The high-fat, low-carb Keto diet has been dominating Google's most-searched diet words and Amazon's bestseller list for a few years now; this article asks if the Keto diet is suitable for women over 50. Short answer, yes!
The Keto Diet is popular for good reason: The science backs the Keto diet, but the outcome really speaks for itself. Some women report losing 5 kilos (11 pounds) in 7 days, 22 kilos (49 pounds) in eight weeks, even over 90 kilos (200+ pounds) in all!
It changes the body metabolically. I have discussed how the Keto diet works in this article: but briefly when you restrict carbs from your diet it triggers ketosis and instead of carbs being used for fuel your body uses stored fat instead. Scientific research studies show that people on the Keto diet significantly increase their fat burn which means that fat cells shrink as the fat is removed from your body.
The Keto diet also reverses a slowing metabolism, increasing it by as much as 10 times according to researchers at Bethel University in Minnesota. Metabolism is determined by muscle tissue. And research studies at the University of Southern California have shown that women lose about one percent of their muscle tissue each year after the age of 30, and the process speeds up as we age. As muscle mass reduces with age, metabolism also naturally slows down. The protein and healthy fats included in the Keto diet can help combat this natural decline, helping to protect muscle mass even as excess fat melts away. As a result, the Keto diet helps prevent feeling slower as you diet as the weight comes off.
Quick slimming and long-lasting weight loss is just the start of the benefits. It can also save lives by decreasing artery-harming triglycerides and balancing cholesterol levels. Research has also shown that the Keto diet improves or reverses type II diabetes, as well as all the other health benefits. The Keto diet has a beneficial impact on the brain, resulting in enhanced memory and it can also help prevent Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. Plus, increasing your consumption of healthy fats has been shown to help with arthritis discomfort, promote hair growth and tighten skin-- which helps women lose weight without sagging skin.
As an added bonus women over 50 on the Keto diet don’t need to stop eating fatty foods (though you will need to eat fatty foods in moderation as I explain here). The healthy fats that comprise the Keto Diet help you feel fuller longer due to a hormone in foods called ghrelin which is increased by certain foods such as eggs. However, while the Keto Diet is very effective many women over 50 struggle on the Keto Diet as it has some strict rules that need to be followed to achieve ketosis: restricting carbs to a maximum of 50 grams per day can be difficult without a detailed diet plan to follow. Figuring out what to eat to hit ideal fat levels can be hard, this is why I recommend the Custom Keto Diet which I have reviewed in detail here. The Custom Keto Diet is an eight-week tailored meal plan created specifically for you by professionals. The diet has been designed by is a panel of fitness trainers, chefs, and nutritional experts. Even better is that the diet takes into account your general health and what foods you like to eat.
