The Ketogenic/Keto Diet

Every week, there is a different trend out there. Just a few days ago I started seeing news about how all of Hollywood is now on the Keto diet. Funny enough, the keto diet is something that when I first heard of I went like wait, what?! And long story short I had my first argument with my now-husband.

It was 2017 and I was in school working on my Dietetics and Nutrition degree and this guy I had started dating a few months back, tells me he does not eat carbs because carbs make him gain weight. He had been on a keto diet for months and lost a lot of weight just by not eating carbs. I was perplexed because well, carbs are a macronutrient and all my professors said we need them to survive. And so our first argument began.

After a long back and forth about the benefits of carbs, I thought to myself, why not do my research. There is so much information out there that I won’t lie to you, I know it can be overwhelming. There is also plenty of research supporting ketogenic diets and so much against it. Note that about 5 years ago, most of the research was only from children with epilepsy. However, within the past 5 years this diet trend has really taken off and there is a large number of newer research and articles that have come to light.

According to several studies I came across, it also seems like a diet our body can survive on and work even more effectively than with carbs (contrary to what all my professors and books said – or our interpretation of these – at the time). When we are born, we are fed breastmilk, sometimes formula, or a mix of the two. With this said, we are fed a ketogenic diet because breastmilk and formula – unless we add cereal – they are fat-rich foods. Our brain loves fat as an energy source, and this is how our brain develops during our first few months of life. So, the question would be, is it really beneficial for an adult to maintain a ketogenic lifestyle?

So, what is a ketogenic diet? A ketogenic or keto diet consists of extraordinarily low carb intake, accompanied by moderate protein and high intake of fat. The way it works is that our body goes into a “ketosis state” in which it releases ketones for energy in lieu of sugar. These ketones are more energy-efficient and this switch, which can take anywhere from 2-4 days and varies from person to person, leads to weight loss. Initially, there is a lot of water weight loss. After the body has completely depleted the sugar, it first uses the consumed fat for energy and it uses stored fat for additional energy needed due to the lack of sugar. This leads to weight loss.

Here are the facts:

1. A keto diet can be hard to stick to for long periods of time as it is very restrictive by only allowing about 20 grams of carbs per day. To give you a better idea, a bagel is about 40 grams of carbs.
2. A keto diet is proven to be effective in kids with epilepsy, and it is pretty much as effective as medication – studies say.
3. Fat loss is faster than most conventional diets such as the Mediterranean diet but may not be as sustainable in the long term.
4. There is very little evidence of long-term effects, likely because it is highly restrictive and most people like their cheat days. A study on obese patients, however, showed long-term benefits such as low blood sugar, an increase of good cholesterol (HDL), and a decrease of bad cholesterol (LDL) proving the diet to be safe.
5. While on the keto diet, you may feel more stable energy throughout the day with less fluctuation.

Rewinding to a few years back, I found out that if you follow the keto diet, eating healthier fatty foods it can be harmless. And so, I myself decided to try this magic diet because hey, anyone can afford to lose a few pounds! And sure enough, I lost 10lbs in 2 weeks, this was insane! The only downside? I love carbs and since I am a picky eater, my food spectrum is already that much smaller than most people’s. I found a few new food items I liked, and I mostly survived on pork rinds as they come closest to eating French fries or chips. As far as protein I ate a lot of chicken, fish, pork, red meats, and just about anything within this spectrum, oh, and eggs! Eggs for breakfast and at times for dinner. Avocado became one of my best friends. I felt a good energy level and felt satiated after eating, never bloated. This diet allows for a serious amount of weight loss if that is what you are looking for.

Here are some of the cons I found while following the keto diet:

1. Time-consuming as a lot of the food at the store and restaurants I came across have sugar as a preservative and to improve flavor. This makes it difficult to stick to a keto diet unless cooking everything from scratch.
2. The diet required a larger amount of research in sweeteners and replacements in order to expand my food options. Including experimenting with different sugar replacements and how they react in my body.
3. I had to watch out for sweeteners like Splenda as my previous research showed a link to cancer and other digestive issues.
4. It can be very expensive
5. Eating out is challenging most of the time
6. You have to get creative with sides and dishes
7. You MUST count net carbs. ***Remember to deduct dietary fiber from total carbs***
8. Make sure to consume enough fiber. Fiber is mainly found in grains. Good sources of low carb foods include chia seeds, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, and in many vegetables and fruits (such as berries).

Some of the healthy food options I recommend:

• Breakfast: Avocado and hardboiled or fried eggs (or if you’re like me, allow yourself to enjoy soft-boiled eggs instead) topped with the Trader’s Joes everything but bagel seasoning.
• Snack: String cheese and a handful of nuts (always check the carbs).
• Lunch: Chicken cordon bleu (see my recipe for keto-friendly version) accompanied by some pork rinds or a salad if you’re feeling adventurous.
• Dinner: Lemon-garlic fish accompanied by your choice of veggies and for my fellow picky eaters, a Caesar side salad.

The bottom line is, although it may not be sustainable, it seems like the keto diet may have some benefits in the short term. Although not the easiest diet to follow, it can be more effective short term than a lot of other diets out there.