The Health Benefits of the Ketogenic Diet (and Setting Up Your Ketogenic Diet)
Episode #3 of the course The Ketogenic diet beginners guide by Theo Brenner-Roach
Hey, thanks for coming back.
Today, we’ve got a double lesson. First, we’re going to look at the potential health benefits of the ketogenic diet, then we’ll dive into the details of setting up your diet.
Let’s get going.
We learned in yesterday’s lesson that the ketogenic diet and ketosis can be a potentially powerful weight loss tool. However, there is also evidence to show that it may also have other health benefits.
Studies (14) have shown possible links between ketosis and a variety of health conditions:
• Heart disease: There is evidence showing that ketosis may improve risk factors related to heart disease (15, 16, 17).
• Alzheimer’s disease: A ketogenic diet may have benefits for those suffering from Alzheimer’s disease (18).
• Cancer: Further studies are needed, but a current review study suggests that a ketogenic diet may have benefits for certain types of cancer (19) by starving the cancer of glucose (21, 22).
• Diabetes: A ketogenic diet may help improve insulin sensitivity in type 2 diabetes (23, 24).
• Parkinson’s disease: A small study saw that after 28 days of a person following a ketogenic diet, their symptoms of Parkinson’s disease improved, but more research is needed to know the true effects (25).
Note: Always consult your doctor before switching diets or trying something new.
Setting Up Your Ketogenic Diet
We’re going to discuss the standard ketogenic diet, which is very low carb, moderate protein, and high fat.
The first step is to calculate your calories based on your goal. There are several ways you could do this, but here are the quickest:
• fat loss: bodyweight in lbs. x 12 (in kg. x 5)
• muscle building: bodyweight in lbs. x 14 (in kg. x 6)
• weight maintenance: bodyweight in lbs. x 16 (in kg. x 7)
For example, if your goal is weight loss and you weigh 150 lbs., your calculation would look like this: 150 x 12 = 1,800. 1,800 is the number of calories you need per day to be in a calorie deficit and lose weight.
Now that you know your daily calorie intake, you need to adjust your macros to reduce carb intake and encourage a state of ketosis.
Macronutrient values vary but are typically around:
• protein: 20%
• fat: 75%
• carbs: 5%
However, when training to build strength and muscle or to retain muscle and lose fat, it makes sense to shift protein a little higher to support these goals.
Therefore, when performing regular strength training, it’s recommended that your macros are:
• protein: 1g per lb. (0.5g per kg.) of bodyweight
• carbs: 5%
• fat: everything else
Once you’ve set up your diet, the next step is to transition into ketosis and start reaping the benefits of a ketogenic diet.
There we have it: the health benefits and a quick-start guide for setting up your ketogenic diet.
Tomorrow, we delve into the world of ketosis and ketones.
See you then.
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