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This blog tells you everything you need to know about Keto Diet. With this blog, we aim to educate our readers about what the diet entails, its benefits, food to eat and not eat, a sample diet chart, how to do Keto diet “the Indian way”, healthy eating habits, and a funny client story that is sure to give you a little chuckle!

This blog acts as a complete guide to Keto Diet. So if you are someone who wants to follow the diet or know someone who wants to, you must give it a read.

Introduction

With numerous diets flooding the health and fitness space, newbies may need clarification about which is best suited for them. The concept to grasp may be intimidating for an average person who may not be as well acquainted with the intent behind the nomenclature. We can’t blame them after all, names like Paleo, Keto, Atkins, Dukan, and Mediterranean sound like they have been taken straight from roman literature.

“Keto Diet”, however, is one type of diet that has taken the Indian audience by storm. A couple of years back, the Keto frenzy was real, magazine articles were claiming keto to be the ultimate weight loss mantra, influencers were going above and beyond to promote its health benefits, and bloggers were posting about how they have found the perfect diet to reverse diabetes, so forth and so on. The most surprising thing about the keto diet is that its prevalence dates back to the 19th century, contrary to how new people think it is. During those times, it was mainly used to treat diabetes and epilepsy.

Celebrities like Karan Johar and Huma Qureshi lost a lot of weight and were able to take charge of their health which inspired a lot of people. Tanmay Bhat, an Indian YouTuber, comedian, scriptwriter, actor, performer, and producer lost 109 Kgs in 12 months with Keto Diet. Ranveer Allahbadia, who has a Youtube channel by the name of BeerBiceps, trained Tanmay after experimenting with the diet himself. "Tanmay made a few tweaks to his diet, substituting the bad carbs from sugar-rich foods like pastries and ice-creams, with good carbs from foods like whole grains, veggies, and nuts, along with plenty of protein-dense food like chicken and seafood.”, Allahbadia said. Celebrities exude a lot of influence in the common man’s life, they inspire us to feel that if they can make time for their health despite the hectic schedule, then so can we!

What is the “Keto diet”?

The ketogenic diet is a high-fat, adequate-protein, low-carbohydrate diet. It is based on the idea that by exhausting all of the carbs from your diet, which is the main source of energy for the body, you can manipulate the body into burning fat as fuel. If a person consumes food that contains carbohydrates, the body converts it into glucose and then uses it for energy. Since glucose is the simplest form of energy for the body to utilize, it is utilized for energy before your body turns to stored fat for fuel. Another thing that happens after you consume carbs is the production of insulin to process glucose in your bloodstream.

By lowering the intake of carbs in your food, your body is induced into a state called Ketosis. Ketosis is the process where your body burns fat for energy instead of glucose. Ketones can come from either your diet or your body’s fat reserve. Although the liver is one organ that produces small amounts of ketones, they are not sufficient to put your body in ketosis. However, when your glucose levels depreciate, they cause your liver to amplify the production of ketones to make sure that your bodily functions are not being compromised in any way, shape, or form.

The keto diet is high in fat, moderate in protein and low in carbohydrates. The standard keto diet consists of 70% fats, 20% proteins, and 10% carbohydrates. Ideally, one should have approximately 20gm carbs per day in a keto diet.

Cheesy and greasy for the win!

To this day, whenever we talk about the Keto diet, a funny incident flashes right before our eyes. A few years back, Naina came to us to pursue weight loss, PCOS reversal, and improvement of her type-2 diabetes. Naina weighed 134 Kg when she came to us. Although she seemed to be a happy-go-lucky girl from the outside, she was battling really intense body image issues and was not doing well mentally. On top of that, her physical health was no better than her mental health, she was diagnosed with PCOS at a very young age, had type-2 diabetes, and her doctors had warned her of a dangerous situation developing if she did not lose weight.

