The latest - or maybe just loudest - diet obsession (...) is the ketogenic diet, lovingly called "keto", popularized by actors, Instagram stars, and the same people who brought you raw water. - Yvette d'Entremont
In fact it's been on Instagram where I stumbled opon the hashtag #keto for the very first time.
According to the internet, the metabolic state of ketosis you may reach through keto, will help you lose weight, live longer, and even improve your memory.
Terrific!?
Now that a real hype seems to be around this new nutritional trend and it's been even discussed by Steemit Inc's CEO @ned on Steemit, I started to do some more profound research - just out of curiosity.
Here's what Instagram doesn't tell you about Keto.
Who profits?
Before we get started, I need to inform you that I'm generally not a huge fan of trendy weight-loss strategies and also haven't ever been on a diet in my life.
Personally I support the theory that our body knows best what's needed to perform perfectly, and that the only problem of modern society is that we have lost our natural instinct to react on those inner drivers.
Instead of simply providing our body with those nutritive substances that are required to perfectly maintain or organs, we prefer to throw any type of scientific knowledge overboard and follow some hyped marketing slogans.
Let me be cheeky and ask: Who seriously needed a metabolic state of ketosis in terms of health a hundred years ago when people didn't knew Instagram would exist one day?
The most important question you may ask yourself before starting any type of health program is: who profits long term?
The problem of most extreme nutrition plans are its heating costs for you (vs. high income for the promoter) as well as its negative side effects on your health (vs. positive outcome for the promoter).
Whenever we start to eliminate a certain group of nutrients from our menu and compensate it by another one, there's gonna be an imbalance.
That also happens with Keto.
The ketogenic diet is a high fat, low carb and adequate protein diet. The first question you might be wondering is, "How can a high-fat diet be healthy?". (...) New research has debunked the fat-makes-you-fat myth. - perfectketo.com
While the official website perfectketo.com doesn't provide any references for their adventurous thesis, scientists are able to prove the contrary.
Let's consider the following example: the keto-approved Bulletproof coffee, created by the entrepreneur and businessman Dave Asprey.
What you may not know is that the company Bulletproof raised $19 million in Series B funding last year.
They're growing a monster business by selling butter-larded coffee and myriad supplements to the masses.
We feel Bulletproof has created a whole new category around products that fuel human performance. We’re excited to partner with Dave and the Bulletproof team to continue the company’s growth momentum. - Rohan Oza, Partner at CAVU Ventures, one of the world’s most innovative investors in the consumer space
Human performance?
Now one doesn't even need to be a scientist in order to imagine where the metabolic state of ketosis comes from in this case.
The increased energy one feels after consuming such a coffee could have something to do with the nearly 500 calories of fat that are in it.
It's fascinating how popular a piece of butter is actually able to become. Yet, calories still matter.
As The DIETFITS Randomized Clinical Trial proved recently, it's fairly common that, initially, low-carb dieters see more weight loss than people who go on a low-fat diet.
Most of the weight loss by low-carb dieters during the first weeks is actually water. Also over time the weight loss evens out between those two groups.
Calories still matter, and if you start your day with a fat-cocktail of 500 calories then these are 500 calories that count.
A common belief among ketonians is that your body not only switches to burning fat on keto but that a low-carb, high-fat diet turns you into a fat-burning machine.
Well which body wouldn't start to try burning that huge amount of fat immediately? It's nothing but a defense mechanism.
Already in 2006 the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published a study which proved the following:
Calorie per calorie, you’ll lose the same amount of weight on both a ketogenic diet and a reduced calorie, controlled carb (but not ketogenic) diet.
I'm sorry to debunk the myth but...
We won't magically burn love handles just because our calories are now fat calories instead of carb calories.
What will more likely to happen when increasing the level over a longer period of time, is that low-carb dieters will be facing serious health issues.
A study from 2017 called Diabetes & Metabolic Syndrome: Clinical Research & Reviews showed diabetes, increased blood pressure, and cholesterol in participants who followed the diet for 10 weeks.
So while we may experience a quick loss in weight (mainly due to a loss in water weight as described above) during the first weeks and celebrate it as the beginning of something great, we're actualy conducting ourselves into an unhealthy trap.
Health is a long term project.
The alternative: sanity and reason!
As I mentioned before I haven't ever been on a diet in my life.
To date my strategy has turned out to be successful. I'm in perfect health since almost four decades, haven't ever been overweight or facing other physical irregularities that may be due to the wrong nutrition.
My favorite anecdote in that context occured during my last general check-up at the hospital - which I annually take as a precaution. While having a look at the results of the complete blood count, my doctor admitted:
In my whole career I have rarely seen any better results than yours.
Now here's my secret: I have none.
My nutrition plan is a mirror of my general lifestyle: I want it to be balanced, without extremes but also not missing a thing.
This is how I reach my daily ketosis :-)
I start the day with some cereals, yoghurt and fresh fruit that will provide me with the necessary energy for the first ours of the day.
A couple of hours later - when I notice that I need a slight kickstart again - I have a banana or something similar.
For lunch I prefer a salad, a chicken curry or pasta - something that keeps me pushing but doesn't make me want to sleep a long siesta.
After my surf session in the afternoon I often enjoy a piece of cake, a muffin or doughnut combined with a coffee (black with milk).
For dinner I prefer the classic German style: bread, chicken breast, cheese, tomato slices, etc.
Maybe the best advice I can give you is that: we need to listen to our bodies! Especially when we practice sports, our body will clearly tell us if anything is missing to reach best performance.
When my body asks me for something sweet, then this happens for a reason - unless I've been watching too much ice cream advertisement lately :-)
According to scientists, a balanced and natural nutrition plan is probably the best long term strategy for your body.
Instead of engaging in the next popular diet that would last only a few weeks to months (for most people that includes a ketogenic diet), try to embrace change that is sustainable over the long term. A balanced, unprocessed diet, rich in very colorful fruits and vegetables, lean meats, fish, whole grains, nuts, seeds, olive oil, and lots of water seems to have the best evidence for a long, healthier, vibrant life. - Dr. Marcelo Campos in Ketogenic diet: Is the ultimate low-carb diet good for you?
One of the great benefits of a natural nutritian plan instead of trendy diets is that YOU are the one who profits.
Most of the hyped products and programs you'll find on the internet have no scientific basis and their only goal is to make money out of our ignorance.
I'd rather recommend you to use your good judgement. That is the moment when you'll finally realize that starting the day with 4 tsps of oil and butter can't be really good in the long term...
Just sayin' :-)
Stay healthy, steemians!
Much love,
Marly -
Steem Ambassador
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This blog was created in July 2016, aiming to provide thought-provoking content for open-minded people who go on adventure, step out of comfort zones and embrace the new.
Thanks for being part of the journey!
PS: All my blog posts are created and submitted via eSteem Surfer 1.1.12 - my favorite Steem desktop client that was developed by 
Original content. Swimmer found on pixabay.com