Keto is probably the most talked-about diet of our times. I am sure you have heard how the Keto diet can help you shed those pounds, stay healthy, help you live longer, increase your productivity, and even make you look younger. And now you’re probably planning on joining the bandwagon.
I can’t blame you; it must be exciting to kick out all the carbs from your daily diet and eat more cheese, eggs, and meat, and then get a trim physique in return.
And it is not only celebrities who are promoting it, Keto is also the latest buzzword in health and fitness circles.
There is a huge section of nutritionists and health practitioners that swear by its benefits. Millions of people worldwide are going keto based on their lofty claims of weight loss but, is it really a panacea for all your fitness problems, or is it like any other weight loss program that only makes tall promises but delivers little?
Unfortunately, it’s not all really a cure-all as we are made to believe.
Every year U.S. News ranks 35 diets with input from a panel of the top diet and nutrition experts. For the diet to be top-rated, it has to be easy to follow, safe, nutritious, well balanced, and effective for weight loss. Keto has been on the bottom of the list for three years in the row now.
If you want to know which diets were voted best, then watch this short video below.
Losing weight and keeping it off can be difficult in the long run, and fad diets that promise quick and painless weight loss simply don’t work
How Does Keto Diet Work?
Ketogenic Diet May Not Be the Panacea It’s Made Out To Be!
“Keto” is the short form of the ketogenic diet. This diet works by changing the fuel source for your body.
Normally, your body draws its energy from glycogen, which is sugar stored in the liver and muscles and is obtained from carbohydrates.
When you drastically cut down on carbs, your body starts to draw energy from ketones, which are molecules that your liver produces in the absence of glycogen. The shift is not easy, and it takes about 1-3 days for your body to enter ketosis. [1], [2]
The keto diet appeals to many due to rapid weight loss promises – however, the negative effects often get overlooked. Those misusing the diet can face serious health consequences, so going on the #ketogenic #diet isn’t to be taken lightly.
This shift in fuel source is the main selling point of keto. The logic sounds convincing and is easy to buy into.
What excites people about keto is that the body’s fat reserves are burnt. Still, we should not forget that the keto diet is high in fat, so what you eat also gets converted into ketones.
Anyone looking for a magic formula to transform their body seems to be pulled towards this diet. However, nutrition experts are of the opinion that keto is only as effective as any other program you might have heard of.
Bacon and Eggs is a popular breakfast favorite, especially for those on a keto, paleo, and low-carb diet.
The only thing you can do to ensure that you burn more fat than you eat is to reduce calorie intake, which is how most of the other diets also work. [3]
For instance, if you cut out carbs, your calorie intake drops, and this leads to weight loss. So, whether you remove all fat or all carbs from the diet, the effects would more or less be the same.
Anyone who is on keto or a low-carb diet may lose significant weight in the short term, but the toll it takes on their overall health could be phenomenal. So, unless your sole aim in life is to lose all the body fat, this diet may not be your best bet.
History Of The Ketogenic Diet
The concept of keto can be dated back to as far as 500 BC when it was discovered that fasting could control epilepsy. Later, in the 1920s, some researchers found that people with epilepsy started to feel the benefits two to three days into fasting, and this is the time when the body starts going into ketosis.
This got another set of researchers to conclude that these seizure-controlling benefits can be achieved by keeping the body in ketosis, i.e., by taking a diet that comprises 90 percent fats.
Another study conducted in the early 1970s confirmed that epileptic children placed on a keto diet benefited immensely, and some even became seizure-free.
How Sustainable Is Ketogenic Diet For A Long Term?
Keto Diet May Have Some Benefits But These Are Up For Debate
New evidence from a long-term study published in The Lancet looks at more than 15,000 people in the US and another 432,000-people around the world, and it indicated that getting around 50-55% of a day’s energy from carbohydrates might be ideal.
The Keto Diet is not a suitable option for weight loss in the long term because of the extremely restrictive nature of this eating program. When completely excluding many essential food groups from the diet, you’ll have a higher risk of developing a macronutrient and micronutrient deficiency.
Completely eliminating glucose and carb can really affect your energy levels and cause fatigue and irritability. Also, consuming a very high amount of fat and protein for extended periods can have other adverse effects that become more evident longer you stay on this diet. The severity of these symptoms and side effects can vary from individual to individual.
Low carb diets have short-term benefits, which are mostly superficial and short-lived.
Although the ketogenic diet has been shown to help promote weight loss in the early stages of this diet, this is usually a result of the increased awareness of eating habits as well as the complete elimination of carbohydrates, which in the long term is not recommended and challenging to sustain.
