Full-fat everything you want — it sounds like a dream diet to lose weight on, right? The ketogenic diet, or keto diet for short, has risen to diet trendom. Health-wise, the ketogenic diet has also been shown to be beneficial for mental disorders, epilepsy, type 2 diabetes and even weight loss. Even so, this diet is quite controversial.
Let’s explore this diet together, so you can make an informed decision for your personal health.
WHAT IS THE KETOGENIC DIET?
The ketogenic diet is a high-fat, low-carb and moderate protein diet. Despite recent popularity, the “classic” KD has been used for almost 100 years to treat children with epilepsy. It was later adapted into the well-known commercial weight-loss program, the Atkins diet. Different versions of this diet exist, but these two are among the most common:
- Classic Ketogenic Diet: This diet uses a ratio of 3:1 or 4:1 for fat to nonfat (Think: protein and carbohydrates) in grams.
- Modified Atkins Diet: This diet restricts carbohydrates to 20 grams of “net” carbs daily. “Net” carbs are defined as total carbohydrates minus dietary fiber.
Take a look at the chart below to see how the KD stacks up against what experts recommend; the difference is drastic. Keep in mind that the definition for a “classic” KD may be different than what people who practice a more mainstream ketogenic lifestyle for weight loss will consume. A modified version of the KD is more flexible on the number of carbs you can have in a day, so low-carb vegetables (think: broccoli, spinach, lettuce) won’t count against you. High-fat, keto-friendly foods include those higher in saturated fat (e.g., bacon, cheese, butter) and lower in saturated fat (e.g., olive oil, avocado, nuts and seeds).
*Note: A well-balanced diet rich in fruits, veggies, whole grains, lean protein and healthy fats will likely have a macronutrient (e.g. fat, protein, carbs) profile within the “acceptable macronutrient distribution range” (AMDR).
HOW DOES THE KETOGENIC DIET PROMOTE WEIGHT LOSS?
You may wonder how eating up to 90% of your calories from fat while turning a blind eye to calories can lead to weight loss. Nobody knows exactly but researchers have a few good guesses:
- Fuel Switching. Eating a lot of fat and severely limiting carbs pushes you into “ketosis,” a state where mostly fat is burned instead of carbs. Even the brain, an organ that preferentially uses glucose (a sugar) for fuel must adapt to using fat in the form of ketones.
- Appetite Control. Those on the KD claim it dampens their appetite. This is because ketones may play a role in signalling satiety within the brain.
- Metabolically Expensive. Just because you transitioned into ketosis and can burn fat more efficiently doesn’t mean your body won’t need carbs at all. To keep blood sugar within a reasonable range, the liver converts protein into glucose through a process called “gluconeogenesis.” OK, biology lesson stops here. Just know that this process demands a lot of energy and burns an additional 400–600 calories daily.
The KD may be great for short- and medium-term weight loss, but there’s no clear outlook on what it will do to your health in the long run — and this puts many experts on edge.
WHY IS THE KETOGENIC DIET SO CONTROVERSIAL?
The US News expert reviews give the KD about 2 out of 5 stars. Right off the bat, here are two major reasons why this diet sank so low:
- It promotes foods high in fat, even saturated fat, which is bad for heart health. A diet that puts few limits on bacon, butter and full-fat cream automatically draws backlash.
- It can eliminate whole food groups if followed stringently. This includes high-carbohydrate vegetables, most fruits and whole grains. This could lead to nutrient deficiencies in the long run.
READ MORE > EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE DASH DIET
ARE THERE ANY BENEFITS?
Despite the controversy, let’s balance pros and cons. Yes, the KD is solid therapy for children with epilepsy, but they’re always under careful clinical supervision to correct for any micronutrient deficiencies. The KD is showing promise as therapy for Type 2 diabetes, cancer and neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, autism, etc. but the science isn’t yet well-established. The same applies for long-term weight loss.
THE VERDICT
Hopefully I’ve given you enough food for thought. In my opinion you should still try to lose weight first by following a well-balanced diet full of fruits, vegetables and whole grains. But, to be frank, I’m flexible on the ketogenic lifestyle, especially if you’re pursuing this diet with the help of a qualified health professional.
Clearly, the KD is restrictive and isn’t for everyone. Be realistic about whether this diet will align with the lifestyle you want. If you have a sweet tooth or love your fruits and veggies, you will likely struggle on keto. Those who are vegetarian or vegan will also find the KD challenging.
Finally, just because the diet is a poster child for all-you-can-eat bacon doesn’t mean you have to eat this way. There are healthy fats to choose including avocado, olive oil, walnuts and fatty fish.
314 Responses
The problem is that you’re stating “the diet allows endless bacon” No it doesn’t. You still need to keep track. Of course you’ll have health problems if you eat a package of bacon and a quart of cream everyday. No one said that’s what you do… and yes veggies are great! Eat lots of greens and a few fruits.
It was right then I realized the writer was only very loosely informed about a ketogenic diet and hadn’t actually dig into a real Keto diet. It’s not Atkins.
The article as written is misleading; there is no free-for-all in caloric consumption. Thermodynamics is and always will be a thing. Fat is used as the deficit after ensuring adequate protein and carbohydrate intake, not a requirement to achieve a certain number of grams consumed. Also, a multivitamin is typically helpful in meeting micronutrients.
No nutritionist would recommend relying on a multivitamin to meet your daily micronutrient needs. Though it can seem unrealistic, ideally, people should get their micronutrients via food consumption as much as possible.
Unfortunately it is almost impossible to get our recommended micronutrient intake from food. Most nutritionists would agree not to rely on it but they actually would recommend a multivitamin .
Unless you grow your own food, maintain near-perfect soil composition, and pick and eat within days of harvest then you probably aren’t getting the micronutrients you think you are from your produce.
This statement from the article made me LOL: “You may wonder how eating up to 90% of your calories from fat while turning a blind eye to calories can lead to weight loss.” You still have to track calories!!, which is why I use the MyFitnessPal app. The % for the macros are just different on Keto. So, no blind eye at all!
What are your percentages for your macros since MFP doesn’t do NET carbs?
There is a browser script you can install that will calculate and display net carbs on the MFP food diary page. Look here towards end of article for info.
Also, in pinch, it doesn’t seem a big deal to just subtract fiber column from total carbs column.
Just type Net before the food when you search and MFP gives you the net carbs automaticallly on most foods.
Actually, thermodynamics and the law of conservation don’t really apply. Fat is not converted into pure energy when burned, but is mostly converted into CO2 and water (which you exhale and excrete, respectively). It’s all there in this equation:
C55H104O6+78O2 —> 55CO2+52H2O+energy
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2014/12/16/371210831/when-you-burn-off-that-fat-where-does-it-go
https://www.popsci.com/where-does-fat-go#page-2
That’s assuming complete oxidation which doesn’t happen in the ketogenic diet, hence the formation of more ketones than in a person eating more carbohydrates (which completely oxidize)
following
This article is not correct. She needs to do more research. You can tell that she’s biased on what she believes and has not done her homework. On a keto diet one does not eat tons of bacon and cheese. We eat our veggies. Lots of them actually. And the brain actually does prefer ketones to glucose for energy. Look it up!
I comple agree. Just because keto relies mostly on fat doesn’t mean eat only bacon, egg, and cheese and no vegetables or even fruit. People are doing cyclical ketosis, jumping in and out and feeding themselves carbs at certain times. People are even doing a vegan and vegetarian ketogenic diet. As a nutritionist, she’s supposed to study this and form an opinion based on more facts than what can easily be gleaned in a simplistic article, otherwise what’s the point of asking an “expert”?
Sorry she isn’t a nutritionist. She is a registered dietitian which requires expensive education and now a masters degree and an internship. More education than most other healthcare professionals get these days… And that isn’t what she is saying. A true medical ketosis diet is incredibly high in fat. Since you are limiting carbs, you would need to limit fruits and vegetables to achieve this. From what it sounds like most people are just following a lower carb diet not an actual keto diet. I don’t even believe people on here know what the truly means.
Not sure who’s food diaries you’ve been eating, but anyone on here saying. Their Keto’ers are very liking getting 75-85% of their calories from fat. Ummm that’s Keto.
Also, just because this author has an undergrad, a master’s and now an internship, that doesn’t make them an expert. In fact quite the opposite. This author will now go from textbook learning to real world learning and will have to learn what works in the real world. This author is a fledgling at best.
Agreed. I’m not chugging back bacon, cheese, and oil on a regular basis. Spinach and avocados have been a mainstay for lunch. I have a re-feed meal with healthy carbs about once a week (or as needed). I do have eggs on a regular but I actually found out that I had a mild dairy allergy when I started this process and eliminated milk and most cheese from my diet.
I agree. I’ve been eating a ketogenic diet for 6+ mos. I did tons of research and reading before I started. I talked with my doctor who is now also on Keto and has had weight loss & improved cholesterol numbers. My husband and son also eat this way so are a Keto family. It’s much better for our bodies than what we were taking in. We have all lost wt and feel healthier!!
Would you share some resources? My BF and I have been hearing a lot about this and wants to possibly try eathing this way but I need to do some research to see if it is a sustainable lifestyle for us…
Reddit’s r/keto is an excellent look into the daily eating and living habits of those eating keto. It gives you insight into what to expect and the challenges with which you will be faced.
Personally, I have lost around 25 lbs since January (I didn’t weigh myself at first). My heartburn and acid reflux are gone, and that pesky “lactose intolerance” didn’t really have anything to do with dairy, which I now have daily without the painful (and/or embarrassing) gas.
Woo Hoo, Bridie!!! You go…
Thank you so much for sharing the info about your lactose issues. I sincerely believed I was lactose intolerant. After a month of Keto I started eating cheeses with no adverse reactions. No intestinal distress and no constipation. After reading about it, I came to understand that sugar and grain consumption in combination with dairy causes a whole process of fermentation that caused all the symptoms that I believed were lactose intolerance
I have celiac and I accidentally ingested some food that had been contaminated by gluten…I had zero reaction, not that I want to start eating gluten again but at least I know that when I play Russian roulette while eating out it may not result in days of sickness!
The best book I’ve read on ket o is Dr Colbert ‘s Keto Diet. He does a great job laying it all out. He highly recommends healthy fats. More importantly it works!
Thank You!
Watch the Manic Pill on Netflix and you will be both inspired and informed.
It is “The Magic Pill” and is a documentary showing how this way of life is helping so many people who can’t seem to lose weight and feel healthy by doing what the “experts” have always taught. You can also go onto YouTube and locate video’s by Dr. Ken Berry, MD who has a family practice in Tennessee or by Dr. Eric Berg, DC who is also has a degree in Nutrition. I hope to one day see MyFitnessPal update the way we track with an option for Keto!
The magic pill just like most of you n this nutritionist are all way wrong ya’ken ? Look for drs who are the best of the best in CAD overall nutrition etc such as Dr Bernard Dr esselstyn etc not too mention the so called fact based documentary has knowingly hid the facts from years of scientific evidence aka case studies that show just how damming the keto “diet” really is not to mention go watch mic the vegan video on the magic pill debunked where he unlike the documentary y’all are so quick to praise backs up his claims with case study after case study not to mention the simple fact that a whole foods plant based diet is the only diet that’s been proven to reopen arteries and totally reverse diabetes CAD etc etc
Bret, you would need to talk to the many people who follow the Keto diet and have had their diabetes reversed and their auto immune diseases go into remission and feeling better than ever. You are certainly open to your opinion as are we. I tried to go only plant based and felt terrible…each person needs to make their own decision on what is best for their body and health. For me, this is one of the first times in my life that I am able to manage my weight and have started feeling better… I was excited to see my HDL in normal ranges for the 2nd time in my life because of this diet. My glucose levels are down. It does work!
I have had the experience with my A1C as well.
My autoimmune aka celiac is so far in remission I forget I have it! All because of keto.
I’m happy you have had such great results but I am 100% sure you are not following a true Keto diet. I’m sure your following a diet less in processed foods, lower in carbs and higher in fruits and vegetables all of which are great! But true Ketosis is a lifestyle and diet that most of use cannot sustain and make those kind of changes. Can you imagine 60%-80% of your calories from fat. Not a lot of room for other delicious healthy foods there.
Are you actually speaking to me, Jennifer?? I am following and loving the whole Ketogenic lifestyle. I am not doing this only for weight loss but I am doing this to help with my autoimmune issues… it’s a learning process and I am doing well… I am losing slowly but surely but I am feeling better than I have in a long time. This program allows exactly enough room for exactly what my body needs and it is loving the whole foods I am giving it…I make good decisions about the type of foods I am eating which includes the healthy fats, moderate protein of the suggested types of meat (rib eye, bacon, eggs, pork steak, chicken thighs and drumsticks, etc.) as well as vegetables (cabbage, broccoli, zucchini, cauliflower, pickels, cucumbers, etc). It’s all about balance and planning. I am still getting it all figured out what works for me best but I have only been doing this for a little over 2 months. Thanks for your concern…
Assumptions are made and most assumptions are wrong. ~Albert Einstein
Thank you very much Bret. It is so sad to see people believing this way of eating is healthy.
Hmmm…I was losing my hair had daily pain, low energy, peri menopause symptoms at 43…all and I mean all of this disappeared after going keto .I workout daily sleep like a baby and feel like I have super powers…how is this unhealthy? I eat tremendously nutrient dense foods which I have room for because I’ve removed standard recommendations. While this diet may not benefit everyone .Bashing it calling it unhealthy helps no one…especially when this article is super inaccurate and full if misinformation from a basic Google search. Real research shows just how beneficial this diet can be .
Oh my gosh… congratulations Jamielee!!! To have your celiac issue basically resolved and all of the other benefits is amazing! I am so excited for you… My husband is amazed to watch my body reshaping. I haven’t had a lot of weight loss in the 3 weeks that I have been doing this but I am losing inches. I am scheduled for ACDF surgery that will prayerfully resolve my leg weakness and intense low back pain along with my neck pain that keeps me from being as active as I want to be THEN watch me run with all of this… I love that I am feeling better and reshaping my body naturally with organic healthy food… and I am proving to my husband that everything really is better with (grass-fed) BUTTER!!! LOL He is loving everything I cook too…
It is an amazing lifestyle!
NO ONE benefits from eating meat. Not your heart, not the animals not the planet. You would think after your salmonella poisoning you would have realized this.
Agree to disagree for these reasons, vegan foods and their impact on the ecosystems, my cholesterol and inflammatory markers were off the charts as a vegan, they are now nearly perfect, zoonutrients (google it, it’s a thing) and #science
zoonutrients? Man the fake wacky information people come up with these days.
Are you a doctor?
My education and research in nutrition as medicine far exceed the requirements for obtaining a medical doctorate.
Well Cheryl, since doctors do a 3 hour seminar on nutrition in medical school, that’s not hard to beat. If you’re agreeing with Jennifer, then your education in physiology and pathology does not anywhere near exceed a medial doctor’s training.
Did you even watched the movie Magic Pill before you bashed it? Do you realize all of the animal products that are required to grow fruits and vegetables? Are you aware of the the loads of research being done on the health benefits of Keto? Are you aware that Shriner’s Hospital in Hawaii (a highly reputable hospital) is researching Keto in children with Austin’s and other brain disorders and have had tremendous success? They’ve had non-verbal Austin’s children become verbal…. amongst other things. The diet itself treats epilepsy in drug resistant epileptics.
Do your homework before you take a position on something. Food for thought, there are plenty of vegans that eat Keto. It isn’t about meat. It’s about macros and how you get them into your body is up to you. The majority of my fat intake comes from extra virgin olive oil. Are you going to tell me that after years of research proving its health benefits that eating it as a mainstay in my diet that it’s somehow now bad for me?
The university of standford has reversed the symptoms of Alzheimer’s in 14 patients with high fat, low carb diets. There are studies demonstrating that the Keto way of eating reverses and reduces dementia. It’s cures the symptoms of PCOS and fertility specialists have started calling it the fertility diet. Breastfed babies are generally in a state of ketosis, especially after birth as they burn their brown fat for energy (along with tiny bits of colostrum) while waiting for lactation to be implemented.
