Tag: ketogenic diet
What You Know About the KETO DIET Is WRONG! This Is What NEW STUDIES Are Showing | Dr. Steven Gundry
What You Know About the KETO DIET Is WRONG! This Is What NEW STUDIES Are Showing | Dr. Steven Gundry
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The ketogenic diet is so popular that it was searched over 25 million times in one year. Some experts support its effectiveness to help people lose weight, while others claim that it’s the worst diet to try. Research and data have advanced and proven that everyone has it wrong. Dr. Steven Gundry is with Tom explaining why he and the rest of the medical community got ketosis all wrong. He shares why mitochondrial uncoupling is really the star and this is what you need to know to make your dieting experience easier and more effortless. No need to live completely devoid of carbohydrates on a keto diet any longer.
SHOW NOTES:
0:00 | Introduction to Dr. Steven Gundry
0:55 | What You Got Wrong About Keto
8:05 | Why Mitochondria Is Key to Keto
12:22 | Metabolic Flexibility & Fat Burning
18:53 | What Ketones Are Signaling
23:05 | Mitochondrial Uncoupling
34:53 | The Miracle Weight Loss Drug
39:38 | Benefit of Polyphenols
46:35 | Mitochondria DNA is Female
50:01 | Restricted Eating & Feeding Times
56:40 | Blue Zone Diets & Goat Milk
QUOTES:
“50 percent of normal weight individuals have no metabolic flexibility.” [13:03]
“At full ketosis, human beings can only meet 30% of their calorie needs by burning ketones. The rest have to come from free fatty acids and glucose.” [19:09]
“Ketones are not a super fuel, they are actually a signaling molecule that tells mitochondria to protect themselves at all cost from damage” [20:15]
“In a ketogenic diet, if you do it right and uncouple your mitochondria, you waste fuel. You feed six dogs instead of one, and that’s where the benefit of ketosis comes from.” [30:21]
“You want to cycle in and out of ketosis on a 24 hour basis.” [49:37]
“It’s the cycling in and out of getting the benefits of ketosis. Without full ketosis, that makes all the difference.” [56:29]
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ketosis food list
ketosis food list for ketosis meals to make you keto healthy
Here in one place to find resources for Foods You Can Eat on the healthy Ketogenic Diet · Fish and Seafood · Low-Carb Veggies · Cheese · Plain Greek Yogurt and Cottage Cheese · Avocados · Meat and Poultry
The ketogenic diet is made up of mainly a high-fat, a percentage of moderate-protein and very low-carbohydrate diet. Studies show that carbohydrates are the body’s preferred go to source of energy, but on a relatively strict ketogenic diet, less than 5 percent of energy intake is from carbohydrates (learn more in the Maxx Ketosis beginner’s guide for the ketogenic diet). In the gude we reveal reduction of carbohydrates puts the body into a metabolic state called ketosis. Ketosis is when the body starts effetely breaking down stored fat into molecules called ketone and then to use ketones for energy, in the absence of circulating blood sugar from food. Once the body successfully reaches ketosis, most cells will use ketone bodies to generate energy until you start eating carbohydrates again.
This was discovered almost by mistake, because traditionally, the ketogenic diet was only used in clinical settings to reduce seizures in children with epilepsy. “Now there is a lot of interest in the diet’s effectiveness in helping with other neurological conditions, cancer, diabetes, PCOS [polycystic ovary syndrome], obesity, high cholesterol and cardiovascular disease,” says Emily Stone, M.S., R.D.
People also using the keto style of eating to lose weight.
Even if you know that you need to eat a very low-carb, high-fat, moderate protein diet—it can be confusing to know which foods to eat. Here’s our guide to foods you can eat, foods you should avoid and foods you can sometimes have when you’re following a ketogenic diet also known as the ketogenic lifestyle.
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ketosis food list
Fish and Seafood
Almost everyone’s favorite Fish and Seafood
Fish is rich in B vitamins, potassium and selenium; it’s also protein-rich and carb-free. Salmon, sardines, mackerel, albacore tuna and other fatty fish boast high levels of omega-3 fats, which have been found to lower blood sugar levels and increase insulin sensitivity.
