Top 5 Questions About Keto

What is Keto?

The ketogenic diet is a high-fat, low-carb diet that results in putting your body into ketosis. Ketosis: the body burns fat and ketones rather than glucose as a main source of fuel. During ketosis, the body becomes very efficient at burning fat for energy. It also turns fat into ketones in the liver, which can supply energy for the brain. Additionally, ketosis can help reduce blood sugar levels and improve insulin resistance. There are keto tests that you can use that are similar to glucose tests to ensure ketosis.

What are macros and why are they important?

Macros is short for macronutrients, which are proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. Conversely, micronutrients are vitamins and minerals. In the keto diet it is necessary to keep track of the macros you are consuming to ensure you don’t eat too many carbs or not enough fats.

With this diet it is ideal to stay within 20-50 grams of carbs per day to maintain ketosis. Some people also incorporate intermittent fasting (an eating pattern that involves regular, short-term fasts) to help stay within range of carb intake and increase weight loss.

What can I eat?

It is important to eliminate high-carbs like bread, pasta, sugar, and grains. It is also important to note that these foods are refined, and processed. Instead of eating more processed foods, you will eat green leafy vegetables, eggs, cheese, meat, and dairy (if tolerated). Healthy fats play a vital role in the keto diet; like, butter, coconut oil, and avocado oil. Apps like the Carb Manager and Chronometer can help keep track of your food intake.

What are the benefits?

The keto diet can help with blood sugar regulation, insulin resistance, diabetes, and cognitive function. The reason for this is that you are not consuming as many carbs as your standard American diet (SAD), and are helping your body digest and function better with a more balanced plate. Additionally, it is common to lose weight since the diet is more filling with fats and proteins; you don’t find yourself hungry again not long after eating as carbs burn much faster than fats for fuel. Studies have shown that the diet can have a wide-range of benefits: heart disease, cancer, epilepsy, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, PCOS, and brain injuries.

How do I get started?

The first step is to remove all restricted food from your kitchen. This will prevent temptations later. If you are unable to remove everything, put them in a place that is hard to get to (i.e.cabinets above refrigerator).

You want to give yourself at least six weeks to determine if the diet is working and/or if you need to stay on it longer. Hydration is super important! Without proper hydration and electrolytes you will not absorb all the nutrients you are eating. Electrolytes are sodium, magnesium, potassium, and a few others. Fill your plate with lots of healthy fats, veggies, fiber, and protein with a few berries to curb that sweet tooth. Finally, you want to get plenty of aerobic activity. This doesn’t mean you have to run a marathon, just get at least 30 minutes of movement that increases your heart rate at least once per day. That’s it!

Fun Fact: The keto diet was originally used by physicians in the 1920s to help patients with epilepsy. It was successful for decades until specific medications were developed and physicians took to prescribing pills instead.

References

Masood W, Annamaraju P, Uppaluri KR. Ketogenic Diet. [Updated 2020 Dec 14]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2021 Jan-.
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