You really have no idea of what you speak about. You’re trying to push a vegan agenda without all the facts. Do your home work. Your vegan diet isn’t sustainable without animal products to fertilize and your grow copious amounts of vegetables and grains.
You proved my point. THE ONLY proof this diet is beneficial is on the neurological disorder epilepsy on children because in this case there is benefit that ketones are use instead of glucose on CHILDREN WITH EPILEPSY. Not on adults trying to lose weight. Just because one study shows the benefit doesn’t mean this can be applied to other beneficial health outcomes. Its like saying I am going to cure my cancer by taking a laxative. They do totally different things!
Well said Jennifer.
How about 23 studies, Jennifer and Cheryl? When you pull this up you can go into the actual study as they are hyperlinked… You both are entitled to your opinion but please stop inferring that those of us who are getting and feeling positive results from this way of life are liars because you don’t agree with it.
What real research is that? Provide your sources.
Yes I agree!
Do your research. My healthy plates of food are amazing filled with awesome protein, lots of veggies and some avocado or olives with maybe real butter or coconut oil on my veggies. There is absolutley nothing wrong with that. My blood work was better than it’s been in years. And I got off my blood pressure meds.
Brett,
I was extreme skeptical of keto after trying Dr. Esselstein’s diet and saw my cholesterol get slightly worse and my triglycerides skyrocketed to almost 700. I thought food was medicine, but it didn’t work for me due to my apparent insulin resistance. After a year of keto, my triglycerides are normal and my cholesterol went down but is still slightly elevated but better than it was, and my HDL which was always low is now normal. My arthritis is much better and depression is gone. I’ve lost over 50 lbs on top is that. I’m not against a Whole Foods/plant based diet, but it just didn’t work for me. This does. Check out dietdoctor for more info. There are whole foods but just not exclusively plants. Regards.
I have been on the kd diet for 1-1/2 yrs. I have never felt better! My energy level is so high now. My body is pretty ripped for a 53yr old guy. Trust me I was a huge sugar tooth. I read the book “sugar crush” and swore off sugar forever. My whole family history of ailments was in that book! It explains why sugar is so toxic and slowly killing us with chronic diseases.
Wrong. Do your research, buddy.
Thank you! Everyone on here talking about “The Magic Pill” documentary and the Keto diet are incorrect.
I disagree. Watch Jason Fung on YouTube. You need to do more research.
bretcrooks gg
Thanks for the correction and the info. I’m familiar with Dr Berg.
You can set the macros in my fitness pal to match a keto diet.
Also Dr Mercola in his book Fat for Fuel talks about Cyclical keto diet. He says it’s unhealthy to be in ketosis ALL the time. He recommends periodically uping healthy carb intake as well as intermittent fasting
The how to is in his book or visit his website Mercola . com and search his health articles
I do the same with the macros on my fitness pal which works really well. The Atkins plan on the Atkins Diet website (free) also ups the carbs as you get closer to weight loss goal.
I have done what Dee suggested. I am on Keto and have been for 1 1/2 months. I have lost 20 lbs and still moving. I am a big girl and have plenty to go, but I feel great.
When I set the macros goals and it says 5% for carbs, is it basing off the netcarbs? If not, is it possible to change that setting.
I use fitbit for tracking and it does not allow for a keto option either. It is strictly a calorie deficit tracker. I still track with it, but ignore the green for healthy and the red for unhealthy food warnings.
The “Magic” Pill 🙂
There is a website called tasteaholics that will even send you a sample 14 day diet the meals taste great. I didn’t get hungry and it was a great plan for my husband who has Type 2 diabetes his sugars are finally “normal” after years and years of diabetes.
RuledMe is a great resource online. Also, one of the best books to read is Mark Sisson’s “21 Day Keto Reset Diet.” It’s easy to read and he tells you exactly what to do.
I cannot recommend Mark Sisson’s books enough. I read books about keto for a month before starting, and by far, his was the most interesting and informative. I have been eating keto for 2 months and have almost completely kicked my anxiety and depression issues. I actually look forward to working out and exercising. That has never, ever happened in my entire life. My energy levels and moods are so much more stable. It has been a true game changer for me.
“Game changer,” is a phrase I use all the time to describe Keto. I love Mark, all of his resources are great. And congrats on all of the improvements to your health! I have had, and probably always will have, a vicious sweet tooth, but after a few months of Keto and it’s so much more under control. My day isn’t dominated by what sweet garbage I can cram down my gullet next followed by the cycle of shame and disgust. My dependency on sweetness/sugar is way down. I now rarely consume more than 10 grams of sugar in any typical day compared to the astronomical amount before Keto. I’m in a good mood more often, I have more energy, I have more mental clarity, I always feel strong during my workouts, and I’ve shed fat. What could be better? My dad reports that just after his 21-day reset from Mark’s book, that he feels much better and his hands in particular don’t feel stiff anymore. It’s just so crazy what Keto can do for you. Congrats again your achievements!
My depression has improved by just 5 weeks of keto, happy to read your story!
Keto Clarity by Jimmy Moore offers tons of information, research and personal experience as well
Dietdoctor has loads of free info, recipes etc. They advocate doing it naturally vs chemical concoctions like KetoOS and stuff. I tried keto to help with IBS after a friend had success. I gladly accept the weight loss side effect as well!
I also got recipes from tasteaholics and ruledme
Thomas Delauer on FB and youtube is my go-to for keto info. I’ve been doing keto for about 3 months, I’ve lost almost 20 pounds, but more than that I’m seeing more muscle, I’m not hungry all the time, and when I do eat I’m more satisfied so I dot end up binge eating or snacking all the time.
There’s also a Facebook page called the Shepherd’s Diet which is a great resource for support, ideas and RECIPES!
Look for a book on Amazon called “The Ketogenic Bible”. It was written by 2 doctor scholars and it gives not only statistics but the history of the diet, how it was used to treat epilepsy and the very political fight that occurred between a few “doctors” working for the government and big business ( Kellogg’s cereal anyone?) vs. those promoting Keto and even Dr. Atkins. That is how we got the US food pyramid which encouraged the high carb low fat starting in the late 1960’s and obesity soared in the USA ever since. Fascinating.
Your probably not in true Ketosis. Anytime you omit or decrease a macronutrient you are going to lose weight. Why do you think the low fat trend was a thing. it went on for years. This is also a trend.
A very sad and dangerous trend.
I have the same experience. My recent Lipid panel was best I ever had. I eat much higher fat from various meats and good fats too, tons of leafy greens and cut out all starchy carbs. My cholesterol was always around 200, triglycerides extremely high until KD. Last week my Lipid panel disclosed cholesterol at 160 and ALL my important blood markers are for the first time well within range including great triglycerides numbers! And I agree, all my reading from physician researchers state the brain prefers fat energy, espicially during sleep. The huge difference is I no longer struggle with my glucose levels as I am a type 2 diabetic. Blood sugar dropped like rock, wt coming off and feel fantastic!!!
Umm sorry to interrupt, however your statement is both correct yet incorrect. “Ketones” are many different organic compounds with a chemical structure of RC(=O)R’ furthermore they are simple compounds. One of the most known of these is sugar I.e. glucose. So to Ms.Le’s defense she noted the brains desire for glucose related fuels. As well as noting that most common or popular Ketone diets are and have been adaptable. The science of organic chemistry as it relates to food science is a little more difficult than an A vs B selection process. Hence the body’s adaptation mechanism to select fuel sources at random not forced choice.
Ms. Le’s statement is only correct in that the brain “prefers” glucose because it is *easier* to burn. It’s like taking a match to gasoline whereas the brain thrives better on ketones because they burn long, slow, and steady. This is better for the brain and body.
Wm. Ray, excellent points! Also, you are correct in terms of the definition of ketones as we learned in organic chem (IUPAC nomenclature, etc.). However, when we discuss the ketogenic diet, (in nutrition) we are interested in the “Ketone Bodies” which are small molecules formed in response to a calorie restricted (or low carb) diet, following conversion of free fatty acids under beta oxidation into acetate. These molecules are beta-hydroxy buryrate, acetoacetate, and acetone (which is obviously not a ketone, bc it is an acetone.) So, aside from the her lack of ability to clearly explain this concept, Ms Le obviously is reading the wrong info on other aspects of the diet, including dietary choices compatible with the KD. But, her piece is a peasant — even if incomplete, and misleading — read. If I were to grade her in Nutrition, I would give here a C. If I were to grade her in Creative Writing, B+.
Based on the c=o location glucose is an aldehyde. A similar carbohydrate, fructose is actually a ketone.
Based on my knowledge the body prefers to fuel itself by the Krebbs cycle. Avoiding carbs forces the body out of this path way. The body then resorts to breaking down fat to power itself. If you do not have enough fat then you start breaking down protein (muscle) I read these articles because no one is talking about being ketoacidotic. Why isn’t this a concern? I am slowly going through the pathways trying to make the connection.
Nutritional Ketosis does not cause ketoacidosis. Ketoacidosis is caused by both a high level of glucose and a very high level of ketones (10+ mml) in the blood. By it’s nature, the keto diet decreased blood glucose, so ketoacidosis is not a concern (unless possibly if you are a type one diabetic).
I totally agree. What a disappointing article coming from MyFitnessPal. Her accersions about the a corollary between fat and heart health were incorrect as well. This article reflects an old-school, and incorrect view of nutrition, proven so for the last 40 years. Beyond the author though, I’m very disappointed with MyFitnessPal for allowing this kind of outdated content to be published. Do the research !! We are depending on resources like this website to get it right.
I couldn’t agree more, and so glad to see people calling them out on this. Thank you for taking the time to do so.
Very well put. Very outdated, bias and disappointing. There are many places that the writer could have reasearched further before making such incorrect statements. DietDoctor is one such place. It was created by doctors from around the world. They are trying to correct the mis information about the current food pyramid and help people feel better. Their topics cover diabetes, sugar addiction, intermittent fasting and other benefits of a low carb/high fat diet. It includes over 500 well. I personally believe that if I have to plan to work out hours per week to lose weight, I would rather not eat the foods that increase my weight and make my body hurt in the first place.
bias is a noun, biased is the adjective. Humans evolved to have exercise as a major part of our life activities, so if you are throwing your body into metabolic crisis just to avoid exercise, your priorities could use examination.
Diet Doctor is actually incorrect sorry. And doctors shouldn’t be giving any diet advise besides basic counseling (since they really only require 1 nutrition course throughout their education.) Please refer to a registered dietitian for evidence based diet information. Oh look… this article was written by one. Hmm…
Actually Jennifer, hello again btw, if you research the South African Tim Noakes who was persecuted by his regulating body for recommending ketogenic eating to a breastfeeding mother… oh wait, or just watch Magic Pill.. you’ll see that it was the regulated dietitians who were incorrect, outdated and wrongly persecuted him. He was vindicated and there was a call to action to update their educational programs for dieticians and practice more evidence based. After graduating any program, the onus is on the individual practitioner to maintain their knowledge of the most up to date research. As well, it’s takes decades for research to trickle into educational institutions and then a decade at least to become integrated into practice. Dieticians are no exceptions.
Again, go do some very serious study before trolling.
Yes, this article is worthless. Keto has been proven to be heart healthy. This antiquated logic that fat (in the absence of sugar and carbohydrate) is bad for you is nonsense. Also, the recommendation that we need whole grains, high carb veggies and fruit (fructose) is ridiculous…if anything, that is a recipe for diabetes. F minus Myfitness pal- please vett these articles.
Actually I have to disagree as someone who was involved in the research directly of this diet. The Keto diet has a negative impact on heart health. I myself am a medical professional and the author of this article is also a medical professional. We are trained to read and evaluate research and interpret in a form the general public is able to comprehend. Are you trained to read research? I highly doubt it. Do you access to the latest nutrition research available beside google? I also doubt it. This is not an incorrect old-school way of thinking. This is cold hard proven evidence based research.
I’d love to know what kid of medical professional you’re classified as. I notice you haven’t been forthcoming about it. Just because you were involved in one study that could be ridden with bias, diesnt make you an expert. With university professors that have multiple degree and several post doctorate degrees who have done several studies on the benefits of ketogenic eating… I don’t have to think too hard as to whose statements I’m going to put my faith in. Not to mention the soooo is numbers of Keto eaters who have lost weight, reduced their CVD risk, put their T2 diabetes into remission and and and and. The list goes on and on.
I agree! I have lost 80lbs on the Ketogenic Lifestyle WOE. She needs to speak to an actual doctor in our groups or watch “The Magic Pill” on Netflix. There is all the information that is needed not advice from one dietician.
I have watched The Magic Pill also. It is quite an eye opener. I highly recommend watching.
I just watched “The Magic Pill” last night with my husband – Such great information!
I loved that show! I was shocked.
The Magic Pill is also available on Amazon streaming but it does cost 99 cents… Best 99 cents I ever spent. I believe you can also watch it on YouTube…
WOW why should dietitians exist when we can all get our nutrition information for Netflix. Why do to the doctor in a medical emergency when we can just “google” information and diagnosis ourselves. Dietitians are the ONLY healthcare professional trained and educated on medical nutrition therapy. I’m sorry but your doctor probably knows as much as you do about nutrition. It is harder to become a dietitian now than it is to become a physician assistant these days.
Tim Noakes trial. He won btw. Or should I say vindicated. Maybe read more about him before you say anything else about the brainwashed dieticians of our society.
The information the dietitians are going off of are based from studies done by Ancel Keyes which were extremely flawed studies. Just because they went to training and school does not mean they were taught correctly. People follow the supposed correct diet and continue to decline in health. If a person goes on a KETO diet and sees big positive results I think that speaks for itself.
I agree. I recently went back to school ( I am 47) and part of my training was nutrition. I happened to follow a keto diet and when an assignment came up to prepare a nutritionally ideal (calories, macro and micro nutrients, every needed vitamin and mineral!!) daily diet for a variety of people of different ages and sizes. Guess what. I was able to prepare a plan for each that was keto and covered every single nutrient need…and even met all government guidelines…so take that ..lol—and yes I got 100% on that project 😉
I too agree with you. I have been keto for 8mos and have lost over 60 lbs. Cheese and bacon are in moderation not unlimited. I get most carbs from veggies and fat from healthy means. In addition when ketogenic your body processes fat differently so “unhealty fats” are not so bad to your body. I had type 2 diabetes that i took meds for. I was also on meds for triglycerides and blood pressure. Within a month i was off all meds and i am no longer considered diabetic.
“On a keto diet one does not eat tons of bacon and cheese. ”
I do! I also eat veggies though.
Last night for dinner I had 3 pork belly strips loaded with Greens Broccoli and cauliflower. I have loads of veg every day, green salads also. Not keen on Avocado though. I wish that I liked it but yuk, it makes me feel very sick after eating it. Somebody suggested that I may have an allergy to Avocados.
That’s because she is being funded by multibillion dolar industry responsible the global obesity
Only if you have epilepsy and are a child does your brain prefer ketones over glucose. Otherwise your brain prefers glucose. Also the true keto diet does require a lot of fat intake. If your eating a lot of fruits and vegetables you are probably just following a low carb diet and not in true ketosis.
Agreed. The author really needs to do better research. There may have been no studies that were available to her during her education on the topic, but recent studies as well as review of old studies with results never being published are available. KD does not solve all issues but has been scientifically proven to aid in the benefit of many health issues unrelated to Parkinson’s.
In addition the Standard American Diet has been proven to be killing people in mass. Look at our obesity problems, mental health problems, heart problems, cancer problems. These have all drastically been increasing issues over the last 50 years. The Standard American Diet was the unknown way of eating fad that has caused such an increase in these problems.
Authors should research current information regarding topics before regurgitating old rhetoric.
Society is just starting to combat against the Agro and Food Industries that assisted in white washing the truth.
It’s so obvious but the nutritionist can’t follow their own knowledge. The number 1 job of insulin is to carry sugar to the cell. If you over eat carbs, (very easy in American diet) then the second job of insulin is to make a fat cell to store the sugar. If you don’t stimulate insulin, either by diet or fasting, then its cousin hormon, glycogen, is released and its number one job is to release the energy stored as fat to operate your body. So simple a child can understand it.