Sticking to extremely low-carb eating for the long-term is very difficult and, in my opinion, not worth the risk.
As we learned above, the ketogenic diet has been used to treat epilepsy and other health conditions, but over the years, more people are using this low-carb dietary regime to lose weight, and in many cases, this practice has seriously backfired. [4]
As Keto is a very extreme form of low carb diet, constant medical supervision is required whilst on the program. Using Keto unsupervised and for aesthetic purposes can result in various health problems. [5] So, should we write off The Keto diet completely?
Of course not, as it has certainly proven to have some great medical benefits when properly executed and closely supervised. However, anyone who is considering giving it a try as a recreational weight loss program should not do it hastily and should really do the research and find out all the risks and side effects involved before jumping into it.
Don’t look for a way of eating that is so strict and limited that you can only stay sane if you do it for two weeks every four months; that isn’t a recipe for meaningful, sustainable, long-term results.
Dr. Carl D Stewart // Medical Expert and MD
The latest research shows that ketosis can be considered beneficial in only the most extreme circumstances. So, unless you are an endurance athlete running cross country, someone trying to control epileptic symptoms, or going on a commando mission, keto is not really the best thing for you. [6]
Below, Samantha Heller, Dietitian and Exercise Physiologist, discusses some of the reasons why the keto diet may not be good for you. She talks about the concerns she has about what these low-carb, high-fat dietary regimes can do to your health.
This highly promoted low-carb, high-fat diet can have devastating long-term health effects
Samantha Heller // Dietitian and exercise physiologist
The Risks Of High-Fat, Low-Carb Diets
The biggest concern nutritionists have when it comes to these programs is that the long-term effects are often undesirable. Most people claim that keto is good for health because it helps keep the blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol at optimal levels.
However, you don’t need to go to extremes to achieve this. Adopting a sensible and sustainable approach to eating and having an active lifestyle can help you get there, just in a less painful way. [7]
According to many experts, one of the common side effects of the keto diet is “the keto flu.” This condition usually occurs in the process of transitioning to a low-carb lifestyle and is characterized by increased fatigue, brain fog & troubles sleeping.
Moreover, nobody ever tells you that keto can affect your health adversely, especially if you are a woman. It can cause hormonal imbalance, immunity problems, and nutritional deficiencies. So, losing a few pounds and getting a leaner frame may come at a risk. Below are Some Of The Health Problems That Can Result From Being On A Keto Diet:
Keto Diet Side Effects
- Nutritional Deficiencies: The body needs a balanced diet to stay healthy and happy. Cutting out whole grains and essential vitamins and minerals comes with the low-carb high-fat package that Keto offers.
- Heart ailments: Keto diet also puts you at risk of developing heart problems due to the high consumption of saturated fat. Medical guidelines suggest only 30g saturated fat consumption per day for men and 20g for women.
- Hormone Disruption: Due to limited thyroidal function, hormone production will be reduced. In men, lower testosterone levels will be experienced, and in women, lower fat-burning hormone leptin levels. This could cause muscle aches and fatigue and actually slow down fat loss.
- Salt Loss: When on a very low-carb eating plan, the human body starts to use up all the sugar it can, causing you to urinate more often, in the process, losing body salt.
- Constipation: The limitation on the number of vegetables consumed during the Keto diet reduces fiber intake. This results in constipation.
- Leg aches: When sodium level in the body is low as a result of the salt loss, a condition of the legs called hyponatremia can occur.
- Ketoacidosis: Ketones can build up in your blood can cause it to become too acidic that can lead to a serious negative effect on your body. [8]
Keto Food Pyramid Compare To Other Food Pyramids
If you are someone who is on keto or considering going on it, it is important that you know what is wrong with the keto diet food pyramid and how it compares to many other eating plans.
The Keto diet promotes the elimination of entire food groups, many of which contain vital nutrients that are hard to obtain from other sources. Thus, nutritional deficiencies are a likely outcome.
Ketogenic diet chart outline vs conventional diet food pyramid.
While there is nothing wrong about having meat per se, but no one with a sane mind would ever recommend bacon. How could healthy eating contain processed meat that is full of carcinogens? Not unless you are looking to cut your life short. No diet that starts with bacon can be termed healthy.
Next up on the keto pyramid is usually lots of protein in the form of salmon, fish, poultry, and red meat. Then there are eggs, cheese, milk, and vegetables.
At the top of the keto pyramid are seeds, nuts, and berries. This is the exact inverse of the food pyramid that humans have been following since times immemorial.
While you can have protein, fat, and even meat to your liking, this particular food pyramid is not the normal human diet. It cannot in any way keep you healthy or live long.
