The low-carb, high-fat ketogenic diet has been making headlines for the past 12 months and has been backed by a host of Hollywood A-listers for its rapid results.
And while many swear by the program and its ability to help people shed weight and balance their blood sugar, others aren’t so convinced.
Australian nutritionist and Supercharged Food founder, Lee Holmes, recently shared her thoughts on the diet with FEMAIL and why the program can have a negative effect on your gut health.
‘Basically it’s a very low-carb, high-fat way of eating that involves drastically reducing carbohydrate intake, and replacing it with fat,’ Lee explained.
Australian nutritionist and Supercharged Food founder, Lee Holmes (pictured), recently shared her thoughts on the diet with FEMAIL and why the program can have a negative effect on your gut health
The low carb, high fat ketogenic diet has been making headlines for the past 12 months and has been backed by a host of Hollywood A-listers for its rapid results
‘Once we starve our body of carbohydrates, our energy fuel source, we put our bodies into a metabolic state known as ketosis. Instead of using carbohydrates for energy, our bodies burn fat. Sounds great, right?
‘Whilst the ketogenic diet can help with weight loss and reducing blood sugar, I like to look at the ketogenic diet with a pinch of salt.’
Lee said that it’s never a good idea to ‘demonise’ a food group.
‘Carbohydrates are not the enemy and everything, including carbohydrates, should be eaten and enjoyed in moderation,’ she said.
‘Unfortunately many keto enthusiasts are ditching prebiotic rich vegetables because of their carbohydrate content which is not great news for a healthy and diverse gut,’ Lee said
‘Not to mention that by cutting out carbohydrates, we lose out on the benefits of many nutrients that we need to support our gut function and immune system.
‘In particular, we may miss out on very important prebiotics that are found in root vegetables, seeds, fruit and more.’
Lee said that it is important to maintain a balanced diet for the benefit of your gut.
‘Within your gut, the healthy community of micro flora involves a greater number of probiotics or friendly bacteria, and a smaller amount of pathogenic bacteria,’ she said.
‘However our friendly, good guys need to be fed to maintain the survival of their colony. This is where prebiotics come in and in simple terms, they act as a food for probiotics.
‘I like to think of probiotics as little babies with their mouths wide open waiting to be fed in order to survive. Prebiotics are the ideal food for these babies and when you think about the average good gut bug only lasting twenty minutes in the gut, it’s even more important to feed them a healthy diet to keep them alive.’
The keto diet sees people focusing on good fats and drastically minimising carb intake
Foods that are rich in prebiotic fibre include jicama (Mexican yam), dandelion greens, asparagus, sweet potato, onions, garlic, chicory root, celeriac, cashews, pistachios, parsnips, lentils, kidney beans, and Jerusalem artichoke.
‘Root vegetables such as celeriac, parsnip and sweet potato can be significantly richer in prebiotics helping you to house significantly more diverse and thriving strains of good bacteria as a result of eating them,’ Lee said.
‘Unfortunately many keto enthusiasts are ditching prebiotic rich vegetables because of their carbohydrate content which is not great news for a healthy and diverse gut.
‘Prebiotic fruits that have extra punch in feeding good bacteria include avocado, custard apples, nectarines, white peaches, persimmon, banana, apple, pomegranate, and figs.’
Lee said the key is to monitor how you feel on the keto diet and to be aware of your body.
‘If you’re a ketogenic fan and love how you’re feeling and the results you’re seeing – that’s great! Just remember to support your body with the right fuel it needs,’ she said.
‘I recommend supplementing with prebiotic rich foods to ensure you’re giving your gut and body the love that it needs to work as efficiently as possible!’
Lee then shared her favourite prebiotic rich foods that are key to a healthy and robust gut.
‘Root vegetables such as celeriac, parsnip and sweet potato can be significantly richer in prebiotics helping you to house significantly more diverse and thriving strains of good bacteria as a result of eating them,’ Lee said
ONIONS
‘Whilst chopping onions can bring on the water-works for some people, they’re so full of gut-boosting and health-improving properties that they may well be worth a few tears,’ Lee said.
‘Onions contain a high amount of fibre which helps to strengthen gut flora, improve digestion and break down fat. Onions contain a flavonoid called quercetin, which makes them high in antioxidants.
