Why Your Diet Might Lack Essential Nutrients and How a Simple Test From Kyla Can Help You Fix It!

You’re motivated. After weeks of procrastination, you’ve finally started a brand new diet. Your friends raved about it. Online reviews seemed positive. Even better, you’re seeing real results. You’ve been losing weight and looking better. Except… should you be feeling this terrible?

Are you tired, moody, or having a hard time focusing? Don’t blame yourself. Blame your diet. Did you know that studies have proven that many diets lead to nutrient deficiencies? Changing your diet was supposed to change your life. Instead it’s making it harder to enjoy it. That’s why an at-home test is so important. Kyla Clinics will do more than just vitamin deficiency testing. They will also get you back on track –– not just with your eating habits but with a wide variety of health and lifestyle challenges. 

Kyla Clinics will even design a program to increase your lifespan. So if you’re on a new diet or just considering one, here’s the skinny on which ones may lead to micronutrient deficiency and how you can fix it. 

Going Gluten-free Has a Downside

Whether online or in real life, you’re being constantly bombarded with warnings about how certain foods or substances are “bad” or “fattening.” It might be sugar or salt, it could be dairy or red meat. The sources may be questionable but their passion is undeniable. Few things have been as pilloried recently as gluten. One minute few people had even heard of it, the next everyone wanted it out of their food pronto. Those who hated it the most seemed to believe it was in everything.

It isn’t. According to the Celiac Disease Foundation, “Gluten is a general name for the proteins found in wheat (wheatberries, durum, emmer, semolina, spelt, farina, farro, graham, KAMUT® khorasan wheat and einkorn), rye, barley and triticale – a cross between wheat and rye. Gluten helps foods maintain their shape, acting as a glue that holds food together.” If you eat bread, cakes, or cookies, chances are you’re eating gluten. It’s also found in everything from popular cereals to many snack items. 

Perhaps the biggest advocate for going gluten-free is tennis superstar Novak Djokovic. Writing in his book Serve to Win, he advises readers to, “Avoid gluten for fourteen days and see how you feel. Then, on day fifteen, have some bread and see what happens. … I’ve managed to stay gluten-free and eat a healthy, balanced, satisfying diet that fuels a professional tennis career –– and I probably have far less control over my schedule and where I eat than you do.”

When he was growing up, Djokovic’s parents ran a pizza restaurant in his native Serbia. He loved gluten (which yes, is found in most pizzas). He believes that eliminating it from his diet is one reason he’s enjoyed such a long and successful career.  

It’s hard to argue with someone who is nearly 37, has won 24 Grand Slams, and has enjoyed a world number-one ranking for 419 weeks in over a dozen different years. Except here’s the thing: Djokovic was diagnosed with Celiac disease. This is an autoimmune disorder that triggers a serious allergic reaction to gluten. Yes, gluten allergies are a real thing. It’s just, they affect around two million people in the United States. While there are studies suggesting that many with the condition are undiagnosed, the total number is likely still quite small. 

Assuming you have an uncommon allergy without being tested for it can lead to disaster. At best, it could put you on track for nutrient deficiencies. Obviously if you have been diagnosed with celiac disease, going gluten-free is likely recommended. And there’s no question that eliminating breads and cakes from your everyday meals can help you lose weight. The challenge is not only that many things have gluten –– including beer and foods that are otherwise healthy. It’s also that cutting out gluten can mean cutting out essential vitamins like D and B12. Going gluten-free can mean enduring the fatigue, lack of focus, and other more serious side affects common with micronutrient deficiency. That’s because gluten-free dieters often don’t get enough iron, calcium, zinc, copper, along with vitamins A, and K. 

Vitamin supplements aren’t necessarily a solution either. Taking too much Vitamin D can lead to serious health issues. So can overdosing on iron or one of B vitamins. That’s why an at-home test is so important. Instead of suffering the endless wait in the aptly named “waiting room,” a simple finger prick and you can send your sample to Kyla Clinics. You won’t just discover if you have nutrient deficiencies –– including too little D, B9, or B12. For just $99 you’ll discover if you have optimal hormone, cortisol and thyroid levels. You’ll not only learn about your body but also have the opportunity to leverage our AI-driven risk engine that can help extend your life. Of course, gluten-free isn’t the only diet option.  

Ditching the Carbs Can Mean Ditching Vitamin D

Following Djokovic‘s recommendation, ESPN senior writer and cyclist Jim Caple went gluten-free for 14 days. While bemoaning the foods he couldn’t eat, he also listed the ones he could including “…steak, Copper River salmon, lamb burgers, omelets and bratwurst (certified gluten-free by the butcher). Salad, spinach, quinoa, basil and carrots. Cheese, hummus and rice crackers. I didn’t even have to change my breakfast, which is routinely a bowl of rice pocket cereal and a smoothie.”

The large amount of meat and low carbs in a gluten-free program likely reminds you of other diets. Although government agencies like the United States Department of Agriculture recommend a diet that’s 45 to 65 percent carbs, 10 to 35 percent protein and 20 to 35 percent fat, diets like Paleo, Atkins, and many others are ketogenic. Keto diets are designed to shift your body into a metabolic state called ketosis. This is where you’ll no longer be using glucose from carbohydrates for energy but rather fat. The idea of turning your body into a fat-burning machine is pretty appealing. Unfortunately, all these diets have their issues. 

