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By now everyone has read or knows someone who lost 30 lbs. and is in the best shape of their life. 

This person probably mentioned the Keto Diet. 

They may have stated I do “Keto”.

 If your like me you probably said “cool” and kept it moving, but after you got away from this person. 

You asked yourself, “What is the Keto Diet? and Is it right for me?”

Well in this post where going to discuss:

What is the Keto Diet?

Who created the Keto Diet?

Pros of  Keto Diet?

Cons on the Keto Diet.

What does the science say?

Links to Sample Keto Meal Plans

Let’s Begin

What is the Keto Diet?

A ketogenic diet is a diet based on consuming low carbohydrates and high fat. Basically you slow down your intake of carbs and replace it with fat. When ever we drop our carbohydrates, we put our body in a state of metabolic ketosis.

When our body enters a state of ketosis. It burns fat for fuel. The key to this process is it takes a few days of eating low carb to go into ketosis.

Intermittent Fasting can create a ketosis state in the body also. Click Here to learn more about Intermittent Fasting.

When someone says their doing the Keto diet. Surprise them and ask which kind. This will let you know if you have a “Real Keto Dieter” or someone just going along with the trend.

There are 4 popular Ketogenic Diets:

• High Protein: People who do this type of diet usually have an increase in protein intake. Their diet usually consist of 60% fat, 35% protein, and 5% carbs.
• Standard: 70% fat, 20 0rotein, and 10% carbs.
• Targeted: This plan allows people who workout to increase their diet during workout days. The increase in carbs help power them through the workouts.
• Cyclical: Someone may be dedicated to their keto diet (Standard or high protein) for 5 days then may may take a carb refeed day where they increase their carb intake.

Who created the Keto Diet?

The ketogenic diet was made popular by providers trying to help patients with epilepsy (seizures) in the 1920s-30s. It showed a lot of promise, but once medications were introduced people dropped the diet and popped pills. (Typical mankind).

In 1921 a pediatrician looked at the ketogenic diet as a way to help children with epilepsy. The diet helped children, but once again was stopped after medications were introduced.

The ketogenic diet gained popularity once a modified version of it appeared in the 90s (The Atkins Diet). The main difference between Atkins and keto. Is keto keeps your carbs low while Atkins slowly increases your carbohydrate intake. This is why Atkins is thought to be easier to maintain then Keto.

Pros of Keto?

• As stated earlier the Keto diet has shown some early research in the treatment if epilepsy.
• Keto has shown promise in lowering blood glucose levels in diabetics. It has been shown to lower hemoglobin A1C.
• Keto can help you lose weight. This helps lower your risk of heart disease.
• Some people state they feel:

Less inflammation
More energy
Weight loss
Improved Digestion and Indigestion

Cons of Keto?

One of the cons is keto is a very serious diet. You need to discuss it with your provider before attempting it.

Some other cons are person specific. Some people may experience others may not:

• Keto breath: Fruity breath or dry breath may occur. This happens because ketones are released in your breath.
• Blood sugar drops: Since you are decreasing your carbs and sugar, your blood sugar will drop.
• Keto Flu: This is the feeling people describe as your body gets had to less carbs (aches, dizziness, and fatigue)

What does the research say?

The ketogenic diet is still being studied as we speak. Research is showing promise for type 2 diabetics and patient who suffer from seizures.

The long term effects of the ketogenic diet has not been determined, because of the difficulty of maintaining this diet. Most diets that cause dramatic weight loss tend to cause dramatic weight gain once the diet is stopped.

Research says a balanced diet with unprocessed foods, rich in vegetables and fruits is a better choice.

Links to Keto Meal Plans

dietdoctor.com/low-carb/keto/diet-plan
Medicakllnewstoday.com/articles/327309