We, as humans, are not evolved to take in so much meat or fat. It simply does not come naturally to us.
Ample research has been conducted on vegetarian and vegan based cultures, and a lot of studies have shown that the more meat you eat higher is your risk of developing osteoporosis.
Acid-forming foods include most high-protein foods, such as meat, fish, and eggs. Foods that are considered acidic must have a pH level of 4.6 or lower.
Although we would like to believe that people who eat a lot of meat get sufficient protein and calcium and ideally their bones should be nice and strong, but this is far from true.
When someone eats a LOT of meat, their body produces a lot of acids, and when this happens, the body draws calcium from the bones to neutralize these acids. Hence, the higher the risk of osteoporosis. It is simple biochemistry that occurs within our body to maintain an optimal pH of 7.356.
So, if you have to eat meat, you should instead stick to some of the better food pyramids. Let us check out some of the other major food pyramids that we know of.
USDA Food Pyramid
Food Guide Pyramid, which was released by the United States Department of Agriculture.
The first one we will talk about is the USDA food pyramid.
According to this, you should be having 6-7 servings of bread, cereal, rice, and pasta, which are mainly processed grains. It’s needless to say that these are unhealthy.
Next up in the USDA food pyramid is 2-4 servings of fruits and 3-5 servings of vegetables.
Further up in the pyramid is fish, meat, poultry, eggs, beans, and nuts, and the recommended intake is 2-3 servings. The dairy products such as cheese, milk, and yogurt are 2-3 servings a day, and finally, we have oils, fats, and sweets.
The biggest flaw in this food pyramid is that at the very foundation, there are processed grains. These processed grains can cause an increase in triglycerides, LDL-based cholesterol, blood sugar, and insulin irregularity, which can eventually lead to type 2 diabetes, and various other inflammatory conditions. While it does include fruits and vegetables, 3-5 servings are way too few. Moreover, a lot of dairy makes it only worse.
Read Also: No-Carb Cloud Bread – ONLY 4 Ingredients!
Mediterranean Food Pyramid
The Mediterranean food pyramid is inspired by the eating habits of Southern Italy, Greece, and Spain.
The next one that deserves mention is the Mediterranean-based diet.
A lot of research has gone into the Mediterranean diet and how it may help lower inflammation, the risk of cardiovascular disease, improve heart health, and maintain optimum blood pressure.
At the foundation of the Mediterranean food pyramid are vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, nuts, olive oil, seeds, legumes, spices, and herbs.
In the middle of the pyramid are oily fish like salmon and sardines and other seafood, which are rich in omega-3 fats. And right above it, for more moderate consumption is poultry, like chicken, duck and turkey and dairy, cheese, and yogurt.
At the top of the food pyramid, recommended only for very limited amounts are eggs, or egg yolk, to be more specific. (egg whites can be eaten in unlimited quantities) and also sweets, red meat.
The Mediterranean food pyramid is closest to a nutritionally sound, healthy, and sustainable eating plan.
Read Also: Are Canned Sardines Good For You? Here Is What You Should Know!
Before we move on, it is essential to understand why we cannot completely eliminate carbs from our diet and why we need to eat more vegetables. We have an almost 28 feet long digestive tract, so we need a good amount of fiber in our diet to keep this tract healthy.
The Institute of Medicine, daily fiber recommendation is 35 grams for men and 25 grams for women.
With a keto-based or any other super low-carb eating program, we throw our microbiome off balance, which can play havoc with our digestive and immune system.
Fibrous foods are also full of many B vitamins and vitamin K, which helps in processing serotonin, which ultimately leads to melatonin, the hormone that helps us sleep well. Without fiber in our diet, deadly illnesses such as colon cancer become a real threat.
Coming back to the Mediterranean diet, I have already discussed how fruits, vegetables, and whole grains can provide a lot of fiber and a host of health benefits. Olive oil, nuts, beans, legumes, herbs, seeds, and spices are known to lower the risk of cardiovascular problems, reduce inflammation, and lower blood pressure.
The mediterranean diet has been voted the best healthy eating plan for many years now. [9] As we can see, it is quite in line with what we require for healthy living.
Ketogenic Diet vs. Plant-Based Eating
Now, the question that arises is: if not Keto, then what?
Although the Mediterranian diet is one of the best options and highly recommended by many experts, I would like to suggest that we go back to the indigenous diets. Owing to the high levels of chronic non-communicable diseases in the modern world, we are forced to revert to the eating habits of our ancestors in order to regain lost nutrients.
Looking at the diets of populations that lived really long, we see a lot of fruits and vegetables, in fact, more vegetables. We also see a little bit of low-fat protein from fish and poultry and monounsaturated fats from foods like avocado and olives. These food items are very healthy, boast anti-inflammatory properties, and are known to promote a healthy cardiovascular system.
