( Is it nutritionally complete? )
A ketogenic diet, involves very high consumption of fats and proteins and very little to no carbs. This causes your body to switch to fat as the primary source of energy.
When the body does not have enough glucose for energy, it burns stored fats instead; this results in the production of ketones within the body.
Now, other than glucose, they are used as a source of energy by the body.
Research proves that, nutritional ketosis is healthy and safe too!
But the question that arises, is that whether switching to a very low carb diet, that induces ketosis in our body, may eventually make you nutritionally deficient?
KETO The dilemma: Does it promise to make me lose weight or make me nutritionally deficient?
The answer is: When followed correctly, the Keto diet is one of the most complete and nutritious diets on the planet.
In practice most people who begin following a Keto diet actually end up eating many more servings of nutritional low carb fruits and vegetables than they previously were. Once you cut out all of the candy, chips and soda suddenly tomatoes, avocados, olives, spinach and broccoli start looking a lot more attractive.
REMEMBER: Unlike proteins and fats, there’s no such thing as an essential carbohydrate. There’s nothing a carbohydrate has to offer the body that couldn’t otherwise be obtained from fats and proteins.
In practice, you’ll probably consume more vitamins and minerals on a ketogenic diet than you did on a standard American diet (SAD), as long as you are eating whole foods (i.e., natural fats, meats, leafy green vegetables) and not packaged low carb junk food.
Ellen Davis
M.S. Applied Clinical Nutrition
EDITOR’S NOTE: We recommend the ‘Essential Keto Cookbook’ as an indispensable resource so that you enjoy, super delicious, fulfilling meals and you’re diet isn’t nutritionally deficient in any manner, too!
The concern for vitamin and minerals!
Vitamins are chemicals that are needed by your body for good health. They are vital for everyone and ensure that your body works well, is able to fight illness and heal well.
A mineral, from a dietary sense, is an inorganic compound that’s needed in small amounts for the regulation of your body’s processes and health.
Do I need to worry about all vitamins and minerals?
A low carb diet is typically low in whole grains that contain fiber, selenium, potassium and magnesium.
Possible vitamin deficiencies may be of B1, C, D, and A.Grains do contain, B vitamins (especially B1), so they need to be supplemented but in very little amounts, as they are also found in eggs, meat, fish etc. You may have a look at the nutritional profile of the most commonly consumed
grains, which are restricted on a keto diet :
What we find is, that most of the grains contain high amounts of Protein, fiber, Mg, Phosphorus, vitamin B1, B3 in general.
These would be necessarily cut down, while on a keto diet.
But that’s not the end… Since these vitamins or minerals are not found in grains ONLY! They are to be found in other food products which you would be consuming, like eggs, meat, fish, nuts, leafy greens and many more to go..
Sometimes, low carb diets have been reported with deficiencies in vitamin D too.
The right keto meals are designed to make them nutritionally complete and high on satiety too.
For minerals, why you need to worry?
There is less insulin produced as a result of the composition of the diet.
his leads to hormonal signals via the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system, signaling your kidneys to excrete MORE water and retain LESS.
Along with increased excretion of water, the minerals found in that water are lost at a higher rate.
KETO Minerals:
Sodium:
Sodium helps control blood pressure and regulates the function of muscles and nerves, which is why sodium concentrations are carefully controlled by the body.
Sodium is both an electrolyte and mineral. It helps keep the water (the amount of fluid inside and outside the body’s cells) and electrolyte balance of the body
Potassium:
Potassium is a mineral which largely regulating fluid levels and nerve and muscle function, including regulating heart rhythm.It works alongside sodium to maintain a normal blood pressure.
Potassium is the electrolyte which is most commonly deficient in diets. It can be difficult to consume enough potassium since many foods that are rich in potassium often don’t fit into a low-carb diet. However, there are some foods that are both low in carbohydrates and high in potassium, such as: avocados, nuts, dark leafy greens, and salmon.
Magnesium:
Magnesium is one of the most common co-factors in the body. Its presence is crucial to:
- Glucose and fat breakdown
- Production of proteins, enzymes and antioxidants such as glutathione
- Creation of DNA and RNA
- Regulation of cholesterol production
Suggestion:
Try to include the following low-carb high-vitamin foods to your diet:
- Green vegetables: spinach, kale, collard greens, cabbage, asparagus, broccoli, Brussels sprouts
- Salad vegetables: bell peppers, tomatoes, radishes, bean sprouts, spring onions
- Fish and seafood: salmon, mackerel, mussels and other shellfish
- Berries: blueberries, blackberries, strawberries
- Nuts and seeds: hazelnuts, walnuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds
Don’t forget eggs, sour cream and cheese.
Lemons are low in carbs but packed with vitamin C. Just squeeze a bit of lemon juice to your drinking water.
Final word:
You don’t need all vitamins and minerals, on a keto diet.
Too much of folic acid, or excess of B vitamins can cause problems.
What you need is the right electrolytic balance maintaining supplement, with only some essential vitamins, that need to be replenished, apart from your diet.
You don’t need all, as unnecessarily consuming all will be a waste!
Best Multivitamin?
You randomly pick any one.
But the best one can be that, which is plant based and provides you, those ingredients that you lose while not including carb containing grains and starchy vegetables in your diet.
The supplement should contain the right blend of vitamins, antioxidants, and super ingredients to increase your absorption levels of what you intake.
Little bit of vigilance, can lead you to a fulfilling and happy weight loss journey.
EDITORS NOTE: We recommend the perfect vitamin supplement ‘Keto Greens’ for you and for more you may check out ‘Perfect keto products’.
REFERENCES:
https://www.avogel.co.uk/food/vitamins-and-minerals/potassium/
https://low-carb-support.com/low-carb-diet-multivitamin/
https://www.amplemeal.com/blogs/home/what-is-keto-and-why-are-people-doing-it