Now 22 year old Naina is a foodie at heart, the kind who thinks food is incomplete without a serving or two of some sweet dish. She also thinks salads are rabbit food and she would rather eat wooden logs for lunch than eat salad. Her favorite food is cheese and wouldn’t mind putting string cheese in her morning coffee. All in all, Naina is a toughie when it comes to her food choices and she tends to shy away from any opinion that does not resonate with her. When she came to us, after just one session, she wanted to start her journey with us as she was assured that with niwi.ai, she would not have to compromise on her favorite foods and eat salads.

Now, evaluating her weight, body type, family history, BMI, and other pivotal factors, our registered dietitians suggested she follow the keto diet for beginners. Since her guilty pleasure is string cheese, we knew she would not have to compromise on a lot of her favorite nutritious foods with the keto diet.

Now, the next day after we had prescribed her the diet, We heard our phone buzz and to our surprise, it was Naina’s mother Shyamli ji. “Is this Renu ji from niwi.ai?”, she said in a very feeble voice. “Yes Shyamli ji, it’s Renu. Is everything alright?”, Stuttering she said “ I just checked the diet plan you prescribed her, it has a … lo… lot.. a lot of cheese, is it recommended for someone with a body weight like Naina?”, Needless to say, Shyamli ji and I shared a great laugh towards the end of the call when I explained to her how ketosis works.

Benefits of the Keto Diet

To elucidate that ketogenic diets have become the trendiest diets THAT ACTUALLY WORK in recent years is purely an understatement. Even to this day, the Keto diet is one of the most searched diet forms on google and other search engines. The array of benefits associated with the diet has empowered and transformed the lives of so many people for centuries now.

Let us have a look at the key benefits that keto diets offer:-

1 . Rapid Weight Loss

This one should not come as a shocker to you. After all, you have firsthand seen a lot of celebrities leveraging the diet to lose stubborn weight. Studies show that if you end up eating low carb meals, and eat more protein and fat, you consume fewer calories overall. Ketosis boosts your metabolism and reduces the production of ghrelin.

2. Good Cholesterol Levels

High-Density Lipoprotein, also known as HDL, is enhanced with the keto diet, and Low-Density Lipoprotein, also known as LDL, is reduced. High levels of HDL and low levels of LDL result in good heart health.

3. Uplifting the Mood

A lot of times, carbs can make us groggy, sluggish, and irritable. Low carb meals can result in boosting your mood, mental health, and overall well-being. If your mental health is great, it will supplement your physical health and your body will function perfectly.

4. Lowers Triglycerides

Triglycerides are just another name for fat molecules. It is said that the higher the triglycerides, the higher the chance of a heart attack. They can be reduced and kept in the optimum range by following a keto diet.

5. Controls Blood Pressure

The risk for high blood pressure or hypertension, as you may call it, is also diminished through a Keto diet by avoiding unhealthy foods like the ones containing high fructose content and other refined carbohydrates.

6. Lower Insulin Levels

The Keto diet is ideal for controlling insulin levels and reducing the total blood sugar spike of your meals. The Keto diet is very actively used by diabetics as it is considered to be an effective treatment for type 2 diabetes.

7. Bloating and Water Weight

If we indulge in carbs for a long time, we are bound to carry some extra water weight in our bodies. A lot of athletes encourage ketosis for body-building competitions where one would want to rapidly lose 2-3 kgs of just water weight in a couple of days while getting rid of any bloating.

Keto Diet Statistics that will blow your mind

According to a study by Bolst Global,

• In 2020, “keto” was the most Googled food-related topic in the world with 25.4 million searches. Keto has overtaken previously popular diets such as the Atkins Diet and intermittent fasting.

According to Bodyketosis,

• Scientific evidence suggests that the keto diet is effective for weight loss.

According to fitnessclone ,

• 69% of people reported using keto to lose weight, 48% were concerned with their health, 15% started because a friend recommended it, and 5% looked into the diet because a celebrity influenced them

According to a report by The Journal Of Nutrition,

• The Ketogenic diet is more effective than a low-fat diet for obesity and diabetes

According to a study by Insight Partners,

• The global keto diet market is valued at 10.2 billion.