‘Did you know onions can also play a huge role in improving your cardiovascular and immune systems? I love sautéing onions and having them as a deliciously sweet side and using them as a terrific base to soups and curries to bring out sumptuous flavours.’
Pictured are Lee’s Red Onion Bhajis with Minted Raita
ROOT VEGETABLES
‘Starchy root vegetables, like sweet potato, yams, turnips, parsnips and squash are easy-to-digest and cleansing for the body,’ Lee said.
‘They contain fibre and nutrients, meaning that they help keep us satiated. Whilst these vegetables tend to be sweet in taste, they have a low level of natural sugar and a low glycemic index level.
‘Foods with a low glycemic index are less likely to cause an increase in blood sugar levels. They’re also high in vitamins A and C so great boosters for the immune system.’
Lee said jicama root, aka the Mexican yam, is one of her favourites.
‘it is a great prebiotic choice and is packed with health-boosting vitamins and minerals to improve overall health,’ she said.
Jicama’s vitamin C content can help improve immunity, support skin health and even act as an anti-inflammatory. This vegetable is low in calories and high in fibre, helping improve digestion and is loaded with iron and a balance of all the essential amino acids, helping energy levels.’
Lee mashes up her favourite root veggies and add a touch of nut butter to make a beautiful Smashed Root Veg Bowl
In her kitchen, Lee likes to sprinkle flaxseeds over her eggs, make a flaxseed crust with baked fish or put a tsp of ground flaxseeds in porridge
FLAXSEEDS
‘While flaxseeds have been gaining popularity in the health world over the last few years, these little nutrition-packed brown seeds have been consumed as a food source for around 6000 years, Lee said.
‘Whilst flaxseeds may look little, their benefits are anything but; they can help improve digestion, promote weight loss, balance hormones and reduce sugar cravings.
‘Flaxseeds are one of my favourite beautifying foods – they help keep the skin clear and youthful. The fibre in flaxseeds helps promote regular bowel movements and reduce the amount of dietary fat that we absorb.
‘They’re high in an antioxidant know as lignin, which helps balance hormones and increase the health of our cells. I love that flaxseeds a gut health cheerleader and can even help to eliminate bad bacteria in the body.’
LEEKS
‘Leeks are a great prebiotic with inulin fibre to promote healthy gut bacteria and break down fat,’ Lee said.
‘Leeks are also high in Vitamin K and flavonoids, which are great for blood, bones and heart health. The slightly sweeter and subtle sister plant to onions and garlic, leeks contain flavonoids which keep our blood vessels relaxed and protected.
‘These flavonoids also produce nitric oxide to help maintain heart health, increase blood flow and decrease blood clotting.
‘Leeks are one of my favourite vegetables to roast and pan fry for toppings to soups and they’re delicious additions in casseroles. They also make a great stock for the basis of meals.’
Pictured is Lee’s ‘Bestest Ever Vegetable Stock’ with leeks
WHOLE OATS
‘Whole oats are a beautiful prebiotic grain that contain large amounts of a fibre known as beta-glucan and resistant starch,’ Lee said.
‘Beta-glucan has been linked to improving healthy gut bacteria, controlling blood sugar levels and slowing down digestion. Oats are full of soluble fibre which reduces our absorption of the ‘bad’ cholesterol, known as LDL (low-density lipoprotein) in the bloodstream.
‘Every spoonful of porridge you eat is doing you good and now you can look for the gluten free varieties.’
Lee likes to start her day with gutmeal or her Bircher Muesli Bowl or Golden Gut Oatmeal Cookies. Some people like to use oat flour in baking as it has a sweet flavour and, for those who don’t like nut milks, oat milk can be a good alternative
Pictures is Lee’s Seaweed and Sesame Salad
SEAWEED
‘This one’s for seafood lovers. Seaweed contains a cocktail of nutrients, vitamins and minerals including vitamin K, calcium and iron. It’s a prebiotic algae that’s extremely high in fibre to enhance the growth of good gut bacteria, prevent bad bacteria and boost the immune system,’ Lee said.
‘Want to help build strong bones and regulate your blood pressure? Seaweed is the answer.
‘Intriguingly, seaweed contains fourteen more times calcium than milk does. You can often see me snacking on seaweed or twirling it singlehandedly into soups.’