2 minute read
What is a Ketogenic Diet?
The Keto Diet has had a rapid rise in popularity recently, but is it right for you? Let’s first look at what it is. The standard ketogenic diet (SKD) is 75% fat, 20 % protein and 5% carbohydrate. In other words, high fat, low carb and moderate protein.
It was initially developed as a treatment for epilepsy in the early 1900s. It forces the body, and especially the brain, to use ketones for fuel instead of glucose. Reducing the carbohydrate content of our diet causes the stored glucose in the liver (called glycogen), to become depleted and the liver starts to use fat to produce ketones, which the body then uses as fuel. This state is known as nutritional ketosis, which is different from ketoacidosis (a serious complication of type 1 diabetes and sometimes in individuals with type 2 diabetes who have little or no insulin production).
Advertisement
Generally, carbs are kept to under 20 grams per day. So, a keto diet goes beyond just low carb – it is a very strict low carb diet.
While a keto diet can be great for some people, it doesn’t suit everyone. To thrive with this way of eating, it’s really important to focus on whole, unprocessed foods, healthy fats and a large amount of non-starchy vegetables. This will ensure you don’t end up with micronutrient (vitamin and mineral) deficiencies. Done well, it needs to be more than just vast quantities of fat, as fat is quite nutrient-poor. Too little fruit and veg can also negatively impact our gut health. It’s important to speak to your doctor before beginning any extreme diet, especially if you have any health conditions, are pregnant, or planning to become pregnant.
For those of you already on a keto diet, I will be running a Keto Healthy Treats & Snacks Cooking Workshop in the next couple of months. Look out for the notifications on Facebook or e-mail me to receive a notification.
You can find me on Facebook as NutritionSense, for regular posts on health-related topics and recipes.
If you would like help with creating new habits and planning a nutritious way of eating, contact me at paula@nutritionsense. co.nz
by Paula Southworth Nutritionist from NutritionSense (BSc Human Nutrition and Sports Science, Massey University) www.nutritionsense.co.nz
BOOK YOUR EVENT HERE AND
WILL SHOUT YOUR FIRST ROUND OF BUBBLES