According to an article by Weight Loss Made Practical,

• Compared to 2016, the number of searches for the term “keto foods” was 1807.69% higher in 2019.
• Compared to 2019, the number of searches for the term “keto diet” was down 64.95% in 2021.
• Losing weight is generally the most popular reason for going on a keto diet.
• One source estimates that the worldwide ketogenic diet market size was 10221.40 million.
• Searches for the term “keto diet” only started gaining steam in 2011.

According to a study by The Journal of Nutrition,

One study in 45 women with ovarian or endometrial cancer found that women who followed a ketogenic diet for 12 weeks had significantly less total body fat and lost 16% more belly fat than women assigned to a low fat, high fiber diet.

According to a study by National Library of Medicine,

Another study in adults with obesity that included 12 women demonstrated that following a very low calorie ketogenic diet for 14 weeks significantly reduced body fat, decreased food cravings, and improved female sexual function.

Foods to eat

• Meats: Chicken, pork, lamb, turkey, ham.
• Nuts: Macadamia nuts, almonds, walnuts, peanuts, pecans.
• Vegetables: Cucumber, spinach, cauliflower, mushroom, lettuce, beans, bell peppers, or any low carb vegetables.
• Dairy: Full cream milk, heavy cream, cheese, sour cream.
• Healthy fats: Oil, eggs, mayonnaise, butter, ghee.
• Seafood: Tuna, salmon, snapper, trout.

Foods to avoid

• Grains: Wheat, bran, rice, millets, corn, oats, buckwheat.
• Starches: Bread, pizza, burger, popcorn, muesli, crackers, pasta, oatmeal.
• Legumes: Chickpeas, lentils, peas, soybeans, pinto beans, kidney beans.
• Sugar and sweeteners: Aspartame, cane sugar, nectar, maple syrup, honey.
• Alcohol: Wine, cider, beer.
• Condiments: Mustard, ketchup, dressing, hot sauce, ranch.
• Cooking Oil: Sunflower oil, canola oil, sesame oil, grapeseed oil.

Can we do the Keto diet with Indian foods?

Absolutely! You can follow any kind of Keto meal plan with any cuisine of your choice. Just keep in mind that it should follow the order of 70% fats, 20% proteins, and 10% carbohydrates.

We do understand that Indian food is usually full of carbs but that does not mean that all of the preparations are similar. We understand that adopting any new form of diet can be a challenge and may seem difficult, but any journey without the right guidance and partner is a little wavering. The science behind the nutrition of the human body is not complex, it is just a little tricky. This is the reason professional help can give you the exact results you would want.

Registered dietitians can curate personalized diet plans that are suited for your body type, dietary requirements, and most of all your tastebuds! Being on Keto does not mean that you have to eat tasteless, bland food for the entirety of your diet. In fact, many of our clients who wanted to start keto had inhibitions - some regarding tasty food and others regarding their dietary requirements being fulfilled.

If you feel like you are facing a similar issue, you are not alone.

Sample Keto Diet Plan for Beginners :

7 AM - Bulletproof coffee without sugar.

8:30 AM - Mushroom and broccoli bhurji.

1 PM - Coconut flour roti (2) and Spinach.

4 PM - Fistfull of almonds.

7:30 PM - Tempeh stir fry with cheese.

Don’t blame the butter for what the bread did…

Although Keto diets are known for their fast and quick results, they may not necessarily be a one-size-fits-all solution. It may work wonders for you or it may just not be compatible with your body type, but to evaluate all of that , you would need to consult a professional.

Ready for a health revolution? Join us on our mission to transform the nutrition landscape!

For any queries, Write to us at info@niwi.ai or call us at +91-8800874676.

At niwi.ai, we have helped thousands of clients transform their lives and feel stronger, more energetic, and definitely more confident in how they look and feel, by improving their relationship with food!