Bhavna Malhotra
Consultant- Nutrition & Lifestyle
Email: bhavna.nutritionqueries@
Recent news of a celebrity succumbing to a keto diet (as claimed by her family) this very popular diet is in the news again but this time for the wrong reasons.
Keto diet is a rage these days for weight management. So, is it a quick fix? Is it safe? It sounds so yummy, so is it complicated? Can we google it and follow it as many are doing?
What is a ketogenic diet? It is a high fat, adequate protein and extremely low carbohydrate (30-50 gm carbohydrate) diet. Typical Indian diets have anywhere between 150-250 gm of carbohydrates per day. So this is a drastic cut down on the carbohydrate content of your diet. You have the calories from fat and protein majorly. Carbohydrates from vegetables (except for high carb ones) are allowed though.
Wondering how can a high-fat diet lead to weight loss then?? The science behind it is to change the fuel on which your body runs. Our bodies usually work on glucose as the primary source of fuel. The excess which is taken in is stored in the liver or as adipose tissue in the body for future use. So if you cut on the carbohydrates which are the main source of glucose in your diet the body looks for the alternative fuel source (as in starvation), and here fat makes the grand entry as the source of fuel. When fat is metabolized, it produces ketone bodies which become the fuel for the body now. This is the state of nutritional ketosis (it is different from ketoacidosis). Over a period of time when your body becomes ‘fat adapted’ it not only uses the dietary fat for producing ketones but starts burning the stored fat for producing ketones and that’s how the weight starts coming down. Phew! Sounds complicated but our bodies easily make this switch in 48-72 hrs.
When all this is so logical what’s the harm in following it? We need to understand that a Ketogenic diet or ‘keto diet’ as it is called was initially formulated to help children with epilepsy. Studies have shown that when the brain runs on ketone bodies rather than glucose as fuel, the frequency of seizures in epileptic children goes down and hence it is a boon for them. The use of a ketogenic diet for weight management has gained popularity in the past few years. Studies are yet being done on its safety and there are no long-term studies to support it conclusively!
If the results of some of your friends and family are too enticing for you to wait for conclusive studies, just answer these questions before you jump onto this diet:
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Am I willing to take the guidance from a qualified nutritionist/ health care provider to get this specialized diet planned the right way?
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Am I willing to get my basic blood tests done for sugars, lipid profile, liver function and kidney function before I start this diet and am, I willing to repeat the tests at least every 3 months thereafter to ensure its safety?
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Can I quit sugars/ sweets/ most of the fruits/ most of the grains – which means no chapatti, rice, poha, upma etc. which have been the mainstay of your diet till now? Cheating can be dangerous on this diet.
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Can I pursue this way of eating for at least 6 months? After this period too the diet will be low on carbohydrates (so occasional sweets and restricted grains). Am I prepared for this lifestyle shift?
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Am I open to the idea of having supplements when I have this diet specific Vitamins like B complex and minerals like magnesium, sodium, selenium etc. might go low in this way of eating?
If the answers to the above questions are yes, then you can give this diet a try but strictly under medical supervision. Since this diet is very different from a conventional Indian diet which is grain-based, you should follow it under professional guidance. Discuss with a nutritionist the duration for which you’ll have to follow this plan and how can you start re-incorporating carbohydrates in your diet if you wish to come back on a moderate carbohydrate diet.
Every few years a new diet comes out to allure people who are not satisfied with their body image. The point to ponder is at what cost am I getting that illusive image? Will, I be happy when I achieve that size or will I set a new target? Is my happiness really in my body or in my mind??