This type of semi-vegetarian diet is known as Flxiteranism.
Flexitarian, also known as flexible vegetarianism, is mostly plant-based eating with an occasional meat dish and other animal products in moderation.
When we go back to the rankings of the best diets, then we can see that Flexitarianism also came on the top as one of the best diets to follow.
Flexitarianism ranked second-best, right after the Mediterainin diet. [9]
Although both of these eating plans are very nutritious, sustainable, safe, and effective for weight loss, and protective against many ailments, I would personally lean toward the Flexetarin way of eating.
Flexitarianism – More Sustainable, Long-Term Choice
I really do believe that Flexiterainsim one of the best diets to follow. Unlike Keto or Vegan diets, you don’t have to completely eliminate any food groups.
Also, it is safe and well-balanced. Therefore it is more realistic and achievable for more people, and you are more likely to stick with this eating plan than with many others.
Here are some of the reasons why I think that the Flexireian diet is the most sustainable way of eating in the long term.
- Not overly restrictive
- Rich in a variety of nutrient-dense foods
- Not costly and easy to follow
- Balanced and healthily
- Environmentally friendly
- Effective for weight loss
- Has Lots of tasty recipes
- Flexible
- No side effects
- Safe
More Vegetables With Moderate Meat
For long and healthy life, at least 50-70 percent of your foods should be vegetables and fruits. If you have an endomorphic body type and you are worried about weight gain, you should have more veggies, mainly leafy greens, asparagus, bok choy, brussels sprouts, and cauliflower. All these vegetables are sulfur-rich and great for your body.
You can also include some berries if you are worried about the glycemic index of the fruits. It is also okay to have a portion of plant-based protein, and other foods like olive oil, avocado, seeds, and nuts.
Once in a while, you can also take some grains and starches. Those with an ectomorph body type can have more starches from foods such as sweet potatoes, potatoes, and yams. All these root vegetables are high in starch. You can also get your starches from oatmeal or rice.
If you are on a dietary regime that does not have fruits and vegetables as a foundation, you are not going the healthy way. It will be particularly damaging if you follow this type of diet for the long term.
Even if you intend to go on a low-carb diet, you can still have fruits and vegetables as the cornerstone of your program. You can make your smoothie with lots of greens and some berries. It’s just an example; there is a whole world of possibilities with vegetables and fruits, even when you are on low carbohydrates.
To stay healthy and live a long life, you should eat foods that have been proven to possess anti-oxidants, kill cancer cells, and fight diseases. Those brightly colored fruits and vegetables that you see in the supermarkets are a storehouse of nutrients.
You can still have some eggs, meat, fish, and other foods on your plate as long as 50-70 percent of your meal is made of fruits and vegetables. You can make a huge bowl of salad, add an egg to it, a little drizzle of olive oil, and a dash of sea salt.
The bottom line is that you should avoid any fad diets, and adopt a healthy vegetation-based diet in the long term for a healthy and long life. [10]
Now, if you really had put your hopes into the Keto diet and you thought that it was the only way for you to get that lean body you have always desired, don’t worry, there are many other programs out there that are a lot less extreme.
Some revolutionary new diet and nutrition plans seem pretty promising, which are more balanced, healthy, and sustainable in the long-term and have already delivered some fantastic results for thousands of women worldwide.
Check Out My Sirtfood Diet Review Video Below
Finally, whichever program you decide to go for, always make sure you have all the details before you make your decision. Ensure the weight-reduction plan is actually suitable for you, that it works, and that it is safe and natural.
Check out these 9 Best Weight Loss Blogs For Women
What Are Your Thoughts On Ketogenic Diet?
Keto Diet Is Still Having A Moment, But Its Legitimacy Is Now Up For Debate, so join the debate and leave your comment below. Tell us about your experience with the keto diet and whether you think if it is a good or a bad idea for sustainable weight loss.
Are you vegan and struggling to find a good plant-based eating plan to follow? Here Are 5 Best Free Vegan Weight Loss Plans You Can Start Using Right Now!
The Mediterranean diet is usually the best diet to eat for most people. You want to have your diet mostly made up of vegetables like you said. Fruit is good as well but you don’t want to eat too much. You get plenty of vitamin C and other nutrients in veg anyways. This keto diet is a mess and I still can’t believe I fell for it. I think this is a great short-term option for maybe bodybuilders but not everyday people! I am still not feeling right and have been off the keto diet for 3 weeks now. Funny thing is, the weight I had gained in 3 months came back off AFTER I stopped the keto plan. I am thankful of that but I still have yet to lose the weight I originally wanted to. I am spreading the word about this keto BS though. People should not be eating this much meat or fat!