Frequent fish intake has been linked to a decreased risk of chronic disease as well as improved mental health. Aim to consume at least two 3-ounce servings of fatty fish weekly.
Type 2 diabetes patients will benefit from the keto diet because it will regulate and improve insulin sensitivity, while keeping their blood glucose levels stable.
Low-Carb Veggies
Low-Carb Veggies
Nonstarchy vegetables are low in calories and carbs, but high in many nutrients, including vitamin C and several minerals.
They also contain antioxidants that help protect against cell-damaging free radicals. Aim for nonstarchy vegetables with less than 8 g of net carbs per cup. Net carbs are total carbohydrates minus fiber.
Broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, bell peppers, zucchini and spinach fit the bill.
Cheese
Cheese
Cheese has zero carbohydrates and is high in fat, making it a great fit for the ketogenic diet. It’s also rich in protein and calcium.
But, a 1-ounce slice of cheese delivers about 30 percent of the daily value for saturated fat, so if you’re worried about heart disease consider portions when noshing on cheese.
Wedge Salad Skewers
Salad on a stick is a fair food we can get behind. Threading salad ingredients onto a skewer makes for a fun presentation of this tasty salad. Be careful not to overcook the bacon as crispy bacon can be hard to skewer.
Ingredients:
1 (1-inch-thick) slice red onion, layers separated, cut into 1-inch pieces
¼ cup reduced-fat plain yogurt
¼ cup crumbled blue cheese
1 tablespoon chopped scallion
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
¼ teaspoon ground pepper
⅛ teaspoon salt
½ head iceberg lettuce, cut into 1-inch slices and then into 24 1-inch chunks
16 cherry tomatoes
4 slices cooked bacon, each slice cut into 4 pieces
Directions:
I Step 1 Soak onion in ice water for 10 minutes.
Step 2 Meanwhile, combine yogurt, blue cheese, scallion, vinegar, pepper and salt in a small bowl.
Step 3 Drain the onion. Alternately thread 3 chunks of lettuce, 2 tomatoes, 2 pieces of bacon and 2 pieces of onion on each of 8 skewers. Spoon the yogurt dressing over the skewers.
Tips
To make ahead: Refrigerate dressing (Step 2) for up to 2 days.
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1 salad skewer & 1 tablespoon dressing
Per Serving:
55 calories; protein 3.5g; carbohydrates 3.6g; dietary fiber 0.9g; sugars 2.3g; fat 3.1g; saturated fat 1.4g; cholesterol 8mg; vitamin a iu 496.4IU; vitamin c 6.2mg; folate 18.7mcg; calcium 48.2mg; iron 0.3mg; magnesium 10.4mg; potassium 189.4mg; sodium 164.1mg; thiamin 0.1mg.
Exchanges:
1/2 high-fat protein, 1/2 vegetable
Foods You Can Eat on the Ketogenic Diet
Nuts, Seeds and Healthy Oils
Carb counts for 1 oz. (28 g) of nuts and seeds (net carbohydrate equals total carbs minus fiber):
- Almonds: 3 g net carbs (6 g total carbs)
- Brazil nuts: 1 g net carbs (3 g total carbs)
- Cashews: 8 g net carbs (9 g total carbs)
- Macadamia nuts: 2 g net carbs (4 g total carbs)
- Pecans: 1 g net carbs (4 g total carbs)
- Pistachios: 5 g net carbs (8 g total carbs)
- Walnuts: 2 g net carbs (4 g total carbs)
- Chia seeds: 2 g net carbs (12 g total carbs)
- Flaxseeds: 0 g net carbs (8 g total carbs)
- Pumpkin seeds: 2 g net carbs (4 g total carbs)
- Sesame seeds: 4 g net carbs (7 g total carbs)
Berries
Berries are rich in antioxidants that reduce inflammation and protect against disease. They are low in carbs and high in fiber.
