There has been a lot of hype about ketogenic diet in the recent years, but it’s actually nothing new. In fact, the name has been around since the 1920’s as a way to treat children with epilepsy and other neurological disorders. The keto regime has come a long way from its humble beginnings as mounting new studies suggest that this dietary approach is an effective weight-loss therapy ^2,3 and associated in the improvements of certain cardiovascular factors such as type 2 diabetes ⁴,  as well as polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)¹. But what is a keto diet?

Our body has two primary sources of fuel: glucose and fats. When our diet is high in carbohydrates, our body converts the carbs into glucose and uses that to provide the energy our body needs in order to function. If however, we significantly reduce our intake of carbohydrates, our body will switch to burning fat for energy – a state known as ketosis. When our body is in ketosis, the liver converts fatty acids into molecules called ketone bodies which are a vital alternative metabolic fuel source for the body when blood sugar (glucose) is in short supply.

And this is, in a nutshell, is what going keto is about: eating a diet that is very low in carbs, relatively high in healthy fats and with a moderate amount of protein. On the keto plan, typical diet is composed of 70 percent fat, 25 percent protein and 5 percent carbohydrates. Eating this way deprives the body of glucose and forces it into ketosis state (when it burns fat instead of glucose as its main source of fuel) which is the primary goal of keto regime.

Going keto has a whole range of benefits to support better health such as burning body fat, improving mental clarity, providing sustained energy, and can help balance hormonal health and improve metabolism.

However, achieving a ketosis state isn’t exactly easy to achieve and with the keto regime, you have to meet a precise guideline of eating to actually reap the benefits. In order to see your body shift to ketosis, you have to allow an adjustment period called ketogenic adaptation phase. This happens in the first two to six weeks of the regime, where your body is going through the adaptation of switching to relying primarily on fat rather than on glucose or carbohydrates.

Since ketogenic dietary approach is designed as a weight loss therapy and to treat certain medical conditions, it is advisable to consult a qualified nutritionist or dietitian prior to starting the regime to avoid any nutritional deficiencies.

Sofia Keady, our in-house Clinical Nutritionist is practicing in our clinic every Friday and available on our shop floor to chat to customers. She specialises in Ketogenic diet, Low FODMAP diet (for irritable bowel syndrome,), anti-candida diet, chronic disease prevention and weight loss and management.

If you want to know more about the keto diet, call in to see Bev and the team at Go Vita, Your Health Shop in North Street, Batemans Bay or phone us on 44729737. Don’t forget to tune to Bev on 2EC every Wednesday at 12.15pm for Go Get Healthy.

References:

1. Mavropoulos, J., Yancy, W., Hepburn, J., & Westman, E. (2005). The effects of low-carbohydrate, ketogenic diet on the polycystic ovary syndrome: A pilot study. Nutrition & metabolism. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16359551

2. Partsalaki, I., Karvela, A., & Spiliotis, B, (2012). Metabolic impact of a ketogenic diet compared to a hypocaloric diet in obese children and adolescents. Journal of Paediatric Endocrinology and Metabolism. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23155696

3. Samaha, F., Igbal, N., Seshadri, P. Chicano, K., Daily, D., McGrory, J., Williams, M., Gracely, E., & Stem, L.(2003). A low-carbohydrate as compared with a low fat diet in severe obesity. The New England Journal of Medicine. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12761364

4. Westman, E., Tondt, J., Maguire, E. & Yancy, W. (2018). Implementing a low-carbohydrate, ketogenic diet to manage type 2 diabetes mellitus. Expert Review of Endocrinology & Metabolism. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30289048