The Ketogenic diet is a huge craze lately. It is basically a takeoff of the Atkins diet which promotes a low carbohydrate, high animal product diet. I would like to give you a little information I found about Dr. Atkins…
“Atkins died on April 17, 2003, at the age of 72.[2] Nine days prior to his death, Atkins fell and hit his head on an icy New York sidewalk. At New York’s Weill Cornell Medical Center, where he was admitted on April 8, he underwent surgery to remove a blood clot from his brain but went into a coma and died from complications. He spent nine days in intensive care before dying on April 17, 2003.[10][11] A medical report issued by the New York medical examiner’s office a year after his death showed that Atkins had a history of heart attack, congestive heart failure and hypertension.[10][12] His widow refused to allow an autopsy.[12]“
I have been contemplating writing this post for a long time. I am sure we all have a few friends who either have tried or are trying the Ketogenic Diet. The harmful effects of this diet worry me, and my goal is to guide people to correct, science backed information regarding it.
The Ketogenic Diet is a high fat, high protein and low carbohydrate diet. It allows only 5-10% of food eaten to be carbohydrates. (Meaning having one banana would put you over the limit for the day.) This diet was used primarily for difficult to control epilepsy in children in the early 1900s before epilepsy drugs were created. It does show promising results in reducing the frequency of epileptic events in children.
The Keto diet has become popular because initially, followers of this diet may have success in losing weight. Long term effects of this diet however can be very negative. Some of the symptoms experienced include; halitosis, constipation, lethargy, dehydration, brain fog, increase in cholesterol, slowed growth, acidosis and kidney stones, (as many as 1/20 children suffering from kidney stones as opposed to one in several thousands in those not following a ketogenic diet). (1) While this diet may reduce seizures in an epileptic child, there is no evidence that this is a healthy option for the average person.
The Keto diet forces the body to source its fuel from fats, as opposed to carbohydrates, which is the body’s preferred source of fuel. According to Dr. Klaper, when the body goes into ketosis (burning fat as fuel) it is being put into a state of stress, delivering a constant acid load. (see video below) Our brains must burn glucose to function. When glucose is not present in the diet from carbohydrates such as starches and fruits and vegetables, the body is forced to burn fat for energy. This is okay to have happen occasionally, such as when we fast, but the real dangers come when the ketogenic diet is used long term. Dr. Klaper equates this diet to the way we may run an automobile. It is useful to be able to accelerate to pass another vehicle, but you wouldn’t want to rev up your car and drive in that accelerated mode from San Fransisco to Seattle! It would be very hard on your car and you would burn out your engine. (See what Dr. Klaper has to say in the video below). I had a chance to listen to Dr. Klaper speak last year at a plant based conference. This doctor is a wealth of knowledge, both promoting and following a plant based diet for over 40 years.
After watching the videos below, you will have a better understanding of ketosis and its drawbacks. There is so much science out there showing the huge benefits of a whole food, plant-based diet. The WFPB diet does not come with any negative symptoms or drawbacks. You can eat as much non-processed, whole foods, such as fruits and vegetables as you want, feel fabulous and full of energy, reduce your cholesterol and even lose weight if that is what you are after! There is so much fibre in whole foods and they fill you up to the point that it is almost impossible to eat enough to actually gain weight if you don’t want to. That is if you are eating vegetables and fruits, no processed foods and small amounts of nuts and seeds. It’s the sneaky things like desserts, too many nuts and too many dips and processed foods that get us. You can be vegan and still not healthy, so every time you choose to consume something that came from the ground, you are doing yourself a favour. Now, if I could only lose my mid-afternoon popcorn cravings! 😉
Don’t forget, for those who worry that we somehow need to be eating meat…we don’t. We do not need to consume cholesterol, as our body makes all that it needs. Cholesterol is ONLY found in all animal products: yogourt, milk, eggs, fish, meat, ice cream, sour cream, butter, etc… anything that came from an animal. We also can easily get enough protein. The whole protein push is a myth. Have you ever heard of anyone, unless they are starving in a third world country, having a protein deficiency? It just doesn’t happen.
Here are two videos that describe some of the mechanics of the Ketogenic diet as well as the often unheard warnings of its use.
I just came across a video from Dr. Oz about the Keto diet, which I am certainly not going to post here… Sadly, he promotes it during his show, telling people not to eat bread, cereal, potatoes, apples and carrots among other things. Really? He features a keto advocate who pushes choosing meat and other animal products, adding 3 tablespoons of oil per meal, and including only 5-10% of calories coming from carbohydrates which include vegetables?? Wow. I am so disappointed in you Dr. Oz!
If you are looking for a good book to read that explains a plant-based diet’s role in preventing and arresting disease, look for ‘How Not to Die’ by Dr. Greger. He explains how “a whole food plant-based diet has been proven to be the ONLY diet that can prevent and even reverse the top 10 killers. (1) heart disease, 2) cancer, 3) COPD, 4) stroke, 5) accidents, 6) Alzheimer’s, 7) diabetes, 8) pneumonia, 9) kidney disease, and 10) suicide.” (See the article at Nutritionfacts.org) I’m not sure how accidents play in, unless you are operating at such a high level of health that you are less accident prone? 😉
Another easy to read, compelling book is ‘Proteinaholic’ by Dr. Garth Davis. He was a meat pushing cardiologist who, once he witnessed how an animal product laden diet was in fact harming his patients, turned into a plant based physician.
Below, is Dr. Garth Davis discussing what we should be eating and why. I love it when he says, “Eat foods, not too much, mostly plants.” That is the key to dietary success right there. It’s free and easy, makes sense, and no one is trying to sell you anything other than good health and broccoli!
I hope you found this article helpful as you wade through the conflicting information in search of the best, healthiest diet. Remember, every time you eat you make a difference to your body, the planet and the animals.