On Tuesdays, we love sharing great recipes with you! Frequently the recipes we share are from keto diet-centered websites. Those recipes can be great as part of a blood sugar-friendly lifestyle. Their low carbs help those of us with blood sugar concerns relax and enjoy a meal! But what about embracing the keto diet as a whole? Is it healthy?

The keto diet strictly restricts carbohydrates while emphasizing fat and protein. People do lose weight but what about health? Healthy and fibrous veggies and legumes are removed from the menu. That can make it much harder to get the micronutrients you need. Clinical reviews have shown that most people gain back the weight they lost within a year. Moreover, research shows that the high consumption of meat and fat may increase the risk of heart problems or cancer. While lowering your carbs can help your health, extreme carbohydrate restrictions can be damaging.

The keto diet works because, when your body has no carbs to use as fuel, it burns fat instead. That state is called ketosis. For healthy people, with no medical factors, ketosis begins about three or four days after starting to eat less than 50 grams of carbohydrates per day — the amount of carbs in two small bananas. You can push ketosis past a healthy range, and you can become seriously ill or even die.

For some people, keto can be beneficial. For instance, the keto diet can help people with epilepsy. Research has shown that being in ketosis can reduce the occurrence of epileptic seizures. Moreover, it can help stabilize blood sugar, because of the elimination of carbs. But, according to the Mayo Clinic, “There's very little evidence to show that this type of eating is effective — or safe — over the long term for anything other than epilepsy.”

Speak to your doctor before starting any new diet. Our opinion, as always, is that cutting out an entire food group without speaking to a doctor is a bad idea. A keto recipe is great for a meal, but a whole keto lifestyle might not be. Moderation in all things can help you live a healthy life.