Crash Course to Keto: Navigating the Maze of Low-Carb Dieting
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The term keto has reigned more prevalent than ever in recent months, inundating grocery stores and media outlets at seemingly every turn. While the keto craze--known alternatively as the ketogenic diet--has gained popularity over the past several years, its origins date back to as early as the 19th century, where it was commonly employed to help control the symptoms of diabetes and even epilepsy, particularly in young children.
In the mid 1970s, the keto lifestyle rose to the forefront of public consciousness once again with the introduction of the Atkins diet: arguably the first widespread commercialized version of the keto diet we know today. With so many variations and diet plans to choose from, hopping aboard the keto train can be a daunting task at best. Today, we'll slow that train down and help you navigate the basics of a lifestyle which, while confusing at first glance, offers a slew of long-term health benefits that can help you reach your short and long-term goals.
What Does 'Keto' Mean?
The term keto is short for ketogenic: referring broadly to any diet which focuses primarily on the consumption of fats and proteins, while minimizing carbohydrates and sugar. Consuming foods which are low in carbohydrates triggers a state known as nutritional ketosis, prompting the body to burn fat stores as its main source of fuel, rather than carbohydrates.
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The ketogenic state, also known as ketosis, is not to be confused with ketoacidosis: a dangerous diabetic condition in which the body produces excess acids in the blood. Ketosis, at its core, is a heightened metabolic phase which allows the body to burn excess fat when deprived of glycogen: a substance derived from most high-carb foods we consume on a day-to-day basis. This deprivation of glucose is also known to help curb the symptoms of type-two diabetes, helping many who suffer from the disease to keep their blood sugar in check.
The Atkins Diet
While there are seemingly endless variations of the keto diet, four main types of ketogenic nutrition exist:
Standard Ketogenic Diet (SKD): Highly restrictive and very low carb, SKD relies primarily on protein and fat. A typical SKD diet contains around 70% fat content, 20% protein, and only 10% carbohydrates.
Cyclical Ketogenic Diet (CKD): As its name suggests, the Cyclical version of keto allows users to cycle through periods of higher carb intake, for example: five days of ketogenic dieting followed by two days of high carbohydrates.
Targeted Ketogenic Diet (TKD): Targeted ketogenic diets allow you to adjust your carb intake and overall macros based upon your workouts from one day to the next. Days in which your workout regimen is more intense may allow for a higher carb consumption when following a TKD.
High Protein Ketogenic Diet (HPK): While similar to standard keto, HPK features a heavier focus on protein. The ratio is generally 60% fat, 35% protein, and 5% carbohydrates.
While all four versions have their unique benefits, standard and high-protein ketogenic diets are the types most commonly used among everyday dieters, while TKD and CKD are considered more advanced methods tailored mostly towards highly active individuals such as bodybuilders and athletes.
Of every keto diet on the market today, perhaps the most well known and one of the first to be commercialized for widespread public use is the Atkins Diet, organized in 1972 by Dr. Robert Atkins. His first book, entitled Dr. Atkins' Diet Revolution, introduced the public to the theory of low-carb dieting, igniting decades of research amid the medical community. Today, more than one hundred scientific publications including research conducted by the likes of Harvard and the American Heart Association have rallied around the benefits of a healthy low-carb lifestyle.
Unlike many versions of the keto diet, Atkins focuses on a series of "phases" through which carbohydrates are first heavily restricted, then slowly re-introduced into the diet plan over a period of weeks or months. For example, the "Induction Period", also known as "Phase 1", restricts daily carb intake to around 20 grams per day, for a period of two weeks. Dieters are urged to eat non-processed meats high in protein and healthy fats, along with low-carb vegetables such as leafy greens. While this intense kickoff gives dieters a welcome boost toward achieving their weight-loss goals, the idea is to gradually increase carb intake over time: from 20 grams, to 30, to 40-45 by the final phase of the program.
Users are encouraged to skip between phases to suit their personal needs--a strategy which can often curb the effects of "plateauing": a phenomenon in which weight loss stagnates due to factors such as burning the equal amount of calories you consume, or simply eating the same types of food for extended periods of time. Allowing higher carb intakes in higher phases of the program has also been reported to help with some of the less pleasant effects of a low-carb diet, such as "keto flu": persistent migraines and general feelings of malaise as a result of a sudden carb reduction.
Like any diet, the Atkins program is not right for everyone, and is one of many variations of keto from which dieters can choose. It remains, however, one of the most popular and widely-accepted methods for ketogenic weight loss.
Total Carbs vs. Net Carbs
When launching oneself into the complicated world of keto, one of the first puzzles many encounter is the difference between net carbs and total carbs, and the crucial role they play. As ketogenic diets revolve primarily around limiting how many carbs you consume, it's important to understand which carbs you're counting, how to count them, and why.
On most nutritional labels, you will see a number listed as total carbohydrates: this referring to all the different types of carb that are present in a given food or meal. These can include starches, dietary fiber and sugars, among other things. Meanwhile, net carbs are carbohydrates which the body can fully digest into glucose, and it's this type of carb which keto dieters must limit and count carefully. As keto gains popularity worldwide, many foods have begun to list net carbs as a separate category on packaging. However, if your favorite snack doesn't list the net carb count in plain view, fear not: net carbs can easily be calculated by subtracting the total grams of both fiber and sugar alcohol (also known as erythritol (how long does erythritol last?)) from the total carbohydrates. For example: if any item has 15 total carbohydrates, 4 grams of fiber and 5 grams of sugar alcohol, the net carb count is 6 grams. It is net carbs specifically which contribute towards your daily restricted carb count.
Pros and Pitfalls
The benefits of a ketogenic lifestyle, when implemented responsibly, are far-reaching. Aside from the obvious boost toward weight-loss efforts, many who follow a low-carb diet experience improvements with acne, heart health, high cholesterol, brain function, PCOS and reduced risk of cancer and epileptic seizures.
However, no good thing is without its downfalls. The ketogenic diet, if maintained long-term, can increase the risk for complications such as kidney stones, excess protein in the bloodstream, a build-up of fat in the liver, and deficiencies of certain key vitamins and minerals. Symptoms of "keto flu" are also common, including nuisances such as nausea, vomiting, headaches and fatigue.
Conclusion
The ketogenic lifestyle has found fresh fame in recent years, boosted to even greater heights in the wake of the COVID pandemic. Even so, its origins and the studies behind it have been decades in the making. Before embarking on any new dietary journey, it's advisable to consult with a trusted physician to ensure that the lifestyle is right for you. To learn more about keto-centric recipes, tips and resources, stay tuned to texasrealfood.com
