Source: scarsdale10583.com<\/p>\n
Chances are you\u2019ve heard of the latest diet and weight-loss fad sweeping the nation: the ketogenic diet (keto for short). It\u2019s a low-carb, high-fat plan that\u2019s become so popular, it was credited for making a dent in Weight Watchers\u2019 numbers.
By drastically cutting back on carbs, keto followers reduce the amount of blood sugar available to be used as energy, which, in turn, causes their livers to produce more ketones for fuel. Since ketones are produced from fat and the body is relying on them for energy, fat burn increases dramatically.
As effective as keto may be, is it really healthy to manipulate the body in such a way? Dr. Joshua Latzman, cardiologist at Maple Medical, believes it can be. \u201cA well-formulated keto diet full of non-starchy vegetables, healthy fats and high-quality protein can be healthy,\u201d he says.
The keto diet isn\u2019t just an effective way to lose weight\u2014it may help improve your health in other aspects too. \u201cFrom a cardiac standpoint, reducing the amount of carbs in the diet generally improves triglyceride levels,\u201d Dr. Latzman says.<\/p>\n
Keto may also help manage diabetes. \u201cThe diet prevents swings in blood sugar that can result from ingesting large amounts of carbohydrates, especially in people whose bodies have difficulty regulating blood sugar,\u201d Dr. Latzman says. The keto diet is even suspected to be good for conditions such as epilepsy, dementia, and certain cancers, though much more research needs to be done.
But before you dive right in, consult with your doctor. \u201cPeople with elevated LDL should be careful about significantly increasing their intake of saturated fat when undertaking the keto diet, as this may further increase their LDL levels,\u201d Dr. Latzman warns. He recommends having bloodwork done prior to starting the keto diet and then being monitored on a regular basis to ensure that issues do not develop.
Additionally, \u201cpeople taking exogenous insulin must work closely with their endocrinologists when drastically lowering their carbohydrate intake,\u201d Dr. Latzman says. In fact, if you\u2019re on any medications, it\u2019s a good idea to check in with your doctor just to make sure keto is the best plan for you. Taking the proper precautions is important whenever implementing a new diet or weight-loss plan, but generally, it is safe to give keto a go.<\/p>\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2758,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[43],"tags":[140,139,835,2366,301,476],"class_list":["post-2757","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-weight-loss-gain","tag-healthy","tag-keto-diet","tag-ketogenic-diet","tag-loss-fat","tag-low-carb","tag-weight-loss"],"yoast_head":"\n