A Beginner’s Guide the Ketogenic (Keto) Diet

Chief Curator February 7, 2023 in Diet Plans, Ketogenic (Keto) Diet Tagged Diet Plans, Ketogenic Diet - 2 Minutes

The ketogenic diet, or keto diet, is all the rage these days. Everyone from Kim Kardashian and Megan Fox to ordinary people swear by the high-fat, low-carbohydrate eating pattern. There are even food products that line store shelves that are keto-friendly.

While everything seems to be on the up and up on the keto diet, is it really a miracle diet or just the latest fad?

Jennifer Oikarinen, a registered dietitian with Banner Estrella Medical Center in Phoenix shared details of how the keto diet works and whether it’s a right fit for you.

How does the ketogenic diet work?

The keto diet focuses on eating extremely low amounts of carbohydrates, moderate protein and very high fat.

[Also read “Get the Skinny on Fats: The Good, Bad and the Worst for You.”]

The purpose behind this is to shift your body into using stored body fat for energy, known as ketosis, rather than glucose from carbohydrates. When you don’t eat carbs, the liver breaks down fat stores to produce energy in the form of molecules called ketones.

“You’re basically manipulating your body to use ketones for energy instead of carbs, while at the same time achieving weight loss through fat loss,” Oikarinen said. “It seems almost too good to be true, which means it probably is.”

Keto shares many similarities with Atkins and other low-carbohydrate diets, but unlike Atkins diets and others, not all low-carb diets are considered keto. “Typically, 70% to 90% of calories come from fat with a keto diet,” Oikarinen said.

The ketogenic diet was originally created to help treat epilepsy. In most recent years, it’s been used as a form of weight loss. However, it’s important to discuss with your health care provider before starting any diet plan.

The different types of ketogenic diets

There are several different versions of the ketogenic diet, with varying amounts of fat and protein. Here are just a few:

• Standard ketogenic diet (SKD): This is a low carb, moderate protein and high-fat diet, with 20% protein, 70% fat and only 10% carbs.
• High protein ketogenic diet: This eating routine incorporates more protein than SKD, with 35% protein, 60% fat and 5% carbs.
• Cyclical ketogenic diet (CKD): Also known as the recurrent ketogenic diet, CKD involves days in which more carbs are eaten, such as five keto days followed by two higher carb days.
• Targeted ketogenic diet (TKD): This routine is like SKD, but it allows you to have carbs around workouts.

However, only the standard version is the most researched and most recommended.