Four distinct keto diets

These are four distinct keto diets that attempt to come to terms with the downside of using the low carb together with high fat way of losing weight. They may be a more healthy and sustainable permanent way of life for you; perhaps you do not need to give up bread and peas for ever.

Two important facts are emerging from the science. The first is that putting the body close to or actually into ketosis actually enables one to lose a very significant amount of weight quite quickly; starving the body of carbs means you have to burn fat and protein for glucose.

It's called gluconeogenesis.

The second is that the classical keto diet which is high in animal protein and fat, along with very restricted whole grains and legumes is not a healthy way of living. Researchers are finding that the prevalence of heart disease and cancer is rising when eating this way. I might add that it's not "natural" whatever that means. Constipation, gout and micro-nutrient deprivation are common.

1. Classical Banting

Using the classical Banting diet Billy Tosh lost an incredible amount of weight. Following a meal plan that was high in meat and animal fat but very low in carbs and legumes he lost over 80kg in seven months.

2. Keto with whole grains

The classical keto diets restrict all grains in order to bring the carbs under 20g per day.

Keto with whole grains is done following similar food patterns but only refined grains are disallowed. So commercial bread, potatoes and pasta are still completely forbidden.

Corn on the cob, bread made with 100% wholemeal and brown rice are allowed; in moderation.

Wholegrain polenta would be allowed; if you can find it.

3. Keto with legumes

Keto with legumes allows the dieter to introduce beans, peas and lentils; again in moderation. They introduce more vegetable protein instead of that from meat.

A large amount of fat from whatever source is still encouraged to provide satiety and a source of ketones for glucose.

There's no question of it; those who have very little fat in their food are constantly hungry. This is why the classical calories in versus out diets never work. With a whole slew of peptide hormones in the gut being secreted into the blood and directly to the brain via the vagus nerve that you are starving yourself, they simply are not sustainable; except for a very small number of people with extremely strong-willed personalities.

You can eat some protein of animal origin but much comes from legumes such as these broad beans. Peppers, onion and turmeric give the flavour.

The phytonutrient curcumin found in turmeric and other spices, enjoyed daily incidentally also greatly helps with weight loss and type-2 diabetes^[1].

• Broad beans
• Does turmeric help with inflammation?
  

Covid

Plant-based keto diets clearly cannot be dismissed; that means getting much of your protein from legumes.

The downside of this is that vegetarians can get sick, not know it and spread the virus. They need to wear masks and practise social distancing like the rest of us.

4. Keto with vegetable fat

The last of our four distinct keto diets encourages those needing to lose weight to use fat that comes in the main from plants; in particular the olive, avocado and possibly coconut.

Much of the criticism directed at classical keto diets is that folk are encouraged to consume large amounts of animal fat such as cream, lard and dripping; and that from bacon too.

Keto with vegetable fat means using large amounts of olive oil, with many proven benefits and avocados; they have no cholesterol. There is not universal agreement about coconut as with the first two.

Nuts and seeds are encouraged too but not the extracted oils.

Having said that, the linoleic acid (LA) in sunflower and soybean oil is highly inflammatory; small amounts are essential but it is added to many processed foods. To the extent that many of those on typical grocery food stores are getting 10% of their energy requirements from LA.

• Linoleic acid in sunflower and soybean oil promotes inflammation.
  

Many keto diets

So when you read in the popular press that keto diets increase the spectre of heart disease and cancer remember that there are many different ways of losing weight with low carb and high fat.

Sadly the researchers don't seem to make a distinction between classical banting and those still on very low refined carb diets; but enjoying whole grains, legumes and the fruit fats.

These four distinct keto diets give one more flexibility for healthy, sustainable weight loss.

A slice of this 100% unrefined bread and butter would not be disallowed for those on a keto with whole grain diets, for example.

The difficulty of course is that it is extremely difficult to find bread like this. You need a mill for real wholemeal. You will not see it in the supermarket; it has a short shelf life. 

Some benefits of keto diets

• Large amounts of weight loss in a short time.
• Improved HDL profile but LDL may increase if most of the fats are sourced from animals.
• Reduced overall inflammation due to lower levels of insulin required.
• Satiety provided by the fat; dieters do not feel constantly famished.
• Drastically reduced sugar and refined carbs like flour and maizemeal.
  
• More stable glucose levels; less need for insulin and metformin.
  

Downside of keto diets

• Not sustainable with return of the weight lost.
• Loss of fibre from whole grains and legumes results in constipation.
• High purine consumption causes gout; and kidney stones.
  
• Bone loss from acidifying foods.
• Reduced consumption of important micronutrients found in whole grains and legumes; vitamins, minerals and substances such as lignans.
  

Intermittent fasting

Intermittent fasting has been used with considerable success in many different meal plans; in essence it means having an early supper and then delaying the morning meal for as long as possible.

That is known as early time-restricted eating.

Researchers found that helps prevent type 2 diabetes[4].

It certainly does help in weight loss but people found it difficult, like all diets to adhere to. The morning meal is a social time in many families.

But intermittent fasting certainly reduces the "area under the glucose curve," a key parameter.

The key is to do your morning back exercises, have a cup of tea and then get on with something else. So do the washing, take a walk or get stuck into the garden.

Coupled with one of the more sensible keto diets, intermittent fasting can certainly help with weight loss too.

Satiety

The difficulty with classical banting is that it attempts to fool the brain whilst avoiding the natural satiety mechanisms. For example there are natural stretch receptors in the stomach that relay messages to the hypothalamus that we are full and have enough to eat.

Whole grains, legumes and fruit are all loaded with the fibre that activates these stretch receptors; but all are banned from the classical banting diet. Well, berries are allowed.

Weighing these four distinct keto diets gives one more options.

Four distinct keto diets

Four distinct keto diets which are more or less healthy. There are many intersecting options too; using all three of whole grains, legumes and high in the fruit fats, for example.

One of the great benefits of these alternate keto diets is that they direct folk away from the highly processed foods that scientists are finding coerce people into eating more seed oils and calories^[2].

• Linoleic acid in sunflower and soybean oil promotes inflammation.
  

Botulism

One thing that puzzles doctors is that the obese are so reluctant to give up their refined carbs and sugar; they would rather risk dangerous and very expensive medical interventions to lose weight.

In February and March, 2023 sixty-seven cases of life threatening botulism poisoning were reported in Germany, Switzerland and Turkey^[3]. Botox is injected endoscopically into the stomach walls to slow gastric emptying.

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