The Keto Diet (Overview)

What Is The Keto Diet?

In order to best understand this, let’s take a look at the three major macronutrient food groups (macros) and how they relate to the standard American diet and then to the Keto diet.

1. Proteins

2. Fats

3. Carbohydrates

Each of these macros have their own unique way in providing you energy to not only get swoll, but also to live on a daily basis

Standard American Diet

• 35% fat

• 15 % protein

• 50% carbs

Ketogenic diet

• 70% fat

• 25% protein

• 5% carbs

The Science of Ketosis

The whole premise of the keto diet is to utilize the body's ability to undergo ketosis - this is when you burn fat instead of carbs for energy. I'm just going to briefly discuss the basics of food and energy storage in the body to help emphasize what ketosis really means. When you eat something:

• Your body breaks down this food into glucose, which is your main energy source for your body

• Anything left over is transformed into "storage forms of energy". There are 2 main forms of stored energy in your body:

  • Glycogen, which is stored in the liver

  • Fats, which are stored in the adipose tissue, or where you have those rolls you just can't get rid of…

  • Glucose—> glycogen (1st)

  • Glucose—> fats (2nd)

Using Energy (Ketosis)

1. Glycogen—> glucose. Once the glycogen stores are depleted, the body taps into those energy stores in the adipose tissues (fats).

2. Adipose tissue—> fats —> ketones. These fats are converted into ketones in the liver via the process of beta oxidation (whoa..big fancy word). The name's not important

HENCE the word: ketosis (keto from the ketones that are used and “osis” meaning a process or condition

Keto Diet Using Ketosis

So, translating this to the keto diet, you limit the carb intake, which limits the amount of glycogen in your body. The limited glycogen will make your body break down FAT in order to get the fuel (producing the ketones)

I think it's important to at least mention (for completion sake) that in the keto diet and to a lesser extent in regular diets) your body also undergoes a process called gluconeogenesis —> Fancy word for creating glucose from non- carbohydrate sources (from parts of fat and proteins)

Fun Fact: You actually don't need to consume any carbohydrates for survival as long as you're getting enough fats and proteins (don't recommend though)

In order to achieve a state of ketosis one must eat fewer than 50g of carbs per DAY (that's very little). To put this into perspective, that's eating fewer than 2 pieces of pizza a day. That's not cool man..

How Do You KNOW If You're Achieving Ketosis?

Subjectively

1. Eating fewer than 50g carbs per day

Objectively

1. Keto breath. Only 50% of individuals in the world actually have the gene to smell the "keto breath"

2. Pee test strip (Urinalysis)

What Does The Science Say About The Keto Diet?

Why does this diet actually work?

1. Because fat becomes you body's primary energy source, it becomes very efficient at BURNING it. Getting rid of fat—> weight loss

2. Eating meals higher in fat content increases satiety (the feeling that your full) and ultimately limits your caloric intake—> weight loss

• NOTE: you may have heard some individuals say they notice weight loss extremely quickly. This is actually more water loss than actual body fat losses. The fat losses take weeks to accumulate

Is it good for the brain?

• Research is inconclusive for this especially for long term benefits. Subjectively some individuals claim to have increased focus and improved cognition where others struggle more than normal

Childhood epilepsy

• Actually the origin for the diet. It has been shown that these children who struggle with refractory epilepsy (uncontrolled) get into a state of ketosis they actually have been shown to have a decrease in the number of seizures and significantly helps

How good is it from a longer term diet perspective?

• This is a THEORETICAL approach, but no scientific studies have shown it to be statistically better than other diets out there in the long term benefits for overall weight loss and decreasing morbidity (disease) and mortality (death)

• Really good for individuals with type 2 diabetes, which has been found in research time and time again. I'll put a link to one at the end of this post

Problem?

• Extremely difficult to sustain. Carbs (especially in the USA) sneak into foods a lot of times without you realizing it, and it's very easy to break ketosis when you don't intend to.

• "Keto flu" - flu like symptoms occurring in the first 1-2 weeks due to rapid weight loss of water (because water is required for carbohydrate storage), as well as loss of important electrolytes such as sodium, potassium, and magnesium. This phenomenon is colloquially known as the "keto flu."

Keto + Glucose Control Study: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29417495/