The idea that fat causes fat is long gone. More nutritionists and health gurus understand that carbs cause fat. This was seen not too long ago with the fad diet, Banting (not really a fad diet as it was established by William Banting in 1863) hyping serious dieters and gym-fanatics who drastically cut out carbohydrates – carbs not just in the form of bread and rice, but fruits and some vegetables which are regarded as an essential part of a healthy balanced diet. The Banting diet which is still highly popular focussed less on fats but more on proteins which establishes the main difference between another diet on everyone’s lips called Keto.
Some refer to it as the Ketogenic Diet. So, what’s up with Keto? The idea behind the Ketogenic Diet is to place your body in a metabolic state of ketosis whereby it uses energy from stored fat instead of the glucose gained from carbohydrates making the fat burning process much faster. You do so by eating a diet high in fat, moderate in protein and low in carbohydrates. Because of the diet encouraging fatty foods the sensation of being satiated for longer allows for lengthened intermittent fasting and less snacking. This is one of the reasons many don’t regard it as a fad diet with people retaining it for longer periods and seeing it more as a lifestyle change.
A study released in the Medical Annals, performing a comparison between low-carb and high-fat diets, corroborated the retention and weight-loss results. Over the 12 month study, participants who were part of the low-carb diet lost more weight than the latter. The diet has also shown incredible results amongst obese people and a glucose balancing effect in diabetic patients. And despite it professing high fat it has shown to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease.
“A low-carbohydrate diet may be an option for people seeking to lose weight or reduce risk factors for cardiovascular disease.” – Medical Annals.
Here is a list of Keto-Friendly Foods:
Fats
Remember, good fats are not your enemy, they are your go-to source of energy. This includes saturated, monosaturated and Omega 3s. So, we are looking at foods such as:
- avocados,
- lard,
- clarified ghee,
- coconut oil,
- olive oil,
- macadamia oil,
- fatty fish, and seafood amongst others.
- Protein
In order for your body to go into ketosis, a proper fat to protein to carb ratio needs to be maintained which looks a bit like this:
- Fat calories: 60-75% (even more)
- Protein calories: 15:30%
- Carb calories: 5-10%
When your protein intake increases beyond your fat ratio your metabolic state converts the energy into glucose, which will take you out of ketosis. In other words, watch your protein intake.
Go-to foods for protein include:
Vegetables
Not all vegetables are your friend on keto, this is because some contain a high amount of carbs. Leafy greens are the best option as well as some cruciferous vegetables which include:
Nuts and Seeds
Due to some nuts containing high amounts of carbs and calories, moderation is essential in order for ketosis to take place. Nuts, however, still make a great snack high in monosaturated fats.
Almonds, pecans, and macadamias contain the highest fats and lowest carbs.
Last but not least, drink water – lots and lots of water.
Here is a very informative video on all you need to know about how things went with people on the diet.
Silicon Valley’s new body-hacking obsession: The ketogenic diet from CNBC.
As always, it is always better to consult with a doctor or professional dietician before making changes to your diet.
