Adapting The Ketogenic Diet For A Gluten-free Lifestyle

Introduced in the 1920s to treat patients with epileptic seizures, the keto diet counts the low-carb, high-fat diets that have made their way into the mainstream—Atkins, the Zone, Paleo, and South Beach, to name just a few—as descendants.

However, the severely limited allowance of carbs per day—20 to 30 grams, or roughly the amount of a small apple—may cause gluten-free dieters to pause: “How could I possibly cut out—or radically reduce—another food group?”

Yet the ketogenic diet fits the gluten-free set, who are already accustomed to searching for satisfying alternatives, particularly well. What’s more, the keto diet possesses a number of potentially fantastic benefits, from clearer, more radiant skin to improved cardiac function (thus explaining its growing popularity). Let me explain why it can work like a gem with your gluten-free lifestyle.

FIRST, THE BASICS

The ketogenic diet requires you to curb your carbs while ramping up your fats—and not through the consumption of an extra handful of almonds a day, either: 80 percent of your daily calories need to come from fats, while clean protein should account for 15 to 20 percent. As mentioned, carbohydrates—meaning all starchy foods, fruits, and sugar—are also drastically checked.