Keto Diet Assessment and Evaluation 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A person on keto has a blood glucose of 85 mg/dL and blood BHB of 1.8 mmol/L. What does this indicate?
- Nutritional ketosis with stable glucose control (Correct answer)
- Diabetic ketoacidosis risk
- Insufficient fat intake
- Reactive hypoglycemia
Correct answer: Nutritional ketosis with stable glucose control
BHB of 1.5–3.0 mmol/L with normal glucose is the hallmark of safe nutritional ketosis.
Question 2: Which lipid panel change is considered a favorable response to a ketogenic diet?
- Decreased triglycerides and increased HDL cholesterol (Correct answer)
- Increased LDL and decreased HDL
- Stable total cholesterol with no change in fractions
- Decreased LDL with no change in triglycerides
Correct answer: Decreased triglycerides and increased HDL cholesterol
Keto typically lowers triglycerides and raises HDL, both of which are associated with reduced cardiovascular risk.
Question 3: What is the most appropriate timing for a fasting blood glucose test to accurately assess keto diet progress?
- First thing in the morning after an 8–12 hour fast (Correct answer)
- Two hours after a high-fat meal
- Immediately after exercise
- Randomly throughout the day
Correct answer: First thing in the morning after an 8–12 hour fast
Fasting blood glucose after an overnight fast provides a standardized baseline unaffected by recent food intake.
Question 4: A client plateaus at the same weight for 3 weeks on keto despite strict adherence. What assessment step is most appropriate first?
- Review total caloric intake to check for unintentional overconsumption (Correct answer)
- Immediately increase dietary fat to break the plateau
- Discontinue the diet and switch to a different approach
- Assume the scale is inaccurate and continue unchanged
Correct answer: Review total caloric intake to check for unintentional overconsumption
Weight plateaus on keto are often due to excessive calorie intake from high-fat foods despite macro compliance.
Question 5: What does elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) indicate when evaluating a keto dieter's health status?
- Systemic inflammation that may require dietary or lifestyle adjustment (Correct answer)
- The body is burning fat effectively
- Ketone levels are too high
- Protein intake is insufficient
Correct answer: Systemic inflammation that may require dietary or lifestyle adjustment
CRP is a key inflammatory marker; elevated levels suggest inflammation that should be investigated regardless of diet adherence.
Question 6: Which electrolyte imbalance most commonly explains muscle cramps during early keto adaptation?
- Magnesium and potassium deficiency due to increased urinary excretion (Correct answer)
- Excess sodium from increased salt intake
- Calcium buildup from dairy consumption
- Iron deficiency from reduced red meat
Correct answer: Magnesium and potassium deficiency due to increased urinary excretion
Reduced insulin levels increase renal excretion of magnesium and potassium, causing deficiencies that manifest as muscle cramps.
Question 7: When assessing dietary adherence, which approach provides the most objective data for a keto client?
- 7-day weighed food log analyzed with macro tracking software (Correct answer)
- Self-reported recall of yesterday's meals
- Periodic questionnaire about food habits
- Reviewing grocery receipts only
Correct answer: 7-day weighed food log analyzed with macro tracking software
A weighed food log analyzed with software provides precise macronutrient data and removes the inaccuracies of recall-based methods.
Keto Diet Assessment and Evaluation 3
A person on keto has a blood glucose of 85 mg/dL and blood BHB of 1.8 mmol/L.
What does this indicate?