level of fat ratio vs the other macronutrients (proteins
and carbohydrates). The therapeutic application
requires 90% of daily calories coming from dietary fat
and the remaining 10% from a combination of protein
and carbohydrates.
Bodybuilding “keto” diets popularised by the
likes of Dave Palumbo generally fall into the
50 percent of calories from dietary fat range, with
proteins being much higher, with the thought pro-
cess being that the extra protein would spare lean
muscle in a calorie deficit… however, recent research
shows that ketones themselves are very protein
sparing and this style of diet often doesn’t result in
people applying the diet being in a ketotic state or
becoming fat adapted due to the protein level being
too high. Where the protein level is too high the body
converts the excess protein into glucose through a
process known as gluconeogenesis.
Modified ketogenic diet
This leads us to the keto diet style that is now
getting the fitness industry and functional health
practitioners excited; the modified ketogenic diet.
Here the composition of this diet puts the focus back
on dietary fat, with 75% of calories coming from fat,
20% percent coming from proteins and just 5%
from carbohydrates. These percentages set up the
framework for a well-formulated ketogenic diet,
however, there is room for customisation once one
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