The Keto Diet is gaining a lot of popularity in the media and with people looking for a new, healthy diet. But, even though you see blogs and articles about the keto diet everywhere nowadays, many people don’t know its background or its fundamental principles. We looked at Nina Teicholz’s book The Big Fat Surprise to find out what the keto diet is, why is it so popular, and who is the ideal person to succeed in this diet. Keep reading to learn more and let us know what you think about the keto diet down in the comment section!

What is the Keto Diet?

The ketogenic diet has been around since the 1920s and was originally developed as a day-to-day lifestyle change for epilepsy patients. But, with the development of alternative antiepileptic treatments and the widespread popularity it has gained in the past couple of decades, the keto diet has moved away from medical treatment and come into the world of nutrition science.

The keto diet centers around minimizing the number of carbs you ingest and increasing healthy fat intake so your body can rely on fats instead of carbs to create and produce energy. After about a week of being on the diet, your body goes into ketosis, or the state your body enters when it doesn’t have enough carbs for your cells to use for energy. In place of those carbs, your body then creates ketones that it can use for energy. This leads the body to burn off fat to produce ketones. There are very obvious benefits to this diet, which we will dive into in the next section.

Keto Diet Breakdown

The keto diet is designed to be a very low-carb, moderate-protein, and high-fat diet. The typical food breakdown is 75% fat, 20% protein and only 5% carbs, but if you want to pursue a slightly different form of the keto diet (yes, there are others!) there will naturally be adjustments.

In Nina Teicholz’s book, one of her basic arguments is to introduce nutrient-dense foods into the diet in the form of meats, fats, and diary. A lot of the keto diet is incorporating these foods and staying away from foods that are rich in carbs and sugar. To be successful, there are some recommended food staples to include in your diet:

• Salmon
• Grass-fed beef
• Coconut oil
• Chicken
• Cheese

The natural benefits to the keto diet are weight loss, higher levels of energy, more consistent levels of energy, and less hunger so you won’t feel the typical always-hungry feeling that dieting can cause. But, the most prevalent side effect is the “keto flu”, which results from carb withdrawal. Symptoms include lightheadedness, nausea, and mental fog that can last for up to a week or more.

Who Should Do The Keto Diet?

The question you should have is if you should even give it a shot. First and foremost, the keto diet is not recommended for people who have diabetes, have high blood pressure, or pregnant or nursing mothers. The diet suppresses a lot of the chemicals and enzymes that these particular groups need to be healthy.

Even if you are healthy, you should still proceed with caution. Keto diets generally work for people who really love meat and heart-healthy oils and have experience staying away from carbs. No matter what, as Teicholz says, listen to your body and find whatever diet works for you as long you feel your very best. It’s important to understand what you want to get out of the diet and to fully know the principles of the diet so you can set yourself up for success.