Game for the Keto Diet?

Weight loss is on the wish list for many of us, and we’re spoilt for choices when it comes to choosing diets. One diet that is known to shed the pounds is the Keto or Ketogenic Diet. But this ain’t an easy one to follow and requires professional advice and monitoring. Read to know more...

What is it?
A Keto Diet is a low-carb, high fat and a medium protein diet, which forces the body to get into a state of ketosis, which means that your body starts utilising the ketone bodies produced from the fat as the main source of energy instead of the glucose/glycogen which drop due to low carbohydrate levels. This phenomena allows your body to utilise the fat stores and give you a feeling of fullness and you end up consuming less as compared to the number of calories spent, thus lose weight, explains Pallavi Srivastava, celebrity and fitness nutritionist, and proprietor — Q-Slim Fitness Studio, who has recommended the Ketogenic Diet, mostly for cancer patients to help deal with its complications and control symptoms. For weight loss purposes, her patient demographic is between the age group of 25 to 40, mostly women. She has recommended to five to six patients in past couple of years, out of which one failed to achieve weight loss. 

Eligibility for the diet
Nutritionist Karishma Chawla, Eat Right 24x7, has been recommending the Ketogenic Diet for the past couple of years to some of her patients. However, it’s a small number of patients, around three per cent of her clientele. “People of all ages, even 19 to 20-year-olds approach me to go on a Ketogenic diet but not everyone qualifies for it. The diet has a science of its own. When I screen clients for this diet, I’m looking for strict compliance with dedication and focus on their part because if cheat meals occur often, the diet is not going to work,” she informs. Individuals between the age group 20 to 45 whose medical history is clear, without any predisposed kidney issues, diabetes qualify for it. Chawla first puts a client on a basic diet plan to see how they fare and how dedicated they are towards following it, and then accordingly puts them on the Ketogenic Diet for a brief period, and later on a sustenance diet plan.

The diet plan
The Keto Diet involves consuming high fat but within the calorie limit like cheese, nuts, butter with veggie sticks etc. and some amount of protein like lean cuts of chicken and fish, and very less carbs like vegetables. “The initial week can show a quick weight loss due to water loss or muscle loss, it can take few months for your body to get keto-adapted which means that your brain shifts to using ketones as a source of energy from glycogen, once it does the trend of your body will be downwards. But as this diet is very restricted in terms of food, one may need to monitor vitamins and mineral levels like magnesium, calcium, potassium, vitamin C, D, E, proteins, etc,” informs Srivastava adding that it may be a good idea to take these in the supplemental form. 

A strict Ketogenic Diet calls for a very restricted amount of daily carb intake which is limited to 15 to 20 gms per day. This kind of strict adherence if followed, is to be done under a doctor’s close monitoring. Chawla on the other hand, customises the diet as per each individual by calculating the patient’s daily protein requirement based on height, weight and physical activity levels. The Ketogenic Diet calls for 75 per cent fats (the good fats), 20 per cent proteins and five per cent carbs, however, she customises the carb content as per each individual. Supplements in the form of omega-3 and whey protein isolets may be required and are customised as per patient requirements. She recommends a 15-day period and gradually increases it to a maximum of two months depending on how well a patient responds to the diet, adding that most people can do it for just one month.

Results
Speaking of results, Chawla has seen desirable results like loss of three to five kgs a month with good inches loss, among her patients. As for the maintenance part, she says, “Once a patient has completed two months on the diet, I gradually increase the number of fibrous complex carbs, keeping in mind how the body accepts it without weight gain and cut down on fats.” Some individuals may experience light headedness. Usually, a program like this can be diuretic. This can be dealt by adding a little more salt in the food or consuming electrolytes.

Do not attempt it on your own
If one is stuck on a diet of low carbs, high fat or high protein diet for long and are exercising and not getting results, or somebody who deals with a  metabolic syndrome, you may get tempted to try the Keto Diet for weight loss. “However, exercise and proper supplementation and strict supervision by a nutritionist or a doctor is mandatory as this diet is very individualised and is based on a calculated pattern of eating. Research says it is used for treating diseases like cancer, epilepsy, autism and Alzheimer’s. A proper history, and the medications history needs to be taken of the patient by a nutritionist/doctor before starting this diet,” warns Srivastava.

Do not attempt it on your own
If one is stuck on a diet of low carbs, high fat or high protein diet for long and are exercising and not getting results, or somebody who deals with a  metabolic syndrome, you may get tempted to try the Keto Diet for weight loss. “However, exercise and proper supplementation and strict supervision by a nutritionist or a doctor is mandatory as this diet is very individualised and is based on a calculated pattern of eating. Research says it is used for treating diseases like cancer, epilepsy, autism and Alzheimer’s. A proper history, and the medications history needs to be taken of the patient by a nutritionist/doctor before starting this diet,” warns Srivastava.

The Ketogenic Diet was designed by Dr Russell Wilder in 1924 at Mayo Clinic, US. Though it was highly effective in treating epilepsy, it went out of fashion due to rise in new anti-seizure medications in the 1940s.

PSSST...
A source tells us that actress Kajol lost oodles of weight as a result of going on the Ketogenic Diet. Wow for her!