The low-carb, high-fat ketogenic diet is promoted online and in the media as a weight-loss keto pizza and seemingly all-round magical healer. There’s no shortage of celebrity and influencer fans.
Kourtney Kardashian and Halle Berry all advocate the keto diet. But even the health and wellness influencers may not be qualified nutritionists or dieticians. We ask the experts what ketosis is, if it’s worth the effort and if it’s safe. Your body uses whichever energy source is most readily available.
Low-carb, high-fat ingredients include avocados, meat, fish, eggs, cheese, cream, oil, butter, nuts and seeds. To put this into perspective, a banana contains about 20g and a plain bagel 44g. Protein is also usually kept to a moderate amount, as it can encourage the production of glucose and interrupt ketosis. Research has shown a ketogenic diet can induce rapid weight loss, partly from water loss but also some fat loss. Taking in less energy than you burn will lead to weight loss. 50 percent of our energy from carbs.
On the other hand, if you eat more calories from fat than your body needs it will still be stored as fat. Carbohydrates have an important role in our diets and whilst reducing them may aid weight loss it is not sustainable to reduce them to a very low level. Medlin says the health risks also depend on the types of food eaten. Foods containing carbohydrates are often also high in fibre, which is important for a healthy gut microbiome and keeping you fuller for longer. The keto diet limits starchy vegetables such as carrots, sweet potatoes, parsnips, pumpkin and squash and eliminates many fruits. There is very little medical research on this, but there are thousands of personal testimonies.
Though it sounds unpleasant, it isn’t necessarily unsafe and many reports indicate the discomfort subsides. She suggests cooking from scratch at home and expanding your knowledge of fresh ingredients is a good starting point. Whether you prefer a hot or cold breakfast, we have loads of ideas for you. Here are some family favourites that pack in extra. Low-sugar recipesA low-sugar life can still be sweet, all of these simple recipes are low in added sugar. Quick and easy oily fish recipes. Pregnant women should include two 140g portions of oily fish to help their baby’s brain development.