Last year, SRSLY founder Andy Welch told The Successful Founder that keto is not a fad, it is an ambitious food movement that is currently considered the number 1 global food trend. He backed up this claim by noting the NHS now employs over 50 ketogenic doctors.
The ketogenic diet involves eating very few carbohydrates and a high amount of fat to help keep blood glucose levels low by forcing the body to break down fat for energy (a process called ketosis).
The standard ketogenic diet typically includes 70% healthy fats (avocados, nuts, fatty fish, butter, cheese), 20% protein, and 10% carbohydrates (bread, potatoes, rice, pasta).
The diet has a number of health benefits, especially weight loss and reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes because it allows the body to keep blood sugar levels at a low but healthy level. However, it is not recommended for type 1 diabetes, where insulin is absent or impaired. This disrupts the body’s ability to use carbohydrates effectively and, in turn, causes blood sugar levels to rise.
Researchers are also looking into its effectiveness in treatment cancer, epilepsy, Alzheimer’s disease AND epilepsy.
Indeed, Sara Garland, founder of The Daisy Garland Foundation – a UK-registered charity that works to support children with drug-resistant epilepsy and their families – believes thousands of children could benefit from a ketogenic diet.
Established in 2004, the Foundation – named after Sara’s six-year-old daughter who died suddenly of a rare and complex form of epilepsy – has funded a number of ketogenic dietitians/dietary support workers in NHS hospitals across the UK. According to Garland, she has seen evidence of the keto diet not only reducing seizures in children but promoting better sleep and therefore increasing their quality of life.
