Is the Ketogenic Diet Right for Everyone? Why the Keto Diet did not Work for Me, and Why it may not work for you

The Keto Diet has always been somewhat of an ideal diet for me. I could eat as much fatty foods as I want and as much salty foods as I want, and I'll still be able to drop the fat like crazy. Sure I won't be eating any starchy carbs, but things like sugary foods and starchy grains aren't good for you anyway, right? I know I'd rather give up the starch than stay big forever.

Besides, according to the many Ketogenic Diet enthusiasts, we don't need carbohydrates - our body can fully adapt to a fat and protein diet.

Unfortunately, my little Keto venture ended up only lasting about a month. I was experiencing things that I knew wasn't normal, and I was genuinely worried for my well-being. After experiencing several late-night heart arrhythmatic episodes, I decided to do a bit more research. Besides, I don't want to risk my life just because I want to lighter.

Has anyone actually died while on the Ketogenic Diet?

While going through my research, I've discovered a few things that were disturbing to me. Despite the Keto enthusiasts saying that the Ketogenic Diet was healthy, natural, and safe, there were a few people that were dying while on the Ketogenic Diet.

The cause? Deficiencies, which lead to heart problems, among other things. Yikes!

According to the Department of Pediatrics in Canada, there have been two cases of children dying while on the Ketogenic diet, and both died due to impaired myocardial (heart muscle) function caused by deficiencies in Selenium (selenium-deficiency cardiomyopathy). 

According to the Department of Pediatrics in Nova Scotia, a 9 year old girl died of acute pancreatitis while on the Ketogenic diet. She was on the Ketogenic diet to help treat her pharmacologically resistant seizures. Unfortunately, the high-fat content of the diet led to hyperlipidemia, which led to the hemorrhagic pancreatitis.

Of course this is only a couple of studies that I have found. Interesting enough, the majority of the articles that I've "Googled" had positive information about the Ketogenic diet.

In 2004, 83 Obese patients with a body mass index over 35 started the Ketogenic Diet under the examination of several Clinical Cardiologists. After a 24-week period, the body mass index of the patients decreased significantly. The levels of HDL cholesterol (the good kind of cholesterol) increased, and the level of LDL cholesterol (the bad kind of cholesterol) decreased.

"...the present study confirms that it is safe to use a ketogenic diet for a longer period of time than previously demonstrated." - Hussein M Dashti, MD PhD FICS FACS, Thazhumpal C Mathew, MSc PhD FRCPath, [...], and Naji S Al-Zaid, BSc PhD

And, so, thinking that I was just a little bit paranoid, I decided to keep on with the diet for another week. Even my mother, who was complaining of feeling restless while in bed and feeling "weird", decided to stay with the Keto.

Besides, the scale kept going down pound-by-pound every couple of days. This was the fastest we've ever lost weight before. There were also a load of benefits that were awaiting us at the end of the transition - more energy, better cardiac health, better skin, etc etc.

So we thought, hey, two more weeks and we should feel better, right?

But even after two weeks of the Ketogenic Diet, we still felt horrible

And I actually felt worse. Before my irregular heart beats were nothing more than a little annoyance. Now, my heart murmurs were a  lot more worrisome. It felt like a little man was in my chest and was shooting a toy water gun up to the base of my neck.

My mother was starting to get massive headaches. After she went to the doctor for her annual checkup, she had learned her blood pressure was dangerously high.

Acknowledging the way the Ketogenic diet was making us feel (combined with the doctor's orders to GTFO it), we both decided to get off the diet as soon as possible. We wanted to lose weight (me more than her), but we weren't so desperate as to risk our well-being.

After a week of transitioning back to eating carbs, we felt normal again. No more heart murmurs, no more sleepless nights, and no more 5-hour-long day time naps. My mother had normal blood pressure now.

Unfortunately, the pounds came back, and they came back just as fast as they went. Week by week I would gain one pound, two pounds, sometimes even three pounds. After three or four weeks I was back to where I started.

Was I upset? You bet I was. Furious, actually.

So Why Didn't the Ketogenic Diet work for us?

There could have been many reasons why the Ketogenic Diet didn't work for my mother and I. If I had to guess, we were probably deficient in a few minerals and electrolytes. While we were on the Ketogenic Diet, we would urinate a lot (due to the lack of carbs and thus the lack of water retention), so our minerals would go down the toilet.

Unfortunately we did not take any supplements while on the diet. If we had, perhaps the diet could have turned out for the better.

But one thing's for sure: I did NOT feel right, and I hated the way the diet was making me feel.

I was wrong to ignore my body's warnings. Even though there have been a countless number of people who have benefited from the Ketogenic diet, that doesn't necessarily mean it will work for everyone.

Some Ketogenic Diet Guidelines

If you're interested in the Ketogenic Diet, then I highly recommend that you ask your doctor first.

If not, then at the very least take some supplements because you're going to be deficient in a lot of minerals, especially since you will be urinating a lot, UNLESS you eat the right foods.

Ketogenic Food Sources for Common Mineral Deficiencies

• Selenium: Halibut, Tuna, Cod, Sardines, Shrimp, Turkey
• Potassium: Clams, Halibut, Tuna
• Magnesium: Halibut, Almonds, Spinach

Notice how seafood was a food source for the above minerals. When you're on the Ketogenic diet, you're going to eat a lot of seafood (unless you are taking supplements). When I was on the Ketogenic diet I was not eating large amounts of fish. In fact, all I ate were eggs, bacon, spinach, cheese, almonds, and some meats. 

In addition, make sure to keep your salt intake high. Some people even say up to 5 grams of sodium, which is a lot. 

If you'd like to learn more about the Ketogenic Diet, I discovered a fantastic website the Ketogenic Diet Resource. It has a ton of helpful articles, such as low carb recipes, carb counters, and the science behind how the Ketogenic diet works.

What are your thoughts on the Ketogenic Diet?

Have you ever been on a Ketogenic diet? Did it work for you? Post below in the comments section.