What Are The Four Types of Keto Diet?
If you’ve been searching online for popular diet programs these days, you’ve probably come across the word Keto. There are a lot of information about this kind of diet but what do we really know about it? What are the facts about the so called keto diet and what are the myths?
Ketogenic, commonly known as “keto” diet, is a type of meal plan that’s low in carbohydrates but high in fat. People who want to lose weight turn to this meal program. But this is only a general take on Keto. There’s much more to this meal plan.
There are four types of ketogenic diet, and the effects of each type are different for every individual. Here’s what you need to know.
Standard Ketogenic Diet
Also referred to as SKD, the standard ketogenic diet is the most basic type of keto and is ideal for those who have just started to get on board this diet. The person who go on this diet will have to follow a macronutrient ratio of between 5 to 10% carbohydrates, 15 to 20% protein, and 75% fat. To put it simply, SKD will push your body to go on ketosis by requiring you to consume about 150 grams of fat daily to encourage your metabolism to burn fat as your fuel source.
Targeted Keto Diet
Although ketogenic diet is based on the principle that an individual needs to reduce their daily consumption of carbohydrates. But there are variations that allow more elbow room. Targeted keto diet is a type of meal plan that’s ideal for athletes or individuals who are physically active. This meal program permits for a few adjustments for those who need more carbs in their daily diet.
In this type of diet, the person will consume another 20 to 30 grams of carbohydrates before and after working out. The extra carb count will help them during intensive workout and aids in faster recovery after an intense exercise routine. These added carbs won’t be stored in the body as fat because they get burned off right away, which means the weight loss portion of the meal program won’t be affected.
The meal plan for the targeted keto diet consists of about 65 to 70% fat, 20% protein, and 10 to 15% carbohydrates.
Cyclical Keto Diet
Your body goes into ketosis when it burns fat as its primary fuel source, which helps you lose weight fast. The third type of keto is the cyclical keto diet wherein you divide your meal plan into keto days and off days. The off days, which is commonly twice a week, allows you to eat more carbs. However, there are also those who reserve their off days for holidays, birthdays, and other special occasions. It’s more like a cheat day. However, that doesn’t mean you can eat whatever you want and just pig out. You still need to maintain a balance on your food intake. For cyclical keto diet, you need to consume 75% fat, 15 to 20% protein, and 5 to 10 percent carbs during keto days. During your off days, you can consume 25% fat, 25% protein, and 50% cabs.
High Protein Keto Diet
The last type of keto diet is the high protein keto diet. You are expected to consume 60 to 65% fat, 30% protein, 5 to 10% carbs. This means you can have 120 grams of protein per day while keeping your carb intake to 10% at most.
Benefits of Keto
Weight Loss
Unlike carbs, fat takes more time to be turned into energy. Given that, a ketogenic diet will help boost your weight loss. Since this kind of meal plan is high in diet, you won’t feel hungry unlike other types of diets.
Reduces Acne
There are several factors that may affect the appearance of acne and these includes your blood sugar and diet. If you are on a diet that’s high in carbs and processed foods, your gut bacteria could be altered, which could lead to significant blood sugar fluctuations that could affect your skin’s health. And that means reducing your carb intake would reduce skin breakout.
Lowers Risk of Cancer
Studies are still underway as to how ketogenic diet could help prevent or treat different types of cancers. One research even revealed that the keto diet could complement radiation and chemotherapy in people with cancer. Other studies also noted that this type of meal plan could lower blood sugar levels and reduce insulin complications, which could be linked to some cancers.
Improves the Health of Your Heart
If you follow the ketogenic diet in a healthy way, this type of diet could help improve the health of your heart. A study revealed that those who followed a healthy keto diet showed higher levels of HDL or good cholesterol.
Protects Brain Function
There’s an increasing number of studies that are trying to link the effects of keto on the brain. There are some that say the keto diet could protect the brain. They could help prevent neuro disorders like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and even sleep disorders. A research also showed that keto could improve cognitive functioning and alertness.
