It’s good for weight loss and hunger control, and it lowers insulin and blood glucose levels. These are just some of the reasons why the keto diet has become so popular, and not just for “dieters,” but for health professionals too.
At Weston Medical Health & Wellness in Weston, Florida, our medical director and weight-loss specialist, Dr. Andrea Bretal, uses the keto diet to help people reach their weight goals, improve their health, and gain control over their diabetes.
Though no single diet works for all patients, the keto diet is a good plan for people who prefer eating more protein-rich meals and want to jumpstart their weight loss.
The keto diet, also known as the ketogenic diet, is a very low-carbohydrate, high-fat, moderate protein diet. Though it’s become very popular over the past several years, it’s not a new diet. It was originally designed as a medical treatment for epilepsy.
When following the keto diet, you significantly limit your intake of carbohydrate-rich foods (fruits, grains, starchy veggies, milk, and yogurt) to about 20-50 grams a day. Your body turns carbohydrates into glucose, which is the main source of energy for your body and brain.
If you limit your carbohydrate intake to 50 grams or less a day, your body creates ketones from fat through a process called ketosis. The brain can use the ketones for energy, and restricting glucose to the brain seems to reduce seizure activity.
Because the keto diet forces the body to use fat for energy, it turns to your own fat stores when it runs out of fat from the food you eat. That’s why it’s now a diet for weight loss and has become so popular.
Yes, the keto diet helps you lose weight by burning off your own body fat for energy, but that’s not the only benefit of this diet.
The keto diet also creates metabolic and physiological changes that benefit your weight and your health. One of the major advantages of the keto diet for weight loss is its ability to reduce your appetite by limiting the release of the hunger hormone — ghrelin.
By controlling hunger and burning fat, the keto diet helps you lose weight quickly without making you feel deprived.
Limiting your intake of carbohydrates also lowers blood glucose and insulin levels, helping people with prediabetes (a condition that puts you at risk of developing type 2 diabetes) and type 2 diabetes.
The keto diet is popular and effective. However, it’s not the right diet for everyone. In order to lose weight following the low-carb, high-fat diet you need to follow strict guidelines so your body continues to burn fat for fuel. It requires planning and carb counting.
Because we’ve had so much success helping our patients reach their weight goals on the keto diet, we offer expert guidance and support to those who want to follow the diet.
Before we make any specific recommendations, however, our patients meet with our weight-loss expert to discuss the details of the diet and what’s required. Dr. Bretal also performs a physical exam and runs lab work to evaluate overall health.
If we think the keto diet is a good fit for you and your health, we can create a plan just for you.
The keto diet is popular because it benefits weight and health. Are you thinking that the keto diet may help you reach your weight goals? Let us help. Call our office today at 954-466-9679 or request an appointment online. We also offer telehealth appointments through our virtual clinic.
