Is Keto Safe & Healthy, or Just Another Fad Diet?

Instant weight loss diets are like seasons – it changes every few months. While some diets stay for longer than expected, other fade away too soon. One particular diet that has been in vogue for quite some time now is – ketogenic diet. However, the question arises – is keto safe & healthy, or just another fad diet?

Well, it surely does promote almost instant weight loss but is not considered sustainable for a life that is healthy or balanced. Thus, it can be labelled as a fad diet. However, it does come with benefits.

Before we get onto whether keto is safe & healthy or not, let us get to know ketogenic diet a bit more.

What is Keto Diet?

As for keto, it a diet incorporating high level of fat while limiting the intake of carbohydrates and protein. Talking about low carbs, did you know that keto diet is a diet that allows the lowest intake of carbs? You are allowed only 50 grams or less carbs per day – say bye to potatoes!

All in all, you can say that keto diet is a decorative term for sugar starvation.

Here are some food items you will have to avoid in keto diet:

•     Apples
•     Pears
•     Bananas
•     Quinoa
•     Kidney Beans
•     Peas
•     Lentil
•     Tomatoes
•     Carrots
•     Nuts
•     Sweet Potatoes

Low Carb

Keto diet is exceptionally low on carbs (as we’ve already told you). Keto diet does not necessarily ask you to consume any specific kind of carbs, just a specified amount per day.

Nonetheless, you should strive for something that is healthier i.e. picked from plants or that are grown on the ground. These ‘good’ carbohydrates include lentils, beans, seeds, nuts, vegetables, and fruits. These foods are rich in fibre and are high in vitamins and minerals.

The ‘bad’ ones are always much tastier, such as cakes, refined grains, processed foods, and breads. However, they have minimal fibre and fewer nutrients.

However, remember, carbohydrates are necessary for your body to operate properly and eliminating them will prove to be unhealthy.

High Fat

If you diligently want to follow a keto diet, then let us caution you, it will be high on fat!

Though most keto diets endorse adding cream and butter to up the level of fat in your diet, such ‘bad’ fats are unhealthy and not ideal for the health of your heart. Foods such as fish, olive oil, and avocado have unsaturated fats and are considered much better for your mental and physical health.

The Keto Lifestyle

How to make Keto safe & healthy? Here is how you can ensure your ketogenic diet is safe & healthy:

•     Dodge the dairy fats like cream and butter. Get the dose of fats from polyunsaturated sources like sunflower oil or seed, flax oil or seed, salmon, albacore tuna, trout, and herring.
•     Incorporate polyunsaturated fat that is high in protein.
•     Drink as much water as possible. A low carb diet can increase your risk of dehydration.

Points to Remember

•     Have variety in your diet. Do not be afraid to experiment with food and eat various products.
•     Do not eliminate carbs. Carbs have a vital function to perform and excluding them will have a negative effect on your mind and body.
•     Control your portion. Do not have too much or too little of anything on your plate.
•     Keto diet can cause muscle loss. Thus, if you are into weight training and are aiming for muscle build-up, then keto is not what you should opt for.
•     Keto will help only if your fat is thanks to sugar. Otherwise, going through the torture of keto will be worthless.

Conclusion

It is up to you to decide whether you want to go for keto or not. But you will never know whether it works for you or not unless you try it for yourself. And the question remains the same – is keto safe & healthy, or just another fad diet. Try and decide.