AMEN!!!
I am using the ketogenic diet now along with exercise but I have modified it somewhat to suit my needs (nutritionally speaking). I intermittently fast every day, not having my first “meal” until about 2pm everyday. It works for me as I have already lost 15 pounds. Also, the ketogenic diet allows your body to stay fuller longer without causing the slowness and brain fog that sometimes comes after eating a carb laden meal (this has been my personal experience). I actually eat much less than my peers who have more grains in their diet.
it works for you that way. for me it caused me to be lethargic,I had brain fog where I didnt have it before,. I could not think straight,I was moody. I felt like I was starving and I didnt lose weight any faster than not doing keto. I do fast but Ive always been a IF type person. I have a health issue to where my liver cannot properly digest/break down fats(even healthy ones) and my liver signals to my body to make more cholesterol even when I have plenty from foods. therefore the rest gets stored as fat pads,xanthomas and xanthelasmas. it also made my cholesterol worse because of my genetic disorder. I did keto right and it wasnt keto flu either. I did it for several months and my health started to decline. I had to stop doing it. its not sustainable for everyone. for some its a great diet for others its not.
Awesome, another ill informed opinion piece by someone who clearly didn’t bother doing any legitimate research.
I am very disappointed with the quality of research that went into writing this article. You can tell that the author is clearly biased and did not completely research the ketogenic diet. The author needs to look into optimal ketogenic living and the various forms of the Keto diet used for losing weight, maintaining, and gaining weight. Unlimited fats are not acceptable if your goal is to lose weight with keto. Learn more about the diet before writing another one-sided, biased article. I’m also disappointed in MFP for publishing such a one sided, poorly researched piece.
My favorite part of this is “It pretty much eliminates whole food groups, including fruits, vegetables…” Uh, what? I’m probably eating more vegetables than I have in my life!
I don’t eat vegetables anymore or fruit. Zero carbs works amazingly well for me. We really don’t need carbs at all if we want to burn fat for fuel.
Exactly, there is no such thing as an “essential carb”. I just eat low starch veggies because I like them
That’s not what it says. It says it CAN eliminate groups like “high-carb vegetables, most fruits and grains”. High-carb vegetables are not ALL vegetables.
It’s amazing that someone with so much education is so wrong about food science! What a disservice! This is why less & less people are trusting medical professionals of the mainstream when it should be the opposite. The newest research shows that saturated fat is actually the healthiest form of food energy the human uses because it has no toxic byproduct. The New York Times itself reported that the sugar industry paid off the Harvard scientist who demonized saturated fat so that Sugar would not be demonized and devalued. This junk science that this supposes “dietitian” is pushing is why we have a nation full diabetics, heart patients, and cancer patients!
Worst article i’ve read so far on keto. Most of the info presented is wrong or incomplete. The author should take her job more seriously and do proper research before she provides “advice”.
This author misrepresents the ketogenic diet and Atkins diet
with half-truths and false statements to support her very biased opinion. These
diets do not eliminate whole food groups. The Atkins diet limits net carbs to
20 grams for a very short time period. The ketogenic diet does not permit
a fat feeding frenzy. Historically a ketogenic diet was used to treat diabetes
prior to the discovery of insulin. She also needs to review current literature
on the relationship between dietary fats and heart health. She obviously has
not done her research.
It’s seems obvious that this “dietician” does not do a thorough research before she blogs which makes me not consider her blogs as a valid source of information
There is a lot of research out there that has found no correlation between dietary fat intake and heart disease. What studies are you referring to when stating fat causes heart disease? This RD needs to catch up about 30 years!
Just asked the same q? Bet we don’t get an answer
Totally agreed. Very disappointing that this dietitian is so entrenched with the common convention. Even more disappointing that MFP allows this kind of outdated info to be published. The research is out there and readily available. The author and this website need to catch up. I’ve been Keto for eight months… Triglycerides are now normal, A1C from 8.9 to 4.7. LDL cholesterol down to a healthy level, HDL up from being dangerously low… on and on. DO THE RESEARCH MFP !!!
I have been no starches or sugars since January and then started Keto at the end of April. My HDL is within normal range for the 2nd time in my life… and my blood insulin level is down from 12 to 9!!
Absolutely agree. I am 53, 5’8″, and I went from 195 to 146 in two years, feel better than ever, and am off my cholesterol meds after taking them for over 12 years. The FDA, and this author, are incorrect about saturated fat. America is obese because of carbs, not fat!
I eat a lot of carbs and IM not fat. I lost a lot of weight eating carbs due to DEFICIT of calories. I cant do keto due to a health issue where my liver cannot process fats and cholesterol efficiently my liver signals to make more cholesterol so I have to eat a low fat,.low cholesterol high fiber diet. I did keto before I knew about my health issue and my health kept declining. Im became overweight eating too many fruits and veggies because I ate more than my body burned for energy so the excess was stored as fat.I know how I gained and how I lost weight and carbs didnt make any difference.
I was just about to comment saying the same thing. There is no correlation between fat intake and heart disease. Just like there is no correlation between high cholesterol and heart disease. I did not believe it at first, but after looking up a lot of different studies, there are 0 studies that show the correlation between cholesterol and heart disease. Eat your bacon, eat your cheese, eat your eggs!!!! Just always balance with veggies! Fruit sucks….too much sugar for me. Stay the hell away from bread. That is how I make this diet as simple as possible.
there is if you have a genetic cholesterol issue where you body cannot process fats(any fats) , and cholesterol properly. I am one of those people do some research on familial hypercholesterolemia and see that dietary fat intake for some does lead to heart disease and other health issues.
Look at what Dr. Dean Ornish and the studies he has done regarding fat content and heart disease. It is plentiful but his diet is very hard.
I’m sorry but this is slightly misinformed. You can find countless of studies showing that saturated fats are not bad and that we should look out for sugar and trans fats. Secondly, the keto diet does not recommend cutting out vegetables. In fact, it has allowed people to increase their vegetable consumption as long as they are high fibre, nutrient dense vegetables. I eat up to 6 cups of vegetables or more a day. The idea is that calorie/nutrient dense foods like fats allow for more vegetables to be consumed to give your meals volume. Lastly, you’re picking extremes. A ketogenic diet can be vegan, and bacon and fat are not “limitless foods”. Avocado, nuts and seeds, coconut milk/cream/oil, MCT oil, and chia seeds are all great plant based fats that I prefer consuming over meat. Instead of looking up articles, people should look up databases for studies on the ketogenic diet and also find long-term testimonials.
This is appalling;
Saturated fats , even for those with apoe4 , are not causal for heart disease, by all means please show modern reviews that demonstrate this. It is vegetable oils that contain oleic acid that crosses the endothelium that have a causal role in atherosclerosis.
There are issues that can occur with the keto diet, if you choose not to get enough leafy greens which are Low in carbs anyway then there can be an elevated risk of stones.
From my experience I can eat 50-70 grams of carbs per day and remain in ketosis, that is ample to get a good range of fibres, polyphenols and flavonoids.
The desire for sugar (and carbs for that matter) is ingrained in our DNA , it has served us well , being attracted to dense calorific foods was critical, not so much now. But this desire is dopamine dependent, just like chocolate, tobacco, coffee or Twitter if you keep exercising it you’ll seek more of it. If you just accept it’s notm uch good for you (and I emplore you to visit pubmed and use their search engine with terms like sugar and disease) then the desire wears off a great deal.
Keto dieters , if broadly informed, study their own ketones, know their ketosis limits , note their intake of fibre and nutrients and rarely see it as a way of eating loads of bacon and cheese.
For the record, I am an apoe4, the highest risk factor for cholesterol. The keto diet has dropped my triglycerides, dropped my LDL and raised my HDL. I consume about half saturated fat and half poly and mono but never vegetable oils.
Wrong, wrong, wrong. Word of caution, take everything you read, hear, and see with a grain of salt or should I say gram of fat. Do your own research even if the entire alphabet is behind the authors name.
What an absolute joke! There is plenty of proof. Mist diabetics follow the diet or a very close one with no more than 20g of carb. The myth of goid fats being harmful is being busted everywhere! I eat 5 cups of salad and 2 cups of veg. I also eat avocado and other nutritious food. I only eat bacon once a week. I use nutritional yeast for my B vitamins boost. I’ve never eaten so much greens in my life. I also eat some lower carb fruit in moderation. Please do your own research!! Plus look into how long the diet was founded..
So glad I’m not the only one who completely disagrees with the article. A Keto diet is most definitely NOT ‘the poster child for all-you-can-eat bacon’ ! I’ve lost 38 lbs so far by eating a strict Keto diet (full disclosure, using My Fitness Pal to account for every bite and to track my macros) and I’m far healthier than I was before. My blood pressure is way down, my LDL is down, my HDL is up, I have zero risk for diabetes….
The post author is a registered dietician?? One who obviously doesn’t do any research before writing articles.
What resources did you use to get started in the Keto lifestyle?
Best resource for me has been he Keto forum on Reddit.
They have a suggested 1 week meal plan to get you started as you figure out how the program works.
Diet Doctor or Jason Fung are a couple of good site to check out. There is a lot of informed information out there.
Thank You!!
My husband and I have been eating Keto since mid January. He has lost 44lb and I have lost 14lbs. We started with the information on RuledMe and then did the Accelerated Weight Loss meal plan from that site. We since have researched like crazy and this WOE is just a part of our lives. We feel better than ever!
Hi Geneva,
First & foremost, I used my knowledge of how to accurately read nutrition labels! (nutrition fact panel in the U.S. I think)
You’d be amazed how many people don’t know how to calculate net carbs: total grams of carbs minus total grams of fibre equals net carbs. Or, for many sugar-free products: total grams of carbs minus total grams of fibre minus total grams of sugar alcohols equals net carbs. (Sugar alcohols have no effect on blood sugar levels in people with no known adverse health conditions).
Second, I used the knowledge I already had about food: starchy veggies are a no-go (potatoes, corn, peas, etc.), manufacturers put sugar into pretty much everything, and so on.
Third, I followed additional nutritional ‘rules’ set out by my personal trainer: he has me on a very strict form of Keto, because carbs & sugar really are addictive for me personally. I drink cashew milk (too much sugar – lactose – in dairy milk), I don’t eat fruit, I don’t eat tomatoes or onions or other high-sugar veggies either, I don’t eat bread or any grain-based products at all (no pasta, rice, quinoa, etc.)
These are the only resources I used, as I knew I would be following a stricter version of Keto than people usually do. I am down 60 lbs now btw (was 38 lbs in my original post).
Note that what works for one, may not work for you! I eliminated carbs & sugar from my diet because I had to, because I never met a cheese bun or a chocolate cake that I didn’t like. 😉
Great explanation, Meredith! I also had to eliminate carbs and sugar from my diet because I couldn’t start reducing my weight without doing that. My body is reshaping and my weight loss will be a healthy slow and steady. Geneva, some people do lose a lot quickly and others do it more slowly but lose inches at higher rate… so make sure you measure.. that is my one regret…. but it’s my only regret!!! I love the Keto WOE (way of eating)!
Thank you Holly! My version of Keto won’t work for everyone, but it works for me (and you too, lol).
You lost me when you said veggies are cut out of this diet, not true at all. If anything I consume more veggies on this diet.
Also, eating “endless amounts of calories” of anything will be detrimental. I imagine most on this diet aren’t doing that.
Wow. I eat a LOT of veggies eating keto. That is recommended among others I know doing keto. It works for weight loss. It works long term…as in almost a decade. It helps regulate blood sugar. It can reduce inflammation. It can increase energy. My cholesterol level is amazing.
A dietician wrote this article? Wow. Try again.
Another so called ‘expert’ with half cocked information. You really need to do some more research before proclaiming to know what you are on about. Keto is nothing like you describe. 90% of calories come from fat???? Get your facts right
So disappointed MFP allows such misinformation to be promoted to members. Maybe this is why we can’t get Net Carb features!
I’m glad I’m not the only one who finds this article “controversial.” I just started the Keto lifestyle about 3 weeks ago and I eat better then I have in probably my whole life! I eat more fish, greens and healthy fats and NO FAST FOOD or pop! I also have been incorporating intermittent fasting. This was huge for me!! Everyone has their own opinion but I believe that this is what is working best for my body.
This is the most uninformed article I’ve ever read. Eliminating vegetables entirely from your diet???? Nowhere on any site, in any forum, and certainly not in any journal would you find that recommendation. How exactly is one supposed to reach their fiber numbers with nothing but meat, butter, and eggs?
All this blatant misinformation out there regarding the keto diet, it’s almost as if there’s a coordinated smear campaign going on from within the fitness and nutrition industry.
All I have is my own anecdotal evidence, but that’s plenty for me. I’ve never been healthier. I’m putting on muscle while simultaneously burning fat in a slight caloric deficit, and my IBS and digestive issues are next to gone. Seems to me that there’s a lot of lazy “professionals” out there who would rather sell you a magic pill rather than see you educating yourself and making real progress.
Hint hint…if a number of professional athletes at the elite levels of their respective sports are praising the benefits of keto, maaaaaybe it’s worth some consideration. Just consideration is all. Instead of just completely dismissing it. If it works for Lebron James, if it works for an ultra-marathon runner like Tim Olson, if it works for Iron Man world champion triathlete Ben Greenfield, maybeeee just maybe it could work for you too.
Very disappointed by the lack of actual information. Giving your opinion and relating outdated sources (especially if its from the government ) is simply misinformation. I understand it’s ‘your’ blog but to be included under the ‘myfitnesspal’ banner is disheartening. I guess there will always be ‘those people’. Readers, please educate yourself instead of relying on Internet blogs.
Eating keto means I’ve been mostly upping my intake of nuts and seeds and being mindful about my fruits but I otherwise don’t limit my above ground plants. I also find that I do not miss or crave (often) roots veg or grains.
Mostly what keto has made me do is not eat junk food because i have the calories saved for it and help my digestive issues…also lose 30lbs without slashing my calorie intake to ridiculously low levels.
honestly, i’ve cooked more and eaten higher quality food since getting on the keto train.
A day for me involves nuts, yogurt, avocado, more nuts, salad, maybe some olives, some meat or eggs and a nice portion or two of berries. oh and celery with PB because some things you never grow out of.
I don’t find it too restrictive, but I do find it clear and easy to follow…especially because it’s very easy to tell when you’ve deviated. You’ll feel it.
I’ve been eating a ketogenic diet for 2+ years now and a majority of what I eat is vegetables. ast night I had 10oz of sautéed spinach with some cream chicken. Every respectable dietician that’s talking about the ketogenic diet knows that vegetables are a big part of the diet. This article is ridiculous and shows a complete lack of understanding of a properly formulated ketogenic diet.
Many years ago I tried a version of this diet and part of the goal was to produce ketones measured by dipping a keto strip in my urine stream. I stuck to the diet well and was producing ketones like crazy. Then I came down with kidney stones. My urologist blamed the diet. He said the ketones can provide a core for the stones to form around. Just something to think about.
The author really should read “Good Calories, Bad Calories” by Gary Taubes and learn that most of the expert advice peddled by many government agency experts are not based on accurate science. Too much of the research has been tainted by industry money and politics. Also, many of the conclusions by experts is just flat wrong.
For example, dietary cholesterol does NOT increase serum cholesterol, nor is cholesterol bad for your heart. Despite all the latest research showing that people don’t need to restrict egg consumption, the “experts” it’s still good advice because reasons (the foremost being that they can’t handle their expensive degrees are based on old science). For the record, cholesterol actually REPAIRS damage done to blood vessels…unless it calcifies. Guess what causes that? The man-made margerines and low-fat oils the government keeps telling us is better than butter. You want to know why heart disease has increased drastically since the 1970s? That’s about when the government started telling the public to eat a low-fat diet. People aren’t dying because they’re ignoring the expert’s advice. They’re dying because they’re following the so-called expert advice.
