Category Archives: Ketogenic Mediterranean Diet

Lisa MarcAurele authored an article about eating at Olive Garden even though you’re on a ketogenic diet:

Whether you are traveling and can’t cook or you are celebrating something special with people you love, Olive Garden has some low-carb options that are simply delicious!

They might be known for their endless breadsticks and overflowing plates of pasta, but there are some keto-friendly choices on the menu, too. You just have to know where to look. 

Olive Garden is also known for its large portions, so you will have to think ahead before eating everything on your plate. 

When you don’t have time to cook or just want to dine out, Olive Garden can be an appealing option for people on a ketogenic diet. Thankfully, there are ways to eat a keto meal at Olive Garden – you just have to be a little creative with a custom order!

Thank you, Lisa.

Steve Parker, M.D.

PS: The Advanced Mediterranean Diet (2nd Ed.) includes a ketogenic option.

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What an odd study I found…

Abstract

Objectives

Very low-calorie ketogenic diet (VLCKD) has been associated with a significant reduction in visceral adipose tissue and ketone bodies likely possessing anti-inflammatory properties. We evaluated the efficacy of an aggressive WL [weight loss] program with a ketogenic induction phase as first-line treatment for chronic plaque psoriasis.

Research methods & procedures

Adult overweight/obese drug-naïve (never treated excluding use of topical emollients) patients (N=37; 30% males; age, 43.1±13.8 years) with stable chronic plaque psoriasis underwent a 10-week two-phase WL program consisting in a 4-week protein-sparing, VLCKD (<500 kcal/day; 1.2 grams of protein/kg of ideal body weight/day) and a 6-week balanced, hypocaloric (25-30 kcal/kg of ideal body weight/day), Mediterranean-like diet. The primary endpoint was the reduction in the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) at week 10. Major secondary endpoints included: PASI50 and PASI75 response, reduction in body surface area (BSA) involved, improvement in itch severity (visual-analogue scale) and Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) at week 10.

Results

With a mean body weight reduction of 12.0% (-10.6 kg), dietary intervention resulted in a significant reduction in PASI (baseline score, 13.8±6.9 [range, 7-32]): mean change, -10.6 [95%CI, -12.8 to -8.4] (P<0.001). A PASI50 and PASI75 response was recorded in 36 (97.3%) and 24 (64.9%) patients, respectively. Treatment resulted also in a significant reduction (P<0.001) in BSA [body surface area?]  involved (-17.4%) and an improvement in itch severity (-33.2 points) and DLQI (-13.4 points).

Conclusions

In drug-naïve adult overweight patients with stable chronic plaque psoriasis an aggressive dietary WL program consisting in a very low-calorie ketogenic regimen followed by a balanced, hypocaloric Mediterranean-like diet appeared to be an efficacious first-line strategy for improving disease severity.

Source: Aggressive weight loss program with a ketogenic induction phase for the treatment of chronic plaque psoriasis: a proof-of-concept, single-arm, open label clinical trial – ScienceDirect

Steve Parker, M.D.

PS: My book includes both a ketogenic diet and hypocaloric Mediterranean diet. But I don’t ask you to reduce calories to less than 500/day!

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Olive oil is a prominent component of the Mediterranean diet

The Jerusalem Post has an article comparing and combining the Mediterranean and ketogenic diets:

Why choose a favorite when you can have both? Instead of making the tough Keto vs Mediterranean diet decision, many people have instead decided to combine the most appealing parts of the two diets to create a new option called the Keto Mediterranean Diet (KMD). Macronutrients are divided as follows:

• 7-10% carbs

• 55-65% fat

• 22-30% protein

• 5-10% alcohol

What is The Keto Mediterranean Diet Food List?

• Fats – olive oil, coconut oil and avocados

• Proteins – fish, cheese, eggs and lean meats • Vegetables – non-starchy varieties

• Red wine – moderate amount

• No sugars, starches, grains allowed

Carbs are limited, the way they are with the Keto diet and red wine is allowed, like in the Mediterranean diet. For people who want keto results and still enjoy going out at night for a drink, this seems like a good compromise!

Keto Mediterranean Diet Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Benefits of the Keto diet while still enjoying a glass of red wine

• More flexibility in food choices

• Healthy option  for diabetes sufferers

• Lower risk of experiencing keto-flu symptomsCons:

• Constant checking to make sure you are still in ketosis

• No strong boundaries which could weaken the results you experience

Source: Has The Mediterranean Diet Gone Keto-Crazy? – Special Content – Jerusalem Post

Unfortunately, I see nothing in the article that you can use from a practical standpoint unless you’re a dietitian or nutrition nerd, like me.

Steve Parker, M.D.

Click the pic to purchase at Amazon.com. E-book versions also available at Smashwords. com.

Click the pic to purchase at Amazon.com. E-book versions also available at Smashwords. com.