Just because a diet is trending or your coworker/brother-in-law/neighbor swears it worked for them doesn’t mean it’s the right fit for you. “People often feel pressured to jump into the latest diet trend due to social media hype and marketing,” says Maria Zamarripa, RD, a functional medicine dietitian in Denver. The ketogenic diet (or keto diet for short) isn’t actually unique in this regard. “History has shown us that these trendy diets will come and go throughout the years,” she adds. Right now, we’re heavy into keto, a very-low-carb, moderate-protein, and high-fat diet. The idea behind the diet is to switch your body from a carb-burning one to a fat-burning one, a state called ketosis or being “keto adapted.” There are many reasons why people go on keto. Though it was originally developed as a diet for children with epilepsy, it has expanded into potentially treating other health conditions, including type 2 diabetes.
But when a diet is trendy, it’s usually the potential weight loss benefits that make it popular. RELATED: Does the Ketogenic Diet Work for Type 2 Diabetes? If you’ve been following keto (or keto-ish) since committing to it around New Year’s, you may be at the point where you’re thinking it’s not right for you after all. Let’s just say that if you didn’t talk to your healthcare team before trying a restrictive diet like keto, you may be unnecessarily imperiling your health. That’s because while some doctors may recommend keto as a treatment for certain conditions, there are some people who shouldn’t go on it. For instance, because the keto diet doesn’t allow many foods that are high in fiber (beans, many fruits, whole grains), Zamarripa does not recommend that someone with a personal or family history of digestive health conditions, including colon cancer, go on this diet. Fiber helps protect against digestive diseases, she says, which is supported by information from the National Institutes of Health.
In addition, if you currently have or have a history of an eating disorder, an extremely restrictive diet may be harmful, she says. Having kidney disease or type 1 diabetes may also make the keto diet dangerous for you. In sum, if you’re on keto and seeing that your health condition is not improving (or is getting worse), you’d be wise to stop and ask your primary care doctor what eating plan best suits your personal health. Regardless of any underlying health condition you might have, we all have different dietary preferences - and factoring them into your diet decision can help you find one you’ll be successful with. Did you eat many tasty and healthy foods like fruits, whole grains, or sweet potatoes before keto? “Don’t try to ignore that and go against what your body wants. You’ll be able to eat like that for a limited amount of time, but eventually you’ll feel restricted,” says Megan Ware, RDN, who is based in Orlando, Florida.
Fat may be filling, but if you’re not eating much because you don’t like pouring it all over your food, it’s not a long-term solution. The need for a cheat day may happen because you feel overly restricted or because you don’t like what you’re eating on keto. Either way, needing a cheat day is a sign that keto isn’t right for you. Not only does a study published in February 2019 in the journal Nutrients suggest that keto cycling could damage blood vessels but it’s also not a healthy mentality to live in. “This is your life, and you get to decide how to live it. If every Monday you’re starting your diet over again, you’re not doing the right thing,” says Ware. The best healthy diet is one that you can follow for the long haul. If you’re on such a restrictive diet that you can’t attend family gatherings or you can’t eat the food that friends or family are serving - and thus have to eat alone before or after - you may feel socially isolated. “Food plays a key role in our culture and social connections, and it should be enjoyed,” says Zamarripa.
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