Also, I lost over 100 lbs and am in the best shape of my life thanks to keto. And so you don’t think that’s a one-off case, check out the keto sub-Reddit and you’ll find a huge polling sample necessary to get to the bottom of this debate. Cheers.
Totally agree. What a disappointing article… although it reflects the poor state of current conventional opinion. Frighteningly wrong.
Not to mention “Death by Food Pyramid” and “The Big Fat Surprise”. And the move “Fathead” is great, too.
The Ketogenic diet is the ONLY diet that =s weight loss for me – that keeps me on the diet. After baby #1, I worked with a nutritionist to lose weight. Month after month my weight loss was abysmal no matter how far we dropped my calorie intake and increased exercise. Just before quitting. I read about Atkins and started using that program. I lost all the weight I wanted to lose with consistent weekly drops of 1 to 2 pounds. Kept that weight off for 5 years until baby #2. I used Atkins again to lose the baby weight. With Menopause came weight gain – thankfully, also the debunking of the Cholesterol/Fat Myth which had been based on research funded by a pharma company who had started marketing a Cholesterol drug. I am once again using a Ketogenic Diet and I have lost 30 pounds. No longer have cravings for sugar or carbs – all good. I track my calories, carbs & fat and plan my intake in advance for each day I will slowly increase my carbs (fruit & vegetables) as I get closer to my goal. I eat organic meats, cheese, eggs, & most vegetables – important. I also follow “Eat Right for Your Type” which confirms what I already knew. The Ketogenic diet is the right one for me.
I think most people should avoid the Keto diet. I tried it for 6 weeks and ended up with horrific GERD that gave me esophageal spasms. And I was using “good” fats like avocado.
I switched to small balanced meals and limited snacking and 13 pounds came off in two months.
Interesting. Keto diet had just the opposite effect on me. My heartburn, that I would experience for a few days at a time and nothing helped, disappeared. I haven’t had heartburn in years now.
My heartburn went away on Keto. Sometimes you need to try a different way on Keto. It could be something as simple as an avocado sensitivity or something you were eating that you didn’t realize didn’t belong. I’ve seen 100s of stories complaining and then when you look at what they ate, it was totally incorrect from what they should have been eating. Lot of misinformation out there and also companies trying to profit by selling low carb foods when we should be eating veggies and protein with healthy fats. Hardly fad when you put it to its basic and what it should be.
When you attempted the ketogenic diet for six weeks, what did your meals actually look like? Was the food you were eating whole and natural, or were they processed and refined foods? Did you ease into the diet, as opposed to quitting your former diet cold feet, and start a kept diet the next morning? Trying to persuade someone into not following the ketogenic diet based off of your anecdotal evidence is just as harm as this poorly researched article. And as an adult, you should already be fully aware that what works for someone, won’t always work or be as effective for someone else–our bodies and their metabolism vary greatly. It’s unfortunate kept didn’t work for you, but don’t try to convince others to condemn it.
I’ve been on the Keto diet for 7 months following a plan from Keto Clarity by Jimmy Moore and Dr. Eric Westman. No pomp and circumstance here…just RESULTS! Lost 50 lbs, A1c from 9.2 down to 5,7 so far, blood sugar averaging what the A1c predicts. Blood pressure healed,100/60. The only important cholesterol number, TriG/HDL steadily going down. Started at 7, off of statins(shame on you big pharma) down to 5 in three months. My diabetic internist and cardiologist Drs. are thrilled. I’m 3 years out from open heart valve replacement/repair and bypass surgery, 76 years old and feeling better than ever. Medical profession?? Ha. Get in gear!!!
Very disappointing that this dietitian is so entrenched with the common convention. Even more disappointing that MFP allows this kind of outdated info to be published. The research is out there and readily available. The author and this website need to catch up. There is no direct connection to fat and heart disease….I’ve been Keto for eight months… Triglycerides are now normal, A1C from 8.9 to 4.7. LDL cholesterol down to a healthy level, HDL up from being dangerously low… on and on. DO THE RESEARCH MFP !!! I’m no longer diabetic… a disease that the common convention would have us believe is irreversible.
keto is great for those who have type 2,insulin resistance,pcos, certain seizure disorders and a few other health issues but its not good for people like me who have familial hypercholesterolemia. which means dietary fat does effect cholesterol and can lead to heart disease, even the healthy fats. but just losing weight for some can mean a lower A1c level.
At the end of the day, each individual has to figure out what works for him/her. I’ve tried low-carb, and ended up feeling awful, and did not lose weight. I’ve tried gluten free and found it did nothing for me. I’ve cut out dairy without any noticeable benefit. I’ve taken advice to eat a big breakfast and ended up feeling sluggish. On the other hand, I raised a family on a vegetarian diet with lots of complex carbs and whole grains, and my kids thrived, were rarely sick, and excelled at distance running, swimming, and gymnastics. Doctors always marveled at how strong and muscular they were, even as toddlers. Personally, I tend to be suspicious of diets that eliminate nutrient dense, high fiber foods like fruits, legumes, and whole grains.
My partner & I have been on Professor Tim Noakes/Banting/Keto diet for 5 wks. High Fat/Low carbs/Low sugar, with amazing results. Partner has lost most of his “large” stomach, & boundless energy has replaced listlessness & lack lustre. I feel fantastic and moved the stubborn fat I had around my midrif. We did not alter our exercise routine just maintained “our” norm. As he suggests you follow this diet, you feel satisfied and “full” for longer periods. We do not “snack” anymore, & tend to have only 2 meals a day. Both of us do not miss the Carbs at all. A small miracle, as my partner “LOVED” his carbs. I am someone who suffers high cholesterol and always have! (Genetics) So I am very keen to see my test results post this diet. I feel quietly confident it will have positive results. To add we have allowed ourselves to continue to enjoy a few of our favourite things like a glass of wine, a piece of dark chocolate and occasionally some low carb bread. And KEY is no you don’t go eating heaps of “full” fat foods. You just buy full fat products (yoghurt, milk, butter) and eat the portion size one should eat. His (home made) Low carb crackers are a winner. But the surprise is what we have managed in only 5wks!
Thanks for sharing the beneficial diet plan. If you are looking to lose your extra pound and willing to stay fit then, this keto diet is really a boon for you. Keto diet generally helps in consuming the unprocessed foods especially the extra calories, which is the main reason of weight gain. It helps you to maintain your weight to stay fit and healthy. Here are some list of keto diet food that helps you a lot.
Wild or grass-fed meats (about a palm-sized serving of protein per meal, max)
Eggs
Foods rich in omega-3 oils (sardines are a classic)
Vegetables that are not starch based (leafy greens, asparagus, broccoli, etc.)
Organ meats
Avocadoes
Full-fat yogurt and cheese
Saturated and monounsaturated fats (olive, macadamia, avocado, and coconut oil, butter/ghee)
Foods you should avoid that is high in starch and carbohydrate
All types of grains and starch (rice, oats, wheat, corn, potatoes)
Refined fats (polyunsaturated fats)
Milk (can cause inflammation in high amounts in some people)
Legumes (e.g. beans, soy, peanuts)
Sweet beverages (sodas, fruit juices, lattes)
Factory raised pork, chicken, veal, or fish – especially with added sugar, like in many sausages
Agree totally with the others here – I’m eating more veg in more inventive ways than ever.
I made a ketogenic Kentucky Butter Cake for my wife for Mother’s Day. Awesome. There are many ways to address any “food deprived” feelings in keto, more than any awful low fat diet my doctors pushed and pushed for years.
I’m ashamed that an RD still thinks that fat causes cardiovascular diseases when there is no data to suggest that and ample data to suggest otherwise. We as public health and healthcare workers should be scientists. Instead we follow blindly and don’t stay up on current (within the last 20 years) research.
I’m going to let you in on a little secret. RDs know very little about physiology and even less about biochemistry.
Fat is not bad for heart health, even saturated fat. I have personal evidence – my doctor was trying to make me take statins. I said no. So, him being an actually good doctor despite the “conventional wisdom” brain washing ordered a CT Calcium heart scan diagnostic, a very accurate way to evaluate coronary artery blockages. I have close to no blockages despite eating butter, eggs, bacon, etc. AND I eat a ton of veggies, and some berries. This article does a disservice.
One thing that is always overlooked here. I can’t have gluten, dairy, wheat, oats, breads, milks, yogurts, cheeses. I made Keto work for me. I did my research. Keto has allowed me to maintain balance that fits me because it allows for “tweeking” it to meet my needs. Since January of this year, I’ve lost 15 pounds and still maintaining to lose weight. It was not a rapid weight loss, because that’s not what I wanted. People need to realize that not all diets (or eating trends) work for everyone.
Lots of evidence showing that the “research” done on dietary fat is absolutely wrong. It’s become the backbone of our beliefs, but it’s being shown to not be true, and to have been falsified from the get-go. We need to get away from this thought pattern.
The article needs to be clearer about the treatment of fiber on a ketogenic diet. Many uninformed “experts” on dietary health hear carbohydrate restriction and assume all carbohydrates. You are virtually unrestricted on fiber and it can be subtracted from daily carb intake as though it were not a carb (since fibers don’t raise blood sugar and conribute far fewer calories than digestible starches and simple sugars.
This is why so many of these “experts” think plant-based foods have to be eliminated when they don’t!
Read the book keto. The Complete Guide to Success on the Keto Diet, Including Simplified Science and No-Cook Meal Plans by Maria and Craig Emmerich. All the science you need and you won’t be asking questions for an ill qualified dietitian to answer.
Another band wagon to jump on. Not me.
What are the exercise levels of those that are using the Keto diet? I am running 15miles, riding 100-125 and swimming 6000 yards per week. Do you have enough energy for this type of level? I have used mostly carbs for energy in the past.
Using Carbs for fuel has limitations. When in Ketosis you have a tanker truck worth of fuel. Its not an issue.
I am an allopathic physician and this is the most ill informed article on this subject I have yet to read. The author clearly knows nothing of the history of the food pyramid, or the American Heart Association, let alone the physiology of the human body. This website purports to a healthy life style? Just another sad reason why people continue to be sick and fat. Please research your subject matter more completely.
“You may wonder how eating up to 90% of your calories from fat while turning a blind eye to calories can lead to weight loss. Nobody knows exactly but researchers have a few good guesses:”
You still have to count calories like any other diet to be at a deficit to lose weight. This is a bias and stereotypical article. Science works, that’s how ketosis works. I’m not drinking butter and bacon smoothies each day, despite being stereotyped while following the ketogenic diet. I eat plenty of leafy greens daily, natural whole foods, and healthy fats. My carbs come from natural foods, not processed.
HORRIBLE ARTICLE, Uninformed…just like I was untill I really dug into the research….
“It promotes foods high in fat, even saturated fat, which is bad for heart health. A diet that puts few limits on bacon, butter and full-fat cream automatically draws backlash.” FALSE! Heart Health and Saturated Fats are not related….you know what causes issues…all the crap we put into our bodies that aren’t real food, vegetable oils, sugars, etc. Get your research right and revisit this. I am so sad to see such an awful article posted by my fitness pal
If you have a sweet tooth, you need this diet more than you need another sugar filled treat.
Saturated fat always seems to be the fall guy with these “studies” that are just veiled attempts to get people to eat less meat. This article in particular is very uninformed or outdated or just plain deceptive. Diet Doctor or Jason Fung are far more informative than this.
I agree with the majority of what others have said here already, this article is misleading and inaccurate and not a useful depiction of the keto woe for most. Having said that, I will share that I faithfully adhered to keto macros for three solid months, reading everything I could put my hands on, tracking every macro and net carbs, calories (using myfitnesspal) and kept waiting for the weight to come off. I was careful not to overeat cheese and nuts (I had a calorie intake that was calculated and recommended by keto websites for my height and goal weight) and avoided artificially sweetened beverages etc. etc. I joined facebook keto groups, completely changed my cooking, recipes. I found it extremely hard socially to find acceptable food choices at restaurants and social occasions but stuck with it. At the end of three months I had lost about 5 pounds, my LDL cholesterol had soared to the extent my internist phoned me and said she was very concerned and wanted me on a statin (no way) and I generally felt exhausted and weary with little positive to show for my dedication. We are all very unique beings and it is wonderful that this woe works for so many, sadly I found it was not a positive experience for me. I applaud those it works for, we all have to seek a nutritional path that supports our goals and good health.
The author of this article really needs to do better research.
I’ve been eating Keto since 2013 with no adverse health effects. I was taking 3 blood pressure medications before Keto and now I take 1. So much for the diet being bad for the heart.
The whole “fat is bad for the heart” nonsense is a scam. The government and government researchers were bought and paid for back in the 70s by the corn and sugar companies. It’s as big a scandal as the tobacco companies and their studies.
Before Keto, I gained 50 lbs after I quit smoking. After Keto I lost those 50 lbs in 3 months and in the several years since, I haven’t gained back any of those 50 lbs.
I don’t count anything but grams of carbs and fiber. The diet is easy. I don’t weigh anything, and I eat as much as I like (no, not endless bacon, but yes bacon).
My meals tend to be steak and salad, or hamburger (no bun) with asparagus or broccoli, cauliflower fried rice, asian crack slaw, fat head pizza, BBQ ribs (without sauce loaded with sugars).
I cannot fathom how a registered dietician can recommend people eat foods loaded with sugar and corn syrup and otherwise manufactured in factories, while keeping a straight face.
The diet is actually no more restrictive than an alcoholic giving up booze or someone quitting smoking. Sure, you stop partaking of the bad things, but the health benefits and life improvements are easily worth it.
Lastly, Keto isn’t a diet. If you think of it that way, you are doomed to lose weight easier than on any diet, and also gain it back (and then some) just like on any other diet. It is a lifestyle; we simply eat foods low in carbs for the rest of our lives.
I follow the just eat real food or JERF method of eating, and Michael Pollan’s “Eat food, not too much, mostly plants.” So JERF naturally removes all GMO foods, and processed foods, added sugar etc. What you are left with is something that generally is kind of Keto/Paleo. Fruit especially under JERF is only eaten in season, because out of season it is truly not real anymore. Animals and birds that eat fruit will gain weight to help survive the upcoming winter months. Fruit is now available 365 through the global trade system. So yes in summer we naturally eat more carbs, but in winter we should eat very few carbs. Definitely works for me. My annual health numbers show my LDL and Tryglycerides are low enough to have my total cholesterol below the normal reference range at around 120. My HDL is just over half my total cholesterol. In summary it is not naturally to say eat 50% carbs. They should remove that recommendation as it is not natural by any measure.
Thank you for an open minded discussion of the ketogenic lifestyle. However, there are a couple of misconceptions in this article.
First of all, high fat is not a goal in keto. The only category based on a goal is protein. Carbs are limited, fat fills in the blanks. Once a body is in ketosis, fat provides fuel, but the combination of normal dietary fat and stored body fat is sufficient for that, and in fact, consuming too much fat would still tend to increase body weight, which is not desirable. Foods high in saturated fat are ALLOWED in keto, but it’s not a goal.
The other misconception is common in the medical community. High body fat has long been associated with undesirable health risks, such as cardiovascular disease, etc. Too many practitioners just assume from that that dietary fat intake should be low. However, there is no proven connection between dietary fat and stored body fat. In fact, the research seems to indicate that the two are NOT linked, which indicates that keto does not result in higher risks for these conditions.
Thanks again for bringing keto to our attention. I would recommend you do some additional research to counter the misconceptions common among medical practitioners. A good source is “Principia Ketogenica,” a compendium of research related to low carb diets, and “The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living” by Jeff Volek and Stephen Phinney. The latter is actually directed at medical people.
This is false information. Studies have actually shown that heart health improves on a ketogenic diet. We are basically going back to the way we used to eat before we decided it was a good idea to raze nature and plant fields and fields of cheap corn and wheat. Even fruit wasn’t as prevalent in nature like we consume it on the grocery shelves. Unfortunately, a government official made a decision based on a falsified study and now we are mentally stuck in our ways that are leaving us laden with diabetes, dementia, and obesity.
