I’ve put together a very low-carbohydrate Ketogenic Mediterranean Diet for loss of excess weight.

Why ketogenic?

Your body gets its energy from either fats, or carbohydrates like glucose and glycogen. In people eating normally, at rest, 60% of the energy comes from fats. In a ketogenic diet, the carbohydrate content of the diet is so low that the body has to break down even more of its fat to supply energy needed by most tissues. Fat breakdown produces ketone bodies in the bloodstream. Hence, “ketogenic diet.” Also called “very low-carb diets,” ketogenic diets have been around for over a hundred years.

There are several practical advantages over other diets (disputed by some authorities):

simplicity

unlimited access to many high-protein and fatty foods

less trouble with hunger

better short-term weight loss than many other diets

lower blood sugar levels, which is important to people with diabetes, pre-diabetes, and metabolic syndrome

reduced insulin levels in people who often have elevated levels (hyperinsulinemia), which may help reduce chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, some cancers, and coronary heart disease

improved levels of HDL cholesterol and triglycerides, which may reduce risk of heart disease

it obviously works well for a significant portion of the overweight population, but not for everybody

better adherence to the program compared with other diets, at least for the short-term

Why Mediterranean?

The Mediterranean diet is widely recognized as the healthiest diet. Despite an emphasis on bread, pasta, fruits, legumes, and certain vegetables, the Mediterranean diet has several healthy components compatible with a very low-carb eating style:

[Although cheese is a component of the traditional Mediterranean diet, I can’t argue that it provides nutrients you couldn’t get elsewhere.]

Long-Term Issues

Long-term effects of a very low-carb or ketogenic diet in most people are unclear – they may have better or worse overall health – we just don’t know yet. Perhaps some people gain a clear benefit, while others, with different metabolisms and genetic make-up are worse off.

If the diet results in major weight loss that lasts, we may see longer lifespan, less type 2 diabetes, less cancer, less heart disease, less high blood pressure, and less of the other obesity-related medical conditions.

Ketogenic diets are generally higher in protein, total fat, saturated fats, and cholesterol than many other diets. Some authorities are concerned this may increase the risk of coronary heart disease and stroke, while others disagree.

Ketogenic diets have the potential to cause kidney stones, osteoporosis (thin, brittle bones), gout, deficiency of vitamins and minerals, and may worsen existing kidney disease.

It’s clear that compliance with very low-carb diets is difficult to maintain for six to 12 months. Many people can’t do it for more than a couple weeks. So, long-term effects haven’t come into play for most users. As with most weight-loss diets, regain of lost weight is a problem. I anticipate that the majority of people who try a ketogenic diet will stay on it for only one to six months, with significant loss of excess body fat. After that, more carbohydrates can be added to gain the potential long-term benefits of additional fruits and vegetables, legumes, and whole grains.

Or not.

Click here to view a three-page PDF of the Ketogenic Mediterranean Diet, version 2.3. I also offer a Daily Log to help you keep track of compliance. If you try it, I’d love to hear about your experience with it. Email me at steveparkermdATgmailDOTcom.

Steve Parker, M.D.

Disclaimer: All matters regarding your health require supervision by a personal physician or other appropriate health professional familiar with your current health status. Always consult your personal physican before making any dietary, nutritional supplement, or exercise changes.

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After initial release of the Ketogenic Mediterranean Diet in 2009, my patients and blog readers asked for a more comprehensive approach to weight loss. So I put together a book in 2012 called, oddly enough, KMD: Ketogenic Mediterranean Diet. It’s not free, but you’ll find it very reasonably priced. Here’s the description from Amazon.com:

Nutrition experts for years have recommended the healthy Mediterranean diet. It’s linked to longer life span and reduced rates of heart attack, stroke, cancer, diabetes, and dementia.

Dr. Parker (M.D.) has modified the Mediterranean diet to help you lose excess weight while retaining most of the healthy foods in the traditional Mediterranean diet. What’s the secret? Cut back on the fattening carbohydrates such as concentrated sugars and refined starches.

You’ll discover how to manage your weight without exercise, without hunger, without restricting calories, while eating fish, meat, chicken, vegetables, fruits, wine, olive oil, nuts, and cheese.

The book includes advice on how to avoid weight regain, instruction on exercise, a week of meal plans, special recipes, a general index, a recipe index, and scientific references. All measurements are given in both U.S. customary and metric units. (Ebooks don’t have an index.)

This low-carbohydrate Mediterranean diet is included also in Dr. Parker’s Advanced Mediterranean Diet (2nd edition) and Conquer Diabetes and Prediabetes. Are you finally ready to lose weight while eating abundantly and without counting calories?

Purchase the book at Amazon.com (Kindle version at same link) or Barnes and Noble (Nook version here). The ebook version is available in multiple formats at Smashwords.

Last updated February 12, 2012