Is the Ketogenic Diet Right for You?

Is the Keto Diet Right for You?

Watch your carbs. You've heard the advice before to help manage your diabetes.

It's one thing to steer clear of sugary drinks and candy. But when you have diabetes, you have to monitor the amount of carbs you eat, especially simple carbohydrates found in foods like white rice, white bread, and white potatoes, to avoid huge spikes in blood sugar levels and insulin production.

Maybe a low-carb diet makes sense to manage diabetes? That's what Certified Diabetes Educator Tammy Shifflett discusses in an article for The Diabetes Council.

While low-carb dieting is known by many names, it's current iteration is popularly recognized as the Ketogenic Diet.

It's an eating plan that isn't for the casual dieter. The Ketogenic Diet is a pretty restrictive way of eating, but it's also highly effective at helping your body regulate blood sugar levels and burn fat as energy.

Ketogenic Diet Foods

You'll probably need to do some planning, or take a trip to the grocery store to stock your kitchen with Ketogenic Diet Foods. You're going to be eating a lot more healthy fats and protein, and a lot less carbohydrates.

Here's the macronutrient breakdown for the Ketogenic Diet.

Fat - 75 percent of your daily calories should come from healthy fat sources like nuts, seeds, healthy oils, and avocados.

Protein - 20 percent of your daily calories should be from protein sources like fish, poultry, lean red meats, and dairy products.

Carbs - And just 5 percent of your daily calories should come from carbs. Just 5 percent. For example, if you're on a diet of 1,800 calories per day, you're limited to 90 grams of carbs a day. That leaves plenty of room for vegetables (i.e. there's 12 grams of carbs in a cup of chopped carrots). But you won't be eating, bread, pasta, pastries, and other high-carb foods.

Can the Ketogenic diet help you manage diabetes? Researchers don't have all the answers. It's not recommended for a woman who is pregnant, nursing, or who has gestational diabetes. And the Ketogenic diet isn't safe for someone with kidney disease.

But it can help you manage and control diabetes.

"...the ketogenic diet does seem to have health benefits and consequences for all types of diabetes," says Shifflett.

Need help following a Diabetic-Friendly meal plan? Check out the menu.