Is the Keto Diet Safe During Pregnancy?
The Keto diet is everywhere lately, and it’s hard to ignore some of the success stories! If you’re not familiar with keto, it’s a very restrictive way of eating. The diet stresses high-fat and protein, and severely limits carbs. Many people turn to keto to help them lose weight, but many more use it as a way to completely change their overall health. While it can be successful when done correctly, it’s not for everyone. Severe diet restriction isn’t easy to maintain. Plus, some people, like pregnant women, should be very careful when restricting any part of their diet. Is the keto diet safe during pregnancy? Here’s what you need to know.
Eating a healthy, well-balanced diet is crucial for pregnant women. So is the keto diet safe during pregnancy?
Because the keto diet restricts a lot of foods that are beneficial to pregnant women, like fruits and some carbs, some doctors and experts believe that it’s not the best diet to follow during pregnancy. Unless you’re on a restrictive diet for a reason, like gestational diabetes, you shouldn’t limit or cut-out carbs completely. Carbs are your first line of defense against nausea and grogginess or lagging energy. Additionally, much of the fat you eat on keto is saturated fat, from meats like bacon and beef. When you’re eating more calories during pregnancy, you want them to be as nutritious as possible.
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Additionally, people on the keto diet tend to lose a moderate to significant amount of weight, at least initially. Unless you’re under doctor’s orders to lose weight during pregnancy for health reasons, you shouldn’t shed pounds during this crucial time.
That isn’t to say keto doesn’t have its benefits, even during pregnancy!
The keto diet encourages eating a lot of greens and vegetables, which is always a good idea! Upping your intake of vegetables during pregnancy is certainly beneficial, and you eat A LOT of those on the keto diet. Also, cutting out some of the other foods keto restricts, like prepared and packaged foods and refined sugars, can only help you have a healthy pregnancy.
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If you’re looking for a way to revamp your diet and focus more on healthy choices, you may want to consider going “keto-ish” during pregnancy. Eat lots of healthy fats and proteins, veggies and greens, and work in some healthy carbs like whole grains and fruit.
So, is the keto diet safe during pregnancy? It’s best to eat a well-balanced, healthy diet while you’re growing a little human. While it’s not exactly unsafe, you might consider doing keto-lite until after the baby is born.
(Image: iStock/Milkos)
