Keto-Inspired Diets 101

You can find over 12.6 million hashtags #keto on Instagram. (stand 05 June 2019) It is clearly a popular topic. But what do people generally mean when they speak about a “keto diet?”?

What’s the science behind keto?  

Keto is short for ketogenic. A ketogenic diet (KD) falls under the umbrella of low-carb diets (LCD). While LCD are subjectively defined, KD generally means diets that restrict carbohydrate intake to a maximum of approx. 50 grams or 10% of total energy per day. The remaining calories come predominantly (60-80% or more) from fat, and the rest from protein.

Our body’s preferred energy substance is sugar (glucose). When we don’t eat for an extended period of time, or we limit our carbohydrate intake, our body falls into a fasting state and the “emergency substrate” for our cells (and especially the brain cells) is produced in the liver. 

This emergency substrate is made from ketone bodies. These ketone bodies lead your body into a state called ketosis. It typically takes a few days to reach a state of ketosis.https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/track/pdf/10.1186/s12970-017-0174-y

What do you eat on a keto diet?

Fat! Loads of fat. The exact ratios might differ from person to person, but an average diet of 2000 kcal per day might consist of 160g or more of fat, 50g or less of carbs, and 70g of protein.

If you’re choosing to follow a keto lifestyle, these products below fit into your KD.  If you are on a medically-prescribed diet, speak to your doctor before consuming these products.

Keto friendly Vega Products:

• Vega^® Essentials
• Vega^® Protein & Greens
• Vega^® Protein Smoothie
• Vega Sport^® Sugar Free Energizer
• Vega Sport^® Hydrator
• Vega Sport^® Protein

Any Vega products that contain more than 7g of carbohydrates per serving are typically not considered keto-friendly.

Do you practice a keto diet? Let us know in the comments below.

Vega does not promote a ketogenic diet as a healthy lifestyle. Keto diets might be used for medical purposes. Please talk to your doctor to determine whether a ketogenic diet is suitable for you.