23 APR 2019: I love talking about food almost as much as I love eating it. But talking to other people about their food choices is a totally different topic. One that is multifaceted and complex, and also highly personal. Yes, food choices play a pivotal role in supporting and regaining health, but to suggest that a person’s wellbeing is completely dependant on the food on their plate is an oversimplification. Yet this diet culture has permeated our society so deeply that we still find ourselves gravitating towards diets and restrictions over and over again.

The big thing right now is the Keto diet, I’m sure you’ve heard of it?

(Let’s be honest, you can hardly swing your shopping cart through the grocery store without hitting a Keto coffee creamer or the like.)

The Ketogenic (Keto) diet is a high fat and low carb diet, where you essentially replace your carbs with fats. The idea is to consume approximately 80% of your calories from fat, 15% of your calories from protein and 5% from carbohydrates. For a point of reference, the average person typically consumes 50% of their calories from carbohydrates. The idea is, by removing carbohydrates from your diet, you force your body to switch from utilizing glucose (a breakdown of carbs) to ketones (a breakdown of fats) for energy.

This concept is nothing new, one that has been used therapeutically for the past 100 years in cases of epilepsy in children. The brain supportive effects seen in these cases have sparked theories that these benefits may extrapolate to other conditions including Parkinson’s, Alzheimers, MS, even sleep disorders and anxiety – though currently, human studies on these topics are limited.

Yes, the Keto diet has many benefits, and yes it will help you achieve weight loss. However, its effectiveness for weight loss should not be your only consideration. If you’re considering the Keto diet for yourself, here are some things you should know to make the best possible decision for you.

Anytime you eliminate one of the major macronutrients (carbs, protein or fat), you’re missing out on nutritious foods.

I think a huge part of why Keto is so successful is that it eliminates the sugar and refined carbs people were eating before. However, whole grains are nutritious and fibrous foods that have earned a spot on your plate. Not to mention the carbohydrate restriction also means eliminating certain vegetables and fruits, which of course provide their own benefits.

Secondly, counting calories from food doesn’t give you the full picture.

80% Fat, 15% protein and 5% carbs can be met with two very different looking meals. Ordering a bacon double cheeseburger without the bun seems counterintuitive as a healthy meal option, and rightfully so. Most times, these macronutrient targets encourage the consumption of a lot of unhealthy fats and processed meats. You may lose weight, but that weight loss doesn’t always correlate with health.

It’s also hard to sustain long term.

Yo-yo dieting and constant weight fluctuations wreak havoc on your metabolism and have been proven to lead to increased weight overall. Not to mention it can be a real bugger for those travel plans or social events on the horizon (ahem wedding season…) because realistically it’s hard to maintain these dietary choices outside of the comforts of your own kitchen.

At the end of the day, I’m all about empowering people to make the choices that make them feel their best, and if it’s eating Keto that’s great! The only person who will know what’s best for you, is you.

I do suggest focussing as much as you can on eating nutrient rich vegetables (especially a mix of the brightly coloured ones) and focussing on healthy fats including raw nuts (walnuts, brazil nuts, almonds), seeds (hemp, chia and flax), olives, good olive oil, natural nut butters, coconut, avocado oil etc. Make delicious dressings at home with healthful ingredients. Choose meats that are ethically raised and well fed, and remember that protein should only constitute about 15-20% of your overall calorie intake (not the main feature).

If there is one thing we take away from the Keto diet, it’s that we should not be afraid of consuming healthy fats!

Changing your diet is the biggest thing you can do to change your life, only if it is not the only thing you change. Deprivation is never my first choice because of the message of unworthiness it sends. When your inner beliefs are positive and motivated from a place of love, your actions will follow. While it may be a bucket list item, you probably wouldn’t consistently feed a double down bacon sandwich to someone you really wanted the best for.

Different strokes for different folks and no judgement either way, it seems as we become more sophisticated in our understanding of the human body, the more we overcomplicate our diets. Quite honestly the stress will affect you worse than eating those foods in the first place. So keep it simple. It’s exactly like we talked about in the Spring Cleaning article. Focus on eating whole foods, cook for yourself as much as you can and the other 20% will come out in the wash.

You are worthy of all the good things in life. You better believe that includes delicious food and everything in moderation.