Introduction to the Keto Diet
The keto diet, also known as the ketogenic diet, is high fat and low carb diet with moderate amounts of protein in the mix. Over the last couple of years, this rich in the fat diet has gotten extremely popular for its various health benefits. People have started to recognize the positive aspects of keto and have started to adopt and test it out on themselves.
One of the most prominent selling points of this diet is how it helps with weight loss and combating other diseases.Keto diet causes your carbohydrate intake to drastically reduce only to be replaced with high levels of fat. This causes the body to undergo a metabolic state called ketosis, and due to the lack of carbs in your system, the body starts burning up fat instead of carbs for energy.
Benefits of Keto Diet Plan
The diet on its own isn’t very easy to stick to, but the health benefits that come with it do work as a great motivating factor. And some of the many benefits of following the keto diet plan that is commonly observed among people are listed below:
Weight Loss
Many of us are quick to jump on the keto meal plan bandwagon due to its super quick weight loss results. But it has been found that these weight changes more often than not, don’t last for more than a year.
Although, there are some long-term benefits that keto does help you attain which is proven to be helpful when it comes to weight control. The main one being the habit of calorie restriction and appetite control, which when observed properly can help a lot with weight loss.
Type 2 Diabetes
The keto diet is considered ideal for those suffering from Type 2 Diabetes, predominantly due to its ultra-low card intake and as a result improvement in insulin sensitivity by about 75 percent. But there is still a lot of research being conducted on the effects of keto on Type 2 Diabetes, to come to a more certain conclusion.
Cancer
Many studies have claimed that adopting the keto diet plan is good for cancer patients as it has anti-tumor effects and has been found to reduce tumor growths, gastric cancer, colon cancer, and brain cancer. But a lot of research is left to be done in this field as well.
Alzheimer’s
Keto diet plans have a positive impact on Alzheimer’s patients. This is heavily attributed to the effect it has on the mitochondrial function of the brain because of the new fuel, which as a result, elevates the cognitive function of the patient’s brains and helps with their condition.
Keto: Foods to Eat
A perfect keto meal plan should contain a hefty amount of fat, very little carbs, and an average portion of proteins. And to achieve this perfect balance, the following food items can be added to your keto diet.
Fatty Fish: Tuna, Salmon, Trout, etc.
Avocados
Meat: Ham, Steak, Red Meat, Chicken, Turkey, Bacon
Low Carb Veggies: Peppers, Leafy Vegetables, Onion, Tomato, etc.
Cheese: Mozzarella, Goat Cheese, Blue Cheese, Cheddar, etc.
Oils: Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Avocado Oil, Coconut Oil, etc.
Keto: Foods to Avoid
The Keto diet has very limited carb intake and food items containing carbs should either be avoided or eaten in very small and controlled proportions.
Sugary products: Soda, Candy, Cake, Smoothie, etc.
Alcohol: Beer, Wine, and other high carb liquors
Processed Food: Pre-packaged meals with high carb content
Low-fat products: Salad dressings, low-fat mayo, etc.
Grains and Starches: Pasta, Cereal, Rice, etc.
The Downside of Keto Diet
The Keto diet surely paints a very pretty picture but sadly it has some concerning drawbacks as well. And some of these flaws can act as the determining factor for many and might prevent them from going forward with the diet, which is completely understandable.
Keto Flu
The keto flu is one of the most common and concerning side-effects of the keto diet plan. Some of its prevalent symptoms are brain fog, headaches, nausea, fatigue, etc. Many people also complain of bad breath and excessive sweating.
Nutrition Deficiency
Because of how highly fat-centric this diet is, it’s pretty obvious that as a result, your body might undergo quite a few types of nutrient deficiency such as sodium deficiency, Potassium deficiency, Vitamin C deficiency, etc.
Constipation
Constipation is a pretty consistent issue among people who observe this lifestyle but thankfully there are ways this can be managed by adding fiber-rich vegetables and other supplements to your diet.