TWIN FALLS, Idaho (KMVT/KSVT) A Twin Falls nutrition store owner often sees people coming in looking for options when seeking to follow the keto diet.
The keto diet is ranked the most popular diets in more than 20 states, including Idaho, according to BodyNutrition.org.
KMVT spoke with owner Jade Stewart who said the diet consists of incorporating high fats, moderate protein and little to no carbs. In this diet, the body then switches its fuel source to no longer burning glucose and carbohydrates, to burning fats known as ketones. This puts the body in a state known as ketosis.
"The biggest obstacle in the keto diet seems to be the sustainability," Stewart said. "You can do kind of do a lot of diets, and they will kind of work, keto doesn't kind or work you have to be all in."
This diet can be very beneficial for losing weight quickly. Stewart said one customer lost 1.2 pounds a day during one month, and had lost more than 30 pounds in a month, but how does it affect a person's health?
Kristopher Crane, a dietitian with St Luke's, is also concerned with the sustainability of the keto diet.
"Long-term, this diet is not sustainable for optimal health," Crane said. "It might be a good six month kick starter to a healthier lifestyle, but realize it's short-term and temporary."
While also cutting carbs, people are losing essential vitamins and minerals. One adverse effect to the keto diet is what is many call the "keto flu," when the body is switching to burning fats.
"You feel foggy, brain you don't feel good, you feel like you got a fever, your lethargic and sluggish," Crane said.
Both Crane and Stewart agree that the keto diet is a mixed bag of positives and negatives.
Excerpt from:
Dietitian explains pros and cons of keto diet - KMVT
