Keto vs. Low Carb Diet: Key Differences You Should Know

Hello Ziddis! Whether you are a seasoned fitness enthusiast or a newbie, you may have heard of tons of ways you can make it to your fitness goals sooner only if you eat the right things. If your goal is to be slimmer and leaner, the keto diet must have made its rounds in your thoughts. 

A Keto diet is often mistakenly used interchangeably with a low-carb diet, which is used interchangeably with 0 carb diet! Let us help you find your way through this maze.

No Carbs Diet: Is It Even Possible?

As the name suggests, a no carb diet is a diet devoid of all sources of carbs. Be it rice, wheat or quinoa. Your meals must strictly have only fats and proteins. This sounds very extreme and it is so. We know how we need staples which are mainly carbs be it your chawal or roti. But this approach of having a no carb diet can help with weight loss at a record rate, but that does not mean it is sustainable. In the long term, it could cause some issues with your health.

Being dedicated to a no carb diet could need you to cut all the sources of carbs. These could also include some fruits, grains, legumes and even some vegetables. It is not necessary to cut all carbs to get slimmer plus this diet could lower your energy levels and leave you feeling exhausted most days.

Keto or Low Carb Diet: What’s the Difference?

As mentioned before, loads of people use keto and low carb diet interchangeably. But there are some differences.

Keto Diet:

• The Keto diet is essentially a high-fat yet low carb diet
• The purpose of keto is to push our body into the state of ketosis
• In the state of ketosis, our body burns more fat for fuel
• In a keto diet, carbs are restricted to 20 to 50 grams.
• Due to less amount of carbs, the body starts to use ketones which are derived from fats instead of glucose which is derived from carbs.

Low Carb Diet:

• A low carb diet is more flexible and allows higher carbohydrate intake than keto.
• This diet aims to reduce carbs to minimize the insulin spikes
• Usually, about 50 to 150 grams of carb intake could be permitted in this diet.
• Low carb diet could encourage our body to use fat for energy.
• This diet is very useful for people suffering from insulin resistance.

To sum it up, the keto diet is much more strict, restrictive and intense than a low-carb diet. Keto diet aims for a metabolic shift while low carb diet only focuses on simply reducing the carb intake by cutting the supply at the source.

Benefits of Low Carb Diet

There are loads of benefits to starting a low carb diet. Some of these are:

• Steady weight loss
• Not too strict
• Beginner friendly
• Does not cause any deficiencies
• Improves blood sugar control
• Does not impact energy levels to a larger extent
• Still has a greater variety of food you are allowed to enjoy

Research shows low carb diet is more helpful in losing weight than other diets by showing major progress in weight loss within the first 6 to 12 months of starting the diet.

0 Carb Diet Side Effects

0 carb diet can sound like one of the toughest and most infeasible things to do. It isn’t as forgiving as a low carb diet but very extreme which is why there are more side effects to it.

• You end up having nutrient deficiencies
• You experience low energy all day long which causes fatigue
• You experience digestive issues like gas and constipation because of a lack of fibre in your meals.
• You feel extreme mood swings due to lower glucose levels.
• You experience irritability.
• Is not sustainable or beginner-friendly
• You end up with less nutrition to work out.

Ways to reduce your carb intake

There are many ways to reduce your carb intake instead of caging yourself into the anti-carb commitment.

• Choose your hydration wisely: Instead of sodas, pick some water and enrich it with flavoured or unflavoured electrolytes.
• Do not indulge in binge eating: Be mindful of what you are eating instead of hogging on chips while streaming a movie.
• Read the labels: When you buy something as simple as brown bread, check for signs of refined flour on the package.
• Indulge in healthy snacking: Include fit foods in your routine so that you have some no-nonsense snacks on the go.

Takeaway

Someone who is aiming to lose weight and get slimmer may be lured to walk into the 0 carb diet plans. While they sound promising, please understand your body. You should always consult a physician before hopping on any diet be it keto, low carb or no carb. Understand your goals before you listen to others and get on a bandwagon. In the fitness space, there are many opinions but only you can figure out which one to take for better health.

Reference – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537084/