Let's clarify things from the outset: this is not about advocating for draconian diets that promote weight loss. Outdated and endless sources of frustration, strict diets full of restrictions constantly put us at odds with food. However, nothing prevents us from experimenting, testing certain routines with proven health benefits, and adopting those that best suit our bodies and lifestyles! Among them, the ketogenic diet, better known by its Anglo-Saxon name Keto (Diet).
What is the Keto diet?
The keto method: a very popular nutritional approach, to the point of being the subject of numerous dedicated books.
While it has been particularly popular with people wanting to lose weight in recent years, the Keto diet is actually a century old. Invented in 1921 by Dr. Russel Wilder, who was looking for a way of eating that could replicate the effects of fasting over a prolonged period, the Keto diet was initially tested on people suffering from epilepsy. The trial was conclusive, and this has been confirmed to this day: by depriving the brain of sugar, it seems possible to space out seizures.
In addition to the melting of fat cells, the ketogenic diet is said to have numerous beneficial health effects, never disproved over the years: several scientific and medical studies report a reduction in the risk of Alzheimer's, diabetes, heart attack, and strokes. Thanks to the ketones secreted by our system when it is deprived of its sugar intake, the body would thus deliver energy to healthy cells and neurons, preventing the risks of cancer and brain degeneration. With the brain functioning 60% on fat, the Keto diet would boost our capacities and also be the best option against slumps and intellectual fatigue.
The danger of the Keto method
While the entire medical community agrees that it is incredibly effective, some experts believe that it should only be followed for periods of a few weeks, to avoid any deficiencies.
In practice, how do you do the keto diet?
The basics of the ketogenic diet:
Let's be clear: in practice, the Keto diet is not the least restrictive. Its founding principle? Prioritize (good) fat over sugar and carbohydrates (= 'carbs'). Going against the recurring principles of a society that has cataloged fat as a collective enemy to fight, the Keto diet helps us to question our preconceived notions. The French National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety estimates that 10 to 20% of energy should normally come from proteins, 40-55% from carbohydrates, and 35% from lipids (in other words, fats). The Keto diet thus invites us to review our plates and introduces a major upheaval: it reduces carbohydrate intake to the strict minimum (no more than 50g each day), which it replaces with a significant increase in lipids found mainly in fish, eggs, but also vegetable oils, avocados, and dried fruits.
In summary, we skip starches, cereals, and sweets from our cupboards, but also fruits (with the exception of red berries and some citrus fruits like grapefruit, always consumed in moderation), corn, and potatoes. We also forget legumes, and it goes without saying, alcohol and sodas.
In short, what's left? Vegetables, protein sources (fish, meat, eggs) and "good fats," from avocado to oilseeds (almonds, walnuts, cashews, Brazil nuts, and pecans) including unrefined vegetable oils (coconut, olive, flax...). Good news for cheese aficionados, some like Parmesan, feta, Gouda, or goat cheese are allowed sparingly.
Precise and with numerous restrictions, the Keto diet requires great discipline, the slightest deviation can take the body out of its state of ketosis, which is reached after a few days of drastic sugar reduction. An obligatory passage and a real ordeal, ketosis is accompanied by a pasty mouth and a characteristic odor in the breath. Challenging for some, this pivotal stage can even trigger flu-like symptoms, hence its name "keto flu," a temporary state of weakness caused by the lack of carbohydrates and the sudden change in diet. Another critical point is that this prolonged state of ketosis profoundly modifies the composition of the intestinal microbiota, promoting bloating and chronic inflammation.
Struggling to find satisfaction in a single option, many healthistas advocate a "mix and match" of dietary routines. This is also the angle addressed by Dr. Claude Chauchard, author of "Maigrir à vue d’œil avec la méthode Chrono Keto minceur" (Lose Weight Visibly with the Chrono Keto Slimming Method), a guide that proposes merging intermittent fasting and the ketogenic diet.
The ideal way to detoxify your body, reduce inflammation, and boost your metabolism?
The Keto-tarian option avoids an overdose of animal proteins and saturated fats. So, the menu includes no red meat or dairy products (except ghee a.k.a. clarified butter), but wild fish, organic eggs, bone broth, avocado, oilseeds — and especially plenty of vegetables. This is the approach advocated by Dr. Will Cole, a functional medicine expert and author of the book Ketotarian®. A plant-based diet that would boost our vitality while burning excess fat and calming inflammation in all its forms.
“I eliminated all foods normally used in a simple vegan diet such as gluten-free bread and high-fructose fruits,” explains the author and doctor on the Mindbody Green website. “I replaced them with antioxidant-rich, low-sugar fruits such as berries, good plant-based fats (avocado and coconut), and leafy green vegetables. By incorporating more healthy fats, the change in my brain and energy levels was almost immediate. My skin problems began to disappear within a few weeks, quite astonishingly.”
The main advantage of this customized Keto diet? It helps curb inflammation often caused by the classic Keto diet, which is rich in meat and dairy products. In this refined version, there is no more butter, but vegetable fats like coconut and olive oil. It also alternates "pure" keto days (5/7) with days richer in "good carbohydrates" (fruits, rice, sweet potatoes) — gluten and added sugars are definitely prohibited! Dr. Cole recommends combining the keto-tarian diet with intermittent fasting.
The rules of the ketogenic diet in brief
The Keto menu: a macro balance to respect
- High in fat: 60 to 80% of calories come from lipids
- Moderate in protein: 15 to 30% of calories come from protein
- Low in carbohydrates: 5 to 15% of calories come from carbohydrates.
The keto-tarian approach combines the benefits of the keto diet without red meat, dairy products, and animal fats:
- The base of the diet is vegetables, to which good fats like avocado, oilseeds, and quality oils (olive oil, ghee, avocado and coconut oil) and 'clean' proteins (organic egg, wild fish) are added
- We use and abuse vegetable proteins (spirulina, chickpeas, hemp seeds, soy, peanut butter, tempeh, nuts) to maintain the state of ketosis without losing energy.
- We are generous with organic vegetables, which we cook and season with olive or coconut oil.
- We avoid staying in a state of ketosis for too long to avoid nutritional deficiencies by alternating days with quality carbohydrates (rice, squash, sweet potato).
The Keto-tarian duo
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