What Is the Keto Diet and How Does It Work?
By Janet Rausa Fuller. Photo by: Chelsea Kyle.
Forget, for a moment, talk of the New Kale, whatever that is, and consider the new Paleo. In fact, Vogue Australia made the call a few weeks ago, declaring, "Keto is the new paleo."
That's keto as in a ketogenic diet, what basketball superstar LeBron James followed for 67 days in 2014 to stellar results, namely a seriously ripped midsection and, you know, his third NBA Championship ring.
How does it work, what can and can't you eat, and will it do for you what it's done for James and other celebrities who've reportedly tried it? All your (fat-)burning questions, answered.
What is the Keto Diet?
In a nutshell, it's a high-fat, extremely low-carb diet with an "adequate" amount of protein thrown in, says Heather Mangieri, a Pittsburgh-based registered dietitian, sports nutrition specialist, and spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
The keto diet isn't new. Developed in the 1920s to treat drug-resistant epilepsy in children, it's still used in that capacity today and is being investigated as a potential breakthrough treatment for a range of neurological disorders and diseases. In other words, it's not just a celebrity weight-loss trend!
What does "ketogenic" mean and how does the diet work?
The aim of the keto diet is to put, and keep, your body in a metabolic state called ketosis.
Our bodies normally burn carbohydrates for energy. When you restrict the amount of carbs, the body will break down stored fat, creating molecules called ketones to use as fuel. (The Paleo diet is similar, but higher in protein and not as strict about certain foods and proportions.)
Ketosis is a normal physiological process. There's nothing dangerous about it. "It's just that this particular eating style is keeping your body in that state all the time," says Mangieri.
Get this recipe: Cauliflower "Mac 'n' Cheese" Casserole
How low-carb are we talking?
There are various versions of the diet, but generally, we're talking 75 percent of your daily calories from fat, 20 percent from protein, and 5 percent from carbs.
In real terms, that's between 30 and 50 grams of carbs a day, says Mangieri. (It requires some intricate calculating based on your body fat percentage to figure out the relevant grams of fat and protein.) In realer terms, 50 grams of carbs is roughly equivalent to 1 1/4 cups of cooked quinoa. Oh, but sorry, you won't be eating any quinoa on this diet.
So what can I eat on the Keto Diet?
Meat, poultry, and seafood, especially fatty fish like salmon and sardines. Eggs, cheese, butter, cream, and other full-fat dairy. Nuts and seeds. Avocados. Lower-carb vegetables such as greens, tomatoes, onions, and peppers, but in limited amounts. Those carbs add up.
Better-for-you versions of the diet suggest you focus on the so-called good fats—extra-virgin olive oil, grass-fed beef and dairy, and so on—but Mangieri says it's really anything goes in terms of fats and cooking oils.
What can't I eat?
Bread, pasta, grains, and starches. Sugar in any form. Beans and legumes. Starchy vegetables like corn, carrots, and peas. Potatoes and other root vegetables. Processed foods in general. Alcohol. And most fruits.
Mangieri says some versions of the diet allow small portions of berries, "but again, that takes up a lot of those grams of carbs permitted," she says.
What does a typical day of eating look like?
Here's a nutritionist-suggested sample day's menu:
For breakfast, 2 eggs fried in butter, 2 bacon slices, and 3/4 cup spinach and 1/2 cup mushrooms sautéed in bacon grease.
For lunch, more bacon! Six slices, plus 2 ounces of grilled chicken, 5 cherry tomatoes, 1 ounce of Monterey Jack cheese, and 2 tablespoons of mayo, all wrapped up in 3 romaine leaves.
And for dinner, a 4-ounce baked (with butter) salmon fillet and loaded "potatoes," as in 3/4 cup of cooked, mashed cauliflower, 2 tablespoons sour cream, 1 1/2 tablespoons butter, 1 tablespoon of scallions, 1 1/2 ounces of Cheddar, and—yay—1 slice of bacon.
Get this recipe: Diner-Style Bacon for a Crowd
Are there side effects to the Keto Diet?
Yes, especially initially, as your body adapts. Constipation is to be expected. You'll be dehydrated, crabby, nauseous, dizzy, and/or fatigued.
Also: your breath will smell bad. Blame ketones for that; we breathe out one type in particular, acetone.
How long you'll feel this crappy depends on the person and what his or her previous diet was like. Here's how low-carb eater and blogger Melissa Sevigny of I Breathe I'm Hungry puts it: "I’m not going to lie, depending on how carb-heavy your diet is when you start, you may wish you were dead by day three."
According to Maria Emmerich, co-author of The Ketogenic Cookbook, you'll start feeling better and more energetic anywhere from four to six weeks after starting.
But unfortunately, bad breath is a longer-term characteristic of keto dieters, says Mangieri.
What are the health benefits to being on the Keto Diet?
Weight loss is highly likely, because all that fat keeps you full. Proponents say it also boosts your energy and keeps food cravings at bay.
Research has shown the diet lowers blood sugar levels and improves insulin resistance in diabetics, and a growing number of studies suggest it might be beneficial in treating Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, some cancers, and other diseases.
What are the health concerns or risks with the Keto Diet?
Nutritional deficiency. You're missing out on valuable vitamins and minerals that veggies, fruits, and grains provide, which puts you at an higher risk for kidney stones, bone fractures, and gallbladder issues.
And while studies have found that a ketogenic diet actually improves a person's blood pressure and beneficial HDL cholesterol levels as opposed to a low-fat diet, the prevailing wisdom among health experts is still that high-fat consumption is linked to an increased risk of heart disease.
What's the takeaway?
If your goal is to lose weight, you've done your research on what and how much to eat or are working with a nutritionist, AND you're able to stick to the diet, you'll probably lose the weight.
But because the keto diet is so extreme and you feel lousy as your body adapts to no carbs and sugars, or you don't enjoy eating the allowed foods, it's difficult to sustain.
"We know one of the reasons diets don't work is when people are put into a state of deprivation, they tend to think about food more," which inevitably leads to yo-yoing, says Mangieri.
And even though the keto diet doesn't appear harmful, that doesn't mean it's necessarily good for you, either. "It doesn't mean it's a nourishing diet," Mangieri says.
"There's a lot more to what you eat than weight. Our food is a vehicle for vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients, and fats just don't stand up to fruits and vegetables and whole grains in terms of nourishing foods," she says. "At the end of the day, you've gotta learn to eat right."
Get this recipe: Cauliflower-Crust Pizza with Tomatoes and Mozzarella
This story originally appeared on Epicurious.
More from Epicurious:
11 Ingredients You Should NEVER Refrigerate
The Epic Hack to Peeling a Dozen Eggs in 104 Seconds
17 Easy and Family-Friendly Dinners
