***This is a sponsored conversation brought to you by Baptist Health South Florida. As always, all opinions are my own. 
I first learned about the Ketogenic Diet from a group of male models a few years ago. All they talked about was high protein and butter. Lot’s of butter. In my everyday life, I use butter, eat a little bacon and use coconut oil from head to toe; however, I also consume plenty of complex carbohydrates as part of a heart-healthy diet. Lately, I have been seeing a lot of people talking about the Ketogenic diet and wanted to dive a little bit deeper into the topic with my favorite team from Baptist Health South Florida. Right now, “keto” is all the rage! Keto is a buzzword that is getting a lot of attention and gets thrown around left and right, but it is more than just a high protein, low-carb lifestyle. According to this article, Keto is referring to ketogenic or ketosis, a metabolic state in which stored fat is broken down to produce energy. This process occurs when there is limited access to glucose (the body’s primary energy source).
“The ketogenic diet is very high in fat, has a moderate amount of protein and a very, very low amount of carbohydrates — usually no more than 40 grams a day (about the equivalent of two bananas),” says Lucette Talamas, a registered dietitian with Community Health at Baptist Health South Florida. “So when the body is put on this diet, it’s being deprived of its basic form of fuel, which is glucose. The body is then forced to burn its own fat and produces ketones. Every cell in the body that usually uses glucose for energy, including your brain cells and muscles for everyday activities, then start using ketones. In theory, it sounds simple, but there is this transition time that can take days and weeks.” After doing your research, if starting the Keto Diet seems right for you, just know, the transition from using glucose for energy to fat for energy could yield flu-like symptoms known as the “keto flu”. Keto Flu symptoms could include nausea, stomach pains, dizziness or confusion, and diarrhea or constipation. It is important to note that if you are interested in starting a new diet like Keto, make sure to check in with a healthcare professional to discuss your options and make sure that the diet would be right for you.
A true ketogenic diet is very high in both saturated and unsaturated fats, which can be dangerous for some populations like those with high cholesterol, diabetes or people who are considered pre-diabetic. The article states that people on the Keto diet receive 90 percent of their calories from fat. Like the Atkins or South Beach Diets, the Keto diet has been proven to show short-term weight loss results, but the long-term effects have not been established through clinical research. Registered Dietician Lucette Talamas says: “The keto diet is not an evidence-based diet for the general population to follow for achieving weight loss,” says Ms. Talamas. “It is a medically necessary diet for certain conditions. If you’re looking to lose weight, this is just another fad diet on which we don’t have much long-term research. We don’t recommend it as a weight-loss diet since we don’t know the long-term nutritional effects on the body, and many people have problems adapting to it.” With that said, there are populations that can benefit from this type of low-carb lifestyle. The ketogenic diet can help treat some neurological disorders, including some types of epilepsy. The keto diet has been helping curb epileptic seizures in children since it was first developed in the 1920s. I have also seen friends reap major benefits in their battle with mental health and hormone balance.
If you are interested in learning more about THE KETO DIET, make sure to watch Baptist Health South Florida’s most recent Facebook Live to answer all of your questions and more! If you are on the Keto diet or have tried it, I would love to hear your thoughts! Feel free to comment below or send me a message.
