What is Keto? The Diet Explained!
With the rising rates of obesity, it is no surprise that new diets are popping up everywhere and growing with rapid momentum. The keto diet, however, has been popular for the past few years, and unlike other diets, has been steadfast. So, why hasn’t the ketogenic diet decreased in popularity? Well, because it’s unlike any other diet! So, what exactly is keto? Here is the diet fully explained and why it’s here to stay.
What Is Keto?
The ketogenic, or keto, diet is a high-fat, moderate-protein, low-carbohydrate diet. This means that the ketogenic diet cuts out high-carb foods like pasta, bread, cereal, and sweets and focuses on healthy fats (from foods like avocados, seafood, meats, nuts, and seeds).
The average keto dieter obtains 75% of their total daily calories from fat, 20% from protein, and 5% from carbohydrates. This means most individuals have around 25g or less of carbs per day.
The Keto Diet Difference Explained
It should be explained that the keto diet is different from other diets because it actually changes your metabolism. Going keto means your body burns fat for energy instead of glucose from carbohydrates. This shift puts your body in the metabolic state of ketosis. Ketones are produced by the liver from fatty acids and your body uses those ketones instead of glucose.
This means benefits like increased focus, reduced mental fog, increased energy levels, and more!
Isn’t Keto just for Epilepsy?
While the keto diet was originally founded for drug-resistant epilepsy in children, continued research began to show more and more potential benefits for various other conditions. Since its founding in the 1920s, the ketogenic diet has been researched for its therapeutic benefits for everything from Alzheimer’s disease, to traumatic brain injury, to Parkinson’s disease, cancer, and more!
Can Keto Help with Weight Loss, Then?
As previously explained, the keto diet has been researched for numerous conditions outside of epilepsy. In addition to various diseases, the ketogenic diet may also help with weight loss. Studies looking at individuals with diabetes have shown the ketogenic diet is effective in reducing weight, improving blood glucose levels, and improving triglyceride levels. [1] [2] [3]
Start Keto Today
Now that the keto diet has been fully explained, you might want to give it a shot. For a complete in-depth guide of everything you need to know about starting keto, check out our article Keto For Beginners. It explains just about every topic you could possibly want more information on when it comes to the keto diet.
References
Westman EC, Tondt J, Maguire E, Yancy WS Jr. Implementing a low-carbohydrate, ketogenic diet to manage type 2 diabetes mellitus. Expert Rev Endocrinol Metab. 2018 Sep;13(5):263-272. doi: 10.1080/17446651.2018.1523713. PMID: 30289048.
Choi YJ, Jeon SM, Shin S. Impact of a Ketogenic Diet on Metabolic Parameters in Patients with Obesity or Overweight and with or without Type 2 Diabetes: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Nutrients. 2020 Jul 6;12(7):2005. doi: 10.3390/nu12072005. PMID: 32640608; PMCID: PMC7400909.
Bruci A, Tuccinardi D, Tozzi R, Balena A, Santucci S, Frontani R, Mariani S, Basciani S, Spera G, Gnessi L, Lubrano C, Watanabe M. Very Low-Calorie Ketogenic Diet: A Safe and Effective Tool for Weight Loss in Patients With Obesity and Mild Kidney Failure. Nutrients. 2020 Jan 27;12(2):333. doi: 10.3390/nu12020333. PMID: 32012661; PMCID: PMC7071259.
I needed to thank you for this fantastic read!! I certainly loved every little bit of it. I’ve got you bookmarked to look at new things you post…