The media reports of actress Mishti Mukherjee’s death due to following a keto diet came as a shock to me, personally as well as professionally. We as Wellness Advisors use diet as a means to heal and nourish the body not to damage and destroy it. Food is one of the greatest gifts from nature and provides us with the adequate nourishment we need to live well. It is one of the most effective tools of therapy.
“Let Food be thy medicine” is a maxim which underlines the importance of food in healing.
Reports suggested that she died of kidney failure caused by her being on a keto diet. This caused a stir on the film fraternity for sure, but one other fraternity, the dietetics fraternity, was in the spotlight. The word “Keto diet” overnight became the most searched word. Keeping this is in mind, I decided to write about this from a Wellness Advisor’s point of view.
First things first:
The best diet to follow is always one which you are used to and which would provide you the required nutrition as well as the satisfaction and happiness that it should.
If you suffer from a disease condition, always consult a qualified dietitian to seek advise on what you should and what you shouldn’t eat.
The internet may not always be the right and accurate advisor for you.
Avoid self-treatment at all costs.
Your objective should be to regain health rather than loosing weight at all costs.
Your internal health is far important than your outer looks, so prioritize.
Keeping the above points in mind let’s start talking about Keto diet – the what, why and how?
What is a Keto diet
A Keto diet is a diet which is a high fat, high to medium protein and low to negligible carbohydrate diet. It is largely composed of high fats foods like olive oil, coconut and coconut products, avocado, nuts, oilseeds, ghee, butter, cheese as well as rich protein foods like fish, chicken, poultry, meat products, paneer, tofu and the likes. The use of fruits and vegetables is limited to those which have a low carbohydrate content; some preferred ones are brinjal, cauliflower, broccoli, capsicum, artichoke to name a few. Cereals and pulses are avoided due to their carbohydrate content.
Why and When is it used?
It is a therapeutic diet that puts the body in the fat-burning mode thus aids in weight loss. Clinically, it is effectively used in the treatment of children who suffer from epilepsy and seizures. These days it is extensively being used as a diet for reversal of diabetes by some. Additionally, it is used in cases where the person is morbidly obese and cannot move of engage in any physical exercise so this diet is administered for a limited time to shed off a few kilograms before the individual can burn off the calories by exercising and eating a balanced low-calorie diet.
One must always consult a qualified professional before starting this diet, so as to not be harmed by it.
Some people combine the keto diet with intermittent fasting to get faster results. There are a number of variations and types of keto diets and the choice depends on the individual following it, as advised by the qualified dietitian/wellness advisor.
These days, people are using this diet to lose weight and have adopted it as their diet replacing the normal balanced traditional diet they are used to. Taking help from the internet they are planning their own diets and following it, without consulting anyone and experimenting on themselves. This needs to stop!
You need to understand your body’s internal mechanisms before embarking on any diet. Given a high fat high protein model the keto diet makes the liver and kidneys work more than usual to metabolize the fats and proteins. You need to be sure that both these organs are functioning well. The diet should only be started under guidance of a qualified professional.
People need to understand that they are each unique and one diet doesn’t fit all. Take care of your health, eat healthy, exercise regularly, sleep well and lead a stress-free life. These are components of good health and a happy life.
We follow the DESS approach for our advise which is work on your diet exercise, sleep and stress.
We would be happy to help you in your wellness journey. Feel free to contact us at dravantina@gmail.com or visit our website www.dravantina.com for more information.
Stay safe Stay healthy Stay happy!!
Dr. Avantina
Wellness Advisor