Low Carb Vs Keto Diet – what is the difference? Which is better for you? All you need to know about the differences to help you with your weight loss and health goals.
Low Carb Vs Keto
When looking at the popular diets of low carb vs keto, there are a number of factors to consider when choosing an appropriate low carb diet for the particular health benefits that you’re wanting to achieve.
Important Note – please consult with a Registered Dietitian or your healthcare provider of choice before starting a new diet to ensure you are in good overall health and stay that way through your diet journey.
Different Dietary Guidelines – Low Carb Vs Keto
Both are considered low carbohydrate diets, steering away from high-carb foods. The main difference being that a ketogenic diet includes a significantly lower daily carb intake than other low-carbohydrate diets such as the Atkins diet.
When following traditional low-carb diets, the number of carbs you have in a day varies between 50 to 150 grams of carbohydrates, while a keto diet has much fewer carbs at typically under 25 to 50 grams a day.
This can be difference between enjoying a meal with a simple side salad of leafy greens and olive oil on keto or starchy vegetables such as sweet potatoes on low carb.
Another significant difference can be protein intake. Depending on your own personal food intake goals, low carb diets may include moderate protein intake while keto dieters include not as much protein in their daily calories and rather consume more essential nutrients from high fat whole foods.
One thing they both have in common is that they are absolutely not low-fat diets, either option is a high-fat diet that’s naturally high in healthy fats and low in grams of carbs.
Keto Explained
A keto diet plan has the ultimate goal of keeping carbohydrate intake low enough to get into a state of ketosis. Some dieters even measure ketone bodies or ketone levels using keto test strips.
If you goal is nutritional ketosis then there are additional side effects you need to be mindful of, including the dreaded keto flu, which can happen as your body adapts to a daily intake of a high amount of fat and low amount of carbs.
So, what’s the best diet for you? With the biggest difference being carb intake, it’s really up to you how low you’re prepared to go both in the short and long term. You may even prefer to swap from one to the other and back again over time as it suits your own goals and circumstances.
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Disclaimer – this post is meant for informational post only and should not be construed as medical advice. Please consult with your health professional before making any dietary changes.
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