For one thing, for most of us it’s not sustainable. A shirtless actor stepping in front of the camera or a competition level bodybuilder is trying to look their absolute best for a very brief period of time. For the most part, after the scene or the show, the person likely binges on just about anything. Bodybuilders putting away a dozen candy bars after a show is a familiar story. So too are the actors who skip food entirely the day before a shirtless scene. 

Although Atkins and similar diets have an ultra-low carb ramp up, followed by a higher carb program, balancing macronutrients on keto diets isn’t easy. The keto diet originated over 100 years ago as a treatment for epilepsy, while Atkins’ program appeared in the late 20th century. Rather than getting more than half of your calories from carbs, Atkins adherents at the diet’s earliest stage get fewer than 10 percent from carbs. Although Paleo isn’t about carb counting, its emphasis on eating the same sort of unprocessed foods enjoyed by early humans, while ostensibly healthy, also eliminates many carbs (although a wider variety of fruit is allowed). 

Because keto diets generally restrict vitamin D food sources like milk, (although some dairy products like butter, plain Greek yogurt, and butter are acceptable) you could be deficient in the essential vitamin (and in other important nutrients like calcium). Because sunlight is one of the main sources of Vitamin D, as humans spent more time indoors they became increasingly deficient. That’s one reason foods like milk and some cereals are D-fortified. So if you are taking those foods out of the equation, it stands to reason that you may be deficient. You wouldn’t be alone –– a growing number of people in the U.S. are.

So just take a pill, right? Wrong –– vitamin D supplements can be dangerous because the vitamin is fat soluble. It’s stored in your body until it is used. If you load up on vitamin supplements you risk experiencing some very unpleasant side effects. That’s why if you’re embarking on a keto diet, the first step should be a test from Kyla. While many companies charge hundreds of dollars for their tests, Kyla offers vitamin deficiency testing for B12, B9, and D while also checking your hormone, thyroid, and cortisol levels among others. Even better, by downloading the app and filling out a simple health questionnaire you will receive a free analysis that can guide you toward the best way to maximize your health and lengthen your lifespan. So learn if you are balancing macronutrients on keto today.

Vegetarian or Vegan, Iron Deficiency Can Be a Problem

Of course not every way of eating is about diet. For vegans and vegetarians, it’s more a way of life. While not eating meat can be a sustainable, healthy lifestyle it requires careful planning. For one thing, when iron rich foods like eggs, meat, poultry, and fish are avoided micronutrient deficiency becomes a potentially serious issue. While it’s possible to get enough from plant-based sources like lentils, beans and spinach, it often means eating larger portions than you would if you were eating meat. That’s not always pleasant or desirable. Not eating iron rich foods has been shown to lead to thyroid issues. So, if you’re vegan or vegetarian and worried you might be having issues with thyroid health, a simple, at-home test from Kyla Clinics can help you find out.

No diet is perfect. Every way of eating requires adjustment. So don’t ditch the diet. Adjust it by adding what you’re missing with Kyla’s help. You’ll not only look better. You’ll feel better too.

Sources: 

1. ”Calton, Jayson B. “Prevalence of Micronutrient deficiency in Popular Diet Plans,” Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. June 10, 2010. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2905334/
2. “What is Gluten?,” Celiac Disease Foundation. https://celiac.org/gluten-free-living/what-is-gluten/
3. Caple, Jim. “Going gluten-free like Novak Djokovic (includes except from Novak Djokovic’s Serve to Win),” ESPN. May 27, 2015, 02:42 PM ET
4. Stahl, Marisa G et al. “Mass Screening for Celiac Disease: The Autoimmunity Screening for Kids Study.” The American Journal of Gastroenterology. 2021. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7775339/
5. Burkhart, Amy. MD, RD. The “Danger Of Vitamin Toxicity On A Gluten-Free Diet,” The Celiac MD. March 25, 2024. https://theceliacmd.com/four-vitamin-toxicities-gluten-free-diet/#:~:text=Vitamin D, iron, B vitamins,possibility of low vitamin levels.
6. Ali, Rasha. “Paleo, Atkins and Keto Are All Low-carb Diets, So What’s the Difference?” USA Today. February 7, 2014. https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/2019/02/07/paleo-atkins-keto-low-carb-diet-differences/2789116002/
7. “Atkins Diet: What’s Behind the Claims,” Mayo Clinic. May 12, 2022. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/weight-loss/in-depth/atkins-diet/art-20048485#:~:text=In this strict phase, you,you get only about 10%.
8. “Iron in Foods,” Health Link BC. March 25, 2022. https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/healthy-eating-physical-activity/food-and-nutrition/nutrients/iron-foods
9. Garofalo, Vincenzo et al. “Relationship between Iron Deficiency and Thyroid Function: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” Nutrients vol. 15,22 4790. 15 Nov. 2023, doi:10.3390/nu15224790