The Keto Diet: Why You Shouldn't Do It
There are myriad reasons why a strict ketogenic diet isn’t for you and in this article, you will learn about some of them, along with learning about a great alternative diet you could follow instead.
While Keto diets have been the rage for quite a while with the speed at which they help you lose weight, it isn’t as good for you as a lot of influencers would have you think.
Well, not good for you if you are doing it without the supervision of a medical professional.
Who the Keto Diet Was Originally For
You see, the Keto diet is much older than when it first started becoming a thing. Far older than you might expect.
According to an article written by Dr. Marcelo Cambos, MD, a lecturer at Harvard Medical School, the Ketogenic diet has been in use in the field of medicine for almost 100 years. It is prescribed to drug-resistant epileptic patients, especially children.
That is accompanied by the patients getting regular blood work and lab tests, and they are under medical supervision so that doctors and dietitians can confirm they’re getting the vitamins and minerals they need to stay healthy.
It’s a diet where it is very easy for you to miss the vitamins and minerals that your body needs.
“I don’t recommend the ketogenic diet for anyone unless it’s medically necessary.”-Ginger Hultin, RDN, spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, a Seattle-based dietitian
The difficulty of doing this diet properly is something Abbey Sharp, RD, the Toronto-based creator of Abbey’s Kitchen, agrees with as well, “In my experience, it’s one of the hardest diets to stick to.”
The Inner Workings
With all that being said, how does a Keto diet actually work?
The goal of a keto diet is to change what your body relies on for energy. Your body normally relies on sugar (glucose) that comes from carbohydrates, but what a Keto diet does is that it changes that to the stored fat in your liver.
This stored fat is broken down into molecules called ketone bodies and the process is called ketosis.
And it’s only after you reach ketosis that most cells in your body finally switch over to ketone bodies to generate energy. But that only lasts until you start eating carbohydrates again.
So not only is it an extremely hard diet to stick to, it also is just a temporary solution to your problems.
What the Risks Are and Who It Isn’t For
If you are a patient with a kidney disease you need to be cautious because this diet can worsen your condition.
And if you are someone who’s on medication for high blood pressure or high blood sugar you shouldn’t follow a strict keto diet if you won’t be doing it under the supervision of a physician who is familiar with low-carb and keto diets.
Those at risk for heart disease will probably want to avoid the diet or consult their doctor before trying it, since many foods on a ketogenic diet are high in saturated fat.
And a few other kinds of people who must stay away from this diet are:
People with type 1 diabetes, women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, individuals with a history of eating disorders, and those whose gallbladder has been removed.
Alternative Options
“I think there’s a more sustainable way to lose weight, even for people who have a lot to lose, such as with plant-based diets, the Mediterranean diet, and the DASH diet,” says Ginger Hultin, RDN, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and also a Seattle-based dietitian. “I don’t recommend the ketogenic diet for anyone unless it’s medically necessary.”
There’s also one other alternative. And it was created by a cardiologist who used to have a big problem with sugar cravings himself. And it’s called “The Keto-Friendly South Beach Diet”.
The Keto-Friendly South Beach Diet
Dr. Arthur Agatston is the creator of this diet, and here’s a summary of what this diet is:
This diet comprises the best parts of a diet he had previously created (The South Beach Diet, which he claims helped revolutionize the world of nutrition ) as well as some of the best practices of the keto diet. It also includes low carb/high “full” fat ( especially dairy ) in its meal plans and consists of a long phase where you reverse your sugar addiction and become “fat adapted.”
Information gained from important new advances in the science of weight loss and his discoveries also played a part in shaping this interesting diet.
For the uninitiated, here’s a quick explanation of what "fat adaptation" means:
Fat adaptation is a long-term metabolic adjustment and is said to result in decreased cravings, increased energy levels, and improved sleep.
Comparing The Two Diets
One thing that sets this diet apart from a Keto diet is that it makes itself easier to stick to by including satisfying foods that cut cravings. And that’s vital if you want to turn a diet into a sustainable lifestyle.