Carb counts for 1/2 cup of some berries:
- Blackberries: 3 g net carbs (7 g total carbs)
- Blueberries: 9 g net carbs (11 g total carbs)
- Raspberries: 3 g net carbs (7 g total carbs)
- Strawberries: 3 g net carbs (6 g total carbs)
Unsweetened Coffee and Tea
Plain coffee and tea contain zero grams of carbohydrates, fat or protein, so they are A-OK on the keto diet. Studies show coffee lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Tea is rich in antioxidants and has less caffeine than coffee; drinking tea may reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke, help with weight loss and boost your immune system.
List of Foods You Can't Eat on the Keto Diet:
- Grains
- Starchy vegetables and high-sugar fruits
- Sweetened yogurt
- Juices
- Honey, syrup or sugar in any form
- Chips and crackers
- Baked goods including gluten-free baked goods
Don’t get too discouraged. Dietitians Stone and Laura Dority, M.S., R.D., L.D., with Keto Knowledge LLC, say that no foods are really off-limits on the keto diet. It’s about total carbohydrate intake and how you choose to “spend” your carbs. Generally, you should stay under 20-40 grams of carbohydrates per day. “The exact amount needed to achieve ketosis can vary on the individual, though, with carb prescriptions ranging from 10 to 60 grams per day. This total is for net carbohydrates (total carbs minus fiber),” says Stone.
Dority adds, “Individuals who are really active can eat more carbs (maybe more at the 40-gram level) than someone who is sedentary.”
Other Things People Avoid on the Keto Diet
Sweetened yogurts
Stick to plain yogurt to limit added sugars (aka carbohydrates). Greek yogurt is higher in protein and lower in carbohydrates compared to regular yogurt.
Juices
Fruit juice-natural or not-is high in fast-digesting carbs that spike your blood sugar. Stick to water.
Honey, syrup and sugar in any form
Avoid sugar, honey, maple syrup and other forms of sugar, which are high in carbohydrates and low in nutrients.
Chips and crackers
Avoid chips, crackers and other processed, grain-based snack foods, which are high in carbohydrates and low in fiber.
Gluten-free baked goods
Gluten-free does not equal carb-free. In fact, many gluten-free breads and muffins are as high in carbohydrates as traditional baked goods. They usually lack fiber too.
Plain Greek Yogurt and Cottage Cheese
Yogurt and cottage cheese are high in protein and calcium-rich. Five ounces of plain Greek yogurt provides just 5 g of carbohydrates and 12 grams of protein. The same amount of cottage cheese also has 5 grams of carbohydrates with 18 grams of protein. Studies have shown that both calcium and protein can reduce appetite and promote fullness. Higher-fat yogurts and cottage cheese help keep you full for longer, and full-fat products would be part of the ketogenic diet.
Avocados
Choose heart-healthy fats like avocados, which are high in monounsaturated fat and potassium, a mineral many Americans are lacking. Half of a medium avocado contains 9 grams of total carbohydrates, 7 grams of which are fiber. Swapping animal fats for plant fats like avocados can help improve cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
Meat and Poultry
Meat is a source of lean protein and is considered a staple on the ketogenic diet. Fresh meat and poultry contain no carbohydrates and are rich in B vitamins and several minerals, including potassium, selenium and zinc. While processed meats, like bacon and sausage, are allowed on keto, they aren't the best for your heart and may raise your risk of certain types of cancer if you eat too much. Choose chicken, fish and beef more often and limit processed meats.
Eggs
Eggs are high in protein, B vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Two eggs contain zero carbohydrates and 12 grams of protein. Eggs have been shown to trigger hormones that increase feelings of fullness and keep blood sugar levels stable, and they also contain antioxidants such as lutein and zeaxanthin, which help protect eye health. and antioxidants. Two eggs contain zero carbohydrates and 12 grams of protein. Eggs have been shown to trigger hormones that increase feelings of fullness and keep blood sugar levels stable, and they also contain antioxidants such as lutein and zeaxanthin, which help protect eye health.
