Tea Time: Keto Diet
- What is it
- Basically the Atkins diet, for anyone who remembers
- 80% fat, 15-20% protein and <5% carbs
- The liver converts fat into carbohydrate for organs that need it (like your brain!)
- Ketones are the result
- Foods included
- Meats of all kinds (some discourage processed meats)
- Fats – oils, butter, lard, cream
- Nuts
- Dairy – whole fat sources, no added sugar
- Low-carb vegetables like greens
- Berries, but sparingly
- Foods excluded
- Grains
- Legumes
- Most fruits
- Starchy vegetables (potatoes, corn, yams)
- Who can benefit
- Kids with intractable seizures
- People with neurological disorders
- Emerging research
- Alzheimers
- Parkinsons
- MS
- Diabetes/Pre-diabetes
- Cancer
- People trying to lose weight
- What are the dangers
- Impact on cardiovascular health is unclear
- People with type 1 diabetes who take insulin need to use caution (communicate w/MD)
- Very difficult to follow and continue (long-term weight loss is unclear)
- Very restrictive – dangerous for anyone at risk for developing an eating disorder
- Potential for loss of muscle mass
- Keto breath (also sweat and urine)
- Constipation
- Vitamin and Mineral deficiencies
- Bone loss