Keto Diet For Women Over 50 : Everything you Should Know.

1. Reduced body fat

A lot of diets promise weight loss, but in many cases, that weight is mostly water. Keto increases fat burning and produces better results than most other diets. Keto also preferentially targets abdominal fat, correctly called visceral fat

Abdominal fat tends to increase in women over 50. This raises the risk of heart disease, cardiac arrest, and stroke. Accumulation of abdominal fat is largely due to the hormonal changes associated with menopause. 

2. Increased insulin sensitivity

Carbs are digested and turned into glucose. When you eat carbs, your body produces the hormone insulin to ferry the glucose into your liver and muscles. However, with age, your body's sensitivity to insulin decreases, and that means the glucose is more likely to be converted into and stored as fat, leading to weight gain.

Low carb diets increase insulin sensitivity. This means that the few carbs you do eat won’t be turned into fat. Increased insulin sensitivity also helps regulate your blood glucose levels.  Low levels of blood glucose are inextricably linked to improved general health, as well as a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes. 

3. Enhanced brain function

Menopausal women often experience things like memory loss, mood swings, and difficulty concentrating. They may even suffer from depression and anxiety. This is because levels of estrogen, the primary female sex hormone, decline during menopause, and that affects the amount of glucose reaching your brain.  

The keto diet gives your brain an alternative source of fuel; ketones. Your brain functions better on ketones, and things like mood swings and memory loss are much less common on a low-carb diet. 

The keto diet is also linked to a reduced risk for several neurological conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease, both of which are more common in people who are aged 50+. 

4. Reduced inflammation

The aging process can be hard on your body. Menopausal women in their 50s suffer from knee and hip pain, as well as headaches and other types of non-specific pain. 

Keto is a high-fat diet, and some fats are very useful for calming inflammation. Good anti-inflammatory fats that should be part of the keto diet include: 

• Olive oil
• Oily fish, such as sardines, tuna, and salmon
• Avocados and avocado oil
• Walnuts

In contrast, foods like refined carbs, sugar, and processed foods are all linked to increased inflammation. These foods are not part of the keto diet. 

5. Improved blood lipid profile

many women in their 50s experience increased levels of triglycerides and "bad" LDL cholesterol.

This is a recipe for heart disease. 

Despite being high in fat, low carb diets have been shown to lower triglycerides and LDL cholesterol while increasing levels of "good" HDL cholesterol.

These changes are linked to improved cardiovascular health and a lower risk of heart disease

6. Reduced blood pressure

Women tend to have lower blood pressure than men. However, that can change when you enter your 50s, and menopause starts to take hold.

High blood pressure is linked to a host of serious medical problems, including heart disease, kidney disease, and stroke. The low-carb keto diet has been shown to help lower blood pressure levels.

7. Increased bone mass

Older women are prone to bone loss, which, if left unchecked, can become osteoporosis. This is a medical condition characterized by weak bones that are prone to fracture.

Keto eliminates the nutrients that can interfere with calcium absorption. Combined with lots of leafy green vegetables that are naturally high in calcium, keto can help improve both bone health and density. 

8. Less muscle loss

Women in their 50s tend to lose muscle faster than those in their 20s, 30s, and 40s. Muscle loss lowers your metabolic rate, leading to weight gain and making it harder to lose weight.

Losing muscle will also affect your strength, making everyday activities harder and more tiring. 

The ketogenic diet involves eating moderate amounts of protein, and protein is vital for muscle perseveration. Protein contains amino acids, and amino acids are the building blocks of muscle tissue.

It’s clear to see that keto can be very beneficial for women in their 50s – both for weight loss and for improving health.

Going keto means cutting out many of the foods that we know are unhealthy and replacing them with foods that are high in beneficial nutrients.

In short, keto is not just a diet for overweight people; it’s a diet for anyone who wants to live a longer, healthier life!

How to start keto for women over 50 

While keto is a straightforward diet, it’s not always easy to make the transition from a high carb diet to eating 50 grams of carbs or less per day.

Make your transition into low carb keto dieting easier by following these guidelines. 

1. How much weight can I lose on keto? 

Most keto dieters lose 10 or more pounds in the first two weeks. A lot of this weight is water as your body releases and excretes water as it depletes carbs. However, subsequent weight loss will be fat, and you should be able to continue losing around two pounds per week for as long as you stick to your diet. 

2. What foods can I eat and what should I avoid on keto?

Keto is a high fat, moderate protein, low carb diet. This means that foods like avocados, butter, oils, nuts, meat, fish, eggs, and some dairy are in, and sources of carbs such as bread, rice, pasta, potatoes, cookies, most fruit, and cereals are out.

You can also eat plenty of low-carb fibrous vegetables and some low-sugar berries.