Dark Chocolate and Cocoa Powder
Check the label on these, as the amount of carbs depends on the type and how much you consume. Cocoa has been called a "superfruit" because it is rich in antioxidants, and dark chocolate contains flavanols, which may reduce the risk of heart disease by lowering blood pressure and keeping arteries healthy.
High-Carb Foods That Most People Avoid on the Keto Diet
Grains
Cereal, crackers, rice, pasta, bread and beer are high in carbohydrates. Even whole-wheat pasta and the new bean-based pastas are high in carbs. Consider alternatives like spiralized vegetables or shirataki noodles, which are healthier low-carb options. Sugary breakfast cereals and healthy whole-grain cereals are high in carbohydrates too and should be avoided or minimized. “A slice of bread is 11 grams of carbs on average so technically you could have one slice a day maybe but that’s spending all your carbs on pretty poor nutrition so I wouldn’t recommend it when for the same carbs you could have A LOT of veggies,” says Dority.
Beer can be enjoyed in moderation on a low-carb diet. Dry wine and spirits are better options but all alcohol should be very limited.
Starchy vegetables and high-sugar fruits
Starchy vegetables contain more digestible carbohydrates than fiber and should be limited on the ketogenic diet. These include corn, potatoes, sweet potatoes and beets. Limit high-sugar fruits too, which spike your blood sugar more quickly than berries and have more carbohydrates (get a full list of low-carb fruits ranked from lowest to highest).
Carb counts for high-sugar fruits:
- Banana (1 medium): 24 g net carbs (27 g total carbs)
- Raisins (1 oz. / 28 g): 21 g net carbs, 22 g total carbs)
- Dates (2 large): 32 g net carbs (36 g total carbs)
- Mango (1 cup, sliced): 22 g net carbs (25 g total carbs)
- Pear (1 medium): 21 g net carbs (27 g total carbs)
Carb counts for starchy vegetables:
- Corn (1 cup): 32 g net carbs (36 g total carbs)
- Potato (1 medium): 33 g net carbs (37 g total carbs)
- Sweet potato (1 medium): 20 g net carbs (24 g total carbs)
- Beets (1 cup, cooked): 14 g net carbs (17 g total carbs)
Foods and Drinks You Can Sometimes Have on the Keto Diet
You can technically have any food on the keto diet if it falls within
your daily carbohydrate goal, but these foods fall in the middle between
high-carb and low-carb.
your daily carbohydrate goal, but these foods fall in the middle between
high-carb and low-carb.
Milk
Milk is an excellent source of calcium, potassium and several B vitamins. But, 1 cup has 12 grams of sugar (lactose). Choose almond, coconut or another low-carb milk instead.
Beans and Legumes
Beans and legumes are high in fiber and protein and are part of a heart-healthy diet but are also high in carbohydrates. They may be included in small amounts on a ketogenic diet. However, it’s often recommended to avoid them altogether.
Pros of the Ketogenic Diet
“There
is solid evidence to support use of the ketogenic diet in individuals
with epilepsy who have seizures that are drug resistant,” says
Dority. In the short term, people who follow the diet report weight
loss. Dority says, “There is certainly some good recent research showing
promise in disorders such as autism, traumatic brain injury, brain
tumors, migraines and Alzheimer’s (to name a few but the list could go
on), as well as some great research on ketogenic diets and type 2
diabetes reversal including dramatically reducing insulin needs, fasting
blood sugar levels, lowering A1C and obtaining significant weight
loss.”
Cons of the Ketogenic Diet
“Like
most highly restrictive diets, it is difficult to meet nutritional
needs while doing keto,” says Stone. “It often comes with uncomfortable
side effects like constipation and the ‘keto flu.’ Also, the long-term
health consequences are not well understood.” Learn more about the negative side effects of the keto diet.
