WHAT IS THE KETO OR LOW CARB DIET?

The ketogenic diet or commonly called Keto, has gained a lot of popularity in recent years as well as the Low Carb diet. Those who follow carbohydrate reduction often move between the two types of diet or do some limited periods of ketogenic diet depending on their health status and the time of year.

BUT WHAT IS THE KETOGENIC DIET REALLY ABOUT?

The ketogenic or keto diet is an eating plan that is very low in carbohydrates and rich in healthy fats . It receives this name precisely because of the metabolic state of ketosis that our body enters with the drastic reduction in carbohydrate intake.

When our body enters ketosis, it stops using glucose (carbohydrates and sugars) as its main source of energy and will start using fat instead.

THE PRINCIPLES OF THE KETOGENIC DIET

Keto diets have a specific distribution of macronutrients that is different from the usual one . This type of diet allows our body to maintain the production of ketone bodies, which will be used to feed the brain, while the rest of the body's tissues will prioritize the consumption of fatty acids.

For practical purposes, in a keto diet...

65-75% of the daily caloric intake comes from fat, the other 15-25% comes from protein and finally 5-10% comes from carbohydrates.

This translates into a carbohydrate intake of between 20-50 grams per day, depending on each person. However, there are those who follow a similar, but less strict, guideline. In this case we will be talking about Low Carb diets that, unlike Keto, reduce carbohydrate consumption below the usual percentages but without establishing an exact limit.

KETO: A LIFESTYLE

Being in ketosis, or “keto-adapted,” allows us to live in a state in which we enjoy all the benefits of the ketogenic diet. The main one would be to recover the metabolic flexibility that we have been losing over the years due to excessive consumption of carbohydrates and sugars. This is why experts and followers of the ketogenic diet advocate that it should be considered a healthy eating plan for life and not just a strategy to lose weight.

At Impossible Bakers, we also believe that the Keto diet goes further, for us it is a lifestyle! And that's why with our bread you can dip bread in your dishes again or blow out the candles on a delicious cake.

Laia Puig, Dietitian

Sources:

Printed book

Stro, Carlos and Stro, Ricardo. (2019). Ketogenic diet, the protocol for effective eating. Weekly rituals.

Sisson, Mark. (2017). The Keto diet restarts your metabolism in 21 days and burns fat for life . Grijalbo.