So, we all know that the ketogenic, or keto diet, was big in 2018. Even though experts had predicted that this would continue as a quality diet trend into this year, but much more has come along in a research list of the top diets. It is important to remember the inclusion of a drastic reduction of carbohydrates and replacing them with fats, forcing the body into a state of ketosis — when you burn fat instead of carbohydrates for energy. The notoriously restrictive diet calls for its followers not only to reduce intake of unhealthy carbs like sugar but also those that are normally considered healthy, like most fruits and certain vegetables.
While research shows that a ketogenic diet can help control seizures in children with epilepsy and may be beneficial to people with type 2 diabetes, dietitians generally do not recommend it for weight loss. “It’s not typically something that can be sustainable over time,” Kelly Hogan, a registered dietitian and clinical nutrition and wellness manager at the Mount Sinai Dubin Breast Center, told CBS News. “Any diet that’s going to set forth rules and severely restrict food intake is going to create fear around certain foods. In this case, that food category is carbohydrates. Any type of diet like this gives me pause because it can promote disordered eating and an unhealthy relationship with food.”
Over the Past Year: Paleo + vegan = “pegan” diet
It is important to remember that some other very healthy, low-carb options exist with the ability to help with better-sustained weight loss. Mark Hyman, M.D., director of the Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine and author of the book, “FOOD: What the Heck Should I Eat?” introduced the world to the “pegan diet” a few years ago and it’s been growing in popularity. This diet plan combines aspects of a vegan diet, which avoids all animal products, and the Paleo diet, which focuses on consuming the types of foods our ancient ancestors supposedly ate during the Paleolithic era. “It’s really simple,” Hyman told CBS News in an interview earlier this year. “Eat foods low in sugar and starch. Eat lots of plant foods. If you’re going to eat animal foods, eat sustainably grown or harvested foods. Have foods that have lots of good fat, like nuts and seeds, olive oil, avocados.” Basically, with the importance of making sure that you are eating all of these, it is also important to make sure that your cupboard holds foods with ingredients that are clearly natural.
On the opposite side, Kelly Hogan states that for some the diet may not be sustainable in the long-term. Talking about why it is followed in the first place, she said, “If you’re following a vegan diet because you are passionate about animal rights, that’s great. But if you’re following a vegan or Paleo diet solely for weight loss or you think it will change your body in a way that society deems more ‘acceptable,’ then we have to think twice about something like that because these diets are so restrictive.”
And we’ll have more to talk about soon… take some time to absorb these additions that have been made to the ketogenic diet over the past year as far as what you take in!