The Bottom Line
It’s not a one-size-fits-all prescription, and it’s crucial to work with a dietitian to ensure you’re getting essential nutrients while maintaining ketosis. There’s promising research on the benefits of the ketogenic diet for many conditions, but some people can’t keep it up for the long haul, plus the long-term effects are poorly understood. If you decide to go keto, work with a dietitian to help you create a plan.
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Health Benefits of Being Ketosis
Why is everyone talking About keto diet?
All of a sudden it seems like everyone and their grandmother keep hailing the keto diet like it’s the latest fat loss miracle on the planet. Now there are literally hundreds if not thousands of books and websites dedicated to the keto diet or the new keto niche. This diet has skyrocketed in popularity and is seen as one of the fastest and most effective ways to lose weight.
However, besides just accelerating fat loss, there are many other benefits that can be accrued by adopting this fat-based diet. Let’s look at seven of the health benefits of the keto diet or the keto life style.
Health Benefits Of Keto Life Style
Blood
Stabilizes your blood sugar levels
The insulin hormone is the main factor when it comes to weight gain. The keto diet is rich in fat and very low in carbohydrates. So, the diet does not spike your blood sugar levels. This in turn prevents unnecessary weight gain because excess insulin will not be shuttled off into your fat stores.
Type 2 diabetes patients will benefit from the keto diet because it will regulate and improve insulin sensitivity, while keeping their blood glucose levels stable.
inflammation
Reduces inflammation
The keto diet is very low in sugar. Any sugars that you find in your diet will come from fruit (only to be consumed occasionally), which is safe.
Since sugar is the real culprit when it comes to inflammation, you’ll notice that the aches and pains you were experiencing has miraculously disappeared..
cholesterol
Lower cholesterol levels
Once again, this is tied to your sugar consumption. For decades, it was believed that fatty foods raise your cholesterol levels. However, in the latest studies, doctors are discovering that most cholesterol is produced by the body and not a result of dietary choices.
When sugary foods inflame the body, it releases a wax-like substance to cover and protect the cells. This is the body’s way of self-preservation. This waxy substance is known as cholesterol.
The keto diet eliminates excessive sugar consumption by eliminating processed foods, etc. As a result, your inflammation drops along with your bad cholesterol levels.
When combined with the healthy fats consumed in the keto diet, this two-pronged approach proves highly effective for reducing bad cholesterol levels and restoring your health.
Benefits of Ketones
Increased energy
Most people on the keto diet report feeling more energetic once they are in ketosis. Since the body is burning ketones for fuel rather than glucose, it has ample amounts of body fat to tap into.
burn fat
Not only will the body be burning up fat, but ketones are a cleaner fuel source too. Your moods will be better because your body is not subject to ebbs and flows of glucose. On a normal diet, you’ll crave for carbs when your energy levels dip because the body uses glucose as a fuel source. You’ll not have such issues with the keto diet.
Appetite control
When on a keto diet, since your blood sugar levels are stable and your body is fat-adapted, you’ll not be craving food all the time as is commonly seen with other diets. Many people on a keto diet report not feeling hungry throughout the day because the body always has a source of fuel. In fact, drinking a bulletproof coffee in the morning is enough to keep them going until late afternoon. Once the keto diet suppresses ghrelin (your hunger hormone), you’ll be less likely to overeat and your weight will drop easily. These are 5 of the best health benefits that you can derive from the keto diet. Give it a try today and you’ll be amazed at how much your health improves.
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Success Tips for the Keto Diet
Tips for the Keto Diet
Getting started on any new diet can be challenging in the first couple of weeks. While the keto diet isn’t as harsh as other diets, it does have rules that you need to abide by and there will be a short transition period where your body adapts to the diet.
Generally, the first 4 days will be the hardest for most people. For some, it may take about 7 days before they’re truly comfortable with the diet and in ketosis.
In this article, you’ll learn a few success tips that will help you adapt better to the keto diet and give you the edge you need to make keto a part of your lifestyle.
Keto Tips
Understand the diet
Before starting on the diet, you must do your research. You must know the macros, how much fat you’ll eat, what foods you can eat, what recipes you can make and so on.