The medifast diet puts people into ketosis and is a low fat, low carb diet. So you can go into ketois without the high fat content in the diet. This is done by eating low fat protiens, lots of veggies, and little carbs. I don’t know why this is not mentioned in articles like this. On the Atkins diet my cholesterol went to over 400. On medifast is goes to around 130 with better moods and my joints feel better.
Summary of article origination. “Will you write us an article about the Keto diet?” “Sure!” “Are you familiar with it?” “Nope, but I’ll make it up, use the catchphrases I’ve heard, and people will believe it because I’m a dietitian.”
Very little actual research done here and very disappointing that MFP would post it. Maybe because their app isn’t friendly to those on a Keto diet. It requires someone eating a Keto diet to figure out some work a rounds. I’ve been eating a Keto diet for a little over a year now. I’ve lost 130 pounds so far, have more energy than ever before, feel amazing, and have better mental clarity. I also eat WAY more veggies than I ever have at any point in my life. Do I eat some bacon? Yep, maybe once a week and not always as a stand alone item but as an ingredient. It is way more about getting the fats from HEALTHY fats like avocados and fish. It does curb hunger because proteins and fats stay with you longer because both of those macros have 9 kcal per gram versus 4 per gram for carbs. So you eat whole, healthy foods that are more calorie dense than carbs and you’re not as hungry as often….no way!
I have lost 28 lbs. and am no longer pre-diabetic and my blood pressure has returned to normal.The Keto diet is the ONLY diet I have not been hungry on. Who wants to walk around starving all the time to lose weight? That is what happened to me on other diets. I eat lots of the low carb veggies, put lemon and lime in my water instead of eating fruit (which contains Fructose and elevates blood sugar). No– I do not eat lots of bacon and saturated fats like this article suggests. But it does allow for heavy cream in your coffee, butter and bacon items within reason. Biased article in my opinion.
So anybody have advice on my thoughts that I want to try this diet for a limited time till I lose the bulk of what I want/need to lose and then switching over to a mostly raw vegetarian diet ???
My advice would be to start out with your vegetarian diet right from the start. They key to losing weight is using more calories than you take in. Odds are high that with your vegetarian diet you will be doing that since most vegetarian diets are relatively low in calories. Both ways you will get to your goal weight, but by starting with vegetarian, you never have to worry about swapping diets. A ketogenic diet works no better or worse than any other diet. Just eat clean and work hard.
Thank you
My doctor would disagree with the author of this article, and she has been tracking my progress on Keto for almost a year, where I have lost more than 50 pounds without adding in any additional exercise (I am more active, though, as I have less back pain). Every single one of my tests have come back better than before. My cholesterol is down, my HDL is up, and other than my iron being on the low side of normal (which it has been my whole life), everything is improving. My DOCTOR thinks it’s a good plan, and has been good for me. I’ll trust her over the author.
“You may wonder how eating up to 90% of your calories from fat while turning a blind eye to calories can lead to weight loss.”
This is innacurate, CICO is still a part of Keto, you cannot still lose weight if you do not have a calorie deficit, and people following Keto know that. The boost in our TDEE due to gluconeogenesis helps, but we cannot ignore CICO. I eat veggies with every meal, and stick to meals with 400-500 calories, and I don’t feel the need to snack much, if at all, in between meals. This is huge, as there are temptations all around me every day at work, and it’s easy to say no.
I understand all the objections. However, there are people youtube etc. that speak to the idea of NO carbs are needed AT ALL. Well, we need to get our nutrients from somewhere if we don’t eat ANY fruit. We also need lots of fiber. I am aware there are supplements that one can take instead and get the nutrients from them. That is all. thanks for listening.
I also want to say that you cannot eat unlimited calories. I didn’t count my calories, stayed in ketosis for weeks and did not lose weight.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f10f96fbe48a887c4ec44f9e9bb19b36cd192e6d47694ff23f4332957bb74dd6.jpg I have been on Keto with my doctor’s approval for 3 months now. I have never felt better. At first sure there were some struggles as with any change in diet but, it’s full steam ahead for me. I have lost 47lbs thus far and would like to lose another 30lbs. Yes, this way of eating is not for everyone however it has done wonders for my family. My hubby has lost 45lbs, my son 55lbs, my sister in law 45lbs, my brother in law 40lbs. It works when done properly. Our Macros numbers are 75% fat, 20% protein and 5% carbohydrates. We do not eat bacon every day, we do not eat cheese everyday. Our meals range from fish, chicken, grass fed meats, to pork. And we do eat veggies from zucchini, broccoli, asparagus to healthy avocados! Sweet tooth who are we kidding anyone who’s had a sweet tooth before really never get rid of it all together. Yes I love to bake and make Cookies, ice cream and cheesecakes, all Keto approved! We love learning how to cook and eating the Keto way!
Fabulous testimony!! Congratulations!!!
I have been strict keto for almost 2.5 years now. First of all, saturated fat does NOT cause atherosclerosis! Ask me how I have a CAC score of ZERO with over 2 years of eating a high saturated fat diet? And yes, I eat MOSTLY animal fats, as they are the most healthy fats you can get – especially from ruminants like beef and lamb. While fats like olive oil and avocado are okay, they don’t contain most of the essential nutrients your body needs like DHA, EPA, D3, K2, etc. Animal fats do.
I really only use vegetables as garnish now, and some days don’t eat any at all. Just what nutrients does the human body need that aren’t available in animal sources (which are not only much more nutrient dense but also far more bioavailable)? Animal sources don’t have the natural plant toxins like phytates, goitrogens, oxalates, etc that prevent nutrient absorption.
If people needed plants to survive they wouldn’t have been in the earth’s colder regions for hundreds of thousands of years — when there are no plants to eat for a large part of the year!
There is so much misinformation in the above article that it’s hard to comprehend…
I’m encouraged to see all of the comments pointing out the inaccuracies and misrepresentations of the Keto diet in this so-called article. The Standard American Diet is based on bad science from the 50’s that demonized fat and lauded carbohydrates as “heart healthy.” There is so much out there now on just how terrible this science was, why is MFP not more in tune with this information? The fact that sugar – and anything that turns into sugar in the body (all carbs) – is poisonous to the body because of the insulin response and inflammation it causes, is becoming more and more well-known. Get with the times, MFP!
The Keto diet, at least for the most part, best replicates how our paleolithic ancestors ate. Their bodies were engineered by Mother Nature to thrive on that diet and our bodies are like 99.99% the same. Therefore, our bodies also require that the bulk of our calories come from healthy fat. No, not a pound of bacon, cheese, and butter everyday, but a variety of animal and plant-based fats, with some grass-fed dairy if you can tolerate it. Like veggies? Great, you’ll be fine on the Keto diet. Like fruit? Also great, you can have a little from time to time. After all, the fruit our Paleo ancestors had access to was extremely limited and most likely a lot less sweet. It was also seasonal and they ate what they could find. They weren’t scarfing down 6 mangoes a day to be followed by breakfast cereal and pasta. They did not have or eat grains.
I love fruit and have a vicious sweet tooth with cravings a constant part of my day. I take issue with the statement that if you’re like me, you’ll “struggle on the Keto diet,” as if to say you shouldn’t even try. If you want to kick your dependency on sweet things, Keto is quite possibly the best way to do it. As someone who has always struggled with sugar dependency, Keto over the past few months has helped me with this. It’s not that I don’t ever want something sweet, but my dependency is gone and I find sweetness in things that most people can’t even stomach, like plain yogurt and 90% dark chocolate.
Lastly, the body and brain do not “prefer” glucose as fuel. They prefer ketones from fat, but will burn through glucose first because it is *easier* to do so. It’s just the path of least resistance and yields a quick burst of energy to keep itself going. However, think of glucose like a puddle of gasoline and you take a match to it, what happens? Poof! A little ignition and then it’s out. You have a burst of energy and you’re slumping again needing another fix, so you crave sugar and carbs again in no time. Fat burns long and steady, like a candle. Keeps you going in a stable, even fashion for hours. No carbs, grains, or sugar necessary! Is it really any wonder that the average dietitian can’t endorse the Keto diet? The processed food industry won’t have its greedy hands around your purse strings anymore!
Really not covered well – Although the modern convention is that saturated fat is not heart healthy, that is not always the case. And the case can be made that sugars, ie: carbohydrates, are actually the cause of poor heart health, along with a multitude of other modern ailments, such as diabetes, dementia, depressions, etc. I’ve just started on the ketogenic diet (since January 2018) and have seen a marked improvement in my health – such as more energy, better focus, and weight loss. I had a physical just last week and all my bloodwork is great and my doctor is very happy with my progress. So, while the keto diet may not be for everyone, I would say it is probably more the way humans are supposed to eat, especially compared to a high carb, low fat diet.
And it’s not all about eating as much bacon and cheese as you can – I eat mostly whole foods, not too much processed, and lots of veggies (more that I had been before!) I’ve lost 30 lbs. since January and feel great (back and hip pain has diminished drastically and I sleep so much better than I used to)
Setting aside the part about uncertainty of long term effects…If the fear is micronutrient deficiencies, can’t I just mitigate that with a daily multivitamin? What’s the big deal?
There are multivitamins, but people can also be a little less lazy in their research for nutrient dense foods, so that they can acquire the nutrition their body needs (not calling you lazy, but just a generalization with people who complain about being malnourished, when they refuse to actually look at the nutritional content of the food their shoving into their faces). Having been on keto for the better part of the past several years, the only time I’m lacking in any vitamin or mineral is when I go through my “cheating” phases and carb up.
Horrible article – you don’t get your fats from bacon, butter and other high saturated fats…that’s because you can’t. I get most of mine from avocados, flaxseed oil, and nuts. Without the avocado and flaxseed oil it was tough for me to get the level of fats I needed to get, which is 70% of my calories (not 90% as she suggests). Also, you have to limit your protein intake as your body can shift to using amino acids instead of fats for energy, so getting your fats from bacon and fatty meats is just asinine (25% for me). I’m eating more salads now than I was before! And honestly, most health experts can’t tell me exactly what cholesterol is and what it’s role is in our body and why there is a high amount in your body. High cholesterol is because of sugar and a high carb diet, not fats and the fact that this is still being preached boggles my mind – my mother still follows the doc’s recommendation and doesn’t understand why her cholesterol is still so high when she’s eating mostly bread and rice (and NO fats). At the end of the day, it’s calories in vs. calories out – if you overeat fats and go over your calories, you’ll gain weight. Keto just helps your body turn to fats for energy, and helps you eliminate the mindset that carbs/sugar = energy.
Wow!! So sad. My favorite part was “The KD is showing promise as therapy for Type 2 diabetes, cancer and neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, autism, etc. but the science isn’t yet well-established.” In essence, KD is a therapy for most of the damage done by our traditional food pyramid. Thanks food industry. Maybe the billions you spend on lobbyists and fraudulent research should go towards the nations healthcare costs. Whoops, billions wouldn’t even cover routine blood work.
Same old BS. Read Gary Taubes’ “Good Calories, Bad Calories” to get an idea how the “experts” got so far off track. My wife’s primary care physician, an internal medicine doctor, did and she has herself and her entire family severely restricting carbs. A lot of misstatements and misinformation in this column.
This article is click-bait trash. Poorly researched and poorly written.
When talking about research, it should also be consistent in saying there are absolutely no clinical trials showing grains are healthy and there are some showing harm. The “benefits” are inferred because a) in most western countries, the grain products are fortified with vitamins in minerals because they lack any substantial nutritional value naturally, and b) for fiber.
In regard to fiber, there is far more fiber in non-starchy veggies and fruits such as spinach, broccoli, avocado, etc. By the way, these non-starchy veggies and fruits also have more naturally occurring vitamins and minerals and therefore do not need to be artificially fortified with man-made chemical versions of these micronutrients. Scientifically, it has been proven the naturally occurring versions are better absorbed by your body than the man-made versions.
As for long term safety, there are at least 2 studies of more than 2 years showing the safety. Recently, another 1 year study was released showing that not only was the diet safe, the cardiac health of those following this diet was BETTER than that of those following the diet recommended by the American Diabetes Association which closely mirrors that of the USDA.
Having eaten a keto diet for about 2 years, I can say I eat far MORE veggies now than I did before and far more than most Americans. The difference is what veggies. I eat a lot of celery, spinach, broccoli. My fruits are peppers (mostly hot like jalapeños), zucchini and avocados. I know most people don’t know those are fruits or that olives (also keto friendly) and tomatoes are fruits. This is just like many people are not aware that cashews are fruits and peanuts are legumes. Neither are nuts.
If you don’t mind me asking, how does your bloodwork look?
Since starting this way of eating, my testosterone – both free and total – have nearly tripled moving me from borderline low to optimal. My HDL has almost doubled from 40 to 79. My triglycerides have plummeted from being very high (doc didn’t give me a number, but based on conversation, I assume over the 150 max) down to between 50 and 65. My LDL went up initially (which I knew might happen based on my research) and then came back down within the first year. By LDL particle count (more important than LDLc) dropped significantly meaning the LDL I do have is the non-atherogenic variety.
Most importantly for lipids, my ratios are now all in the optimal range (TC/HDL=2.6, VLDL/TG= 0.14, ApoB/ApoA-1=0.5 and HDL/TG=1.2).
My omega 6 to omega 3 ratio dramatically improved and was about 7:1. Still not optimal, but much better than the average of about 30:1 in general population.
All my inflammation markers (hsCRP of 0.2, fibrinogen of 301, LpPLA2 of 165 and MPO of 162) are now in the optimal range. This is awesome because after decades on joint issues due to sports injuries, I now have more mobility and less pain as I push 50 than I did at 20.
Uric acid is now low as well, which is huge as that is a contributing factor for kidney stones which I previously have had. Fructose is a known contributor to high uric acid, so low carb also means low fructose. Low fructose also means my liver function is better. Fructose has been shown to be the second leading cause of fatty liver behind alcohol.
Hopefully, that is enough data about my blood work. If you want to look at a study regarding how this diet affects cardiovascular risk in T2 diabetics after one year, look up this study just released – Cardiovascular disease risk factor responses to a type 2 diabetes care model including nutritional ketosis induced by sustained carbohydrate restriction at 1 year: an open label, non-randomized, controlled study. It gives data comparing it to what the ADA prescribes. I would give the actual link, but every time I put a link in a comment, it gets held up by the administrators.
disqus_9vj4xU6RBm yes
Wow – holy biased article. A well-balanced diet rich in fruits, veggies, whole grains, lean protein and healthy fats will likely have a macronutrient (e.g. fat, protein, carbs) profile within the “acceptable macronutrient distribution range” I guess that’s the question who decided that was acceptable. I no longer need type 2 diabetic medications and my A1C is normal. MFP I would expect a more educated discussion from you.
I was told 100 carbs per day…low fat meats and dairy….still watch calories
A correction to the statement, “Those on the KD claim it dampens their appetite. This is because ketones may play a role in signalling satiety within the brain.” It is less about ketones suppressing appetite and more about the lack of carbs not stoking appetite. When carbs are eaten, your body produces insulin. When insulin is high, it does 2 things. First, it suppresses the hormone leptin. Leptin is what tells your body you are full. The other thing that typically happens when eating a large amount of carbs is your body will oversupply insulin causing blood sugar to drop too much to fast making you feel hungry even though you have enough energy. This is the feeling known as being “hangry” that happens 1-3 hours after having a high carb meal. This low blood sugar also leads to that sleepy feeling you get at that same time which is also not so productive if you need to lose weight as it is hard to be active if you have no energy.
Pasta and breads would make me lethargic
I am waiting for the article saying we should not eat a vegetarian or vegan because they actually do eliminate whole food groups. For vegans, it means having a diet where it is impossible to get vitamin B12, vitamin K2, or vitamin D3 from your diet. You can get D3 from sun exposure, but most people do not get enough of that.
Also as a vegan, it is impossible to get 2 of the 3 essential omega 3 fatty acids – EPA and DHA. You can only get ALA from vegan sources (chia and flax being the most abundant with walnuts being a distant third). Unfortunately, most people are unable to convert more than 5% of the ALA into EPA and of that very little can be converted to DHA. DHA is key to brain health.
