What is Keto and What is Low Carb?

What is Keto, What is Low Carb, Dietary Ketosis

What is Keto and What is Low Carb?

18/09/2022

It seems to be a simple solution of math, Low Carb allows more daily carb intake than Keto…is that all there is or is there more? Dietary trends come and go, Low Carb vs Keto, which diet is right for you?

What are Carbohydrates?

Carbohydrates are the naturally occurring sugar, starches and fibre found within food. Our body turns carbohydrates into energy (glucose). Carbohydrates are one of the basic food groups, along with protein and fat, that help us to maintain health. They are important for brain function, mood and memory, as well as providing a quick energy source for muscles.

Carbohydrates can be further classified as Simple, or Complex

Simple carbohydrates are found in processed and refined foods like sodas, syrup and lollies. They lack vitamins, minerals and fibre and eating them in excess can lead to weight gain, particularly around the waist.

Complex carbohydrates are found in whole grains, legumes, potato, oats, cereal grains, fruits and vegetables. They are nutrient dense, full of vitamins, minerals and fibre, and offer a slow release source of energy for the body, helping us to have regular bowel movements and promote a healthy heart. Carbohydrates in general are often blamed for weight gain, but a diet rich in complex carbohydrates including fruits, vegetables and wholegrain can help you to feel fuller for longer and reduce body weight!

What is Low Carb?

A standard Australian diet contains over 300g of carbohydrate. Some people choose to lower their carbohydrate intake as a way of maintaining their weight. Any carbohydrate reduction under 150g is considered a “low carb” eating plan and the sweet spot of carbohydrate intake is highly personalised. On a low carb diet, protein intake may be high.

150g of carbohydrate may include oats, berries and a banana for breakfast, a sandwich and salad for lunch, a piece of fruit as a snack and potato or sweet potato plus carrots and legumes with dinner.

What is Keto?

A stricter form of a low carbohydrate diet is called “Keto”, where carbohydrates are reduced to 50g and under. Though highly fashionable in 2020, the Keto diet is not new. In fact, it’s been used successfully for managing drug resistant epilepsy for almost 100 years!

Dietary Ketosis

In place of carbohydrate, dietary fat is increased to provide the energy to get through the day, and protein intake is moderate. Increasing fat and reducing carbohydrates means the body must start using energy from fat in the form of “Ketone bodies” instead of glucose.  This is known as dietary ketosis and needs to be monitored often through blood or urine to ensure you are burning fat as energy. The Keto diet often results in rapid weight loss, but it is not without sacrifice.

To get an idea of what 50g of carbohydrate may look like on your plate, one medium banana has approximately 25g of carbohydrates, and one small potato has approximately 30g of carbohydrates! With these 2 items alone, you’d be over your daily carbohydrate allowance on a Keto diet.

Those on a Keto diet may choose lower carbohydrate fruits and vegetables such as berries, green leafy vegetables, pumpkin, capsicum, zucchini, cauliflower, cabbage, celery, and broccoli to provide them with fiber, vitamins, and minerals from fresh produce. Protein and fat in the form of meats, sausages, processed meat, eggs, dairy, nuts, seeds, and oils make up a large portion of the keto diet.

A few comparisons

  1. The difference in a low carb and keto diet is carbohydrate intake.
  2. Maintaining a keto diet is very difficult with a 50g or lower allowance of carbohydrates, and due to this, it is often used as a short term strategy to reduce body weight quickly.
  3. A low carb diet can be maintained longer term, with more variety from up to 150g of  wholegrains, fruits and vegetables, increased protein and less restriction.
  4. Over time, the difference in weight loss from a low carb or keto diet becomes negligible, however the rapidity of results that keto provides may be enticing for some.
  5. Be sure to check with your health professional to determine which diet may be suitable for you to minimise unwanted side effects.

Low Carb All Natural Sweeteners

Xylitol does not raise blood sugars or insulin levels in the same way that sugar does, meaning that it does not count as net carbs, making it popular for keto’ers. Xylitol is low carb, but not zero carb. On a keto diet, it should only be used in small amounts.

Slim Sweet Monk Fruit Sweetener has a negligible amount of carbs and calories, so is suited to both low carb and Keto lifestyles.

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