The keto diet has garnered a lot of attention for its storied weight-loss results and strange food requirements. It's so popular that a number of celebrities have credited keto for their famous figures. There is one celebrity, however, who rejects this trending diet as nothing more than a "fad."
Fitness guru Jillian Michaels recently said the keto diet is a "terrible, terrible idea" on an episode of the #Adulting podcast.
"Your cells, your macromolecules, are literally made up of protein, fat, carbohydrates, nucleic acids. When you do not eat one of the three macronutrients — those three things I just mentioned — you're starving yourselves," Michaels said about the keto diet's restrictive parameters.
Michaels previously told Women's Health that the keto diet is a "bad plan." In a video for the publication, the former "Biggest Loser" trainer was asked her opinion about a number of health-related topics, including the high fat, low-carb diet.
"I don't understand. Like, why would anyone think this is a good idea?" Michaels said, adding the diet is a "bad plan for a million reasons."
Read more: 5 scary things that could happen to your body on the keto diet
She also bashed the diet in May 2018 when she told People that keto is not a good idea for the average person.
"Do not go keto," she said. "Just work out, eat clean, and don't overeat. I promise you, balanced diet. It's that simple."
The problem with the keto diet is its lack of nutrients, according to Jillian Michaels
Michaels' main issue with the keto diet is that it deprives your body of essential nutrients.
Other experts agree with her' concerns about the diet.
In September 2018, Sara Seidelmann, a cardiologist and nutrition researcher at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, published a study that evaluated the eating patterns of more than 447,000 people. She discovered that banning entire food groups (as dieters do in keto) can help you lose weight in the short term, but could also send you to an early grave.
There are some benefits to following keto, but the diet isn't sustainable in the long term
The keto diet forces your body to burn fat because there are no longer carbs for it to break down and turn into energy. Additionally, it can help you lose water weight and make insulin levels drop — a perk for people with health conditions associated with high insulin levels, like polycystic ovary syndrome, Type 2 diabetes, and infertility.
Read more: 10 ways the keto diet can affect your skin — for better or for worse
Despite these benefits, keto is not designed to be a permanent way of eating. For the meal plan to have any effect, your diet must be made up of 60% to 80% fat and less than 10% carbs. That's fairly unsustainable for most people.
Additionally, as Michaels told People in May 2018, the keto diet might trick people into thinking they "can eat whatever" and however much food they want.
Michaels encourages people to eat a well-rounded diet
So what should people do if they're looking to get healthier? Michaels says it's not that complicated.
"You don't eat processed sugar, you don't eat processed grains, and to make a very long story short: avoid the keto diet," she said. "Common sense. Balanced diet is key."
Leah Rocketto contributed to an earlier version of this story.
- Read more about the keto diet:
- 10 common reasons why you're not losing weight on the keto diet
- The keto diet could stop your period — here's why
- 5 things to know before starting the 'keto' diet — the eating plan that encourages bacon and butter
- The keto diet can have a big impact on your sleep — here's how
