If you have even been anywhere near electronics, whether a computer, TV, or your smartphone, recently you have heard a lot about the “Keto Diet.” Unfortunately, what you probably have not heard about is how Keto is actually NOT a diet.
Keto is a lifestyle.
“Keto” is short for “Ketogenic” as restricting carbohydrates results in the burning of ketones (a fat-based fuel source used instead of quick- and dirty-burning glucose), which creates a state of “ketosis.” My favorite (hilarious!) criticism of Keto is that it is a “fad” diet that is “not sustainable” or “safe” long-term. (There is no research to support this although everyone should consult their healthcare provider before making any major lifestyle changes.) Here are the facts:
- A low-carbohydrate way of eating has been used as a treatment for both Epilepsy and Diabetes since the 1800s.
- Restricting carbohydrates, especially those founds in highly-processed foods, was common prior to the 1960s, when we were our healthiest as a country.
- Keto is about improving your health via changing your metabolic function, while also addressing the quality of your foods in order to further enhance well-being.
It is true that everyone does Keto differently. Here are some of the different “ways” to Keto:
- “Lazy Keto” – This is the most basic and non-committal way to Keto. This is when people kind of restrict carbs but the quality of ingredients (e.g. organic, grass-fed, unprocessed) are not of concern. This also typically includes people continuing the same behaviors (e.g. eating foods that are still in the form of previously-guilty pleasures, like “keto cookies” or “keto bread,” and not at all addressing the challenges of sugar addiction common in our culture). This is NOT the way to Keto if you want to create lasting healing.
- “Dirty Keto” – This is the kind of Keto that does try to keep macronutrients to the recommended moderation of protein as 20% of food intake, a restriction of carbs to no more than 10% (or 20-50 grams), and having the goal of 70% of nutrients coming from fats. However, the premise of this approach is that you can “eat whatever you want” as long as it fits within your macros. So, the quality of ingredients are usually not of concern and sometimes people will restrict their food intake just so they can binge on a guilty pleasure (e.g. potato chips) and still stay under their macro goals. This also does not address the importance of restricting blood-sugar spiking carbohydrates like starches and grains. While better than “lazy keto,” I would argue that this approach still misses the whole point of a Ketogenic lifestyle.
- “Strict Keto” – While this isn’t sustainable for everyone, this is where I am. This is the approach to Keto that focuses on how the core of Keto is the metabolic repair it can offer. Dr. Joseph Mercola, a proponent of the low-carb high-fat (“LCHF”) Ketogenic way of eating, does the best job of explaining why this is the case. In his book, Fat for Fuel, Dr. Mercola calls the Ketogenic way of eating “Mitochondrial Metabolic Therapy” because the anti-inflammatory properties of Keto generates more energy, reduces oxidization and free radical damage, and better manages the apoptosis (or “programmed cell death” that can be related to the development of cancers) on a cellular level. Even physicians like Dr. Nasha Winters and academics like Thomas Seyfried are using the “deep nutrition” of Keto for a successful Metabolic Approach to Cancer.
Sure, a natural result of Keto can be fat loss. But, that is just one of the many side effects of Keto that can be life-changing, especially for those who have struggled with obesity and the constant hunger that is a side-effect of such a body composition. Instead, I would simply add “weight loss” to the long-list of benefits* of Keto that make it a true lifestyle:
- Improved immune response
- Reduced hunger
- Improved digestive/gut function
- Improved mental health
- Reduced insulin and blood sugar release
- Stabilized hormones
- So much more…
*Don’t take my word for it, though. Browse the long-list of research supporting a low-carb ketogenic lifestyle here, at the leading doctor-created website that is a central goldmine for knowledge on the topic.
Sure, there are many ways to Keto and, when bodies stabilize, often people can be less restrictive with carbs over time. But, in my mind, if you are truly Ketogenic, you are not worrying about consuming alcohol, thinking about how you can make all of your favorite desserts Keto, or continuing the same dysfunctional relationship with food that comes so easy to us in our highly-processed/instant-gratification food culture. Instead, you are using Keto as a tool to help improve your relationship with food, your metabolism, and your love of your body, no matter the shape.
This is why you will never see or hear me refer to the “Keto Diet” and why I will not make mention of weight in the context of Keto. If you lose weight on Keto and that is a healthy goal you have to improve your medical health, great! Other than that, Keto is a lifestyle that is a commitment, just like your hygiene or your commitment to finish your degree. We are not perfect but, when we approach our goals with nutrition as more than a marathon than a sprint, we can be reminded that, no matter what the news or the random trolls on Facebook say, Keto is NOT a diet!
