The Ketogenic Diet vs. The Kaufmann Diet

How different is the Kaufmann Diet from one of today’s most popular diet trends?

The ketogenic diet is one of the more popular diets around, encouraging dieters to consume fat for fuel and avoid carbohydrates. But just how different is the keto diet from the Kaufmann Diet?

Similarities Between The Kaufmann Diet and The Ketogenic Diet

Both diets incorporate good fats.

Eating foods low in fat was conventional health advice for years, but we have learned that many types of foods rich in fat, such as olive oil, nuts, avocados, salmon and other foods, are actually very beneficial for many facets of health. The ketogenic diet allows for up to 75% of daily calories to come from healthy sources of fat. The Kaufmann Diet encourages these healthy sources of fat, as well.

Both diets cut carbohydrates and sugar.

Sugar and carbohydrates are the main foods eliminated while on the ketogenic diet with the goal of getting the body into a state of fat-burning ketosis. Carbohydrates can only constitute about 5% of what a dieter is supposed to eat on the ketogenic diet. Similarly, the Kaufmann Diet limits the intake of sugar and simple carbohydrates, all though not quite so drastically.

Both diets include animal protein.

Unlike many of the other popular diets, such as veganism and plant-based diets, both the Kaufmann and ketogenic diets include foods like grass-fed beef, chicken, salmon, eggs, and bacon. These foods are even encouraged. As always, it is best to look for wild-caught, free-range, grass-fed and organic options of animal protein when available.

Differences Between The Kaufmann Diet and Ketogenic Diet

The Kaufmann Diet allows for a wider variety of health-promoting foods.

The options on the ketogenic diet are somewhat limited, especially when it comes to incorporating fruits and vegetables. Really, the ketogenic diet does not necessarily distinguish between the carbs in a piece of bread vs. a piece of broccoli, although the latter is usually encouraged, the amount of foods rich in any sort of carbohydrates is discouraged, which necessarily means a reduction in certain nutrient-rich foods. On the whole, however, the Kaufmann Diet allows for a richer variety of phytonutrients than the ketogenic diet allows.

The goal of each diet is different.

The goal of the ketogenic diet is to get the body to a state of ketosis, at which time the body burns fat for fuel instead of glycogen. The goal of the Kaufmann Diet is to eliminate pathogenic fungi and reduce exposure to poisonous mycotoxins. The net result, however, of both diets often includes weight loss and relief from other health problems.

Keto and Kaufmann: Compatible?

In short, absolutely! It is absolutely possible to do a Kaufmann version of the ketogenic diet. Many of the same foods are already included, and the carbohydrate restrictions on the ketogenic diet may even help eliminate fungi more efficiently than if you were strictly doing a Kaufmann 1 or 2 diet.