482 Ketogenic Diets [30 July 2018]

Ketogenic diets (keto for short) have become popular lately for weight loss and other reasons. I have run a weight loss clinic based on a 30 year researched, medically designed, ketogenic protocol for eight years now. While it’s possible to do a ketogenic diet on your own, there are significant challenges to consider.

The objective of the diet is to put your body into a state of ketosis in which fat is burned for energy instead of carbs. This is achieved by keeping total dietary carbs strictly below about 40g per day. Any more than that is just a low carb diet, not a ketogenic diet, and will prevent fat burning while starving your body for calories. See #290 “Low Calorie Balanced Diet” Oct 2014.

Getting adequate protein without the carbs is a challenge. Ideally we need 0.5g of protein for each pound of lean body weight. For me with a healthy weight of 200 lbs my protein intake should be at least 100g.

Another challenge is getting nutrients like vitamins and certain minerals. To remain in ketosis, whole food groups must be eliminated including dairy, fruits, grains and many vegetables. Supplementation of vitamins, calcium, magnesium and potassium is a must. For this reason, a ketogenic diet is not recommended for long term, unless designed for a medical reason such as epilepsy, cancer or Alzheimer’s. For weight loss, stick to it to reach your goal weight, then transition to a healthy maintenance diet.

Other challenges you may face while on a ketogenic diet include: temporary hormone changes affecting menstruation, hair loss, or unwanted hair growth; fatigue from low blood pressure or low blood sugar; headaches from low blood pressure or electrolyte imbalances; and the need to see your doctor to periodically adjust dosage of medications for diabetes, blood pressure, cholesterol, etc.

Our weight loss clinic can help you with all these challenges. It provides a wide variety of low carb, high-quality protein, foods and lists of vegetables to use and avoid. We monitor your weight loss and lean loss weekly to ensure that you are in ketosis and are not burning muscle. And we can guide you through any problems that may arise along the way. There are many benefits to a ketogenic diet besides fat loss, such as normalization of blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol, and reduction in inflammation, as long as it is done correctly and safely.

For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.