What’s the deal with Keto?

The “Keto” diet (or ketogenic) diet is a low carbohydrate, high fat diet with fat comprising up to 90% of total calories.  Many people have had incredible success stories with the keto-diet in short periods of time, which have made it incredible popular, and the business world has taken advantage of that for sure, with new keto products being marketed and pushed everywhere you turn.

There are some concerns about the keto diet that you should be aware of, however. We do not have enough long term scientific diet to know if this diet is effective and healthy for long term weight loss and continued maintenance. It can potentially be hard on the liver and kidneys as it calls for high levels of fat intake and your liver is the primary organ responsible for burning stored fat in your body. It can also cause significant constipation which can exacerbate problems like diverticulitis or bowel obstructions if not managed appropriately. There are also concerns that one may not get enough nutrients from fruits, vegetables, and grains as with a normal diet, if not managed appropriately and monitored closely. The keto diet is not safe for patients with serious health problems such as insulin dependent diabetes. Talk with your doctor first before starting the keto diet. They may recommend visiting with a nutritionist to help specialize your needs for diet to help with weight loss.