Healthy Keto VS. Unhealthy Keto

The newest diet trend these days is the Ketogenic Diet. Its popularity has grown so quickly this past year because of the speed of weight loss that can be achieved. Unfortunately, ketogenesis is being misrepresented in many unhealthy depictions on social media and ridiculous recipes focusing on high amounts animal fat and dairy products. This is dangerous for those with heart disease, high LDL cholesterol and type 2 diabetes. I’ll break it down to explain why in a bit.

The Ketogenic Diet was born in the 1920’s when doctors discovered that a diet high in fat and low in carbohydrates were helping to treat difficult to control epilepsy in children. This type of diet compels the body to burn fats rather than carbohydrates. The liver then converts the fats into fatty acids (the brain LOVES that) and ketone bodies, which then replaces the glucose as an energy source. This is what ultimately reduces the amount of epileptic seizures in addition to treating other brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s, autism, brain cancers and Parkinson’s.

So now we know that feeding our brain more fat than carbohydrates is beneficial for some of us. So how has it become that a much bigger group of us thinks that this is beneficial for ALL of us?

The short answer is weight loss. It must be good for all of us if we lose weight? Especially if we have had a hard time losing it in the past and may have developed type 2 diabetes. There are other benefits like less brain fog and more energy for some. Unfortunately, the long-term use of this type of diet, if not administered properly, is not healthy for many reasons and here’s why.

1. Cholesterol - Diets high in animal fat are proven to increase LDL cholesterol; some types of ketogenic diets includes lots of red meat, cured meat, butter, eggs and cheese which are very high in cholesterol which has a direct link to arteriolosclerosis (clogging of the arteries).

2. Lack of fiber; this causes constipation and other gastrointestinal issues like gallstones. Fiber can counteract this and act as a scrub brush for our digestive system!

3. Processed low carb “food” – often these are filled with chemicals and artificial ingredients which in many studies are linked to cancer and stroke.

4. Diets high in saturated fat contribute to cardiovascular disease. The ongoing debate for people who follow a proper keto diet is if saturated fat really the bad guy it's made out to be because that fat gets 'burned". This only happens when you are truly in a state of ketosis. The only way to find out if you are is by urine strip tests (available at your local drug store).

This is all especially concerning because the biggest group of people affected by this are WOMEN. And the number one killer of women is…you guessed it. Cardiovascular disease.

https://www.cdc.gov/dhdsp/data_statistics/fact_sheets/fs_women_heart.htm

But it’s not all gloom and doom! Part II of this blogpost will explain how to achieve a healthy state of ketosis.

There are many ways to achieve a state of ketosis and it doesn’t have to include all those artery clogging ingredients. Just include HEALTHY fats like avocado, MCT (medium chain triglyceride)oil like coconut oil, nuts and seeds, low carb flours like coconut and almond and coconut cream.

*One very important thing to remember is that if you are already at risk or have heart disease that consuming copious amount of ANY saturated fat is not recommended. Even in moderation. This has been proven in MANY studies which I will cite here:

https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/eating-red-meat-daily-triples-heart-disease-related-chemical

https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/study-links-frequent-red-meat-consumption-high-levels-chemical-associated-heart-disease

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16685042

Also, if you are medication like insulin, have high blood pressure, heart disease and take medication for that or are pregnant /nursing you should not try a keto diet. And as always check with your doctor first to see if you should try it at all.

If you are eating meat then please keep in mind the quality of your meat products. Eating sustainably farmed, organic, clean meat and fish are not only important for your health but the earth's health as well.

A healthy keto diet looks like this: 60-75% or more of calories from fat, 15-30% from protein, 5-10% from carbs depending on your personal goals.

Fat: Plant based oils i.e.; coconut oil or MCT oil, avocado and avocado oil, grapeseed oil, olive oil, chia and flaxseed. For meat eaters, LEAN grass fed beef, sustainable fish and salmon.

Dairy and Dairy Alternatives: Unsweetened Almond milk, unsweetened coconut and cashew milk and goat cheese. I do not list heavy cream or cream cheese because I don’t believe that fits a healthy category. Dairy products are a sticking point for many people – even those who are not vegan or vegetarian- but based on digestive and hormonal issues and lactose intolerance. There are many good substitutes and I would suggest trying ones with a low carb content to fit your keto goals.

Healthy Proteins: organic lean grass-fed beef, chicken, turkey, lamb and wild caught salmon, low mercury fish, and sustainably farmed organic eggs.

High protein Veggies (yes veggies – they have protein!): Spinach, kale, broccoli, sprouts, mushrooms, brussel sprouts, artichokes, asparagus, soybeans, edamame (baby soybeans), lentils (in moderation), pumpkin seeds. Ones with less protein but keto friendly are cauliflower, zucchini, cabbage, peppers, eggplant, cucumber, green beans, acorn squash, spaghetti squash, and boston lettuce.

Carbohydrates/fruits you can have: tomatoes, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries. You can have other fruits but in moderation to stay in ketosis.

Helpful tips:

Drink lots of water and a good quality bone broth to help with keto-flu symptoms. Bone broth helps prevent keto flu and is an excellent way to replenish essential electrolytes in the body. When on a keto diet, bone broth also helps retain lean mass (muscle) due to its collagen and amino acids content.