What is Keto and How Does it Work? All You Need to Know About Ketogenic Diet
The ketogenic diet is extremely popular right now. It has been featured on numerous magazines and blogs, and even celebrities like Kourtney Kardashian, Megan Fox, and Halle Berry have publicly stated that they have attempted the keto diet. A lot of people think that the ketogenic diet is an extremely strict plan with very limited food options. However, this isn’t necessarily true.
The main principles of the keto diet are fairly simple. To reach a state of ketosis you must restrict your carbohydrate intake while eating more fats and proteins to help your body transition to using fats as its primary source of energy instead of glucose.
What Is the Ketogenic Diet?
Ketogenic diets are high in fat and low in carbohydrates. The aim of this type of diet is to help you enter a state of ketosis. Ketosis is a metabolic state in which you use fat as an energy source instead of glucose (sugar). The ketogenic diet is a very low-carb diet that is different from Atkins or low-carb diets, which are usually high in protein. This diet puts you into a metabolic state called ketosis, in which your body uses broken down fats as its source of energy instead of glucose. When you consume a lot of carbohydrates and moderate amounts of protein, your body converts the excess amount of glucose into glycogen and stores it in the liver and muscles. Glycogen is the energy source your body uses when you don’t have enough glucose from food to produce energy.
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The Importance of Keto Diet
A ketogenic diet may be beneficial for health reasons such as weight loss, increased energy, or decreased risk of chronic disease. A ketogenic diet may also be beneficial in treating epilepsy in children who don’t respond to medications. There are three main reasons why you might want to try a ketogenic diet: - Weight loss: A ketogenic diet may lead to weight loss, but it’s important to note that it’s not a magic bullet for weight loss. You’ll also have to exercise regularly and focus on eating a healthy and balanced diet. Weight loss is most commonly seen in people who follow the diet for 12 weeks or more. - Increased energy: Ketogenic diets have been shown to increase energy and improve mood. This could be due to the increased amount of essential fats in your diet. - Reduced risk of chronic disease: There is some evidence that suggests a ketogenic diet may reduce the risk of chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and metabolic syndrome. However, more long-term research is needed to confirm this.
Click here to discover how to lose weight using keto!
Keto Foods
Vegetables - Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Cucumber, Eggplant, Green beans, Lettuce, Mushrooms, Spinach, Squash, Sweet potatoes, Tomatoes, Zucchini Fruits - Blackberries, Blueberries, Cantaloupe, Grapefruit, Honeydew melon, Kiwi, Lemon, Lime, Nectarines, Orange, Peach, Pear, Raspberries, Strawberry Nuts - Almonds, Cashews, Chestnuts, Hazelnuts, Macadamia nuts, Walnuts Seeds - Chia seeds, Flaxseeds, Pumpkin seeds Meats - Beef, Buffalo, Chicken, Duck, Lamb, Pork, Salmon, Scallops, Shrimp Healthy oils - Coconut oil, Flaxseed oil, Macadamia oil, Olive oil, Sesame oil Fermented foods - Pickles, Sauerkraut
Pros of Keto Diet
- Weight loss: The most popular reason for following a ketogenic diet is that it can lead to quick weight loss. In fact, ketogenic diets have been shown to lead to an average of 4-8% weight loss over 6 months. However, this depends on a person’s specific situation, genetics, and diet. - Increased energy: Many people who follow a ketogenic diet also report feeling more energized. This could be due to the fact that ketogenic diets help you get rid of excess water and reduce inflammation. - Reduced risk of chronic disease: There is evidence that suggests following a ketogenic diet may reduce the risk of chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, metabolic syndrome, and certain types of cancer (such as colorectal, breast, and pancreatic).
Click here to discover how to lose weight using keto!
Cons of Keto Diet
- Extremely restrictive: Following a ketogenic diet is an extremely restrictive diet. It limits your food choices, which can make it difficult to get all the nutrients you need. - Difficult to maintain: A ketogenic diet is hard to maintain due to the fact that it’s an extremely restrictive diet. Eating out with friends or family can also become difficult, as most restaurants serve high-carb foods. - Weight loss: While ketogenic diets can lead to quick weight loss, they don’t guarantee long-term weight loss. In other words, you may lose weight while following a ketogenic diet, but once you start eating a high-carb diet again, you may regain the weight you lost. - Poor gut health: Research shows that following a ketogenic diet may lead to poor gut health, as well as an increased risk of nutritional deficiencies.
How to Start a Ketogenic Diet?
It’s important to note that ketogenic diets aren’t a fad diet. There is science behind the idea of following a ketogenic diet. To start a ketogenic diet, you first need to determine your daily caloric intake. Then, you need to calculate the percentage of calories that come from fat, protein, and carbohydrates. The remaining percentage is the amount of daily calories you should take from carbohydrates. The recommended grams of carbohydrates per day vary from person to person. To start a ketogenic diet, you have to significantly lower your carbohydrate intake. To calculate the percentage of calories that come from fat, protein, and carbohydrates, you can use an online calculator. For example, a woman who weighs 150 pounds and is 5’4” tall should eat about 2,300 calories per day. Her daily caloric intake should consist of 70% fat, 20% protein, and 10% carbohydrates. This means that the woman should take only 10% of her daily calories from carbohydrates.
Final Words
A ketogenic diet is an extremely restrictive diet that is often used to promote quick weight loss. While this diet may lead to quick weight loss in the short term, it’s not sustainable in the long term, and it may negatively affect your gut health and nutritional status. If you want to lose weight, it’s important to exercise regularly and eat a healthy and balanced diet. If you need to lose weight quickly, you can try following a ketogenic diet for a couple of weeks. However, you should also take into account that following a ketogenic diet is an extremely restrictive diet and shouldn’t be followed for long periods of time.
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