3. Isn’t eating a lot of fat unhealthy? 

It all depends on the type of fat you eat! Processed hydrogenated and trans fats are definitely bad for you and should be avoided.

However, natural fats, such as olive oil, butter, avocado oil, peanut oil, and other types of fat are actually very good for you.

Monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats are especially beneficial and are linked to improved cardiovascular health.

4. How do I know I’m in ketosis?

There are several ways to check you are in ketosis. The most common way is to use keto sticks, which are indicator strips that detect the number of ketones in your urine.

This is the least accurate ketone measuring method.

You can also use a ketone breath analyzer. While non-invasive, this method only detects acetone, which is not the most critical ketone for weight loss.

The best way to determine if you are in ketosis is with a blood ketone monitor.

This provides medically accurate, real-time results and is considered the gold standard of ketone assessment.

5. Can I do keto if I’m a vegetarian or vegan? 

Yes, you can! While you won’t be able to eat any animal products such as butter or meat, you can still reach and maintain ketosis.

There are lots of vegetation and vegan fat and protein sources available, but you will need to look out for hidden carbs. For example, beans are a good source of protein but also contain carbs.

Instead, you’ll need to seek out low-carb sources of protein that are also vegetarian and vegan-friendly, such as:

• Almonds
• Chia seeds
• Hemp seeds and hemp seed protein powder
• Lupini beans
• Nutritional yeast
• Peanuts
• Peas and pea protein powder
• Pepitas
• Soybeans and unsweetened soymilk
• Spirulina
• Tempeh
• Tofu 

6. How can I get into ketosis faster?

The sooner you get into deep ketosis, the faster your keto flu symptoms will vanish, and the sooner you’ll start losing weight. The following strategies can help you get into ketosis faster: 

• Reduce your carb intake to 20-30 grams per day
• Exercise or increase physical activity levels
• Try intermittent fasting
• Exercise in a fasted state
• Take exogenous ketones
• Increase your fat intake, especially MCTs

7. Is ketosis healthy? 

Ketosis is an entirely natural state.

Your body enters ketosis if you have to go for a prolonged time without food, such as if you were stranded on a deserted island with nothing to eat.

Being in ketosis could help keep you alive. Does that sound like something unhealthy?

People often confuse "good" ketosis with "bad" ketoacidosis. Ketoacidosis happens in uncontrolled diabetes and is not the same as ketosis.

In ketoacidosis, the blood becomes more acidic, which as every bit as dangerous as it sounds. Despite sounding similar, ketosis and ketoacidosis are very different and should not be confused

8. How long can I stay in ketosis? 

There is no need to put a time limit on ketosis; it's safe to remain in ketosis for as long as you like.

Some world populations are almost always in ketosis, such as the Inuit and the Masai Mara, both of whom survive by eating high fat, moderate protein, and low carb foods.

9. Can I eat out on keto? 

Eating out on keto can be tricky as, despite their popularity, low carb diets are still not viewed as mainstream. However, with a little planning, you should still be able to eat out and stay true to your ketogenic diet.

Tips for eating out on keto include: 

• Turn away the complimentary bread basket and breadsticks
• Ask for more vegetables or salad instead of rice, pasta, noodles, or potatoes
• Fish and steak are always good choices Skip dessert and have a coffee instead
• If possible, order your meal in advance after perusing the online menu
• Tell your server about your diet and ask for low carb recommendations 

10. Can I drink alcohol on keto?

Alcohol can be consumed in moderation on keto, but some beverages are better than others. Alcoholic beverages that are generally okay on keto include:

• Light and low-carb beers
• Dry wines
• Gin
• Vodka
• Whiskey (bourbon and scotch)
• Tequila
• Rum
• Brandy

However, remember that consuming several drinks at a time can result in consuming more carbs than you are allowed in keto.

Also, drinking alcohol can lower your inhibitions and willpower, making it harder to stick to your diet. Consuming alcohol also inhibits fat burning. That said, the occasional alcoholic drink shouldn't harm your progress too much.

I have seen people getting good results by keto diet after age 50 to 60.

1. Karen – Age 51 

In the past, Karren struggled to lose weight and keep it off. She was one of life’s habitual yoyo dieters. With keto, Karren lost 70 pound and has kept that weight off for five years while dealing with the symptoms of menopause.

2. Maria – Age 70 

Where many 70-year old people have given up trying to lose weight, Maria decided she’d had enough of being overweight, unhappy, and unhealthy, and started keto. In just one year she lost 76 pounds and, in her own words, has never felt better. 

3. Mary – Age 53

After an annual check-up, Mary was diagnosed as pre-diabetic, which is just a short step away from full-blown type 2 diabetes. Shocked into action, she adopted the low-carb keto diet, reversed her symptoms, and lost over 50 pounds.