From 2003-2013 I suffered from severe food intolerance. Then in 2014 I started to have a real turn around in not only my health, but my family's too!
After being sick for so long I tried every eating style under the sun to get well. Honestly, I wasn't interested in getting skinny, I was actually more concerned with gaining weight since my food list was so limited on what I could eat and tolerate.
I can remember the different diet fads that came and went. I never jumped on any band wagon because my interest was purely in nutrition that could fuel my body.
After studying integrative health and medicine for so many years, I started to pair it with a NEW mindset and prayer, a ton of prayer! Finally, I got free, really free! For so many years I could not eat a smidgen of gluten, dairy, sugar, nuts, fruit and the list goes on and on!
I can't tell you how empowering it feels to be set free: Mind + Body + Spirit!
Yes, I can eat ANYTHING I want to now and I have no allergic responses any longer.
Since I know what it feels like to be completely at the rock bottom of health and wellness, I am passionate about helping other women and families break free from poor health.
So, this means even though I feel great and I am at my ideal weight I am still committed to pursuing a deeper understanding about holistic health and nutrition.
I can remember Keto popping up on the scene after I was already where I wanted to be with health and I thought it was just another get skinny fad. So, I didn't look into it until last year after starting a Total Wellness Ministry. I thought it was Atkin's reborn, but after I looked into it deeper, I found out that there are definitely some differences.
Keto is short for ketogenic diet which is a high-fat, low-carb dietary way of eating that drives the body into ketosis.
It's a natural metabolic state where the body uses fat as its primary source of fuel instead of glucose or carbs.
Ketosis is the main purpose of the ketogenic diet.
In ketosis, your body becomes incredibly effective at burning fat.
Basically, the premise is you “Eat more fat to burn more fat!”
I was surprised to find that over 20 studies show that this type of diet can help you lose weight and improve your health (1).
Ketogenic diets may even have benefits against diabetes, cancer, epilepsy and Alzheimer's disease (2, 3, 4, 5).
After finding so many favorable studies done on Keto I was set out to learn more!
So, back to the comparison with the Atkin’s diet, Atkins is not overly concerned with macrobiotic ratios like Keto.
Keto focuses on ratios of: Fat, Proteins and Carbs for the purpose of keeping your body in ketosis. Atkins has some similarities to Keto like reducing carbs, insulin and fat storage. Yet, they shouldn’t be confused for being twins in a different time period. You can see the chart below to see more on the differences.
Keto is also different from Paleo. Paleo is more focused on ancestral eating habits, so it is not focused on trying to remain in ketosis, so the food pyramid is different. Clean eating is a primary focus along with removing: Legumes, sugar, grains, processed food or dairy.
Keto is focused on eating efficient food fuel that helps your body burn fat for energy.
” There are four different types of keto diets you can follow. Each version is high fat and low carb but with different macronutrient ratios.
For example, the Standard Ketogenic Diet (SKD) is the most popular version of the keto diet and the one we’re referring to throughout this article. The SKD recommends 75% fat, 20% protein and 5% carbs.
“The second type is the High Protein Keto Diet, which is geared mostly towards extremely active people or athletes. This version of the keto diet recommends 60% fat, 35% protein, and 5% carbs.
If your reason for following the keto diet is to lose weight, you typically won’t eat more than 20-25 grams of carbs per day. To put that into perspective, a medium-sized banana is around 23 grams of net carbs — so even eating bananas in moderation would almost be enough to prevent the average person from entering ketosis. People who are extremely active are the exception, as they require more fuel(4).” -Kettle & Fire
Your body only goes into ketosis when carbohydrates intake is low. This is the main purpose of a ketogenic way of eating.
This translates to: 60-75% of your calories from fat.15-30% of your calories from protein. 5-10% of your calories from carbs.
I know this may sound extreme, but the keto diet is medically tested and proven beneficial for health.
For me it is easy to remember the ratios as 75% Fats and the other quarter is split up to 20% Protein and 5% Fats. So, 75% of my calories will be coming from fat.
Before I hear the shriek of concern over consuming a high fat diet, I should assure you that it is TRUE we should NOT consume diets high in BAD fats like: sunflower, safflower, cottonseed, canola, soybean, grapeseed, corn oil), trans fats such as margarine. These oils are NOT heart healthy!
The fats that get the green light when it comes to the keto diet—and good health in general—can be broken down into four categories: saturated fats, monounsaturated fats (MUFAs), polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs), and naturally-occurring trans fats. - Perfect Keto
To learn more about fat and heart health READ MORE
So in short: The ketogenic style of eating is a low-carb (which mean NO grains,) high-fat diet that offers many health benefits.
In fact, over 20 studies show that this type of diet can help you lose weight and improve your health (1).
Ketogenic diets may even have benefits against diabetes, cancer, epilepsy and Alzheimer's disease (2, 3, 4, 5).
Another reason many people choose keto, is that after their body becomes accustomed to this new style of burning fuel, cravings for carbs will decrease leaving you feeling more satisfied and full. I have been doing intermittent fasting combined with Keto and I can attest that I can go all the way until after noon and feel satiated by only having a Keto Matcha or Keto Decaf coffee.
The best part is that after only 1 week doing Keto and intermittent fasting I lost 1 inch around my waist and I feel great!
Have you tried Keto? What has your experience been?
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