The keto diet. It’s the latest fad diet you’ve heard all about! People have been cutting out carbs and sugar from their diets left and right and many have been successful in shedding both a little and a lot of weight. Maybe you’ve been considering it yourself, too. If you’re an older adult, you may also be wondering if the keto diet for seniors is safe. Home Care Assistance is going to help you find out now below.

What is Keto?

First, it’s helpful to know just what this diet is exactly about. The ketogenic diet is essentially a low-carb, high-fat diet with the goal of putting your body into ketosis, which is a natural process that happens when your body doesn’t have enough carbs to burn for energy. It focuses instead on burning fat and making substances known as ketones, which your body uses for fuel.

Just how low-carb and high-fat are we talking? When you break down the nutritional “rules” of the diet, you generally get 70 to 80 percent of your total daily calories from fat, 10 to 20 percent from protein, and five to 10 percent from carbohydrates. So, this diet involves quite a bit of measuring your food and tracking your diet daily to make sure you get enough nutrition (and do not exceed your carb intake).

Now the big question.

Is the Keto Diet for Seniors Safe?

Since we are all individuals, our health goals and needs vary so greatly from one another. It’s best to follow the advice below before you begin any diet, especially if you’re a senior in home care.

First, ask yourself: Are you in good health? Since you’ll be cutting out some important food groups on the keto diet, you’re going to want to make sure you’re fairly healthy, to begin with. This diet is not recommended for seniors who have uncontrolled diabetes or eating disorders. However, it can be great for seniors who are looking to control their blood sugar or improve certain nutrient deficiencies, such as fats, B12, and iron.

The best thing you can possibly do before you begin the keto diet is to talk to your doctor, especially if you are taking any medications or have a chronic illness. Your doctor will assess your overall health and conditions and help you determine if the keto diet for seniors is right for you.

For more information on senior home care and diet tips for seniors, please feel free to give Home Care Assistance a call and schedule your consultation!