TGG006: The scoop on keto
FOCUS OF THE WEEK: Ketogenic (keto) diet
Background
The ketogenic ("keto") diet was developed by Mayo Clinic doctors in the 1920s to treat epilepsy.
Thanks to hype from A-list celebs, Silicon Valley techies, and Instagram hashtags like #myketotransformation, the diet has seen a recent surge in popularity - just ask Google.
The keto diet discussed in this newsletter refers to a "well-designed" keto diet as explained by Mark Sisson.
The ketogenic diet is intended only for short-term use. Medical experts don't yet know enough about its long-term effects.
Just as keto has its fans, it certainly has its critics. Learn some potential risks.
This isn't a recommendation to try keto, just an explanation. As with any diet, chat with your doctor before giving it a go.
Elevator Pitch
Keto describes a variety of low carb diets. The focus is on intentionally withholding either calories or carbohydrates from your daily diet to prompt your body to become really good at burning its own stored body fat. Instead of using sugar (glucose) to fuel your body, you force yourself into using a different fuel source called ketone bodies ("ketones").
Digging In
You may have heard of keto as being associated with fasting. That's because intermittent fasting can help your body reach ketosis faster than the keto diet alone. When on a normal diet and you stop eating, you use stored glycogen as fuel. But when the liver gets signals to stop expecting glucose coming in, it manufactures a "super fuel" called ketone bodies made from stored fat. You create a closed-loop system, with muscles running almost entirely on fats.
It takes 24-48 hours for the average person on a high-carb diet to reach mild ketosis, but going keto for 6 weeks will help you achieve the metabolic flexibility, enhanced fat burning, anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, muscle building effects of ketosis. Sisson recommends going keto for 6 weeks, then deciding whether to stick with it or to modify. As long as you don't return to a super carb heavy diet and you stay active and get enough sleep, going keto for just 6 weeks can keep all that fat burning and other good stuff going for months to come.
TBT to 2M Years Ago Our hunter-gatherer ancestors had limited access to carbs, so they spent a lot of time in ketosis and evolved over two million years to become very efficient at storing fat. Unfortunately we've fully retained this ability to store fat while access to sugary carbohydrates has exploded. The goal of keto is to return to that factory setting where we're efficient at burning fat and making ketones, making us less reliant on carbohydrates. In the long run, you trend toward your ideal body composition.
Guide Me
On keto, you're eating fat with every meal, as well as protein, certain fruits, and non-starchy vegetables like leafy greens. The bulk of your meals (in terms of volume) will be "above ground" veggies (peppers, cucumber, kale, Brussels sprouts, avocados, and more). As long as they aren't breaded or sweetened, most meats and fish are fair game. Eggs are also cool. The bulk of your calories will come from fat. Extra virgin olive oil, avocados, avocado oil, full-fat cheese, butter, or cream, "dark meats," and salmon are all options. Remember, we're talking about a "well-designed" keto diet, so fat from bacon ain't considered equal to fat from salmon.
Avoid empty carbs, or foods with lots of carbohydrates and little nutritional value to show for it. Sodas, juices, baked goods, and sweets are obvious ones. And for keto purposes, steer clear of most legumes (i.e. peas, beans), starchy veggies (potatoes, squash), and high-carb dairy.
Working on My Fitness Good news! You don't have to sacrifice your #gains when going keto. Ketones have a protein sparing effect, so when you work out in ketosis you're burning mostly fat. When it comes to what you should eat after a workout, there's actually no definitive answer on this. But, the idea that you need carbs or protein immediately after exercising or else you'll shrivel up and die or whatever isn't true. More research is needed, but studies have found low-carb athletes can perform just as well as high-carb athletes.
My Take
My keto research began strictly as an educational endeavor to inform you of the ins and outs of a popular diet. Full transparency - I thought it was another silly fad, but now I want to give it a try. Many potential benefits of temporarily adopting a ketogenic diet make sense. After all, the basic principles upon which it's founded - fasting intermittently, cutting out sugary sh*t carbs, taking a mindful approach to your macronutrient intake - these all have science-backed benefits.
Maybe you won't walk away a keto fanatic. But hopefully you'll leave a little more curious about our incredible ability to alter our minds and bodies through food.