Are Keto Diets OK For Teens?

Keto diets have actually been around since the 70's. Eades & Eades wrote "Protein Power" and Dr. Atkins wrote the first of many of his books about not eating carbs.

So while fabulous reviews can be read from people over the decades, dancing parents must wonder.

Wonder about disordered eating, or worse yet - a real eating disorder.

In ballet, that usually means anorexia or bulimia.

But let's get back to keto diets, or low carbohydrate, higher oil and protein diets.

Ketogenic is a term that means generating ketones in the blood, which results from lower carbohydrate intake and increasing the ingestion of (healthy) fats and proteins.

Considering the obesity problems the US has, never mind the need of dancing daughters and sons to be extremely thin, I doubt that the "food pyramid" is a relevant guide.

But let's consider the following:

• brain hormones are made from fat - hormones that generate mental clarity and well being

• reproductive hormones are made from -- fats! generating growth and -- well being

• energy -- daily needs and ballet classes -- is generated from fats

• good mood brain chemicals are made from -- fats!

The keto diet excludes carbohydrates and raises the percent of fats and proteins in the daily meal menus.

And there is not only evidence over decades that this is good for pretty well anyone -- keto diets are recommended for infants with epilepsy. You can read more about that here -Diet if you like.

If you have specific endocrine problems, please follow your endocrinologist's advice.

If you have no medical condition and want to keep up your fat burning energy and maintain a healthy weight and love your ballet dancing even more, look into a keto diet.

If you are the mom of a dancing daughter/son, here is a book about freezing keto meals with recipes.

If you aren't savvy about healthy fats yet "Facts About Saturated Fats" will enlighten you!

I truly hope this helps with both teen dancer diets and healthy meals for the whole family.