The best recipe for achieving a normal weight is always balanced nutrition and a lot of movement. Everything is required to eat in normal quantities. That is what I have been thought.
I don’t agree with primarily eating meat or primarily eating grains. The staple of a healthy diet starts with vegetables. Then you mix in fruit, dairy, and some grains. Then you do meats and fats. Finally everything else like sugar and sweets. Our bodies are designed to have a foundation of vegetation. Just look at our teeth! Anyone else agree with me on this?
I do agree with it 100% People should really do the keto with caution because the fact is that we really don’t have any long-term research about how keto followers fare 10, 20, 30 years from now down the line. There will be health consequences for sure.
If only the bacon was a health food ? ?
I did watch the video, lot of the things they said about the Keto Diet is well know already so there was nothing really new in there for me. I did try keto myself a few years ago, I didn’t have any issues with it but my friend got some nasty health complications so she stopped it after a month or so, I kept going for almost a year and then I stopped. I just wanted to eat normally again, I got sick of all the meat and the fat and everything, I just wanted to eat bread and pasta and rice again. Need to start dieting again, probably not keto this time, perhaps something bit more flexible.
I did watch the keto report, it was quite eye-opening, a bit too long though. Not surprised that health experts rank The Keto Diet dead last in the list of 2018’s best diets.
I have done Brad’s diet at the end of the post in the video and since I have done this diet I have lost 6 kilos, I recommend it to everyone, besides there are not too many sacrifices, that’s all I want ed to say.
Fantastic report on this. It is amazing how little people talk about the negative issues with the keto diet. Had I known just half of this going in, I would have NEVER tried it. I was only on it for 3 months and felt horrible… I can’t imagine what it does to people long term. I think the best approach is looking at your own genetic makeup. Where your ancestors are from and what they ate. Keto is like playing Russian roulette with your health and your life long term. If someone tries to sell you on it, show them this video! Seriously!!
Keto diet is not a healthy solution for losing fat. In fact it damages the brain as it needs carbs to function normally. No wonder some people who practise Keto often experience dementia
What makes no sense to me about this is that the body does great on fasting but only short-term fasting. If you do a 3, 10, or even 20 day fast, you are to take a break of at least 2 months. To constantly be forcing your body into a fasting stage will lead to vitamin deficiencies and health problems.
I didn’t know a lot about Keto diet. Thanks for the help.
Thanks for sharing the article about Keto Diet – Food Pyramid Turned Upside Down.Everything is required to eat in normal quantities.
Everyone is different, so keto diet can be effective for me and inappropriate for someone else. Anyway, we should know all these facts and decide what to do.
I heard only good things about Keto diet. We can talk about this diet all day long, right ? My sister, she try it, and she said it made miracles on her, so to speak.
With the keto diet, it is you either love it or you hate it, there is research that says it is the best thing since sliced bread and then there is research that says you should never touch it. I would say, don’t listen to any experts, whether they are for or against keto. Just try it out yourself and see if it works for you. I personally like the idea of the keto diet but I am not going to try it because I know I would not be able to keep it up for more than a week so I need something that is much less restrictive and also because of the lack of carbohydrates in your diet, your blood sugar levels will be varied, so you may experience an acute appetite for sweets. Another reason why I wont try it is psychological because what is forbidden is normal to become more attractive and I know I don’t have the willpower to keep it up for long.
Wow! I didn’t realize this zero carb diet might not be the right one for my lifestyle. I’m going to have to go back to the drawing board for new diet ideas, the Thin From Within diet program looks promising, I might give that one a try.
Couldn`t agree more with maxim. This diet worked for me and my mom. Say hallo to your sister and one big big like and many kisses for our Jen Evansy
Keto is not the only diet that is in the top five worst diets, there is also Dukan diet, The Blood Type Diet, Raw Food Diet and Baby Food Diet. Steer clear of these ones also.
I have fallen for so many of these fad diets like keto or Dunkan diet over the years and since gaining back a lot of weight 6 years ago, I have been really making an effort to lose it since 2016. I mentioned this in another article I read that it lead me to gain weight. I did the diet for 3 months. Looking at the pyramid, you have to think. Humans are not designed to handle THAT much meat! I felt tired, broke out in acne, I couldn’t sleep, and I went up a whole dress size in 3 months. I think that there is truth in this fad diet in that fats are good for you and so is meat but overeating either one is only asking for health problems. Not worth the risk! I will be sticking to eating more veggies.
