The keto diet has been in the news in recent years as the latest celebrity fad diet, with everyone weighing in on the pros and cons of this restrictive diet.
In the 1920s, doctors discovered that by mimicking the body’s reaction to fasting, the diet became a successful way to treat epilepsy. Over time, medications became available that produced the same results and have replaced the diet as a treatment.
What is the Keto Diet?
There has been a lot of speculation, falsehoods, and general misunderstanding of the diet. So I decided to research the diet and found out some surprising things.
The National Library of Medicine reports that there is evidence that a keto diet can help with weight loss and appetite control. It further supports that a high-fat diet lowers our LDL(bad fat) and triglycerides and increases our HDL (good fat).
How does the keto diet work?
On the keto diet, carbohydrates are limited to less than 50 grams daily, but body type, age, and other factors may reduce that number. My own net carbs limit is 25 grams.
The diet consists primarily of protein and fat. According to the Mayo Clinic, switching to a low-carb, high-fat diet stops the supply of carbs or glucose your body uses for fuel, and instead, your body begins burning fat for energy in a process called ketosis.
Can the keto diet help fight cancer?
Web MD shared a theory that the keto diet can be used to treat cancer whereby starving cancer cells of their food source, sugar.
A report published by the National Library of Medicine states, “The ketogenic diet probably creates an unfavorable metabolic environment for cancer cells and thus can be regarded as a promising adjuvant as a patient-specific multifactorial therapy.”
Dispelling facts from keto diet fiction
There are many things to clarify about the choices and quantities of food options on the plan everyone should know before starting such an extreme diet.
- You can not eat all the bacon/fat you want. I know this is quite sad.
- You can not eat all types of vegetables or fruits. There are a lot of carbs in both of these.
- If you have diabetes, you may bring your sugar down too low.
- Keto can lead to yo-yo dieting
- It is as hard or as easy to follow as you make it
- Carbs are your enemy
- Fast food is also your enemy. They make their money on the scales of their customers.
Summary
There is much to uncover about this diet, and I am just beginning. Check back in July for Part 2, where I discuss my weight loss issues and why I took a spin on Keto. Till then, check out our Facebook page and share your thoughts and experiences with this diet.
