He received his doctorate degree in Neuroscience and Physiology from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.
The keto diet is a popular weight-loss strategy, but the benefits extend far beyond this.
Consider this your ultimate beginner’s guide to this low-carb way of eating.
What is the ketogenic diet?
In this way, a keto diet is essentially mimicking what happens to our bodies when we fast.
The diet ishigh in fat, moderate in protein, and very low in carbohydrates.
What the diet does is suppress insulin, just as fasting would.
Summary
Does the keto diet help you lose weight?
There is no shortage of successful weight loss stories with the keto diet.
Countless studies support these results, showing the diet to be an effective weight loss strategy.
Water loss
Initially, weight loss can be rapid.
This is because when carbohydrates are removed from the diet, you excrete more fluids than usual.
But don’t worry; fat loss comes next!
This can translate to eating less without even knowing it.
Muscle preservation
Beyond appetite, keto can help you maintain musclewhilelosing fat.
Being reliant on glucose for fuel may translate to fading energy levels between meals.
Blood sugar balance
Lifestyle choices that improve how sensitive we are to insulin can be powerful tools.
This is actually a sign that you are in ketosis.
In fact, breath acetone is actually a goodpredictor of ketosis11.
This is nothing to be concerned about.
Hair loss
Hair loss is not a common side effect of keto, but it can happen.
However, it may not be related to keto at all and is more related to rapid weight loss.
Won’t a high-fat diet increase my risk for heart disease?
The keto diet is actually known to benefit risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
In other words, the keto diet improved all measured cardiovascular disease risk factors.
Who should not try a keto diet?
The safety concerns with a keto diet are relatively minor, and easily preventable.
However, that isn’t to say that the diet is appropriate for absolutely everyone.
Women can be more sensitive to dietary changes because of the way these adjustments affect hormones related to reproduction.
The effects on women’s hormones though are more likely related to calorie restriction than to keto itself.
It is especially important for women to maintain proper calorie consumption and to discontinue the diet if menstruation stops.
It is also up for debate whether keto is suitable during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Pros and cons of the keto diet.
Keto diet meal plans.
This was the first keto diet to be used therapeutically in the treatment of pediatric epilepsy.
The classical keto diet is very strict and often difficult to follow.
It works out to be ~55% fat, ~30% protein, and ~5% carbs.
This isn’t a full-blown cheat day but rather increasing carbs slightly.
Lazy Keto
Thelazy keto dietrequires less macro counting.
On lazy keto, you canrestrict your carb intaketo less than 50 grams per day.
Protein and fats make up your remaining calories, but you don’t need to control their amounts.
It may still offer some (but not all) of the benefits of a traditional keto diet.
What to eat on the keto diet.
Avoiding these foods is key to keeping your carb count low enough to enter a state of ketosis.
How long does it take to enter ketosis?
How to test ketone levels: 3 popular methods.
How to start a ketogenic diet: 5 tips for beginners.
There really is no right or wrong way to start a ketogenic diet.
People tend to overthink the ketogenic diet, especially if you are switching from a very carbohydrate-heavy diet.
It also makes sense from an evolutionary perspective.
