzy. Some also get headaches, feel grumpy, super tired, moody, and might get muscle aches. There's also the not-so-fun stuff like feeling sick, not sleeping right, and maybe even throwing up. But hey, once your body gets the hang of this whole ketosis thing, most of these icky feelings go away. But a heads up, if you step out of ketosis and then dive back in, you might get hit with these feelings all over again.