On Topic Sources

Scholarly Source

This article tells us how effective the keto diet is. From this article I learned that ketosis, the process involved in the diet, takes up to two to four days to actually start. Our bodies are really insane to be able to switch from one energy source that quickly to ensure our survival. I knew our bodies adapt, but this made me realize a lot more goes on than I actually am aware of. Also now I know who shouldn’t start the keto diet. Patients with kidney disease should avoid this diet since it would worsen their condition. The best dietary option is to embrace something more long term and sustainable like lots of water, lean meats, balanced and unprocessed diet, etc…

Campos, Marcelo. “Ketogenic Diet: Is the Ultimate Low-Carb Diet Good for You?” Harvard Health Blog, 30 July 2019, www.health.harvard.edu/blog/ketogenic-diet-is-the-ultimate-low-carb-diet-good-for-you-2017072712089.

2.Does the Ketogenic Diet Work for Weight Loss?

This article talks about how the diet is associated with weight loss. Its clear that there are no solid long term studies so no one really is sure about how it can affect you in the long run. I didn’t realize that it could reduce hunger, which is also why it helps with weight loss and is one of the main mechanisms responsible for weight loss. Also did you know that carbs hold water? So that’s why bodybuilders reduce their carb intake, so that can reduce their water weight. It all makes sense now. Also when compared to normal diets when caloric levels are matched, keto is surprisingly not much more effective.

Preiato, Daniel. “Does Keto Work for Weight Loss?” Healthline, Healthline Media, 13 Nov. 2019, www.healthline.com/nutrition/does-keto-work.

Non-scholarly Source

1. 7 Dangers of Going Keto

This article talks about the possible dangers associated with keto. Apparently, when you enter ketosis, there’s a chance your body will react negatively and you will feel sick. This is what they call the “Keto Flu”. You may also experience diarrhea due to a lack of fibre in your diet. A good option is to follow this diet for 30-90 days, then follow it up with a more sustainable and long term diet. Since most people use the keto diet as an excuse to eat more butter and bacon, this may lead to serious cardiac issues and an increase in cholesterol. Also when you lose weight, it may be muscle that you are losing, resulting in a decrease of muscle mass.

MacMillan, Amanda, and Amanda MacMillan. “7 Dangers of Going Keto.” Health.com, www.health.com/weight-loss/keto-diet-side-effects.

2.     Thinking of Trying the Ketogenic Diet? Here’s What Keto Beginners Should Know.

 This article talks about the ketogenic diet as a whole and summarizes everything nicely. One effect the diet may pose is that your breath can smell worse than usual, so if you have bad breath, it would only worsen it. But once your body adjusts to the new diet, this small side effect should go away, unless you already have bad breath, then yikes. Eating too much protein can have counter effects and can lower ketone levels. Also, it helped me understand how to know when you have reached ketosis. You need to purchase an over the counter test, but the test isn’t always accurate and can vary depending on your level of hydration. I learnt that the best diet for you is that diet you can stick with. Also there are many things with “hidden carbs” that people who are in ketosis should try and avoid since even the smallest amount of carbs above the threshold can knock you out of ketosis.

Matthews, Melissa, et al. “Thinking of Trying Keto? Here’s What to Know.” Men’s Health, 21 Oct. 2019, www.menshealth.com/nutrition/a19530409/ketogenic-ketosis-diet-for-beginners/.

Experiential Source

Recently, my uncle started the new Keto diet. He was telling our family how it works and how he can lose weight from the diet. After 4 weeks, we already saw results and he came back weighing less than he did before. This was the first time for me seeing a diet in action and actually working so I was really surprised. I had always thought that they were all scams, but apparently not. I always knew diets had an effect on our health, but I never knew it had this great of an effect. This experience really opened up my eyes.

Cultural/Artistic Source

Movie: Supersize me

“Supersize Me” is a documentary that follows Morgan Spurlock on his journey to only eat Mcdonald’s food for 30 days. At first it sounds heavenly but as the days drag on and the documentary progresses, we see that maybe it isn’t all its cut out to be. Along the way we get to see the effects of diet on our bodies and how important the food we choose really is. We see exactly what a bad diet can do to a person’s mental and physical health. Eating only foods like their notorious Big Mac, their salty but addictive fries, and many more staple foods, he reached a point where his health dangerously at risk. Basically, our diets are important for our health.

III. Librarian Visit

I went to the Dawson College Library and met with Claire Elliott. She was extremely nice and helpful. I wasn’t really sure what the difference between scholarly sources and non-scholarly sources were. She explained to me that the main difference was the author’s credibility and the publication source. Like a credible author can post to their blog, however it is not a scholarly source because scholarly sources require much peer editing, with many recommendations and notes before being published whereas the author can just post whatever they want on their blog. Another indicator is the length of the source. She emphasized that a scholarly source should be no less than 10 pages. In my opinion, I think she was really helpful and I should have gone to see her earlier.