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The keto diet has become increasingly popular in the fitness and health community. Its popularity arises from the fact that it is linked to so many health benefits, including weight loss. In layman’s terms, this diet entails tricking your body to use its stored fat as the primary energy source instead of carbs. Currently, there are increased health risks such as obesity arising from the sedentary lifestyles. It is no surprise that this diet is becoming a dietary option.
Despite all this, the keto diet has not come into the spotlight without controversies. Most people are skeptical about the health aspects of this diet for the body and heart functions. As such, you might have seen numerous questions about this diet. Most of the popular ones include: How healthy is the keto diet? Can you be on a keto diet long term? Can this diet plan actually lead to weight loss?
In this article we will focus on finding answers to these and many other questions about the keto diet. We will discuss the science behind it, as well as its advantages, health risks, and meal plans. Strap in for more insight to help you with your 28-day keto diet plan.
The keto diet is an example of a very low-carb diet. According to Mayo Clinic, a low-carb diet limits carbohydrates consumption and emphasizes foods rich in healthy fat and protein (7). Given this, the keto diet is a low-carb diet plan with low carb ratios but higher ratios of protein and fat.
WebMD states that you receive most of your calories from this diet by consuming more proteins and fat (11). The idea is to lower your carb intake so that your body runs out of fuel. As a result of this, it breaks down fat for energy. The resulting process is known as ketosis.
Typically, ketosis can help you shed some pounds. It may also help manage certain medical conditions. However, at no point should you start this diet plan without talking to your doctor. So, if you are considering starting the 28-day keto diet plan for weight loss or any other benefit, first seek medical advice.
Doctors need to first verify if it is safe for you to start such a meal plan. This is especially the case if you have an existing medical condition such as diabetes.
In a keto diet, 99% of your energy comes from fat while the remaining 1% comes from carbs (3). The diet typically tricks your body into burning fat. What happens is that the body’s glucose levels tend to decrease due to the low carbohydrate intake.
When this happens, your body starts acting as if it is starving. In reality though, it is not. What occurs next is that it is forced to start burning body fat for energy instead of the carbs. The process produces chemicals known as ketone bodies (3). The body then burns them as an alternative energy source.
Before you jump head first into this diet, you need first to understand what it involves. Like any other diet, the keto diet both allows and forbids the consumption of various foods. Let us discuss these basics before you start the 28-day keto diet plan. They are as follows:
Some keto-friendly foods that you ought to add to your grocery list include:
Since the keto diet is a low-carb diet plan, you will have to avoid multiple carbohydrate sources. It does not matter if they are refined or whole-grain. The keto diet forbids all refined, unrefined and whole-grain carbohydrates, as well as sugars (6).
This means you will have to avoid starchy vegetables and grains like corn, bread, cereals, pasta, rice, cookies and other baked goods. You will also have to keep away from fruits and their juices.
Looking at the science behind this diet, our common sense will tell us that this diet plan is safe. That science will certainly recommend this diet for quick fat loss. Regardless, merely because it is backed up by science does not mean it is safe to implement without professional advice.
Experts state that the keto diet is safe to implement as a lifestyle change as long as it’s for a short duration. Preferably, these experts recommend following this diet plan for less than 2 or 3 weeks. If you surpass this limit, let it only extend between 6 and 12 months (5).
In such a case, close medical supervision is paramount. You also need professional guidance while transitioning from a standard diet to a keto diet and vice-versa. Likewise, the keto diet is also safe if it is followed by people with a doctor’s go-ahead.
People with several health conditions should not follow the keto diet. These include people with conditions such as (2):
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Numerous benefits attract individuals towards the keto diet. There is not yet enough long-term research in humans to support the anecdotally-described health benefits of the keto diet. Below are some of the reported advantages of being on a keto diet:
According to Medical News Today, this diet can promote weight loss in several ways. It can boost your metabolic rate, increase your satiety, and fill you up for longer time periods(12). For these reasons, experts believe that this diet can help you shed extra pounds.
The keto diet is believed by some to also help with preventing or treating certain types of cancers. However, experts acknowledge the need for more research on the effectiveness of the keto diet in cancer treatment and prevention.
Healthy fats in foods such as avocado in the keto diet can improve your heart health by reducing your cholesterol levels (8). High cholesterol levels are the elements that increase your risk of cardiovascular diseases.
Experts believe this diet can work for type 2 diabetes as it helps in maintaining low but healthy glucose levels (1). Due to the low carb intake, there are fewer blood sugar spikes. These reduce the need for insulin. It is essential for anyone with diabetes to only attempt a keto diet under medical supervision as dangerous blood glucose shifts can occur and medications may need to be adjusted.
In most cases, the keto diet tends to be a drastic change for multiple people. Consequently, these individuals tend to acquire various side effects. The most common health risks and side effects of this diet include:
There are numerous keto meal plan ideas online. For the better part, it can be challenging for beginners to follow various meal plans, especially if they lack embedded recipes. We suggest the following sample if you are looking for a 28-day keto diet with recipes (9):
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Read More: Keto OMAD Meals: Can This Unexpected Combo Fast-Track Your Weight Loss In A Healthy Way?
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Here are other keto-friendly meal plan ideas you can consider for your 28-day keto diet plan. If not, you can still use them as a guide to create your meal plan. They include (4):
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If you are considering taking up a vegetarian 28-day keto diet challenge, then remember to follow the recommended foods. According to Medical News Today, some of the foods you can use to craft a vegetarian keto diet plan include (4):
The keto diet refers to a meal with low carbs but high fat and protein content. If you are thinking of starting a 28-day keto diet challenge, make sure you are familiar with its basics. Its meals are primarily from non-starchy vegetables, animal proteins and animal fat. Remember to talk to your doctor before you start making any keto meal plan. Again, try to listen closely to them when making such meal plans in order to avoid any nutritional deficiencies.
If you want to do even more for your body, why don’t you supplement a healthy diet with some exercise? Check out this 20-min Full Body Workout at Home.
This article is intended for general informational purposes only and does not address individual circumstances. It is not a substitute for professional advice or help and should not be relied on to make decisions of any kind. Any action you take upon the information presented in this article is strictly at your own risk and responsibility!