Diets and weight-management programs come and go, but every now and then a program emerges that has stronger staying power. As our society has learned more about the effects a high-carb diet can have on a person over time, a couple programs have pulled away from the pack due to their ability to help maintain blood sugar at normal, healthy levels: keto and Feel Great.
While these programs have different philosophies, they have similar end goals, and can even be done simultaneously.
The keto diet
The ketogenic diet, shortened to “keto,” is a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet designed to shift the body’s primary source of energy from glucose to fat, a state called “ketosis.” By reducing carbohydrate intake and replacing it with healthy fats, the body becomes more efficient at burning fat for fuel.
Those following a keto diet get about 70% of their daily caloric intake from healthy fats like avocados, nuts, seeds, and oils. The rest comes from protein, with a minimal consumption of grains and starchy vegetables.
The main benefits of keto are improved weight management, blood sugar support, and more energy. Those who stick with it long enough usually see the results they’re looking for, but there lies the rub—keto is hard to maintain long term.
The Feel Great approach
The intermittent fasting portion of Feel Great also aims to help the body burn more fat for fuel, but goes about it a different way. When you go 12–16 hours without eating, blood sugar levels come down and the body is able to tap into fat for fuel, rather than continually using glucose for energy.
The main difference between the keto diet and the Feel Great approach is what you eat, and when. With Feel Great, you have flexibility in your food choices during your eating window, which typically spans 8 to 10 hours. A well-balanced diet pulling from a variety of nutritious food sources optimizes the benefits of intermittent fasting. In contrast, with keto, you have more flexibility in meal timing, but must monitor what you eat much more closely. Strict carbohydrate restriction is essential, with an emphasis on consuming healthy fats and a moderate amount of protein.
Although not as restrictive as keto, intermittent fasting can still be hard to turn into a habit. This is where the “products” part of Feel Great comes in. Balance, a fiber-based pre-meal drink, and Unimate, a pick-me-up drink that promotes satiety, mental clarity, and an improved mood, diminish the importance of willpower as you work toward your health goals, making those goals much easier to achieve.
Some of the main benefits of Feel Great that make intermittent fasting easier—especially improved satiety and energy support—can also make keto easier, too.
Keto and Feel Great: Working hand-in-hand
With their similar focus on supporting normal, healthy blood sugar levels, you can do keto and Feel Great simultaneously to get where you want to be. The standard keto diet includes fewer than 50 grams of carbs per day. Balance, with 5 grams of carbs per serving, and Unimate, with 1 gram per serving, both fit in this range.
Even better, with the added benefits of Balance and Unimate, the Feel Great Program not only makes intermittent fasting easier, but can help you adhere to keto guidelines, too. Feel Great helps to keep you satiated and stay energized, which is a win for anyone on the keto diet. Plus, the nutrients in Balance and Unimate can help make up for the nutrients you may be missing if you are doing keto alone.
Feel Great and keto work with most lifestyles, but, as always when starting a new diet regimen, be sure to consult with your doctor to build a plan that works for you.