Should you try the keto diet?
I hope you are doing well and enjoying some nice weather! It's been overcast the last couple days, but was beautiful over the weekend. I went to the beach on Sunday and got burnt. Hopefully, that was my last burn for the summer. Charlotte is doing well after her 2nd ACL tear. She's started doing a short walk every day, and eventually will be able to start walking with me again. Before I get into discussing the keto diet, I wanted to correct my recipe from the last newsletter. For the tropical smoothie, I accidentaly listed 1/2 cup pineapple twice! Sorry about that! It should read 1/2 cup frozen pineapple ane 1/2 cup coconut water. I'm sure you've heard about the Keto diet by now since it seems to be the newest fad diet. I have actually just started it myself, so I will be able to report back on it as I continue. It's different than most other diets (and when I say "diet", I really mean lifestyle change and eating plan) because it brings you into ketosis, which is a process that allows your body to burn fat more efficiently. So, instead of using carbs/glucose for fuel, you are actualy using ketone bodies, which are formed when there isn't enough glucose or stored glucose to fuel your body. It can result in weight loss and fat loss, but has also been shown to be beneficial with Diabetes and balancing blood sugars, certain autoimmune disorders, and epilepsy. I personally am trying it hoping that it will help with my gut issues. So, what do you have to do? This is a very low carb diet (20-50g per day), high fat (>60%), and moderate protein. It's imporatnt when following a keto eating plan to track your macros (preotein, carbs, and fats). It definitely requires committment and basically no grains, starchy vegetables, and with limited fruit. Most of the carbs come from non starchy vegetables. If the diet is so restrictive, why would you want to do it? The keto diet has been shown to have several amazing benefits including:
Reduces inflammation
Improved fat burning, especially abdominal fat
Increased mental clarity and sharpness
Increased energy
Clearer skin
Reduced cravings
Reduced risk of disease
Decreased triglycerides
Decreased blood pressure
and more
As you can see, there are a lot of benefits. In the research that I did on it, I also read that it has significanlty improved or eliminated digestive issues for certain people. Of course, it you do decide to give it a try, you should discuss it with your doctor first. This is just the basic information on it. I'm thinking of offering a class or program on the keto diet some time in the future, once I've been eating that way for a while.
