Our Thoughts on the "Keto" Diet

All information in this post is from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

With the summer months approaching, many people are looking for quick ways to lose an extra 5 or 10 pounds to have their beach body ready. Since the 70's, fad diets promoting cutting carbohydrates out of your diet became a popular way to lose weight fast. One of these diets was the ketogenic diet, or the "Keto" diet. This diet cut out almost all carbohydrates from the diet and replaced them with high fat foods.

Foods that are NOT allowed on the ketogenic diet are:

Bread

Cereal

Pasta

Rice

Cookies

Potatoes (or other starchy vegetables)

Corn

Most fruits

Beans/Legumes

Fruit juices

That leaves you with high fat foods like fatty cuts of meat, processed meats, lard, butter, avocados, nuts, seeds, plant oils, and oily fish.

How does the keto diet help you lose weight?

Your body's main source of energy is glucose, which comes from your body breaking down carbohydrates. Glucose is what your brain and muscles prefer to use for energy. When you limit or stop consuming carbs (like on the keto diet) your body doesn't have access to its preferred energy source. Some glucose is stored in your liver for reserve energy, but when that runs out your body has no access to glucose. Instead, your body starts breaking down fat stores which produce something called ketones, and these get released into the bloodstream. Ketones are used by the body to generate energy, but it's not your body's preferred source of energy. This breaking down of fat can result in weight loss, which is why the diet is currently so popular.

What are the drawbacks?

For starters, you're depriving your body of glucose. This is the fuel for your brain and your muscles, so it's pretty important to incorporate carbohydrates in your diet.

Keto diets can also result in hunger, irritability/grumpiness, headaches, bad breath, and sleep issues. This is all due to the lack of glucose in your body.

These diet are very hard to follow, because they're so restrictive.

There is also a high risk for nutrient deficiencies, because many of the essential vitamins and minerals come from fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. For example, iron, magnesium, and zinc deficiencies are common among those who have done the keto diet, because these nutrients are found in whole grains (which are not allowed on the diet).

One of the most severe risks of this diet is the chance of going into ketoacidosis, which is when the levels of ketones in the blood become too high. This can cause abdominal pain, dehydration, nausea/vomiting, and excessive urination. Left untreated, ketoacidosis can lead to serious health problems. And for those with kidney disease, this diet can make symptoms much worse.

So why go on this diet?

At Ellen Byron & Associates, we say NO to any ketogenic style diet. Cutting out carbohydrates is very damaging to your health - carbs are not the enemy! Instead of cutting carbs completely, opt for healthier carb choices like whole grains. Avoid refined carbohydrates like white bread, cakes, cookies, and sugary cereals. Also, why would you avoid fruits and vegetables?? There are so many necessary nutrients in fruits and veggies, and they also contain dietary fiber, which is essential in keeping your gut healthy. You should be getting 30% of your daily calories from healthy fats like plant oils, avocados, nuts, seeds, and fish. Many ketogenic diets recommend 70-80% fat diets. Thats crazy!

Do you have more questions about the ketogenic diet? Call our office and set up an appointment with one of our dietitians - we'd be happy to help!