The keto diet, which is short for “ketogenic diet,” is a low-carb, high-fat, and moderate protein eating plan.
It is designed to help your body achieve a state called ketosis. During ketosis, your body turns to fat as its primary energy source instead of carbohydrates. This shift changes the way your body operates and leads to weight loss and other benefits.
While the diet plan can be beneficial, it is not suitable for everyone. By taking a look at the following pros and cons of going keto, you can better determine whether it is the right option for you.
Three Pros of the Keto Diet
The ketogenic diet is gaining popularity worldwide due to its various health benefits. Here we will delve into the major pros of adopting this high-fat, low-carb diet.
1. The Keto Diet Can Help You Lose Weight
As mentioned, many people go to keto to help them lose weight. When your body enters a state of ketosis, it starts burning fat more efficiently, which leads to weight loss.
Furthermore, higher protein intake coupled with healthy fats often leads to a feeling of fullness, which helps control hunger pangs and prevent overeating. The keto diet is known for its ability to suppress the appetite to aid weight loss efforts.
2. You Can Improve Your Heart Health with the Keto Diet
Contrary to what you might expect from a high-fat diet, the keto diet can actually improve your heart health if done right. By choosing healthy fats like avocados and fish over unhealthy fats, you can lower bad cholesterol levels and increase good cholesterol levels.
3. The Keto Diet Could Help Certain Conditions
The keto diet was actually initially designed to help manage epilepsy in children. Since then, it has been found useful in managing other health conditions as well. For example, some studies suggest that it may help improve symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and certain types of cancer.
Three Cons of the Keto Diet
While the keto diet has shown promising results for weight loss and certain health conditions, it is not always without drawbacks. Below are some of the cons associated with this restrictive dietary regimen.
1. The Keto Diet Can Cause Low Energy Levels at First
During the initial weeks of a keto diet, you may experience fatigue – or what is commonly known as the “keto flu.” This is because your body is adjusting to burning fat for energy.
2. It Can Take Longer to Prep Meals When You Are on a Keto Diet
The keto diet requires dedicated meal preparation to make sure you are adhering to the correct protein, fat, and carb balance. This can be time-consuming and may pose a challenge for people with busy schedules or those not accustomed to cooking at home regularly.
3. Eating Out Can Be More Complicated When You Follow a Keto Diet Plan
Following a strict low-carb, high-fat diet can also be challenging when dining out or attending social events where food is served. However, it is certainly not impossible to remain on your keto plan when eating out. It just requires some careful planning, such as finding the right restaurants, asking waiters about the ingredients of dishes, and noting dietary preferences when attending social gatherings.
Tips for Making a Keto Diet Easier
The keto diet might feel overwhelming at first because of its guidelines and restrictions. However, with the right strategies, it can be manageable and even enjoyable. So, here are some tips to help you:
- Plan Ahead: Devise a meal plan for each week. This will help you to estimate your grocery needs and ensure you use keto-approved foods.
- Get Pre-Prepared Keto Meals Delivered to Your Door: If a busy schedule does not allow for meal-prep time or cooking feels daunting, try a delivery service that specializes in a dietitian-designed ketogenic meal solution.
- Use a Meal Tracking App: To help monitor your macros and avoid guesswork, use an app designed for meal tracking.
Final Thoughts
Now that you know about the various pros and cons of going keto, and are armed with tips to make it easier, you should be in a good position to decide whether the keto diet plan is the right option for you. However, you should also look at other diet plans, as another plan could be the better choice for your specific needs.
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