Rcently, I experimented with doing a “Mythbuster’s” chat on both Instagram Live and Clubhouse. Since Clubhouse does not yet support saving discussions on the platform, I recently record the keto versus low carb talk I did on Clubhouse. I ended up discussing what the keto and low carb diets were with my two friends, Katie Neville and Laura Coatney, and weighing the pros and cons of both.
Without further ado, here is our discussion! We discuss some slightly tangential topics towards the middle of the talk, but it’s mostly focused on the difference between low carb and keto.
Listen: Are Keto and Low Carb Diets the Same?
If you don’t want to listen to our full chat, here’s a summary of our main points:
What is the Keto Diet?
At its simplest, the keto diet is a low carb, high fat diet. The premise of it is to put your body into a state called ketosis. It can take anywhere from 2-4 days or a week or more to reach ketosis. You are in ketosis when your body produces ketones, which you may have heard of.
There are several versions of the keto diet. The main version most predominantly used is called the “standard ketogenic diet.” When someone is following the standard ketogenic diet, you are supposed to eat a 70% fat, 20% protein and only 10% carb split. It seems that people are split on whether or not to count total or net carbs, and varies anywhere from under 50g of total carbs per day or 20-35g of net carbs per day.
There are some interesting negative side effects that many colloquially term the “keto flu” where you can feel nauseous, tired and generally unwell.
However, for some, it’s a necessary evil to reap the benefits of weight-loss and supposed health benefits.
For example, in the early 1920s, keto was introduced as a treatment for epilepsy for those who didn’t respond to medication. A couple of studies in children have shown that children with epilepsy have seen significant reductions in seizures while following a ketogenic diet, and some have seen complete remission.
Again, none of these were long term and used a very small handful of children so more studies over the long term are needed.
What is a Low Carb Diet?
Low carb diets have a much looser definition than keto, and is more of an umbrella term for any diet where you consume 100-150g or less of total carbohydrates.
Most of the ethos behind the low carb stems from the though that the more insulin you have, the more fat you store. And that by eating less carbs, you in theory release less insulin, which signals your body to note store fat as energy.
Interestingly, when a study published in Nature Medicine studied 21 participants, where half received a keto high protein, low carb diet and the other half received a high carb, low fat vegan diet, the vegan participants had higher levels of insulin yet lost more body fat than those on the ket diet.
If you’d like an excellent video summary of the above study, and its result, check out Medlife Crisis’ Youtube video on it.
What is the Difference Between the Two Diets?
- The amount of fat consumed is the main difference.
- If a high percentage (70% or more) of your daily calories come from fat, you’re following a keto diet.
- If you eat a moderate amount of protein and fat, and a low amount of carbs (less than 100-150g), then you’re following a low-carb diet/lifestyle.
Which Diet is Better?
There isn’t an easy answer to this because everyone is different. Some people thrive off of a keto diet and love it. Others hate. Others swear by a low carb lifestyle. Most registered dietitians frown upon a diet that makes you cut out any food groups, or severely limit them.
The real key is to find a way of eating that you can sustain. Many diets fail because that way of eating can’t be sustained (it’s happened to me in the past too!). For me personally, I thrive off of a lower carb lifestyle and still allow myself to indulge from time to time. It works for me, helps me find balance, and helps me maintain a shape I’m happy with.
I hope you enjoyed our discussion and this post. Please share this post on your social media networks if you did. It means a lot!
Honestly yours,
Alice
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