K2 is responsible for ensuring your body puts the calcium you take in into the right places (bones and teeth) and without it, it tends to go to places you don’t want like arteries (heart disease), joints (arthritis) and muscle (muscle stiffness and lack of flexibility).
Additionally, the iron one can get from vegan sources is not as bioavailable as the heme iron obtained from animal sources which is why anemia is so common among vegans.
It is therefore impossible to say “healthy vegan diet” unless you add the words “with proper supplementation” to the end of it.
Just to clarify, are you saying that a vegan diet is unhealthy?
I am saying that it is far more restrictive than keto and that without supplementation, key nutrients are lacking. If someone does keto based on just eating all the bacon and cheese they want, they will have nutrient deficiencies as well. However, it is possible to eat a keto diet and get all required nutrients. It takes eating a good variety of foods our grandparents and great grandparents regularly ate like liver, and other organ meats. However, there is no vegan way to eat and get all required nutrients without supplementation. I am not opposed to anyone being vegan for ethical reasons. If done correctly, it is healthier than the standard American diet (SAD), but it is not healthy, per se.
It’s absolute good for you! I’ve been dong it for 9.5 months. Lost over 90 pounds and cured my type 2 diabetes along with 2 pages of other medical problems before losing even half of that using keto! Keto is the diet of our ancestors who pre-dated diabetes, cancer, and the 100’s over other diseases caused by sugar! It’s very simple. Meat, cheese, eggs, lots of green healthy veggies, real butter, and healthy fats and it tastes amazing! ~ Keto Diamond
I follow a diet low in carbs, sugar, sodium and fat, higher in protein. I eat many things frowned upon with the Keto diet. I also work out a lot – and not just to lose weight, but because I like it. Anyway, I have managed to lose significant amount of weight just trying to eat everything in moderation. It was rapid like many people on Keto or WW. I am skeptical of any diet that states certain foods are bad. Yes donuts are bad. Potato chips are bad. Equal is probably bad and candy is definitely bad. But a little here and there, and CAREFULLY monitoring your intake, makes a happier me without giving up anything.
Ok, I am glad that I am not the only one that finds so many inaccuracies in this article. One point that I haven’t seen addressed yet is this: We don’t “turn a blind eye to calories (when using keto for weight
loss).” I have used keto for weight loss quite successfully. I have lost over 80 lbs total. But I still have to track my calories in and calories out. That’s why so many of us are on MyFitnessPal! Tools like the pie chart that instantly show us the break down of our macros (percentage of calories from protein, fat, and carbs) are so useful for us.
With keto, the calories come from our macros in a very structured way and we still have a calorie limit, just like any valid diet for weight loss. We use macro limits which you can get with the help of many forums and online calculators. One benefit of keto for weight loss that I love is that the macro limits allow one’s appetite to become more satiated on fewer calories. In other words, you don’t get hungry as quickly as when your calories come from a greater amount of carbohydrates.
I’ve been eating the keto way for 3 years in August and have lost 250 lbs, my blood tests for nutrients, hormones, triglycerides, etc. have never been more in line, I no longer have to take heart or diabetes medication, and I’ve been able to put off my knee and hip replacements indefinitely. (As you can see by my profile pic, I now do 5 and 10Ks. Before Keto, I was using a walker to walk from the couch to the bathroom.) It’s been great long term for me, and I’ve never felt better or been healthier..and I’m 59!
There is nothing mentioned about fasting in this article and it’s a key point of the KD. Also, it’s way less restrictive and I disagree to call it a “diet”. in KD, one must alternate feating and fasting, and KD definitely allows for feasting on anything you want, ever more so when you have been following this lifestyle, you liver becomes flexible in treating sugar(insuline) or fat (ketones). The problem with most diets lies in the fact that you body gets accustomed to the diet. In KD, you mess things up by alternating fasting and feasts; your body never normalizes on specific intakes. Clearly the author had not enough knowledge about KD
Oh, come one. So many people cannot digest grains of any sort, so saying a diet with grains in it is misleading and unhealthy for a high percentage of the population. Why not say the keto diet can be an intrinsic aspect of a healthy diet, because one has more energy from burning ketones, one has clearer thinking and higher performance. Also, the diet is done combined with intermittent fasting and other high carb days, all of which together make our systems more versatile and higher functioning. I’m no expert, nor am I fully on the keto diet, but I’ve already experienced a loss of girth, higher energy, better sleep and a sharper mind from just intermittent fasting..intermittently…and I’m in my younger later years.
When you post an utterly nonsensical article where you mix science with nonsense to promote an incorrect opinion caused by ignoring a lot of the actual science, likely in order to get views and be controversial (to get more views?), you’ve just ensured you lose a reader.
I could counter every bogus negative point you’ve made in this ludicrous article, but lets just start with the ridiculously absurd carb intake recommendation that MFP recommends (per the article).
Are you trying to ensure this country continues its already absurdly high percentage of overweight people (50%) or obese people (30%+) or Type 2 diabetics/prediabetics (30%+)?!?!?!
Research your subject matter before foisting dangerous nonsense on the public, please. You’ve lost a reader.
That high saturated fat is dangerous to the heart was based on faulty science by a Doctor who made his hypothesis first and then manipulated his data to fit his needs.
Everyone should go on Netflix and watch the documentary called “The Blue Pill”
“It promotes foods high in fat, even saturated fat, which is bad for heart health.”
This myth just won’t die despite loads of research finding that people on the low-fat / high-carbohydrate diets promoted over the last 50 years or so are MORE likely to have heart attacks and cardiovascular disease than those on moderate- or high-fat diets.
A recent meta-analysis of cholesterol studies found no relationship between high LDL cholesterol (“bad” cholesterol) levels and mortality in the elderly; in fact it found that those with high LDL tended to live longer.
And dietary intake of fat has very little effect on cholesterol levels. It appears to have much less to do with diet than it does with genetics.
Eating high levels of carbohydrates, however, is unequivocally linked to obesity and the pathologies related to it: Type 2 diabetes, inflammation, cardiovascular disease, etc.
The takeaway is that high-carbohydrate diets are bad for you, but high-fat or high-protein are not necessarily bad for you. Fruits, vegetables, and whole-grains are good for you, but be aware that whole-grain foods do have lots of carbs.
That’s the sad thing about most nutritionists/dieticians, they often don’t know what they are talking about and rely on outdated, debunked, 30 year old information on which to base their recommendations. Saturated fat is not bad. Saturated fat + sugar = really bad. High cholesterol is not necessarily bad. High cholesterol + inflammation caused by sugar and other inflammatory foods = really bad. The problem happens when cholesterol attempts to repair the damage caused by inflammation in your cardiovascular system. Damage starts occurring from inflammation, your body puts on a layer of cholesterol to repair the damage, you eat more inflammatory foods causing more inflammation, the cholesterol attempts to repair the damage and slowly builds up til you have a blockage. Remove the inflammatory sugars, refined vegetable oils (highly inflammatory), and simple carbs and that will not happen. You can eat a ketogenic diet extremely high in saturated fat and have your cholesterol levels drop. Add starchy carbs, and sugar to the mix and the opposite will happen.
I’ve been doing Keto most of the time and gummy bears for quick glucose during high intensity exercise.
I think what everyone needs to realize is that the medical profession can’t go against the establishment without a consequence. Hence, most medical professionals will stick to what has been told to us from the FDA as nutrition guidelines. These guidelines have been based on medical studies which are false and only served as a way to get sugar approved for the safe list. Nonetheless, you won’t hear many brave enough to challenge the staus quo. Although, I am in complete agreement that every medical professional should research the data and make up their own mind.
Btw, I did extensive research before starting Keto and there hasn’t been one person (with the exception of those with hypercholesterolemia) or study that I found that says Keto doesn’t work. Oh I’m sure it exists, but the overwhelming majority of people, as evidenced here in the comments, will tell you it works. I’ve been doing Keto for 2 months, down 35 lbs, normalized my blood sugar, stopped sleep apnea, have more energy and am a huge believer in the Keto lifestyle.
Someone needs more education before the talking about/publishing things they seem to know VERY little about!!!! Don’t talk to doctors about it..they know even less about nutrition than this average, out of date dietitian
I’m coming to the conclusion that trained nutritionists are speaking for their sponsors in the manufactured food industries and I’ve noticed this every time they speak publicly. They say whole grains are healthy, blah blah blah. Just like so many physicians who’ve been trained in the traditional methods of codifying disease and illness and then finding the pharmaceutical “solution” to counteract the condition. Today there are many receiving training in functional practices: nutrition, natural methods that see the person as a whole being with a unique makeup and needing personal attention, rather than being put into slots that name the conditions. If it weren’t for all the valuable information coming out on the ‘net I would never have changed my routines with food, supplementation and wellness. The need we have for a diversity approach to food consumption, being outdoors with nature, learning about our makeup as humans and how to avoid so many prevalent toxins in air, water, soil and what comes from them into our systems, is truly an education we rarely got in our early years, when glyphosate didn’t exist, and there was little need for such learning.
I’ve been eating a ketogenic lifestyle for 5 plus years… this is not a FAD or a Trend.
I really wish people would do their research prior to posting articles they clearly know nothing about….
I do agree with all the comments. Article IS WRONG AND MISLEADING!!! Thew writer should rather stay quiet than publish untrue facts. Rather GO ON THE DIEET then you can comment!!
IT WORKS!!
Oh and the frirst thing that happens is the weight loss! You will lose allot of water at first because Sugar/Carbs hold water!
I vote for this article to be removed!! Reading over the article again. ITS LIES!
I would beware of the Keto diet! I followed it for 2 months and yes I lost weight but also developed heart failure because I wasn’t getting a good enough range of vitamins and minerals. Have been ill ever since -15 years !!!!
It sounds like your electrolytes were depleted to the level of causing heart/muscle damage. It was Keto that caused that, it was depletion of electrolytes. That is easily remedied with consuming adequeate amounts of fluids and electrolytes. The same thing happens with bulimics because they become so severely dehydrated that they deplete their electrolytes. Generally they die from heart attacks. 15-25 year olds dying from heart attacked due to electrolyte imbalances because they’ve purged it all.
Although everybody is entitled to their opinion, this post should be taken with a pinch of salt. Internet is full information about the KD and reseahes done by many respectable scientist. Perhaps the real reason behind this misleading article is my fitness unable to track calarioes on ketogenic diet and hence the follower not using the MFP anymore!
Forget ketogenic diet! Go vegan for your health, the planet, the animals!
Do some research before you start with your vegan agenda. Animals are required for nourishing the soil that those veggies are grown in. There’s no such thing as a free lunch. Plus Keto has been and demonstrated multiple therapeutic benefits.
Whole food plant based hi-carb!!!!
Well I’ve been on the keto diet for 2 years now and went for a medical exam the other day and according to that, I’m healthier than I’ve ever been in my life. My cholesterol levels are on the lower end of “normal” even though I eat an amount of fat that would be shocking to these “experts”. The numbers don’t lie, this way of life really works! I just wish people could un-brainwash themselves about this low-fat balanced diet nonsense. It just leaves you hungry and demotivated and is a recipe for failure.
It’s just a matter of what you choose eat on keto. Lots of cream, cheese, red meat and yes it’s not exactly healthy, but explore the world of nuts and seeds and you’ve got lots of super healthy food. A breakfast of some full fat Greek yoghurt with a small handful of raspberries, a couple of spoonfuls of milled linseed, some hemp seed and some desiccated coconut compared to a breakfast of eggs and bacon fried in highly processed vegetable oil. Both keto friendly but at opposite ends of the nutritional scale.
If you are worried about micro nutrition, don’t be, just do a little research. We all know apples are good for you, they are apparently packed with antioxidants and flavonoids (whatever they are). Apples are to be avoided on keto but guess what, pecans are high in antioxidants and almonds and berries make the flavanoid list…bingo, keto friendly and no deficiency. It’s the same with most diets…look at vegans, there are some vegans out there that do not have healthy diets and end up with long term health problems because of it, but also many who cover all their dietary needs whilst still cutting out some major food groups. For lunch today I’m having salad and it’s going to have some feta and lots of avocado added to the boring stuff and a dressing with a bit of balsamic vinegar and lots of cold pressed olive oil. Thanks to the oil and avocado I’ll not be hungry 5 minutes later.
Articles like this, wrong as they may be, are great to get the conversations going on keto. No one feels the need to do research similar to how no one is bothering to fact check if smoking is bad for you before repeating it. Everyone has grown up ‘knowing’ fat is bad, no research is necessary to repeat that. Can’t exactly blame those who don’t have a professional or personal stake in it to question what they have been taught at home as well as during their education for their entire life.
Odds are most folks (myself included) currently on a keto diet/lifestyle were ‘forced’ to reevaluate their diets for various reasons. Obesity or health in general mainly, and didn’t gain the knowledge they poses on keto until well after having the need to do so. I’m convinced that eating a keto diet is better than eating a SAD. Energy, mental clarity, weight management, stamina have all improved/are better than they have ever been. I am also convinced that had I maintained my weight & health on a SAD I would have never bothered looking into keto.
What a shame this stuff gets through in such a widely read forum.
These are two podcasts put out by people who have personally gained massive benefits from LCMPHF lifestyles.
The hype about High Fat is often used to shock people into being interested, but the reality is that these are principally Low Carbohydrate diets. The High Fat bit is required to make up the calories for weight maintenance.
In order of importance the key principles seem to be: –
1. Cut out as far as possible ALL refined sugars. These cause excess insulin to be released and lead to excess carbohydrate being laid down as fat. Insulin also blocks the use of fat as an energy source. Refined carbs seem to be the real enemy of the human body (short term is fine but never giving your body a rest from them is the problem).
2. Try to reduce empty carbohydrates in general. This is rice, bread and pasta. there are loads of alternatives. These do the same as refined sugar, often just a bit slower, but the same applies.
3. Eat as many “above ground” vegetables as you like. These are nutrient rich and generally low in “net carbs”.
4. Avoid trans fats and hydrogenated oils. These are known to cause inflammation and lead to all sorts of complications including CVD.
5. Don’t be afraid of natural fats such as animal fats, coconut oil, olive oil etc.
6. Don’t buy into the Cholesterol lie or the Diet-Heart Hypothesis. Cholesterol does not cause heart disease.
The statement that high fat is bad for heart health is against science. Check Aseem Malhotra and ‘Killing for Profit’ presentation at the EU Parliament. The statement ‘it can eliminate whole food groups if followed stringently’ : I’m happy to eliminate some food groups since they led me to obesity from a young age, so please indicate what the problem is with eliminating the culprit. I don’t regain whilst on keto + fasting. I did, big time, from low cal. I do recognise that the author as probably learned the drill/these statements at school/university and it is now known that that information is simply false. Check out ‘etiology of obesity’ by dr. Jason Fung.
I do find that MFP, a prime tool for keto and fasting, should make a better effort at checking the information they spread. Less obesity and better health (huuuge difference !) will be the result.
I warmly recommend keto + fasting for health and weight loss. Best thing ever.
I was let down on this keto article. I think they need to have someone who is on keto do the article and also give some good recipes.
READ “Fat For Fuel” by Dr Joseph Mercola.
I loved my keto diet. I lost weight, felt great and was never really hungry. However- I suffered bowel leakage after around a month of the diet. I tried various solutions – but it was too bad for me to continue with the diet. I do try to still eat healthy fats and lots of fibre through green veg. I am not losing weight as quickly- but I can live with the slower weight loss.
Try sticking to the Keto/Atkins diet for 5 years and then come back and tell us all how great it is. The best way to approach food is to eat a variety of colours of food, eat from all food groups, watch your energy intake, and to change your view on food. You shouldn’t be ‘dieting’. It should just be eating healthfully to maximize the amount of nutrients for the allotted daily energy intake.
And most of you who are saying you are doing the Keto Diet, probably aren’t even actually in Ketosis.
Ummmm in Keto we do eat a variety of foods from the spectrum. We just stay away from things that spike insulin. Insulin is known to cause inflammation and fat storage/weight gain. Inflammation is actually the greater predictor of cardiovascular disease than anything else (google CRP and heart disease). Inflammation is responsible for a majority of health problems, diseases and autoimmune disorders. I’ve been Keto for two years and my blood sugar is normal, my CVD risk is almost non-existent, my weight is normal, my brain fog is gone and my endometriosis has gone into remission.
