Should You Know What Keto Isn't???

 

                                                                           WHAT  KETO  ISN'T

There are lot of misconceptions about ketogenic diet floating around, so I wanted to take a moment to address a few of the most common ones.

                            KETOSIS  IS  NOT  KETOACIDOSIS

I think this is the biggest misconception I see perpetuated on the internet (and by some reputable-sounding sources, too!). Ketosis is a natural process that the body enters in response to carbohydrate restriction.  It is thought to be an evolutionary development to provide protection from the effects of famine or food shortages. 

Ketoacidosis is a very serious condition brought on by extremely high blood glucose levels combined with a severe lack of insulin. This rare condition can occur in type 1 diabetics but is very unlikely to occur in those without diabetes. 

                              KETO  IS  NOT  A  MEAT-HEAVY  DIET

I receive a lot emails and social media comments expressing confusion that my diet is both vegan and ketogenic, as if the two were mutually exclusive. Because most portrayals of keto approach it from the "burgers, bacon, and cheese" side, there is a bit of uncertainty about the types of food you can eat. 

As you probably figured, you don't have to eat meat. You don't have to eat eggs, or dairy, or anything else you don't want to, either. A ketogenic diet is just a way of eating that gets you into ketosis; which types of foods you use to do so are totally up to you. 

                                  KETO  IS  NOT  A  NO-CARB  DIET

There are "zero-carb diets" out there, where people mostly just eat meat. Some choose to add eggs or oil, but overall, the goal is to consume zero carbohydrates. 

While this is a form of a ketogenic diet, it is by no means representative of all ketogenic diets. No-carb diets are on the extreme end of the spectrum. Most people following a ketogenic diet consume between 20 and 50 grams of net carbohydrates per day. When you factor in fiber, you could be eating as much as 100 grams of total carbohydrates!

I think this is an important distinction to make because I have seen many people argue against ketogenic diets, citing how they are too extreme in their total elimination of carbohydrates. For most people, this is simply not true. 

                       KETO  IS  NOT  A  HIGH-PROTEIN  DIET

The low-carb diets that have been popular in the past have also featured high amounts of protein. Ketogenic diets are different in that they do not prioritize consuming a lot of protein, because excess protein can be converted to glucose in the body (via a process called gluconeogenesis) and can kick you out of ketosis, mitigating the positive effects of the diet. 

                                 KETO  IS  NOT  A  LIST  OF  FOODS

I can't stress this enough - ketogenic diets are not a list of foods you "can" or "cannot" have. I don't think it's helpful long-term to attach "goodness" or some sort of dietary morality to any certain food or set of foods. Instead, I think it's more valuable to assess foods on an individual basis and to evaluate what they do for (or to) our bodies. So, instead of saying,"you can't eat candy on keto," look at candy for what it is - mostly sugar, along with some industrial fats - and think about the impact eating it will have. 

Saying you can't have a food because it's "not keto" turns the ketogenic diet into some sort of hyper-restrictive, dogmatic fad that places the onus on willpower for success. 

Of course, in the beginning, some people find it very helpful to keep a list of keto-friendly foods around until they are accustomed to the ketogenic way of eating. There's nothing wrong with using a list if that's what works for you. Just be aware that there is no hard-and-fast list of "keto foods". 

                               KETO  IS  NOT  A  SILVER  BULLET

I think it's important to set reasonable expectations. It's easy to get caught up in the excitement of seeing striking weight loss results in online forums and hearing people's stories of turning their lives and health around. For some, a keto diet can be life-changing, but not everyone has such as dramatic experience. We all want that quick-and-easy answer, and while some people do experience drastic changes quite quickly, that's not the case for everyone. So don't get frustrated if you don't see results instantly! 

                               KETO  IS  NOT  "ONE  SIZE  FITS  ALL"

There is no one right way to do a ketogenic diet. Our bodies, lifestyles, and goals are all different, and so are the ways we approach eating. Some people choose to consume specific ratios of fat, protein, and carbohydrate, while others choose to count carbs. Some people prefer to take a more intuitive approach to keto and stick to eating foods that are lower in carbs and make them feel good. 

As long as you are eating a diet that keeps you in a state of ketosis, you are eating keto. To find out how to tell if you are in ketosis, then read out my post about ways to measure ketone levels.