Updated September 3, 2019

You would have to be living under a rock to not have a friend who is doing “keto” – am I right!?

Mark my words right here, today…

I believe the popularity of the keto diet is peaking, and we are going to see a decline in the number of people following it.

Yes, I know that some people are losing weight because of it.

Yes, I realize that it can relieve the burden caused by some autoimmune disorders.

Yes, I believe that it’s great to improve insulin sensitivity.

BUT….there are also some very big problems with the ketogenic diet. The first is that there are now numerous studies proving that it increases mortality. You can check out one of the studies and meta-analysis HERE.

While I fully believe there are a few reasons to consider following a low carb diet, I also know that it’s not a long-term solution. In the video below I review some of the benefits of following a high fat, low carb diet like keto. Check out the video below and then share your thoughts with me in the Comments section below.

Earlier this year I was diagnosed with some pretty heavy autoimmune issues that have been kicking my butt, to say the least. In an attempt to get some relief, I decided to give the keto diet a try as it is sometimes helpful for my conditions. I’m going to save all the gory details for this week’s episode of LIVE with Holly. Hope you’ll tune in.

What I will say here is that having experienced the keto diet this year, and the Atkins diet many years ago, I feel even firmer in my position that the human body is not designed to eliminate an entire macronutrient group.

Carbohydrates are incredibly important to our health and optimal body chemistry for so many reasons. While you can find some short-term success by eliminating carbs, you may be subjecting yourself to some long term risks.

The reasons why I believe a balanced, moderate-carb diet works best:

• Your body is designed by nature to eat all three macronutrients: Carbs, Protein and Fat
• You need the fiber that comes from fruits, vegetables and whole grains (if you eat them)
• Carbs help to improve alkalinity
• Fruits and vegetables are so helpful in the fight against most diseases
• Your brain is designed to run on fuel made from carbs. Without them, your body is forced to create a new fuel
• It’s unrealistic to avoid bread, pasta, alcohol and sweets for extended periods of time
• Life is short. Carbs are good.

If you have been with me for a while, you’ve heard me talk about eating “according to macros.”

In the briefest form, eating according to macros means that you strategically eat a very specific amount of carbohydrates, protein and fat each day. Depending on your goal, you would aim for certain percentages of each macronutrient each day.

For example, the “macro” breakdown that I am teaching in my free Macros 101 Challenge is 50/25/25. This means that you eat 50% of your daily calories from carbohydrates, 25% of your daily calories from protein, and 25% of your daily calories from fat. This approach works wonders for most women and is exactly how I eat pretty much all the time.

“Keto” diets follow a similar philosophy, but the big difference is that you eat very, very few carbohydrates, and get most of your daily calories from fat and protein. In comparison, the macronutrient breakdown for a keto-genic diet is closer to 5/20/75 or so.

Just to simplify it even more for you, a keto-genic diet suggests that you eat 5% of your daily calories from carbohydrates, as compared to my macronutrient approach that suggests you to eat 50% of your daily calories from carbohydrates.

That is a massive difference! You can imagine that there will also massive things happening in your body depending on which protocol you follow right?

This week’s topic is JUICY and I hope you’ll stop right now and CLICK BELOW to hear my thoughts on the in’s and out’s of following a keto-genic diet!

Holly started Women’s Strength Nation to improve the ratio of women to men strength training around the world. You can Join the Movement by sharing your thoughts and questions below. Your thoughts and ideas may help another woman’s journey. Please join the conversation and leave a comment below!

Stay strong, friend. 

Want to hear even more on this topic?

Be sure to check out “LIVE with Holly” HERE!