You may need to invest in keto recipe books to help you whip up tasty meals. It will also be a good idea to scout around your neighborhood or usual eating places to see if they sell keto meals or if the chef is willing to make a dish according to your requirements.
This will make eating out much easier on days when you just don’t wish to cook. Being well-informed will make it much easier to comply with the diet.
Track your carbs
Initially, you may be a little confused and overwhelmed when starting the diet. This is normal. The most important thing you want to focus on will be your carb intake. It should not exceed 50 grams a day. Ideally, you should keep it to 20 grams until you reach ketosis.
Severely limiting your carb intake will help you to reach ketosis faster and break your addiction to carbs. It’ll also make it easier on the body to switch from glucose to ketones as a fuel source.
Reduce all temptations
Clear out your kitchen and refrigerator of all foods that are not in alignment with the keto diet. This will prevent you from giving in to temptations, because there aren’t any around the house.
The first few days of the keto diet will be challenging, and you may feel lethargic. You’ll not have much energy to exercise willpower and be disciplined. So, by not tempting yourself, it will be easier on you mentally and emotionally.
stay on track
Get a food scale
Having a food scale will allow you to weigh and measure your foods. You’ll be more accurate with your macros and portion sizes. A food scale is relatively inexpensive, and you can easily get one from amazon. It will also help you when the recipe books give you specific quantities to use in the cooking. You’ll be able to measure the weight of the food.
Seek motivation
The only way to succeed with the diet is to stick with it till your body adapts and it becomes a habit. To do that, you’ll need to find motivation. The downside of motivation is that it wanes over time. While you may have started out enthusiastic, as time passes, you’ll lose interest when the daily drag of maintaining the diet sets in. Find motivation by watching videos on YouTube of people who have used keto to lose weight and get healthy. Just search for “keto weight loss” and you’ll have all the inspiration and motivation you need.
Facebook groups
You may join Facebook groups dedicated to the keto diet. By speaking with others who are passionate about it, you’ll not only find motivation and maybe an accountability partner… but you’ll be more passionate about it because everyone else in the group is. Follow these tips and you’ll be much more successful with the keto diet. While you won’t see changes overnight, this diet gives you some of the fastest results possible. So, stick with it and in a couple of weeks, you’ll be glad you did.
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Three Fast Techniques to Start Ketosis and Make You Lean and Trim
In this article, we’re going to give you three ways you can employ the ketogenic diet plan to help you lose weight. It’s important to note that most people will find that they’ll have to go through a period where the body tries to adapt to the diet.
Most of us get a major chunk of our calories from carbs and protein. With the keto diet, most of your calories will come from fat. Because of this, you may experience carb withdrawal symptoms such as mood swings, nausea, drowsiness, lethargy, etc.
In industry terms, this is known as the ‘keto flu’ and is par for the course because your body is adapting. Stick with the keto diet and in 2 weeks, you’ll be just fine.
- Fat fast
One of the best techniques to seeing fat loss will be to eat natural high-fat foods for 1 week. No carbs, no sugar. The key is to eat mindfully. You must be attuned to your body. Eat only when you’re hungry and stop when you aren’t.
For this fat fasting protocol to work, you MUST be very strict. The smallest deviation will thwart your attempts to reach ketosis. This is an extreme method that requires total adherence and dedication. Even a small sip of soda can undo the entire process. It’s that sensitive.
The rewards for all this effort are fantastic. You’ll be able to see 8 to 10 pounds of weight loss in a week. While a lot of it will be water weight, you’ll lose fat too. From here on, you can get started on the keto diet, because your body would have adapted. - Normal fasting
Even if you’re not on the ketogenic diet, fasting can still help you reach a state of ketosis. That’s why intermittent fasting is so potent. It gets the body to produce ketones too.
