Keto Diet: What is It? Safety, Benefits & Does it Work?

When we lose twenty pounds... we may be losing the twenty best pounds we have! We may be losing the pounds that contain our genius, our humanity, our love and honesty.

-Woody Allen7

 

What is the Keto Diet?

 

Chances are, you already have some information about the ketogenic diet. Perhaps you know someone who is trying to lose weight with it, or you’ve read about itunder another name, such as the “Atkins Diet”.Hollywood has also very much spread the popularity of the regime, with dozens of celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Halle Berrytouting its weight-loss benefits.

 

The basics of the approach are that you radically reduce your carbohydrate intake, increase the amount of fat you eat, and continue to eat a good amount of protein. On a physiological level, this means that the brain and central nervous system will have a difficult time getting the glucose they requirefrom the body’s carbohydrates.When this happens, the liver kicks in and begins to change fat into fatty acids and ketones. The ketones have the ability to replace glucose as energy in the brain and heart. When you burn ketones as energy instead of sugar, it leads to weight loss.5

 

The keto diet has become primarily about weight loss, but it actually started out as a medical treatment. The regime has a fascinating history which began with the need to treat a common neurological disorder.6

 

Keto Diet History

 

The medical establishment first introduced the keto diet in the 1920s as a treatment for epilepsy in children. It was used frequently in this manner until the 40s.When antiepileptic drugs became the common treatment for epilepsy, its use declined somewhat.There was a major resurgence in the early 2000s, however, due to an episode of Dateline NBC that aired which detailed the story of an epileptic boy named Charlie who was successfully treated using the keto diet. Although this method of treating epilepsy is now used all over the world, many physicians still don’t believe you can treat the illness this way.6

The keto diet was introduced as a weight loss regime in 1972 when Dr. Robert Atkins published his now-famous book, Dr. Atkins Diet Revolution.At the time, there was very little interest and the book basically flopped. When he reintroduced it in 1997 under the name Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution, the world was absolutely ready for it and the book became wildly successful.3

 

Everywhere you turned, people were on the Atkins diet. Actress Jennifer Aniston stirred the pot when she announced that she had used the diet to lose enough weight to work in Hollywood. Somehow, everyone was now primed to believe that the big cause of weight gain wasn’t fat, but carbohydrates.Many variations of the Atkins diet have come out over the last two decades, developed by people trying to capitalize on the craze.

 

Although Dr. Atkins and his diet were critiqued heavily by some people as promoting dangerous eating habits, the diet has still persisted over time. Ask people about their eating habits, and you’ll probably find that a number of them are tying to keep carbs at a minimum.3

 

Is the Keto Diet Safe?

 

The keto diet can lead to some side effects, but none of them are usually considered life threatening. You may experience headaches, dizziness, weakness, fatigue, and constipation. If you reduce your carbohydrates too drastically, you can end up with a deficiency in fiber and other nutrients. This could cause nausea, constipation, kidney stones, hair loss, and diarrhea. When you do get into ketosis, some of the effects of that state are bad breath, nausea, headaches, and exhaustion. There’s some evidence that this diet can raise your overall cholesterol levels.4

 

Over many years and countless research studies, the keto diet for weight loss has evolved into a healthier version of Dr Atkins’ vision. Dieters are encouraged to eat complex carbohydrates that contain fibre, to include some salt in their diets, and to choose foods to eat that are rich in vitamins and nutrients. Vitamins and other nutritional supplements (such as multivitamins and a testosterone support product like HexoFire Delta Prime) are often recommended.4

 

Overall, science has proven that the keto diet is basically safe and has numerous health benefits, besides treating seizures in children and helping people lose weight.1

There are some people for whom the diet really isn’t safe. This includes individuals who are pregnant, have kidney disease, or take insulin, oral diabetes medication, or diuretics.4

 

 

 

 

Keto Diet Foods

 

Keto-friendly foods are low in carbohydrates, and high in fat and protein. Foods that are definitely off your list include bread, pasta, corn, potatoes, legumes, peas, rice, fruit, and anything that includes sugar. Acceptable drinks on this diet include water, tea, and coffee. Here’s a list of the foods you can enjoy:

 

·         Beef

·         Fish or seafood

·         Pork

·         Bacon and sausage (without sugar)

·         Chicken, turkey, duck and goose

·         Shellfish like clams, crab, lobster, scallops, shrimp

·         Eggs

·         Broccoli

·         Brussels Sprouts

·         Cucumbers

·         Bamboo Shoots

·         Bean Sprouts

·         Cabbage

·         Garlic

·         Chives

·         Kale

·         Leeks

·         Lettuce and salad greens

·         Mushrooms

·         Alfalfa Sprouts

·         Radishes

·         Snow Peas

·         Asparagus

·         Spinach

·         Whipping cream

·         Cauliflower

·         Celery

·         Collard Greens

·         Sour cream

·         Cheese

·         Butter

 

Benefits of the Keto Diet

 

The first and most apparent benefit of the keto diet is weight loss. Most people do lose weight on this diet, and many people lose a significant amount. Some of the initial pounds are water weight, but many people truly do also lose a large amount of fat with time.

 

There are several health benefits to this regime that are scientifically proven. As with most diets, if you lose a lot of weight, your blood pressure will decrease. In addition, health problems such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and metabolic syndrome will improve. Your cholesterol and blood sugar levels will also go down. Strangely enough, many people see an initial rise in cholesterol levels and then a drop at some point later.1

 

Does the Keto Diet Work?

 

There’s a reason why the keto diet has been around for 100 years: it works. There’s a large body of evidence showing that it helps reduce epileptic seizures in children to a level that is better than medication in many cases.1Numerous studies have also indicated its effectiveness as a weight-loss tool. For example, in 2004 Hussein et al looked at the effects of a keto diet on obese people over a 24-week period. The results showed a significant reduction in weight and body mass over time, and a decline in cholesterol levels.2

 

You may have tried many different methods of weight loss in your life, and you’ve probably failed at some of them. However, you haven’t really dietedyet until you’ve tried the keto diet. Keto is king.