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Feb 5

Dietician: The Keto Diet is not a safe and effective way for people to lose weight – Islander News.com

Lose Weight Comments Off on Dietician: The Keto Diet is not a safe and effective way for people to lose weight – Islander News.com

For the 55 years I have been a Registered Dietitian, there have been a series of newest and best diets for weight loss, better health, or solving a variety of problems that no one else has been able to solve.

In each of these cases, I have watched them come and go as people realized, for many reasons, they were not a solution.

Remember that if any of these diets worked, we wouldnt need a new one.

An assortment of cut-up oranges and whole strawberries.

The best eating plan for you is the one you can follow over time and feel satisfied with. Any dietary pattern that asks you to eliminate entire categories of food that you normally eat is very unlikely to work. As Ive written before in this column, we all have our favorite comfort foods and discomfort foods. Trying to eliminate these favorites often does not work over time. We eat what we like and like what we eat.

If you have tried eliminating desserts, dairy, gluten, or carbohydrates, you have probably found that you eventually return to eating these favorite foods.

A popular diet is the keto or ketogenic diet.

This is not a new idea. It was developed in the 1920s to treat intractable seizures in children. It worked pretty well but wasnt sustainable. The children on this diet lost weight, which sparked the idea that this might work for other people to lose weight.

Half of an avocado surrounded by granola.

Ketogenic is a term for a low-carbohydrate diet. Carbohydrates are used first for energy and then protein and fat. The body doesnt store much carbohydrates; small amounts are stored in the liver and muscles. When you dont eat foods with carbohydrates, the stores are depleted quickly. You then begin to burn protein and fat for energy, which produces a waste product called ketones, so you are in a state of ketosis. Note that under normal conditions, this is an abnormal state for the body. The human body is designed to burn carbohydrates first for fuel.

People will tell you that you dont feel hungry since ketones depress the appetite, and foods high in protein and fat fill you up quickly. This is often true, but they dont tell you that you might have constipation, bloating, gas, bad breath, and fatigue, at least for the first few days. You will probably lose much weight in the first couple of weeks, sometimes as much as 8-10 pounds. This is mostly water loss and not body fat because each gram of carbohydrate is stored with 2-3 grams of water.

A plate with eggs, avocado, mushroom, and bacon strips.

Most keto diets tell you to eat less than 30 grams of carbohydrates daily, depending on your calorie needs. This means you must completely eliminate foods high in sugar, such as soda, fruit juice, and all sweets; all grains or starches, such as bread, rice, pasta, and cereal; all fruit except small portions of berries like strawberries; beans or legumes such as kidney beans, lentils, and chickpeas; all starchy vegetables such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips, and onions; condiments or sauces such as barbecue sauce, honey mustard, teriyaki sauce, and ketchup; most dairy products except high-fat cheeses; all alcoholic beverages including beer and wine and any processed food that contains ANY sugar including maple syrup and honey. Does this sound like something you want to do??

Lets put 30 grams of carbohydrate in context. One medium piece of fresh fruit has 15-40 grams of carbs; one slice of bread (of any type) has 15-20 grams; one small potato has 15 grams; cup of pasta or rice has 20 grams; 1 cup of milk has 12 grams, and one cup of tossed salad has 3-5 grams, depending on whats in it.

A well-balanced breakfast with different protein, fats, and drinks.

You cant cheat on a keto diet because the body will immediately store any carbohydrate you eat, and you will regain at least some of your lost weight quite quickly. You would then have to start all over again.

What do you eat on a keto diet? The diet is typically rich in foods like butter, cheese, eggs, meat, nuts, oils, seafood, avocado and very low-carbohydrate vegetables.

A keto diet is unsafe if you have a chronic health problem such as diabetes, cancer, kidney problems, cardiovascular disease, or an eating disorder, if you are pregnant or nursing or if you are under age 12.

If you are considering trying this approach, talk with your healthcare provider to be sure it will be safe for you. A Registered Dietitian is your best adviser on your diet and nutritional health.

Ellen Glovsky is a Key Biscayne resident, published author and Registered Dietitian and Nutrition Coach. Her work focuses on helping people explore and enhance their relationship with food, using a Health At Every Size approach. She is also involved in the island community with her work on KBCFs Womens Giving Circle.

To learn more, visit Ellen online atnutrition-coach.com.

For Ellen Glovksy's last #tasteofkb piece,clickhere.

For the Islander's last #tasteofkb feature,clickhere.

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Dietician: The Keto Diet is not a safe and effective way for people to lose weight - Islander News.com

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