If you donโt know what Keto means then you must be the proverbial only person in Jerusalem not aware that Christ had risen from the dead. ย
Keto is short for Ketogenic. ย The ketogenic diet is the in-thing now, the latest fad, the trending ajebutter things.
Trust Nigerians and our ways , we treat ย every new fad ย like ย the-next-best discovery since ย the combo of groundnut and banana ย orย ewa agoyin and Agege bread combo were discovered.
The ketogenic diet is a high fat, high protein ย and ย very low or no carbohydrate diet. ย ย Carbohydrates when taken in meals are usually converted to glucose and helps tremendously in providing the daily caloric or energy ย requirement of the individual. However in ketogenic diets since there is no carbohydrate in the diet, the liver converts fat into fatty acids and ketone bodies. The ketone bodies pass into the brain and replace glucose as an energy source.
The ketogenic diet was designed in 1924 ย by Dr. Russell Wilder at the Mayo Clinic in America ย as a treatment modality for children with epilepsy. ย But by the 1940s as newer and more effective drugs for epilepsy were discovered and massively produced it lost its pride of place.
Fast forward to the 1990s precisely in 1997, when the ย film โFirst Do No Harmโ again popularised and glamorised it. The film was directed by Jim Abrahamsย and was about a boy whose severe epilepsy was unresponsive to drugs but was effectively controlled by use of ketogenic diet. Jim Abrahams, was inspired to make the film as a result of his own experiences with his son, Charlie.
Ketogenic diets have lately gone mainstream and ย are ย now touted as the trendiest ย way to lose weight. ย Several ย groups now exist on social media all eulogising and propagating the ideals of keto. ย Accepted, people ย can lose weight on the ketogenic diet but ย the inherent and possible risks are gleefully ignored. The weight loss results primarily from the body having to burn fat for energy, secondly eating ย high fat diet keeps you full and ย makes you feel not hungry. Most critics say the keto-type diets usually work only in the short term and can be unhealthy.
Ketogenic ย diets have been found useful though ย in some cancer patients ย and patients with ย type 2 diabetes . In type 2 diabetes the weight loss it induces is said to improve insulin sensitivity but it is advocated that ย it ย should only be used under clinical supervision and only for brief periods.
The ย changes in dietary consumption and the bodyโs adaptive mechanisms to cope with the reduced carbohydrate intake results in ย several changes in the blood composition of individuals following the ketogenic diet. ย Significant changes occur in ย the levels of lipids and cholesterol in the blood resulting in higher levels usually above normal. ย Other deleterious effects include constipation and ย women may also experience amenorrhea or other disruptions to the menstrual cycle.
So ย while ketogenic diet would help you lose weight, you may just be attracting other health challenges. If you must keto be sure to get a medical ย evaluation and be followed up ย by your doctor or ย a health care practitioner ย with a good knowledge of nutrition and dietetics. But wait a minute, I thought African men were supposed to like their women frontally and posteriorly endowed ย anatomically. So why this new-found ย craze for lepaciousness?