The keto diet has been around for many years, which sees slimmers adapt to a low carb, high fat meal plan that can offer many health benefits. Dieting is a personal experience, what works for someone, nay not work for others, and now scientists from University of California, Riverside are investigating the effects it has on both men and women, and their research suggests there are differences.
The keto diet involves drastically reducing carbohydrate intake and replacing it with fat, which puts your body into a metabolic state called ketosis.
Your body then becomes incredibly efficient at burning fat for energy.
It also turns fat into ketones in the liver, which can supply energy for the brain.
It has been found that ketogenic diets can cause significant reductions in blood sugar and insulin levels, too.
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“If you eat too much of anything it will make you fat — including carrots.
“Ultimately, the most important thing is the amount you eat, what you eat, and the time of day that you eat.”
A typical keto diet consists of protein, but it doesn’t always discriminate between lean protein foods and protein sources high in saturated fat such as beef, pork, and bacon.
In a daily 2,000-calorie diet, that could look like 165 grams of fat, 40 grams of carbs, and 75 grams of protein, depending on the individual’s needs.
Some healthy unsaturated fats are allowed, such as tofu, olive oil, almonds, walnuts, seeds and avocados.
Saturated fats from oils like palm, coconut and lard, butter, and cocoa butter are encouraged in high amounts.
In terms of fruit and veg, which are all rich in carbs, there are some limitations.
Vegetables are restricted to leafy greens, such as kale, Swiss chard, spinach, cauliflower, broccoli, brussels sprouts, asparagus, bell peppers, onions, garlic, mushrooms, cucumber, celery, and summer squashes.
Berries are usually OK to consume in small portions.