Keto Diet Ultimate 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the most likely cause of a 'keto plateau' where weight loss stalls after initial success?
- Ketones become toxic after extended ketosis
- Caloric intake has crept up or the body has adapted its metabolic rate (Correct answer)
- The liver can no longer produce ketones after 4 weeks
- Dietary fat must be reduced to zero to restart weight loss
Correct answer: Caloric intake has crept up or the body has adapted its metabolic rate
A keto plateau commonly occurs when total caloric intake has unconsciously increased or the resting metabolic rate has adapted downward, both of which require dietary reassessment.
Question 2: Which dietary fiber source is ideal for keto dieters seeking to support gut health without affecting ketosis?
- Brown rice
- Whole wheat bread
- Psyllium husk (Correct answer)
- Oatmeal
Correct answer: Psyllium husk
Psyllium husk is nearly pure soluble fiber with negligible net carbs, making it an ideal way for keto dieters to increase fiber intake and support digestive health without disrupting ketosis.
Question 3: How should a keto dieter calculate 'net carbs' from a food label?
- Total carbs minus protein
- Total carbs minus fat
- Total carbs minus fiber (and subtract half of sugar alcohols) (Correct answer)
- Total calories divided by 4
Correct answer: Total carbs minus fiber (and subtract half of sugar alcohols)
Net carbs are calculated by subtracting dietary fiber from total carbohydrates, and for products with sugar alcohols, generally subtracting half (or all, for erythritol) of their value as well.
Question 4: What is the potential risk of starting a ketogenic diet for someone with Type 1 diabetes?
- Hypoglycemia from too much insulin relative to carb intake (Correct answer)
- Permanent loss of insulin production
- An allergic reaction to dietary ketones
- Elevated insulin resistance
Correct answer: Hypoglycemia from too much insulin relative to carb intake
Type 1 diabetics who start keto must carefully reduce their insulin doses to match their new very-low-carb intake, as unchanged insulin doses can cause dangerous hypoglycemia.
Question 5: Why is magnesium supplementation commonly recommended for people on the ketogenic diet?
- Magnesium is destroyed when fat is metabolized
- Keto reduces magnesium-rich foods and increased urinary excretion depletes levels (Correct answer)
- High ketone levels block magnesium absorption in the gut
- Magnesium is needed to produce ketone bodies in the liver
Correct answer: Keto reduces magnesium-rich foods and increased urinary excretion depletes levels
Keto restricts many magnesium-rich foods (like beans and grains), and the diuretic effect of ketosis increases urinary magnesium loss, leading to deficiency that can cause muscle cramps and sleep issues.
Question 6: What effect does the ketogenic diet typically have on triglyceride levels?
- Triglycerides significantly increase due to high fat intake
- Triglycerides are unaffected by dietary fat changes
- Triglycerides typically decrease significantly on keto (Correct answer)
- Triglycerides fluctuate unpredictably on keto
Correct answer: Triglycerides typically decrease significantly on keto
Despite high fat intake, keto diets consistently lower fasting triglyceride levels because dietary carbohydrate (not fat) is the primary driver of hepatic triglyceride synthesis.
Question 7: What is the term for the phenomenon where some long-term keto dieters experience elevated fasting blood glucose despite being in ketosis?
- Carbohydrate rebound effect
- The Somogyi effect
- Physiological insulin resistance or adaptive glucose sparing (Correct answer)
- Dawn phenomenon type 2
Correct answer: Physiological insulin resistance or adaptive glucose sparing
Some adapted keto dieters show elevated fasting glucose due to physiological (benign) insulin resistance, where muscles preferentially use ketones and spare glucose for the brain — it is not pathological.
Keto Diet Ultimate 5
What is the most likely cause of a 'keto plateau' where weight loss stalls after initial success?