Dispelling Keto Diet Myths

Dispelling Keto Diet Myths

We’ve all heard about it – the keto diet. Is it just another fad diet or does it actually work? Our Functional Medicine Physicians are here to shed some light on this diet.

The keto diet gained popularity along with the Adkins diet, used for a multitude of reasons such as weight loss, improved athletic performance, better sleep, and even as a preventative measure. However, some of the common misconceptions include:

  • It isn’t sustainable for high-level athletes
  • The keto diet is dangerous for those who have diabetes
  • The keto diet will make you break out
  • It causes sickness and flu-like symptoms

 

What is it?

A ketogenic diet is very high in fat, moderate in protein, and very low in carbohydrates. The idea behind keto is to keep your fat-accumulating hormone, insulin, low by keeping your blood sugar low. In doing so, you turn on fat-burning genes while suppressing the abdominal-fat-amassing machinery.

While actual percentages vary, traditionally ketogenic diets reduce carbohydrates to less than 50 grams a day. That’s pretty low: Something like an apple and a cup of quinoa would easily clock in at about 50 grams.

 

Keto Done Right

Doesn’t sound too bad right? It’s actually one of the most common diets to perform incorrectly. One of the major reasons why there is such backlash about the keto diet is that people very rarely do it 100% correctly.

So where do people get mixed up? Each case varies – but perhaps seeing “high in fat” in the diet definition would leave people to believe they can literally have their cake and eat it too. Only increasing the fats in the diet while still eating carbs is the perfect recipe for disaster, it can result in weight gain, and promotes cardiovascular disease. To have a successful keto experience, it is key to select fats that are high quality such as:

  • Wild caught salmon
  • Pasture- raised eggs
  • Grass-fed beef
  • Raw nuts and seeds
  • And many more

When the keto diet is done correctly, great results can be seen! The keto diet can help with weight loss goals, reducing blood sugar, lowering blood pressure, can provide therapeutic effects for many brain disorders, and more! We always recommend this diet to be physician supervised, since it affects electrolyte balance, and can cause negative side effects if done incorrectly.

Before deciding if a diet is the right choice for you, it is always best to work with a Functional Medicine Physician. Our physicians can create an individualized path to meet all your health and wellness goals. Fill out the form below to schedule an appointment or consultation!

 

About Functional Medicine

Our Functional Medicine team are the experts on getting you on the right path when it comes to meeting your goals. Functional Medicine is an approach to healthcare that seeks to identify and address the root cause of health concerns, illness and disease. Practitioners of functional medicine conduct thorough histories and utilize specialized tests in order to understand the unique interactions between a patient’s genetics, environment, and lifestyle factors that influence health. Treatment is individualized and cooperative and is designed to not just relieve symptoms, but promote and optimize wellness. The goal of Functional Medicine is to assess the root cause of your problems, and then to help affect a sustainable lifestyle change so you can lead a happier healthier life.

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