Ok, let me explain how it workes. Ketones are produced if you eat very few carbs and only moderate amounts of protein (an excess protein will also be converted to blood sugar). The liver produces ketones from fat so you will burn all your fat. These ketones then serve as a fuel source throughout your body and especially for your brain. Yes, there might be some health risks involved but you certainly lose weight and fast, I can guarantee it. To achieve the same result eating vegetables it would take twice as long.
Common, who would follow celebrity diets, it is not even possible for regular working people, our lifestyle is so different, I do need all the nutrient I can get just to get through the day. No carbs, no thank you.
I think zero carb diet is one of the best for weight lifting and bodybuilding. To get strong and build muscle you need a lot of protein and the best source of protein is meat, right? And who needs carbs, instead of carbs you can have caffeine for energy. It’s not rocket science.
Last month my GP advised me to keep a diet plus take medicines for liver regeneration, as I did an ultrasound and I had fatty liver. He also told me to stop the keto diet ASAP.
My husband often makes fun of those celebrities’ diets, he is a nutritionist, but the keto diet is a whole other story altogether.
Great points on the keto diet. I have been telling all along, It’s not all that simple as it looks on the first view.
There are so many celebrities that are doing or have been trying out the ketogenic diet, like some of the celebrities I have listed below. However, I don’t know if that should be taken as encouragement or discouragement. Personally, I would be a bit sceptical of any diet that celebrities are endorsing. Also, the fact that many of them have dropped it by now shows should make one bit cautious. But I could be wrong as I have never tried any low carb diets myself, I just eat normal and I live an active lifestyle and I look good and feel good so no need for any special diet plan for me.
1. Megan Fox
2. Mick Jagger
3. Vanessa Hudgens
4. Adriana Lima
5. Kim Kardashian
6. Gwyneth Paltrow
7. Halle Berry
8. Kourtney Kardashian
9. Matthew McConaughey
10. Melissa McCarthy
11. Tim McGraw
12. Jennifer Lopez
13. LeBron James
14. Robin Wright
15. Jessica Biel
16. Madonna
17. Drew Carey
18. Kobe Bryant
19. Jack Osbourne
20. Renee Zellweger
21. Cindy Crawford
22. Jennifer Aniston
23. Guy Sebastian
24. Elle Macpherson
25. Courteney Cox
26. Catherine Zeta-Jones
27. Geri Halliwell
28. Ben Affleck
29. Kelly Osbourne
My wife is planning to go on a keto diet. I am a little bit worried now after reading this. She won’t be eating any bacon tho, will probably be mostly fish and nuts and eggs. Let’s hope for the best.
I do agree, most people follow their celebrities and whatever diets or anything else they do blindly without even thinking about pros and cons.
I always had my questions about the keto diet, just didn’t seem right to me, eating all that fat and so on. I especially surprised by the adverse effects keto can have on women. I know many women have who jumped on the keto trend, definitely will be telling them about this. Thanks for the info!
A very interesting Keto diet article, so useful!
Unfortunately, I’m a bit overweight at the moment following my pregnancy. However, people really should stop copying celebrity diet trends blindly and think before if something is really good for them or not! Eating predominately meat just don’t sound that healthy for me. I’ll see what others have to say about that.
Good article, very interesting information. Thank you.
Great Article, Thanks fro sharing!
Choosing a balanced and adequate and varied diet plan is important. Your organs and tissues need the right nutrition to work effectively and I don’t think that keto is a very balanced diet, to be honest. It seems to work for some people tho, I know few people from work who have tried the keto diet and it seemed to work for them, they did lose some weight, but none of them could keep it up for very long, it is so super restrictive. The option they offer at the end of the video, get thin from inside or something, that seems like a more sensible approach.
Great post, thanks. I do have some first-hand experience actually with this, I did try the keto last year and it seemed alright at the beginning, I did even lose some weight, one of the problems for me was that I got sick of eating fat quite fast, first it was ok, I even liked it but it got old in less than a month. I really started to crave toast and jam for breakfast and pancakes. ? Also, the huge blunder I made was entering in it bit too fast and being unsure about it, but after I started getting some of these worrisome side effects that they talk about in the video, then I began doing a considerable amount of research and what I came across was not good. Therefore not surprisingly, I stopped it immediately and now I have been off keto for 3 months. I don’t follow any diet program at the moment, if I do find something interesting I might try it, just trying to eat sensibly that’s all.
I think in North Korea the whole population uses low carb diet except their leaders.
Combine the Keto diet with semi-regular exercises like riding a bike and you will be fine. But it should not be done for the long-term.