We’ve been brainwashed into thinking a standard American diet is the way to go. That pyramid was bought and paid for with cash money. The board that came out and said fat was the enemy was paid over $40,000 cash to say it was fat and that sugar was healthy and needed. There are documents that have come to light to prove it.
I know people that have been Keto for 10+ years and they haven’t had their diabetes return, haven’t gained the weight back and still feel great.
When I started my Keto diet on 1/2/18 I weighed 264lbs. I had been taking medication for acid reflux for 6 years and in August of 2017 I had to have a c-pap machine. I am 6’1 and 58 years old. As of May 12, 2018 I am down to 222 lbs, have been taken off the c-pap machine 2 weeks ago and have cut my acid reflux meds down from twice daily to one and think I could be off that altogether soon! I feel absolutely great, ton’s of energy and sleep like a baby. I have went from size 42 in pants down to 36-38 and have traded in my 2xl shirts for large. I no longer consider this a Keto diet but rather a Keto lifestyle!! For me cutting carbs and sugars has given my life back!! Plus there is so many new products that are coming out that replace carbs and sugars that it’s really hard to tell the difference. I get most of my products from Netrition. Oh and for those that like alcohol and think they can’t do Keto think again! There’s info out there that show you what and how much you can have!! Also I’ve watched this one guy who has put out videos on youtube who talks what keto did for him!! No doctor, no nutritionist just a good ole country boy who talks about Keto. Go to youtube and search for Butter Bob Briggs. Start first with his video “Butter makes your pants fall off’. Good Luck to you all!!!
My acupuncturist put me on a keto diet for my migraines, and it’s helped more than anything else I’ve tried, including medication. The only dairy I eat is greek yogurt, and I eat way more veggies than when I was a vegetarian, because I’m not filling up on grains and starch. I also don’t eat too many “processed” meats, meaning those with nitrates or the celery powder substitute. I use stevia as a sweetener if I need it. The only fruit I eat are berries. I lost 15 lbs, as a bonus. That said I have not had a cholesterol test yet, but I can’t go back to having migraines, so hopefully it won’t be too bad. Latest studies show sugar as being the cause of high cholesterol, anyway, not natural fats.
Seriously? High fat is bad for your heart?
I wanted to try this diet but i am vegetarian and it seems, as the article states and research i have done, that alot of veggies and fruits are out. Sucks
Perfectly possible to be vegetarian on keto. It is not a high protein diet it is a high fat diet, have a poached egg with some fresh spinach lightly cooked a a big spoonful of butter or a salad with lots of dressing (one that’s low in carbs and high in fats). You can still eat heaps of leafy greens and some berries. Snack on nuts rather than fruit. Have some asparagus with a good helping of hollandaise sauce. Masses of stuff you can have. I think Quorn is okay on keto as well (depending on the product). Keto is not for everyone but don’t let being vegetarian stop you trying it. There are vegetarian keto cookbooks available and heaps of recipes on the net. I’ve discovered all sorts of ingredients I didn’t even know existed….hemp seed, psyllium husk powder, coconut flour….
Thank you. Ill have to look into some recipes. I don’t nornally eat eggs though but maybe I can find something else. It just seems like a high fat diet cant be good( but yes, I know there are healthy fats) but again, thanks.
I am SO happy to see so many other readers who no longer follow the outdated and false nutrition guidelines that we followed for 60 years.
No legitimate research for cardiovascular disease was found under Dr Key’s research and findings for his conclusions that saturated fats were the cause, which Ms. Le states in this article as being bad for the heart. This statement is UNTRUE and not proven. It has been now proven that TRANSFATS cause the bad cholesterol to spike. TRANSFATS such as vegetable oils found in all the processed foods and sugar products with hydrogenated oils that have been making the western diet fat for the past 50 years along with all the comorbidites.
I hope this encourages nutritionists who were taught in the old food pyramid to continue education as this is an ever changing field.
I hope MFP edits the staruated fat verbage with more recent studies. There are promanant dieticians in the field.
KD isnt all you can eat bacon at all. If you pig out on keto, you will put on weight…the same principle applies for wright loss on keto as non keto ie cal def.
Sure, there’s little longitudinal research however, the proofs in the pudding IMO.
This is jow our ancestors ate, a species appropriate diet if you will. Im personally hooked. I was so sick of all the added crap in foods including yhe humble loaf of bread. The recommendations by yhe American gov for what we should be eating is more about commodity than health IMO. Foods on the supermarket shelves with high star ratings full of low grade fillers like corn and soy, and sugar
Too much of anything is too much. And I’ve seen this movie: people jump on something and take it too far. It’s going to happen. But Keto is partly a reaction to the wide understanding that the US sugar industry successfully diverted blame from sugar to fats decades ago. The pendulum was pushed out by liars, it’s now swinging back through and will presumably swing out too far the other way before coming back. Personally, doing an ultra-low calorie keto diet for short bursts has been beneficial for much more than just weight loss: it’s shown me a new outlook. It’s about taking a holiday from a lifetime of eating habits and seeing what happens. I want that for everyone. It’s changed me. BTW, this is research from the last year:
the loss of appetite is probably related to the body converting a byproduct of ketone metabolism into AHB: an analogue of the party drug GHB. It results in improved mood and mental function and reduced hunger. True story.
Can you send me some of that research? I’d like to read more about it.
We have been on a Keto diet for past couple of weeks and have used two pieces of bacon during that time and around 30g of cheese per day – mainly feta which has nutritional value – hardly a bacon and cheese feast. Since starting this plan, neither of us has complained of being hungry as we have protein at breakfast (eggs) and the diet calls for a big salad at lunch with moderate protein and vegetables and moderate protein at dinner (about 115g of protein per meal). Plenty of avocado and eggs for healthy fats along with olive oil and fish. It is the most food I have ever eaten on a diet plan and is very satisfying. The diet looks healthy and encourages lifestyle change as we are cooking more at home, rarely snack (but have 5-10 almonds late arvo if we need that little extra) and we are actually eating smaller portions of meat at dinner and have no sugar or bleached flour products in our life. The carbs and fibre we have come from the of abundance healthy vegetables at this early stage rather than a small serving of fruit which is really high in carbs. From what I have read researching this diet, no long term scientific studies on the diet have been done, which means the controversy people raise about this diet has no scientific basis making the negative statements nothing but a diet sector beat up. The only thing I miss the most is red wine as we have decided not to have any alcohol for the first six weeks to give us the best chance of weight loss success.
A friend of mine who’s a registered dietitian and has a Master’s in Nutrition says it’s bad for the kidneys. Since the normal human diet is NOT this meat/fat heavy (except for certain indigenous people in polar areas) and ketosis is NOT normal metabolism, I wouldn’t go with it unless I were feeding an epileptic child and even then only under a doctor’s supervision.
A few weekends ago I attended a “doctors for LCHF” conference at Sydney Uni. This idea that its bad for your kidneys was well and truly debunked. One orthopedic surgeon using the LCHF diet for overweight patients prior to going in for knee surgery reduced the number of knee and hip operations by 30-50%, and therefore I can’t see this doctor support LCHF for the money.
I have slowly put on over 20 kg since my mid-50’s and if I hadn’t done something could well have developed T2D. If gone to a moderate Keto diet (20-50g CHO/day) since January. I have slowly lost 10kg in 5 months, my ankle and knee pain has disappeared and so has my IBS. I for one am staying on this track till I reach my goal then may add a few more CHO’s, but probably not grains (inflamation), even though I use to love (and still do!) my bread and pasta. I agree that its not an all you can eat bacon diet. I have plenty of veggies, but only avacoda and berries for fruit. Haven’t felt better. By the way, I am a Food Technologist with over 40 years experience, so I haven’t gone into this ignorantly.
I did Keto Diet for a 5 years but unfortunately started having issues with liver and amoungst another things, i now have fatty liver. And i’ve always been trim and looked after health. From a scientific perspective the liver can’t tell the difference between good and bad fats 🙁 I’m now on a more balanced eating plan but i’m starving all the time as i so used to fats keeping me full. You can’t win!!
Jodi, google Dr. Ken D. Berry and Fatty Liver… he will explain how fatty liver is caused. 3 in 10 adults have it and 1 in 10 teenagers have it. It’s curable and treatable. How strict on your Keto diet were you? Dr. Berry is very straight forward and has a lot of informational YouTube videos that are so very helpful with doing KETO. If you want to cure your fatty liver disease, he says you need to stop fructose, sugars, simple carbs and starches. Did you read labels? Were you possibly using sucralose or aspartame in sugar free foods? Were you eating some processed foods that may have had the grains and/or hidden sugars in them? There are several other professionals that also speak about the fatty liver syndrome but they all seem to agree on one thing… it’s not from the healthy fat you were eating. They say that it’s not how the liver works and it’s from the sugars, carbs and starches. I sure hope this helps!
I am sceptical of this research as it seems to be flawed. I use the word ‘flawed’ lightly as there is not sufficient reference to deep research. Secondly the ADMR seems to be driven by the old food pyramid of carbs, carbs, carbs and, I have little doubt, pushed by the big players in food industry.
I am on a Keto diet as well as training for Ironman 70.3 and have been doing so since 2014. All my vitals in terms of blood and urine testing are good and I do not suffer from the energy highs and lows brought on by sugar or energy drinks, gels and goos. I have lost 19 kgs and gained in speed and endurance. My cholesterol has stabilised to the point that my GP is considering me stopping the use of statins.
Furthermore the Keto diet is not a free for all on fats(bacon). It is actually a strictly controlled diet that is adapted to the individual over time as you move through transformation(Keto Adaption) to maintenance.
I cannot say enough about the Keto diet and find this sort of article disappointing. Yes, it is not for everyone and you should consult your GP. We did! Now he is raving about the medical benefits of Keto.
I have discontinued using MyFitnessPal app for the tracking of my macro nutrients as it is NOT Keto friendly and will advocate the same to other users. Unless they wake up and do proper research they will continue to advocate High Carbs. Which is sad as Under Armor is known as an innovative company.
This article is incorrect. While the diet does allow bacon, full cream and the like it is on the occasional list. Why? Because bacon is full of chemicals and because cream is so rich that you are not expected to eat a heap of it as a replacement for milk in your coffee for example. Keto is a very healthy way to eat and is full of vegetables – the big focus is sugar and carbs – no sugar means cutting some fruit and limiting others so that they are occasional like berries. The body functions better on a keto way of life, we just need the diet industry to stop low fat products and artifically sweetend products which make you sick.
Also, my mother no longer takes any diabetes medication and her appetite is manageable all because of keto. I was really wanting to sign up to myfitnesspal but if you a pushing keto as a fad instead of a mainstay way of eating then this is not the product for me. Voting with my wallet.
I’m totally against this type of diet as it’s not healthy or sustainable. There are no shortcuts in weight loss, and certainly not in maintenance.
I eat a very well-balanced diet, and consequently I’ve lost 105 lbs. My macros are 40% carbs, 30% fat, 30% protein. I’m no longer addicted to sugar, I eat at least 400g of fruits and vegetables daily, I eat whole grains, black beans, chicken breasts, salmon, nonfat plain Greek yogurt, and my water intake averages about 84 oz daily. I stay away from processed foods, and my fats are mainly healthy fats (almonds, walnuts, avocado, organic peanut butter) with little saturated fat. I eat over 40g of fiber daily.
I’ve completely reversed my pre-diabetes (my A1C was 6.1—now it’s 5.0), all my blood work in December was fantastic (I’m 62 years old and my doctor told me I had the blood test results of a 14-year-old), I was exposed to that horrible flu in December but never got it, and I haven’t had a cold in over two years.
I’m healthier than I’ve been in decades, I’ve packed on lots of muscle (at 62) thanks to strength training and aerobics, and I’m no longer in chronic pain or depressed. I’m hydrated, strong, energetic, and happier than I’ve been in decades.
This is how I’m going to eat for the remainder of my life.
She doesn’t know how eating 90% of your calories in fat can lead to weight loss? This is the problem. Supposedly “trained” dietitians don’t understand basic biology around nutrition. I have been intermittent fasting for 9 months, and keto for 2 months, and done a fair bit of research on this, and the science is super clear. It is about controlling insulin, pure and simple (if anyone is interested, google Dr Jason Fung, he is a leading Dr in this field, is a practitioner, and seriously knows his stuff). If the author doesn’t understand how controlling insulin affects weight loss, she is not qualified to comment on the keto diet, and I have no idea what she did for the years she was studying nutrition. This is nutrition 101.
A major issue here seems to be that the low carb thing seems to be threatening to the dietitian and medical establishment. There are some serious conflicts of interest in the establishment here, as well as serious concern around legal trouble if (let’s say when, cos it will happen soon) the establishment finally change the dietary guidelines to accept all the clear research and studies that say low fat diets do not work, but low carb diets do. I look forward to the day when this happens, and we can stop the madness of trying to silence doctors who advise their patients to use a low carb diet to manage T2D and lose weight. Many many people are dying earlier than they should because of the low fat advice they are given.
The keto diet is proven to work (again and again and again), and the low fat diet has failed (again and again and again) and yet the establishment ignore the science and stick to the old Ancel Keys led low fat regime that fails people every day. What do we have to do to get the establishment to WAKE UP?
Terrible article full of bad information. Anyone interested in optimizing their health and losing weight should check out various sites, including dietdoctor dot com and watch some of dr. jason fung’s videos on youtube. There is also a new documentray called The Magic Pill on amazon that is chock full of great examples of real life people.
I am so heart broken for our future after reading these comments in support of this diet. However, it appears that many have had success due in part of the pieces this diet has gotten correct. Everyone agrees processed food and processed sugar are the enemy. Once you cut out chips, cookies, soda and dinner in a box you will definitely gain greater health. Also everyone agrees whole food and plants are healthy. The distressing part is the animals. No animal needs to suffer and die to feed us. Animal agriculture is killing this planet. As we continue to kill these peaceful animals they in turn our killing us with disease and stripping our planet of it’s natural resources 🙁 For the love of all creatures, please educate yourselves.
You realize they suffer and die to fertilize your plant based diet, right? A chicken can be hypnotized by simply stroking between their eyes. Do you really believe that they were put on this earth for anything other than being a food group? It certainly wasn’t for their aroma.
You’ve taken a position based on emotion and no science. How did our ancestors survive? The Inuit northern Canada only survived on animal sources of food. Period. Nothing else. They were healthy then. Now they’re disease ridden with our standard American diets.
Magic Pill has a former vegan in it who talks about the follies of the vegan diet and it’s beliefs. Just watch the bloody video before commenting anymore on this way of eating and your beliefs about veganism.
I understand your strong beliefs on animal cruelty. However, we have to supplement our diets with artificial nutrients if we don’t consume animal products. How is that a good thing for our bodies’? There is a natural circle of life and humane animal product consumption is part of that in my opinion. That opinion is supported by plenty of research and evidence that perhaps you haven’t had the opportunity to review with an open mind. Who knows. But stop posting about your vegan agenda please. It’s not changing anyone’s minds on here; in fact it’s just making people want to prove your wrong even more strongly.
@285 in 1999 I embarked on a “keto” diet. Though I never reached my goal of 121, I have maintained my weight at 133 for all of these years. I think long term weight loss is possible, I am living proof.
I absolutely LOVE the keto lifestyle – notice I did NOT say “diet” – it HAS to be a lifestyle change or you WILL gain everything – & more – back if you revert to the old habits that got you fat in the first place. I have never felt healthier! I get compliments regularly about how good I look, how healthy. I don’t feel like I’m missing out on any of the foods I’ve given up. The biggest kicker of all was my blood sugar – my doctor had been monitoring it closely over the last couple of years as my A1C hovered between 5.6 – 5.7 – he had paused before diagnosing me with diabetes or pre-diabetes – allowing me to try and reign it in. It was at 5.6 last June just before I fully engaged in keto and the very next blood work came back at 5.1 – in October! Only FOUR MONTHS on keto and it fell so much my doctor put me on annual check-ups instead of quarterly! Score one for keto and score one for me!
