Keto Diet

What is the KETO diet?

When following the Keto diet you will need to focus on eating less carbohydrates, more fats and moderate amount of protein. The general rule of thumb is to eat around 75% fats, 20% protein and 5% carbohydrates. Most Western diets are heavily focused on high carbohydrate diets. We know through up to date health science that high carbohydrate diets often lead to poor health, so by reducing the amount of carbohydrates in your diet you can find an improvement in your health.

What’s the science behind Keto?

The carnivore way of eating extends back to our ancestors. The human race have always foraged and hunted for food. It has only been since the industrial revolution that the way we eat has changed.

Keto is a diet that causes the body to release ketones into the bloodstream. Most human cells prefer to use blood sugar for energy, which comes from carbohydrates. When the body cannot access sugar, the human body will start breaking down stored fat into molecules called ketone bodies (the process is called ketosis). Once you reach ketosis, most cells will use ketone bodies to generate energy until you start eating carbohydrates again. The shift, from using circulating glucose to breaking down stored fat as a source of energy, usually happens over two to four days of eating fewer than 20 to 50 grams of carbohydrates per day. <1>

Who can benefit from Keto?

Anyone can benefit from going Keto, but especially people who are overweight or have Type 2 diabetes. When you eat carbohydrates your blood sugar spikes. The hormone insulin helps cells absorb sugar, but when people eat too much sugar, eventually the hormone insulin can become less efficient leaving too much sugar in the bloodstream. This is what can cause Type 2 diabetes. People who have Type 2 diabetes would do very well to follow the Keto diet, because the lack of sugar in the diet means that there is no need for insulin to work as hard. Most people can reverse their Type 2 diabetes when following the Keto way.

Concerns about Keto

Many people are concerned that following a Keto diet can cause a fatty heart. There is no evidence to show this is true. In fact, in some instances cholesterol has been shown to lower over time. <2> The important thing to remember is that it’s about quality of the food you eat – not quantity. Most people will find that when they start Keto that they are less hungry and have no need to eat as much as they used to.

It’s important to note here that your daily carbohydrate consumption must come from vegetables, this is because vegetables are an important part of your diet, particularly for the fibre. It’s essential that your body has natural sources of vitamins and minerals, so choosing these carbohydrates in your diet is vital for long term health.