I am a fan of the extreme diets- 0 food for a certain period of time, the longer, the better. In these no food intervals, one feels the deep detox and overall healing effect of mind and body. I tried it for 14 days and had mate/yerba every day. Of course, such drastic diets are not recommended without prior preparation and medical supervision. I believe that Keto may be a good temporary fix for people with blood type 0 who are naturally drawn to meat.
I think the Keto diet does work but at what price? I would not recommend going to those extreme conditions and compromise the way you live just to enter the ketosis stage which is so infamously hard to enter into anyway, this diet is not really sustainable in the long run, that I do agree.
Great video about the Keto diet, thanks for sharing. Keto diet has been a very hot topic lately, not sure how popular it is tho, sound quite extreme to me at first glance.
The tips about the Keto diet are very useful!
My wife tried the ketogenic diet, when she told me that it is only eating fat mostly and bit of protein I thought she was pulling my leg but that is actually a real diet that people do, did sound quite wrong to me, I was worried that she was going to get a heart attack eating all that bacon, luckily it didn’t last very long and she was back to eating normally in about 4 weeks time. And yeas, it did have some nasty side-effects.
I did watch the report, very interesting, so many things about the diet I didn’t know. However, I personally consume fewer fats and eat many fruits and vegetables, chicken or fish. Also, for example, I eat boiled eggs, but never fried eggs.
Everybody different! For years I had to adjust my fat, carbs, protein. What works for me is 40% protein 40% carbs 20% fat. Keep adjusting what works for you and depends on how active you are and your metabolism. I eat only clean food. The problem is food doesn’t make you fat junk food does! Yes, everything in moderation! Good article!
I think the biggest question is why would anyone want to try a keto diet? It is very difficult to follow properly and not even necessary for weight loss. Low carb is almost as effective for weight loss and is much easier. Also, you could look into the Modified Atkins Diet. Modified Atkins diet allows for lot higher protein consumption than a ketogenic diet would, while still staying for very low carb levels.
This is for anyone who has started keto diet or if you are considering going on it. I really urge you to do some research first and find out more about it. The keto report is really good as the accurate information is not always easy to find and it has been overpowered by all the hype and misinformation.
My wife tried the ketogenic diet, I do have some first-hand experience actually with this, I did try the keto last year and it seemed alright.
I share the same opinion: Keto diet isn’t good. I prefer the Mediterranean based diet. I feel that I’m much healthier with this diet. I did the keto plan for a good 3 months. What I experienced was horrible. I had read about it being such a big breakthrough that I wanted to try it. I was sick of caring around this extra 40 pounds! Well, I did it. I stuck to it and I not only broke out in acne but I GAINED weight!! It didn’t start right away either. At first, I felt great and appeared to be losing weight and then out of nowhere the scale started going up and my pants didn’t fit! I do not recommend this to anyone. Fats are healthy but not in excess. DO NOT DO KETO!
Thinking in a different direction always ends up helpful. In a time where the word ‘Keto diet’ keeps the top place in search results for weight loss solutions, this article has lots of points that need to be debated on ‘the hidden face of keto diet’. Great work Jen.
Hmm, this sounds so interesting to me, I am on the keto last few months, my body is ready for something little bit different, this could be it. The Keto diet can be very dangerous. My well-being has gone down dramatically after I started it, I hope I will recover tho once I stop it. Thanks for this article.
Nice article and very interesting video about the keto diet and the effects it can have on health. Yeah, unfortunately, bacon and eggs have been the staple breakfast for centuries in the West. Usually, I prefer fresh berries, yoghurt and oatmeal, but now I’m thinking of switching to what this weight loss program suggests.
Killer article! Really made me think about jumping on the Keto diet now.
This weight loss article is quite interesting, thanks for sharing this. I was actually planning on a Keto diet, never thought it will cause these side effects in long-term. Glad I found this article at right time. I personally think that we should see first a professional dietician before we undergo any diet program. Especially if one wants to try crazy low carb diets like The Keto or some other ones.
First, the video is informative, but keep in mind that Brad is advertising his own program in this video. So it’s really not an objective, fully factual video. For example, Keto-flu is a side effect of nutrient loss and indicates a lack of supplements. For me, it was as easy as drinking a glass of Aloe water with a pinch of Himalayan salt every day = keto-flu gone.
As for sustainability (and I am a little irritated with this, so do not feel offended, I am not attacking anyone personally). Sure, keto does not allow you to have “the best of both worlds”. It requires self-discipline and sacrifices. Those sacrifices are NOT unreasonable. It’s HEALTHY. Ketogenic diets are NOT WITHOUT TREATS, does not eliminate pancakes and pizza and chocolate. It eliminates the “easy” options. So if you do your homework and put in some effort, it’s completely realistic to follow long term.