Fasting for 16 hours a day will create a state of ketosis that will help your body to burn fat for fuel instead of carbs. If you can fast for 20 to 24 hours, that will be even better. When you’re first starting off, you may wish to start with a 10 hour fast and slowly work your way up. - 5/6 small meals a day
Another way to reach ketosis will be to consume 5 or 6 small meals spread throughout the day. This is like ‘grazing’… and it’s different from gorging on 3 large meals.
The 5 or 6 small meals you have will contain no more than 200 calories each. Ideally, you should be getting most of your calories from natural fats and a very small amount from protein. It’s best to avoid carbs totally.
The beauty of the ketogenic diet or achieving a state of ketosis is the fact that it focuses on fat loss and not weight loss. Losing weight is not the goal. You can lose weight and still be skinny fat. Always remember that your goal should be to reduce your body-fat percentage and not just the numbers on the scale.
*Other considerations
Do note that if you wish to lose weight, exercise is still important to boost your metabolic rate and burn more calories. You’ll also need to be at a caloric deficit. It’s tricky to be on a ketogenic diet because 1 gram of fat contains 9 calories.
So, it’ll be easy to over consume calories if you’re not careful. Pay close attention to your caloric consumption. You should have a daily deficit of about 500 calories, and most of your calories should come from fat.
If you can balance both these objectives, your body will enter a state of ketosis and the fat will melt off faster than you ever thought possible.
Basic Understanding How the Keto Diet Breaks Down Fat
In the past few years, the ketogenic diet (the process of ketosis) has skyrocketed in popularity. Thousands of people swear by it as one of the best ways of losing weight. In the past, this diet would have been unimaginable. The very theory behind it is contradictory.
To simply things, the keto diet works on a very simple principle – most of the calories you consume will need to come from foods that are high in fat. Your consumption of protein will be moderate, while your carb intake will be very low.
75 to 80 percent of your calories will need to be fat. 20 to 25 percent will need to be protein. Your carb intake should hover between 20 to 50 grams.
The idea of eating fat to lose fat may seem ironic. The common misconception is that one should avoid fatty foods in order to lose weight. Yet, the reason the ketogenic diet works is because when you consume a lot of fat, your body realizes that it always has access to ample fat.
It doesn’t see a need to cling on to the fat stores in your body. You’ll find it much easier to shed the stubborn pounds when you’re on keto diet because the body burns off your fat more easily.
The average person who tries to lose weight does it by restricting his or her calories. While this is one way to do it, the body still uses glycogen and carbs for fuel, instead of fat. The fat burning process is slower.
With the keto diet, since carb intake is low, your glycogen reserves and the insulin in your body will be low too. It’ll be easy to deplete those, and your body will have no choice but to burn the fat for its energy needs.
The body will produce ketones for energy when your carb consumption is low. Your liver uses the fat in your body to produce the ketones. Since you’re consuming lots of fat, the body doesn’t try to cling on to the fat stores. It quickly uses them to create the ketones.
The Atkins diet tries to achieve the same goal by reducing carb intake. However, with the Atkins diet, your body is not primed to burn fat, unlike the keto diet. So, once you come off the Atkins diet, your body goes back to burning carbs for fuel and you slowly gain back the weight you’ve lost.
While the keto diet is highly effective, the core principles of weight loss remain the same. You must be at a caloric deficit to lose weight. Even if most of your diet is comprised of fat, the total calories that you consume for the day should be about 500 calories below maintenance.
You can check your calorie numbers here: https://www.freedieting.com/calorie-calculator
What makes the keto diet so effective as compared to other diets is that it trains your body to use its fat stores. Almost all diets advocate not consuming sugar, refined foods, processed foods, etc. But most of them do not ‘teach’ your body to burn fat directly.
The fat burning is an afterthought. It’s assumed that if you’re eating less calories than you expend you will lose weight… and that is true. But the keto diet aims to get you to lose as much weight as possible by burning fat, instead of burning carbs first and then using fat for the rest of the body’s needs.
If you wish to lose weight fast and you’re willing to change your diet, it would be a great idea to give the keto diet a try. It’s relatively easy to follow once you get the hang of it.