Also, unlike a strict Keto diet, it does not require you to monitor your ketone levels.
This diet also includes more protein than strict keto diets, which is very important, especially since we tend to decrease our intake of protein as we grow older.
What To Keep In Mind
12 rules for keto-friendly eating:
1. Minimize sugars.
2. Strictly avoid refined carbohydrates.
3. Limit snacking.
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4. Favor fewer, larger meals over frequent small meals.
5. Maximize the healthiest fats.
6. Consume full-fat dairy.
7. Limit omega-6 vegetable oils.
8. Eat a variety of non-starchy vegetables.
9. Enjoy a wide variety of meats, poultry, and seafood.
10. Eat primarily whole foods.
11. Eat slowly.
12. Be Flexible.
Surprising Boons Of Following This Diet
Some of the boons of this diet that the doctor mentions having experienced firsthand in his book “The New Keto-Friendly South Beach Diet: Rev Your Metabolism and Improve Your Health with the Latest Science of Weight Loss” are:
1. It helps improve your sleep,
2. It reduces inflammation and joint pain,
3. It increases your energy,
4. It enhances your mental acuity,
5. It prevents diabetes and chronic disease.
How To Make This Diet A Lifestyle?
This diet is divided into two phases:
Phase 1 aka “the stringent low-carb phase”,
Phase 2 aka “the lifestyle phase”.
“On Phase 1, your goal is to keep your net carbohydrate intake at 50 grams per day or less.” -an excerpt from the book.
So then, what are some food recommendations? For carbs: vegetables, nuts, and dairy products. For fats: full-fat diary and olive oil. For proteins: fish, meat, poultry, eggs.
And eventually, you’ll be able to incorporate a small amount of higher-carb foods like lentils and black beans.
2. You begin Phase 2 once you meet your weight loss goals or when you feel that you need a little more flexibility in your diet.
“When on Phase 2, you’ll be able to slowly increase your net carbs until you find what works best for you. Most people find their sweet spot between 75 and 100 grams of net carbs per day, …” -another excerpt.
And as for the food recommendations, add the following to your Phase 1 diet:
lower glycemic whole fruits, high-protein and high-fiber grains, a wider variety of beans, and higher-starch veggies such as sweet potatoes.
It manages to be a diet you can follow your entire life by allowing you to mess up. In case you do end up falling off track and letting your addiction get the best of you, you need to then repeat Phase 1.
One of the great effects of the first Phase is that it helps you get rid of your cravings and gets your addiction under control.
How To Tweak The Diet
So what if you don’t have much weight to lose? If that's your case then just increase your intake of proteins by adding higher-protein beans into Phase 1.
And what if you prefer something more plant-based? Get your fats from coconut, avocado, and olive oil then.
You can also experiment by trying a three-meals-a-day approach, or intermittent fasting. Or you could even try skipping meals, doing smaller meals, or swapping out a meal for a snack. Just try and see what works best for you.
When it comes to diets, there’s no “one size fits all”. Each individual is different.
Conclusion
Regardless of all that, this isn’t the only diet out there that can be your substitute for a Keto diet. Like it was mentioned earlier in the article there are diets like the Mediterranean diet and the DASH diet that you could look into if this one doesn’t seem like it will work for you.
But if this diet has caught your interest and you are curious enough to learn everything about it, alongside recipes, meal prep plans, and exceptions, then do check out the book “The New Keto-Friendly South Beach Diet: Rev Your Metabolism and Improve Your Health with the Latest Science of Weight Loss” by Arthur Agatston, MD.
TLDR:
Do not try a Keto diet unless it’s under the supervision of a medical professional since it’s usually a diet prescribed for epileptic children and is accompanied by regular blood work and lab tests.
One alternative to the Keto diet is the Keto-friendly South Beach Diet, which contains some of the best things about Keto and none of its bad parts. It can also be followed as a lifestyle without feeling burdened and without feeling like you aren’t enjoying life.