I’ve been on the keto diet for nearly three years now. I have documented my fitness results and did actually see improved performance, and I have absolutely no problem with leptin at all. I did have some nutrient deficiencies, but by adapting my diet to include certain foods, I am now 100% healthy.
I would say the biggest problem with the ketogenic diet is that people are uninformed, misinformed and/ill-informed. Correct, accurate and objective information is hard to find because people don’t want to read research papers, they’d rather read a blog post for info. If that’s the case, then yes, you are going to fail at ketosis.
I have introduced keto to couple of coworkers – they both have had some success so far but then my sister and her husband tried it and got really ill, lot worse then it is described in the video and they had to stop. She is barely talking to me now because of that. I still haven’t given up on keto although I am struggling as well. What is your blog called? I would like to see your progress and get some motivation. xxx
I was really sceptical about Brad’s program I had tried literally everything, including Keto and I found so many of these weight loss programs focus on the fast weight loss instead of building lifetime habits that will keep the weight off for good. I love Brad’s program. I have actually learned really a lot already and I can not wait to learn more!
I do agree, Keto diet requires an enormous amount of self-sacrifice and discipline. Personally, I think Keto works, but there are lot easier and balanced ways to achieve the same result and Brad is promoting exactly such a program. I am not looking for any weight loss program at the moment but if I was to try one I would go for the Brads program. He is doing a good job promoting it as the video is great so he gets A for an effort. It could work for some and not for others but that’s how it is with any other weight loss program that is offered out there.
I know some people who have tried this keto diet and stopped after a few weeks, after learning about the dangers connected to it. The long-term effects should also not be underestimated. Great post, very interesting.
After watching this report I’m not quite sure if I want to try the Keto now. I think it would be better to try some another more balanced diet instead. The one in the video sounded quite good but I don’t want to spend any money on the diet plans. Are there any good weight loss programs that are not very restrictive and I can get it for free?
It is always a good idea to eat balanced meals, when starting a new diet you should have the supervision of a specialist to avoid any health risks, thanks for the information, good blog and I must say it is very well said, quite a good observation and approach to the complex talks about KETO ideology.
Hey, You really convince me, I have stopped the keto diet now, I wasn’t doing that good anyway.
I think that it has been quite well known already that if we are planning to lose some weight, it is advisable that we go for a well-balanced diet to make sure that we are still healthy and we will not regret it in the end. So, nothing new here I must say, old news.
Brads diet help me a lot, thank you so much. First results were visible after only 2 weeks, amazing!
Keto diet might be good for people with some health conditions and people with very high insulin levels, but it doesn’t make sense as a weight loss diet or let me correct myself, it doesn’t make sense as a sustainable, healthy weight loss diet. For most people, there are so much better diet programs available. Also, never get into an argument with the keto believer, just walk away.
This is so cool. Killer article! Really made me think about jumping on low carb diets now.
Fat is actually so crucial to our health, and most of us really don’t get enough of it, I am not sure about the quantities that Keto plan is suggesting it, seems a bit excessive to me but. Still not sure, there are just too many pros and cons when it comes to Keto diet and too many different opinions. I guess the best way to find out is just to try out the different diets and see which one works for you.
I’ve heard some scary stuff about Keto. I live greek lifestyle-all things in moderation.
I am telling you, such diet plans can cause more damage to you than you can imagine. Following this type of eating for a long time can cause all sorts of problems and issues. However, I would not completely write-off zero carb eating, because it has been used with some proven benefits. But it should be controlled and referred by the professional.
Many of the fad diets are not balanced or nutritionally complete, especially low carb diets like this one. Diets like these aren’t an ideal for long-term. Limiting entire food groups may result in micronutrient deficiencies leading to many problems.
Your research is about 30 years out of date and fatally biased. The carbohydrate is NOT an essential ‘nutrient’. If your body needs glucose, and you aren’t consuming carbs, your body will CREATE glucose in the liver via the process of neoglucogenesis.
CICO (Calories In, Calories Out) is a flawed model. Carbs & Sugars (even natural sugars in berries or apples) trigger an insulin response which triggers fat storage. Simple, proven science. If you eat 1000 calories of sugar, you will retain more of that energy as fat than if you ate 1000 calories of chicken thighs.
The USDA food pyramid has been debunked for decades and is the perfect roadmap to obesity. It was in essence sponsored by corporate agricultural interests in the 1970s.
https://charliefoundation.org/ for all of the clinical data you will ever need to defend ketogenic nutrition. Please educate yourself and stop with the slow-motion suicide by processed carbohydrates.