Is this something you should try?
Celebrities including Halle Berry and Jennifer Aniston have been reported to use both diets together, says Dr. Shemek.
Lets talk about what eachdietis.
What Are the Basics of the Ketogenic Diet?
Scientists originally designed a keto diet in the 1920s to help control seizures in children withepilepsy,researchshows.
This state is calledketosisor being keto-adapted.
Some available research shows that keto is no more effective than otherdiets for weight loss.
How Does Intermittent Fasting Work?
Intermittent fasting is a diet approach in which you plan specific times when you are not eating.
There are several ways to do intermittent fasting, which some people simply call IF.
But how about combining them?
Could two be better than one?
First, in some experts view, it makes sense to pair the two approaches.
The keto diet increases levels ofketonesin the body; during times of fasting, ketones are also increased.
The brain will rely less on glucose for energy when in a state of nutritional ketosis.
This is a strategy that practitioners counsel patients on at the Cleveland Clinics Functional Ketogenics Program in Ohio.
That next level may beovercoming a weight loss plateau, as people may eat fewer calories when doing IF.
Who Should Try an Intermittent Fasting Keto Approach?
Kwasnicka says, Asking these patients not to eat for a significant amount of time can be dangerous.
Even the individual diets (keto and IF) may not be recommended for these people.
Check with your healthcare team.
Its also important to choose the correct timing.
For their patients, Kwasnicka suggested a 12- to 16-hour fast.
Your instincts are right: This diet is all about the timing.
This approach isnt the only way to do IF there are many ways to fast.
For example, you could also do a 12- or 14-hour daily fast.
In this plan, youll see that snacks are optional.
Working with a registered dietitian familiar with keto-IF can help you determine those ratios.
This may help accelerate weight loss, says Dr. DAgostino.
Still, everyone responds differently, so this may not be true across the board, he says.
Shemek has all of her clients use keto or the IF and keto combo.
My clients typically all have prediabetes and are overweight, she says.
The success of the combined approach reinforces their commitment.
One interesting way that low-carb IF diets are being studied outside of weight loss is for cognitive health.
In fact, Dr. Isaacson personally does an 8-hour feed, 16-hour fast four or five days a week.
This strategy, he says, may also help limit fat accumulation around your waist.
A bigger belly [may] mean a smaller memory center in the brain, he says.
Are There Any Known Health Risks of Doing Keto and Intermittent Fasting Together?
Though, like any diet, it all depends on what foods youre eating.
To maintain muscle mass, he recommends consuming 1 g per kilogram of body weight in protein every day.
(Even children who follow keto to help control epilepsy have a hard time adhering to the plan.)
Before deciding to follow keto and IF together, be sure to consult your healthcare team.
Kelly Kennedy is a licensed dietitian-nutritionist with over 14 years of experience in digital media.
She was previously an assistant editor atPreventionwhere she wrote monthly science-based beauty news items and feature stories.
