The short term goal is not worth the long term effects

The diet is low carb, high fats based. The goal is for the liver to produce ketones, which breaks down fat. It’s no lie that being on this diet has benefits. Anyone on this diet will for sure lose weight, there are even some reports that it has metabolic benefits. However, can anyone on the diet tell you what’s going on inside? For they know their body looks good, but at what cost? The diet has many versions, but each is high in fat. This similarity seems to be the issue.

After looking over the pictures it may seem normal, but what is done with the acceptable foods is not. For example, instead of putting sugar and creamer into coffee individuals substitute these with butter. What a wonderful combination! This drink should be called “High Cholesterol in a Cup” instead of “Bulletproof Coffee”. Let me explain what effects happen when you decide to go on this diet.

Nutrient Deficiency

On the diet you exclude whole food groups. There’s a reason why a balance meal includes protein, fruits, grains, vegetables, and dairy. It’s to make sure we get the right nutrients, so by cutting food groups like grains and fruit you can skip out on sodium and potassium.

You may be thinking “Sodium? Isn’t that bad for us?” Well yes and no. Too much sodium is bad for you, but not enough sodium can be even worse. Sodium helps balance the amount of water in cells. If your sodium is decreasing, then so is your blood volume. Having low sodium levels can cause Hyponatremia, which just means there’s an imbalance in electrolytes. You won’t know if you have this illness unless your sodium levels drop drastically, and on the keto diet it will.It is recommended always have a salt shaker ready to drizzle some sodium on your meal.

With the loss of sodium, potassium always follows. Without potassium it can be hard to gain muscle mass. Low levels of potassium is called hypokalemia, some symptoms include weakness and muscle cramps. With serve cases of hypokalemia one can experience arrhythmia’s (irregular heartbeats) and/or respiratory distress. I don’t know about you, but I rather be fat and breathing than skin and dead.

Keto Flu

I’m not making this up, there is such thing as a keto flu. It can be described as flu like, with symptoms that includes nausea, dizziness, and stomach pain. The sickness usually begins during the beginning of the diet. Changing eating habits will cause anyone’s body to react negatively, but the keto flu makes the effects last longer and are stronger. By experience, the first few weeks of a diet are hard. One is struggling to find motivation to continue and having a “sickness” is not helping either.

I’m no doctor, but I do believe you should consult with one before you start this diet. The keto diet is not for everyone and it’s definitely NOT a lifestyle people are making it out to be.