I have been diagnosed with PCOS for almost 30 years and carbs are my enemy. It wasn’t until I started the keto diet in January that I was able to finally lose weight and feel better. I don’t eat bacon (I hate bacon), I don’t consume a ton of butter (a tablespoon at the most per week), and heavy cream is not even any part of a daily food intake. I do eat my vegetables, fruits and proteins. NOT every diet is for everyone. I have friends who swear by Weight Watchers and others. However, those diets would never work for me. I look at it as a lifestyle change.
Well this is the most healthy way of eating rather a diet
I am on Keto since 5 months and honest to God just get rid of all unnecessary hunger , tiredness , joint pain ,muscular aches and above all loads of unwanted pounds of weight
Keto made me happy energetic super satisfied even with a small plate of greens that what we all are striving for
This woman needs to do more research. Fat is not bad for heart health when you’re not eating sugar and complex carbs. When most, if not all of your carbs come from your abundance of vegetables, which is what we actually eat not bacon and cheese constantly, it actually REDUCES many risk factors for heart disease. I actually went from stage 3 moderate hypertension to stage 1 prehypertension in 3 months. I could be well on my way to a normal blood pressure without medication. Read The Obesity Code by Jason Fung, and don’t listen to this person who obviously did zero research to write a blog post.
Check out the website ruledme for more info and help. He has tons of information and getting started lists. It is NOT a high protein way of eating. It’s high fats, moderate protein and very low carb. Program your MFP macros to have max 5% carbs and minimum 75% fat as your intake levels. Diet doctor has heaps of recipes for you as well. Good luck.
In reading above…one thing got my attention. “A diet that puts few limits on bacon, butter and full-fat cream automatically draws backlash.” I have never read anything in Keto that promoted ice cream. But everything I have read do not go for unlimited butter/bacon and the like. There is a balance. When broad statements like this are made….the credability of the author drops.
I’m sorry to those here who support the Keto diet. But this author is absolutely correct. The author of this article is a registered dietitian (someone who goes through intensive training and internship to become). Dietitians are the only healthcare professionals who can recommend diets and nutrition therapy. Even your Doctors don’t know as much about diets as a Dietitian. The keto diet is a fad that will die out. You will soon realize that you may have lost weight because you had been following an actual plan and making dietary changes not because your body is in true ketosis (Which I guarantee you are not actually in true Ketosis). I myself have done a lot of research on this topic and have not found any substantial evidence that this diet is beneficial. Please consult with your Registered Dietitian before starting a weight loss plan.
Do your own research, please, Jennifer… you can’t guarantee anything as you are not working directly with each and every person that has given testimony here. I am so sorry that you feel the need to defend your education and this author. It appears that the information you have is based on incorrect information for a majority of the people that are testifying here. If this way of life is working and the blood work is showing that it isn’t impacting their health, please just agree to disagree. Or do the research as if you are new to this subject. Dr. Jason Fung, Dr. Ken D. Berry, Dr. John Bergman, Dr. Eric Berg, Dr. Stephen Phinney, Dr. Michael Vanderscheld. The list goes on with different providers and people have found through research and working with individuals. Or if you want examples studies already done, google healthline with 23 studies on Low-Carb and Low-Fat diets. Each in the article has a hyperlink to the study. It’s a shame that after all of the reports of the great results that people have had… with some reporting they have been doing it multiple years… that you aren’t able to look at this with an open mind without bashing the people that have been able to get the wonderful results. Your response would be the reason I wouldn’t trust a Registered Dietician trained as you or the author believes. Your responses also indicates that you haven’t really done any research unless you just refuse to look at any research found because it is refuting what you were taught was the truth. I imagine you would be disappointed to have to admit that your education was all based on incorrect or incomplete information.
By “experts” they mean Monsanto, Cargill and others who produce GMO corn, wheat and other dangerous carbs that are causing the epidemic in type II diabetes and heart disease.
I fail to understand how a ketogenic diet is any more restrictive than other diets. Most diets restrict or eliminate fat because common ‘knowledge’ is that fat is bad. Keto eliminates carbs, which most folks consume in the form of sugar, anyway, not whole grains, fruits or vegetables.
I gladly traded my pasta for a ribeye, bread for a salad, donuts for a hunk of brie and an apply for an avocado. Keto is not disproportionately restrictive compared to most other diets, it simply restricts that which most people are addicted to (sugar) and promotes that what people have been taught to fear (fat).
LMAO. How is it possible to say that the Keto Diet has unknown long term effects, yet the beginning it has the argument that the diet has been used for over a 100 years as well as has been used in the long term treatment for people with epilepsy?
The bias against the Keto diet is real.
Skinny Asian girl trying to tell fat people how to diet….if your fat and don’t want to be fat do what ever diet that you can do that works for you, the benefits of getting the weight off and feeling better about yourself spin any negative bs that writers like this like to spin. Bottom line is this girl is a dietician whose job is in competition with the keto diet
“It promotes foods high in fat, even saturated fat, which is bad for heart health”. Who planted that idea in your head? Ancel Keys with his skewed research. I’ve been keto for two years and my doctor took me off statins that I was taking for years on a regular “healthy” diet. And mind you, we do not go crazy of bacon and cheese. I eat a lot of leafy greens, eggs, some protein, good quality oils, absolutely no processed food or anything that I could not pronounce the ingredients, no processed vegetable oils that are blasted with chemicals. My high lipids are gone, high blood pressure is gone, acid reflux is gone, boundless energy in workouts… yeah, I think I’m going to say this article is not well researched at the very least. Or maybe the reason is that keto could not be very well monetized by the industry.
“U S News expert”? Give me a break. Ketones are more efficient source of food for the brain. Dr. Atkins came out with his low carb diet in the 1970s and was literally vilified by those “experts” who felt threatened. Even the Food Pyramid is not put out by the Department of Health but by the US Agriculture… Can you say “conflict of interest?” Get the politics out of this and open your eyes. Yes, I am a type 2 and, yes the ketogenic diet has saved my life. To say I don’t need insulin is not correct; everybody needs insulin. But, the Low Carb/High Fat diet has kept my BG to a level such that my pancreas beta cells are doing well.
I’ll put your innuendo against my Blood Glucose Meter and regular test results any day!
This is total bs. I’ve been keto for 12 months, I’ve lost 79 pounds, normalizedmy blood sugar cured my high blood pressure, lowered my cholesterol, healed my diverticulitis, and I’ve never felt healthier. keto is just eating whole healthy foods and cutting out the carbs. There is no such thing as an essential carb. Carbs are what has made us a nation of obese insulin-dependent people and I for one don’t miss them at all.
I have been on Keto for 3 months – my ankles stopped swelling, my blood sugar is reversed, I have lost 11 lbs. I do not eat a lot of bacon. In fact – I eat a variety of vegetables, berries, healthy fats and proteins. I also fast from time to time. There is nothing unhealthy about the way I eat. I feel great and also drink red wine. The diet I follow is closer to the way the Mediterranean diet which has historically been promoted as heart healthy. The French eat a lot of butter and cream. Voila. No need for whole grains. We are not cows.
All I know is that every time I’ve tried to diet I would fail because I would feel like crap and literally feel like I was honest to god starving to death if I went more than an hour or so without eating. I ONLY counted calories with a tremendous amount of willpower for a solid 6 months one time and lost 25 pounds (in 6 months people!) and then gained it all back when I stopped counting and writing down everything I ate. But a few months ago (May 14th) I went on a keto diet and since then I’ve lost 31 pounds (not in 6 months, that’s only been a little over 2 months now). And that’s just the weight loss. My energy level has improved dramatically, my sleep quality is better, my mood is better, my acne has gone away. I used to get heartburn constantly. Hell, I would practically eat OTC heartburn medicine like it was candy just trying to keep my heartburn under control (which didn’t work anyway) but now it’s fine. I don’t even buy heart burn medicine anymore. I used to get headaches constantly too and had to take motrin all the time. I don’t have that problem anymore either. I don’t give a crap what anyone says I will literally NEVER go back to eating the way I was with too many carbs. And if anyone has a problem with that they can kiss my butt. My life has improved way too dramatically for me to care what anyone thinks. 🙂
There are many ways to achieve the same goals. Best bet is to carefully experiment and do what works for you.
I’ve been on keto for over a year and lost 68lbs so far. That is with keto and exercise. Cholesterol is in check, no sugar issues, energy is great, no problems with inflammation, and I barely ever get sick.
I don’t eat massive amounts of bacon or dairy. I’ve learned to eat other types of veggies and how to control carb intake (no more extra bread at restaurants). Keto is one of my tools for trying to achieve my goals, but it’s not my only weapon of mass fat destruction.
Sometimes I take a keto break, specifically if on vacation overseas or going out to a special dinner. I eat balanced meals, try to make good food choices, watch my intake and then go back to keto.
I feel great on keto, it works for me. That doesnt mean it works for everyone. I have friends that do paleo, others that just watch calories in and out, and they have similar results.
Point is forget what everyone is saying about keto, do your own homework, see if it’s a good fit, and if not, move on. Also, dont think there is only one way to skin a cat… sometimes it’s a good idea to switch things up. Remember, everyone has the right to an opinion, we can agree to disagree.
I get so frustrated with articles like this from supposed “Registered Dietitians”. If you don’t know what you are talking about why even put out an article? Or actually do some research? I really hope this person does more research in the future . If anybody is looking for information on Keto I highly recommend “The Keto Reset Diet: Reboot Your Metabolism in 21 Days and Burn Fat Forever” by Mark Sisson. I think you will be amazed at the results people have achieved. My girlfriend and I currently eat this way and have been since the beginning of the year.
Typical establishment propaganda being pushed. I have been doing Keto for 7 seven months. I have lost 35 pounds, countless inches, went down two pants sizes, one shirt size, sleep better, have more energy, etc. Many people I know of, have gotten off medications. Getting rid of high carbs which promote inflammation and a whole host of related issues sounds like it is a good thing for almost anyone. The Standard American Diet is killing people and frankly I think the kept diet is threatening the status quo. Hopefully next article will be based on solid research would be more helpful.
I am disappointed that MFP continues to fall into the Big Food/Big Pharm trap instead of relying on science. Will be cancelling my premium subscription.
Hubby and I crack up at dinner every.single.night…’remember, this isn’t sustainable’!!! LOL…9 months, pounds off, meds way reduced, labs better than eve, feel GREAT!! Not sustainable, my eye
I was looking through a few articles posted by MyFitnessPal and am surprised at how outdated and factually incorrect their articles are. First off, saturated fat has been exonerated. That’s not some out-there belief. The daily cholesterol limit was removed from the 2015 Dietary Guidelines and it’s been shown that dietary fat isn’t the enemy. We’ve only recently started to learn the flaws of Dr. Ancel Keys study on saturated fat in the 1960’s (which excluded data that went against his conclusion) that led to the fat-phobia, fear of saturated fat, and over consumption of trans fats that plagued us in the subsequent decades.
Personal experience: All of 2018 eating a 5,000 calorie, 60% fat, 20% carb, 20% protein diet (not exactly keto, but shifting in and out of ketosis). Lost 15lbs and maintained at that weight.
HDL cholesterol = 93. LDL Cholesterol = 91, Triglycerides (<150 ideal): 44, Triglyceride/HDL Ratio (<5 ideal), 0.5. So I'd say the fat certainly hasn't increased my risk of heart attack 🙂
Recommended Reading: Genius Foods – Max Lugavere, Food: What the Heck Should I Eat – Mark Hyman, Wired to Eat – Robb Wolf, Grain Brain – David Perlmutter
I'll stay subscribed to MyFitnessPal for the entertainment, but I'm also quite disheartened that this is the information people are still being fed.
She also neglected to look up long term studies which show huge benefits and no proven negative long term. One not so long term, but deemed long term is https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2716748/, there is is many more legitimate studies on it now that follow years not months. No down side, other than how hard it is to follow have been found. Epileptic children have been on this diet for over 100 years, yes they have traditionally been monitored but 100 years ago we didn’t have the at home monitoring available and internet as we do now. You can monitor and check with your doctor. When not for epilepsy if you do fall out of Ketosis (which is really what they are monitored for so they don’t have seizures) it is not life or death, but staying in Ketosis hasn’t shown poor health affects and has shown many pluses in the studies to date and for the monitored children. A doctor should be monitoring you through any weight loss diet if you are looking to lose huge amounts of weight. As a life style diet it’s hard to follow but the nutritionist need to do more research on the real studies they have access too or not report on anecdotal information. It is okay to say, I can’t find information on this, don’t suppose info.
Keto apologists are out in full force as expected…first it was gluten free diet, then paleo and now it’s keto and it’s followers all acted the same. I wonder what “healthy” diet people will flock to in worship the next few years.
My opinion: The two points listed under CONTROVERSIAL are off base.
1. Saturated fats have been proven to HELP heart health.
2. Eliminating those food groups would be a good thing.
I’ve lost 25 Lbs on the Keto diet, but I also eat well and exercise a lot , with cycling, surfing and motocross . I also use Bulletproot brain octane oil as well. My energy level has gone through the roof .
My husband was put on an extremely low carb diet (neither of the above, just low carb, high fat) by a gastroenterologist about 6 weeks ago for a physical condition. He has lost 25 lbs (needed to), stopped taking his high blood pressure meds (at the direction of his doctor), and stopped taking metformin for type 2 diabetes. While high fat low carbs won’t work for everyone (I’d die without fruit), it has been a lifesaver for him. I recommend The Diabetes Code by Jason Fung (recommended by his doctor) for an explanation of the process (to type 2 diabetics).
The article states that Doctors have been using this for 100 years to treat epilepsy but they don’t know the long term effects? If they are adjusting for micro nutrient imbalances for 100 years how can there not be any long term data such as Typical imbalances, common deficiencies, recommendations on nutrient tracking? I would suspect all the data is out there, someone just needs to do a study using the 100 yrs worth of patient record data (without specific details of course)
Trinh, don’t be scared to have your own voice in this article. Your lack of research puts me and many experts on edge. Only listing sources that are against the “diet” and not showing any research on the benefits of keto that you, yourself, listed shows your bias. If you were just going to point everyone to the AMDR chart and tell people that keto is “risky, restrictive, and not good for the long term”, you are perpetuating misplaced fear and ignoring the benefits of this lifestyle.
Hey, Christmas morning the year before last I wound up in the emergency room, really sick. The doctors agreed there were issues with my diet. High blood pressure, high blood sugar Type 2, Gaul bladder inflammation. We scheduled for surgery to remove my gaul bladder the doctors used insulin to lower my blood sugar. My follow up visit was a wake up call, my options were diet and exercise or take a couple of pills a day to regulate my condition. I have been monitoring my blood sugar every day since then. After taking the pills for about a year my blood sugar levels were still in the 140 to 175 range everyday. This past January I started the keto lifestyle, I can say it really works, I’m down 40 lbs. and my waking morning blood sugar is around 100 or less. The doctor gave me a choice to apply diet and exercise or take the pills. You can’t fool yourself thinking processed foods filled with preservatives and taking medicine can match the fullness you experience eating well. Don’t become shy about eating keto. You are always in control, self prepared meals result in higher nutrition without added sweetners. Ansel Keys got it, take away fats in the diet and food loses its taste, so adding sweetners to EVERYTHING leads me to believe the gift I received that christmas morning was a wake up call and life changing. Thank you keto.
There’s no way that this article is correct. You don’t eat anywhere near 90% of your diet in fat on the keto diet, you usually have your macros set at 60% fat, 30% protein and 10% carbs (which is what was set out by my dietitian.)
I was put onto the diet by my GP, Neurologist and dietitian working together to help improve my quality of life which had deteriorated due to my epilepsy and having seizures 3 to 5 times a week for the last 2 years.
Between the diet and some new medication, I’ve been seizure free for 2 1/2 months now and I’ve lost just over 14kgs (30lbs) in that time.
This diet has changed my life, that of my wife who is on it too, and my kids who are seeing a healthier and happier father.