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The ketogenic diet has grown to become extremely popular over the last few years. It’s ideal for those of you that are looking to lose a considerable amount of weight and evidence is mounting on it helping with other health conditions such as cancer, diabetes, Alzheimers and other neurological conditions. This diet is essentially a very low carb, high fat diet that has been used, in various forms for over 70 years. While it has many similarities to the Atkins diet when on the keto diet, your body mostly gets its calories from fat, not from carbohydrates. The video below will give you an idea of what you can expect when moving to a lifestyle where you are in ketosis most or all of the time.
What makes this diet so special is that it changes how your body feels and most importantly how your body uses energy, placing you into a state known as ketosis. This is actually where all the magic begins to happen; in this state your body starts to utilize substances known as ketone bodies which are produced by the breakdown of your body fats. Your body loves glucose and if it has that on hand it’s going to use that first for energy. On the keto diet, the amount of carbohydrates and sugars decreases drastically, which in turn will lead to less production of glucose. High levels of glucose production will cause insulin spikes and this is generally what makes you store fat; without it, the body will begin to start breaking down your body fat and this is when you start to get leaner.
One of the ways that being on the keto diet helps you lose weight is by keeping insulin levels low. Insulin is a fat storage hormone that is released to help shuttle energy from the food you eat into your cells. This diet is known to be one of the best ways, besides fasting of course, to reduce your insulin levels.
This diet plan causes ketosis, a state in which the body is fueled by ketones instead of glucose. By following a menu of recommended food items, a well crafted ketogenic diet reduces food cravings and enables you to feel sufficiently full with lower amounts of food.
Studies for treating health complications with a ketogenic diet are still limited, but are showing promising results. These studies suggest the keto diet is helpful for those who suffer from diabetes, epilepsy, autism, migraines, some cancers and even more.
In spite of the increasing scientific evidence and real-life testimonials, there is a great deal of misinformation about the keto diet plan. This information is coming from folks who are not well informed about the current science behind it. If performed correctly, the ketogenic diet may be the only way for some people to experience considerable, life-changing weight reduction.
By now you know that the keto diet is high in fat, very low in carbohydrates, and moderate in protein. But how much of each do you need to get into ketosis and stay there? Here's a general guideline of your macronutrients (macros for short): 75% of your calories should come from fat, 20% from protein, and 5% from carbohydrates.
We highly recommend eating whole foods and staying away from processed foods. You can find healthy sources of fat such as such avocados, coconut oil, whole eggs, nuts and fats found in unprocessed meats such as beef, salmon, chicken thighs, ground pork or turkey.
This is where a blood ketone and glucose meter comes in handy. Testing your ketone and glucose levels is the only way to know if you are actually in a state of ketosis and burning fat for fuel. And the most accurate way to test for ketones and glucose is to use a blood ketone and glucose meter. We encourage you test regularly when you are first starting so you learn how your body reacts to different foods.
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