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Ketogenic Diet: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly

Ketogenic Diet: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly

Written by Kelly Gibson

Introduction: I’ve been in the nutrition field for about six years, after mastering extreme weight loss on a plant-based diet. Not a day goes by that I don’t see ads for foods that I no longer eat – from food delivery services to chain restaurants to supplement companies trying to get me to sell their products. Businesses are constantly piggyback marketing by creating new foods to make the latest diet easier on people by selling custom meals and supplements. If more people knew what I knew about these marketing tactics, they just might stop falling for it. In just the past year I’ve been bombarded with ads and inquiries about the new ketogenic diet. I finally decided to shed light on what this diet is all about including the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Kelly Gibson - Nutrition Coach

The Keto Plate: The keto diet first came about in the early 1900s (1) but didn’t become a “thing” for quite some time. It’s been gaining popularity for quick fat loss recently, and even for cancer treatment. The ketogenic diet specifically aims for a macronutrient profile of 5-10% of calories from carbohydrates, 60-75% calories from fat, and 15-30% calories from protein. A lot of keto dieters aim for 30 grams or less of carbs, as a general rule of thumb; eat one banana and you’ve exceeding your carb limit for the day!  The good thing about the keto diet is protein intake is moderate and people don’t have to stress over counting calories. Unfortunately, they need to achieve out-of-the-ordinary low-carb and high-fat goals in order to master the keto diet.  This diet is primarily comprised of meat, eggs, oils, animal fats (like lard, tallow, bacon grease, and goose fat) in addition to full-fat dairy products (like mayo, butter, and heavy cream).

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The Good: The main purpose of going keto is for the body to raise ketone levels and enter a state of ketosis. Ketones are – in simple terms – an alternative energy source to glucose, which our brain and body primarily functions on. Ketosis can happen when you take a break from eating carbohydrates and build up ketone levels. In ketosis, your body switches from carbs to fat for fuel, allowing it to perform key functions in the brain and body (Berardi 65). Some research suggests that ketones burn fat faster than glucose, which is why there is so much hype about this diet. A good thing about this low-carb diet is that people have no choice but to avoid processed sugar. Common benefits people have reported from going keto is lower triglycerides, more energy, and reduced seizure activity (3).

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Sample keto dessert: gelatin gummy bears with artificial sweetener

The Bad:  Even a little bite of fruit or dessert could throw you over your carb goal for the day, and kick you out of ketosis. Unfortunately, people resort to low-calorie sweeteners or even artificial sweeteners if they really want to treat themselves. Even though there are no carbs in sugar-free treats, artificial sweeteners can create an insulin response, increasing appetite and causing weight gain (5). Negative side effects that some keto dieters report is mood disturbance, fatigue, and lower motivation to exercise (4). This, in and of itself is counterproductive to weight loss and could be a sign of malnutrition.

The Ugly: You’ll be shocked at what you find out about the ketogenic diet… Go to the next page to reveal how ugly this diet can be.

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Resources:

  1. Mandal, Ananya. “History of the Ketogenic Diet.” News Medical, Jan 12 2015https://www.news-medical.net/health/History-of-the-Ketogenic-Diet.aspx. Accessed July 16, 2018.
  2. Berardi, John et al. Precision Nutrition: The Essentials of Sport and Exercise Nutrition, Second Edition. Precision Nutrition, Inc., 2012.
  3. Kossoff, Eric. “Ketogenic Diet.” Epilepsy Foundation, Oct 2017. https://www.epilepsy.com/learn/treating-seizures-and-epilepsy/dietary-therapies/ketogenic-diet. Accessed July 17, 2018.
  4. White, A. M., Johnston, C. S., Swan, P. D., Tjonn, S. L., & Sears, B. (2007). “Blood Ketones Are Directly Related to Fatigue and Perceived Effort during Exercise in Overweight Adults Adhering to Low-Carbohydrate Diets for Weight Loss: A Pilot Study.” Journal of the American Dietetic Association107(10), 1792-1796. DOI: 10.1016/j.jada.2007.07.009. https://asu.pure.elsevier.com/en/publications/blood-ketones-are-directly-related-to-fatigue-and-perceived-effor. Accessed July 17, 2018.
  5. Yang, Qing. “Gain weight by “going diet?” Artificial sweeteners and the neurobiology of sugar cravings.” Neuroscience 2010. Yale J Biol Med. 2010 Jun; 83(2): 101–108. Accessed July 18 2018. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2892765/

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Get Fit For The Holidays

Get Fit For The Holidays!

Making Better Choices to Get Fit for our Health

The first step to eating better is shopping smarter. It starts from the grocery store to your kitchen. Take a look at what you have in your kitchen and re-evaluate your grocery habits. Foods that are easily accessible are the foods you will most likely eat, so get rid of the junk food now and start filling your cabinets with food you know is good for your body. Below are some tips for making small adjustments that will help you get fit and lose weight.

1. Always make a shopping list. If you don’t plan what to eat, you plan to cheat! The extra effort it takes to plan ahead is well worth your time. Take a few minutes once a week to find healthy recipes that you want to make, and write down the ingredients that you need to buy. Don’t forget to include on-the-go snacks such as nutrition bars and trail mix, plus healthy recipes that are quick to prepare. This will prevent you from going to fast-food restaurants for a quick fix. Instead, save yourself the calories. 2. Look at the ingredients. If you are unsure what an ingredient is, don’t buy it. A lot of the long-winded words in processed foods are chemicals, preservatives, or genetically modified ingredients. Examples include hydrogenated oils, sodium benzoate, and maltodextrin. If your body does not recognize a substance in the body, your immune system will treat it like a toxin and try to fight it off. These added stresses on the body may negatively affect your metabolism, which may lead to weight gain. 3. If you really are craving sweets, eat a piece of fruit. Chances are, your craving will be satisfied. However, if you still can’t get over your craving then limit yourself to an individually packaged item that is one serving size. Don’t buy the whole cake, a dozen cookies, or a liter of soda. It is not worth the discount on bulk items if they will cause you to gain weight. Having these items sitting around in your house will tempt you to consume it! 4. Limit attending events based around eating food. Most events like birthday parties, potlucks, and banquets have an abundance of desserts, burgers, pizza, and/or soda. Those are all the foods you should be avoiding in order to lose weight. If you do attend events, however, bring a healthy dish or eat a meal right before leaving your house. That way, you will not be hungry and are less likely to indulge in junk food.

Tis the season to be slimming! Don’t use the holidays as an excuse to eat junk. You can still mingle with family and friends without making poor eating decisions. When the holidays roll around, try new healthy recipes and change up the tradition a little. The choices you make will influence those around you – give the gift of positive change this season! Eating healthy doesn’t mean giving up your favorite foods, but changing how you prepare them to get fit. Happy Holidays!

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    Kelly Gibson has certifications from NASM, Precision Nutrition, eCornell, over 3 years experience as a Coach and Trainer, a lifelong athlete, and has earned a Biological Engineering degree from Penn State University.  If you need to calculate your calories, macros, and other weight loss goals, Kelly is your go-to trainer for Plant-Based Nutrition.