It’s the craze! It’s all over social media, in the office– everyone seems to be curious about this diet. People who are overweight might benefit from some initial weight loss on the Ketogenic Diet but it avoids some of our healthiest and tastiest foods. When you avoid carbs, you give up a lot, making it monotonous pretty quickly. And, it’s not a new thing. Remember Atkins? This low-carb diet started in the 1970s and has been a hot topic ever since.1

What is a Ketogenic Diet?

Keto promotes a high-fat, moderate-protein and low-carbohydrate diet (< 15% of calories, compared to the 50-60% recommended carb intake). Your body gets most energy from glucose in carbohydrates, such as breads, pastas, potatoes, milk, fruits and vegetables.

When we limit those, we limit our glucose fuel. Without it, the cells grab energy from another source.

That’s when fats come into play; like butter, avocado, oils, fatty fish and meat. These are the foods you can eat but they are turned into ketones which our body will use for energy instead of glucose. This is not a good thing as ketosis (burning ketones for energy) is actually not the way we should burn energy.

It’s a “back up” fuel, sort of like a reserve tank of gas.

The Keto Diet has problems, like excluding healthy fruits and vegetables, and whole grains which are almost all carbohydrate and where we get most of our nutrients and fiber. And, it’s really high in saturated fats which increase cholesterol in the blood.

Some people feel ill, nauseated and fatigued, and have vomiting, and/or constipation on this diet. It’s not good long term, as it causes kidney stones, vitamin/mineral deficiencies, and fatty liver.

The diet may work to lose some initial weight, but it is not sustainable. It also does not teach you how to eat a balanced diet that includes healthy carbohydrates. Eating carbohydrates is necessary to get enough glucose instead of tapping into ketones and putting your body in a constant state of ketosis.


Have a question about the Ketogenic Diet?

Post your question in the comment section below or email the food coach team.

2 thoughts on “Are you thinking about trying the Keto Diet?

  1. Ok, you might be confusing the Atkins diet with a keto way of eating. Atkins was full of processed fake foods and fake sugars. A true KETO way of eating is Just Eat Real Food. Nothing processed, no fake sugars to placate the sweet tooth cravings. The KETO flu symptoms are very temporary and most pronounced for those who are the most addicted to processed foods, grains and sugars. Adding more healthy fats (avocados, olive oil, coconut oil) will quickly lead to satiation and end the cravings for the fake foods. Correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t we humans evolve for 100’s of thousands years just eating Real Foods that were mostly saturated fats (not highly processed industrial seed oils), pastured proteins and vegetables (high in fiber) with the occasional seasonal fruits? Grains were just recently introduced and you are correct, very high in carbs and little natural vitamins/minerals – that is why they are added with synthetic vitamins. Non-organic grains are drenched in glyphosphate and GMO’d. Once our bodies are returned to fat burners for energy (the way we evolved) one can add in more natural carbs (vegetables and limited fruits) and switch between fat burning/sugar burning. I understand why you have to promote eating grains since Bob’s is such a big sponsor. Type 2 Diabetes is a modern disease due to constantly feeding our bodies with high carb/sugar processed grains and junk food. A true KETO way of eating will stabilize and lower blood sugars and in a lot of cases reverse type 2 diabetes

    • Hey Steve! Thanks for your response. While the Keto Diet does include foods such as avocados, olive oil and meats, it avoids many vegetables and fruits that are essential for a healthy and sustainable diet. Response to the diet varies from person to person – some having longer lasting flu symptoms than others. They may also vary in their satiation perception from a high fat diet.1 Grains have been a part of our societal diets for centuries – over 100,000 years.2 Carbohydrates are crucial in our diets. The Ketogenic Diet is not sustainable so patients with diabetes would be at risk for serious clinical concerns including dyslipidemia, ketoacidosis and glycogen depletion.3 The diet can minimize blood glucose due to the fact that is reduces carbs in the diet. Carbohydrate Counting, weight loss of greater than 10% and a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains is the recommended way for clients to reverse Type 2 Diabetes. Sustainable and life-long dietary habits are not formed from fad diets, like the Keto Diet.

      1. Stevenson J, Clevenger H, Cooper J. Hunger and Satiety Responses to High-Fat Meals of VaryingFatty Acid Composition in Women with Obesity. Obes J. 2015;23(10).
      2. Snir A, Nadel D, Groman-Yaroslavski I, Melamed Y, Sternberg M. The Origin of Cultivation and Proto-Weeds, Long Before Neolithic Farming. PLoS One. 2015.
      3. Seckold R, Fisher E, de Bock M, C.E. S. The ups and downs of low‐carbohydrate diets in the management of Type 1 diabetes: a review of clinical outcomes. 2018.


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