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In October, we wrote about intermittent fasting. Now, meet its rival for biggest health trend of 2018: the keto diet.
Thanks to celebrity fans like Kourtney Kardashian and Halle Berry, this weight loss regimen is all the rage for those looking to drop pounds.
Short for ketogenic, the keto diet is high in fat (75 percent), moderate in protein (20 percent) and low in carbs (5 percent). Since you're reducing your carb intake, your body must find a new energy source and is forced to convert fat stores to energy - a process called ketosis that leads to losing weight.
"Insulin is our fat storage hormone. It regulates ghrelin, the hunger hormone, and leptin, our satiety hormone," says Georgette Schwartz, a board-certified holistic nutritionist at Integrative Acupuncture in Delray Beach. "Being in ketosis helps keep insulin low, which allows the body to burn fat for fuel."
If you're on the diet, say goodbye to starchy veggies like corn, potatoes and carrots - they're too high in carbs. Likewise, skip milk, rice, pasta, bread and many fruits. Instead, eat cherry tomatoes, avocados, asparagus, peppers and zucchini. Load up on leafy greens, like kale, spinach, arugula and watercress, as well as eggs, fatty fish, meat, and nuts and seeds.
However - not surprisingly - the diet can cause some adverse side effects. The main concern for beginners is the keto flu, which feels like having the flu, minus the fever. And, because you're avoiding carbs, which hold fluids in your body, becoming dehydrated is common, says Schwartz, who spoke about the keto diet at the World Health Care Congress in 2015.
"Constipation, acidity, and vitamin and mineral deficiencies are common," she adds. "Supplement with a multivitamin. Eat dark, leafy greens."
As always, speak with your doctor before trying a new diet like keto. However, Schwartz warns, pregnant women, people who have trouble digesting fats (like someone without a gallbladder) and brittle diabetics (those with uncontrolled blood sugar even with medication) should be monitored closely while on the diet.