A ketogenic diet or a keto is a low-carb diet. Keto turns our body into a fat-burning machine. It has a number of health benefits and it is highly effective for losing weight. Keto puts our body in the state of ketosis in which it starts burning fat as a fuel.
Ketosis
Ketosis is a metabolic state during which our body burns fat as the primary source of energy instead of glucose from carbohydrates.
When you supply your body with low amounts of carbohydrates or sugar, it starts depleting the amounts of glycogen or stored glucose in our body. With a limited supply of glucose, your body starts looking for an alternative source of energy. It starts burning fat as fuel and that's why it is considered an effective means to lose weight.
In order to burn fat as fuel, it starts producing ketones. A ketogenic diet's main purpose is to promote the ketone production in our body.
How To Get Into Ketosis?
Putting your body in the state of ketosis is not as complicated as it appears. You can follow the methods listed below to achieve ketosis.
Fasting
Fasting is one of the most effective ways to get into ketosis. As you stop supplying your body with glucose, the levels of glucose start falling down. Though it can take you up to three days to achieve full ketosis even after one day fast, you will start enjoying the benefits of ketosis.
If you workout during fasting, you can achieve the ketosis a bit faster as you will quickly deplete the glucose supply in your body.
OMAD(One Meal A Day)
If you eat just one meal a day, you are basically fasting for the rest of the day. The levels of glucose get significantly depleted during the long gap of 24 hours. Moreover, if you eat just one meal a day for an extended period of time, such as a week or a month, it has a cumulative effect.
By eating just one meal every day, your body will never regain the high glucose levels and you will be in the state of ketosis for most of the day.
Stop Snacking
Snacking spike up the glucose and insulin levels of your body and constantly keep you away from ketosis.
Stop Worrying About Fat
When you want to use fat as a primary source of energy, you should not worry about fats. You just need to make sure that you are consuming healthy fats and not overeating.
Limit The Supply Of Carbohydrates
Restrict the carbohydrate intake severely and eat foods that have high amounts of fats.
Symptoms Of Ketosis
Dry Mouth
Make sure that you consume plenty of water.
Frequent Urination
Keto also works as a diuretic, so expect to visit bathrooms more frequently. Frequent urination will also help you in the detoxification of your body.
Increased Energy Levels
In the beginning, you might have to deal with the cravings for eating frequent snacks. Once you get past that stage, you will no longer feel hungry all the time and have higher energy levels.
Mental Clarity
Our brain uses only ketones or glucose for its energy needs. During ketosis, there are no irregular spikes in sugar levels and that's why we are able to have a good mental focus during ketosis.
What Is A Keto Diet And How Does It Work?
A keto diet puts and keeps your body in the metabolic state of ketosis. It is a low-carb, high-fat diet and drastically limits the supply of carbohydrates to the body and replaces it with fats. When you are on a ketogenic diet, your body becomes very efficient in burning fat as fuel.
It starts converting fats into ketones in the liver and supplying energy to the brain. It causes a massive reduction in the glucose and insulin levels in the body while increasing ketones for energy.
Macros And A Keto Diet
Carbohydrates, Fats, and Proteins are referred as the macros or macronutrients. You should aim to keep the calorie supply from carbohydrates to less than 5% of the total intake every day. Make sure that you don't consume too much protein during a keto diet as it can diminish the ketone supply in the body.
Insulin Resistance And A Keto Diet
A constant supply of high levels of glucose in the body can cause insulin resistance. In this condition, a large number of cells become resistant to the action of insulin. It leads to higher levels of glucose in the body and it can cause diabetes.
A keto diet significantly helps in managing the glucose levels and prevent the insulin resistance from occurring.
Benefits Of A Ketogenic Diet
Weight Loss
When you are on keto, the insulin levels drop greatly in your body and you make your body burn more fat for energy. Over a period of time, you can lose weight easily if you are overweight.
Mental Focus
A number of people rely on a ketogenic diet to improve their mental focus. An increased intake of fatty acids can allow the brain to function better.
Control Sugar Levels
A ketogenic diet naturally brings down the blood sugar levels under control. As you are not supplying the body with too many carbohydrates, the blood sugar levels are bound to come down.
Cholesterol Levels
A low-carb high-fat diet that contains healthy fats can significantly control the cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the blood capillaries.
Acne
You can see improvements in your skin health after shifting to a ketogenic diet. Foods containing high levels of sugars often increase the inflammation levels in the body. Reduced inflammation can help you in getting rid of acne.
What To Eat On A Keto?
- Fatty Fish
- Natural Butter
- Unprocessed Cheese
- Healthy Oils such as Coconut Oil, Avocado Oil, etc.
- Nuts like Almonds, Walnuts, etc.
- Low-carb Veggies such as tomato, onion, falafel, etc.
What To Avoid On A Keto?
- Sugary drinks such as soda, fruit juice, smoothies, etc.
- Grains like Wheat, Rice, etc.
- Root vegetables like potatoes, sweet potatoes, etc.
- Unhealthy fats like hydrogenated oil
- Alcohol
- Fruits
Keto Recipe Examples
A Keto Smoothie(Keto Peanut Butter Smoothie)
Ingredients:
- 400gms of high-fat yogurt.
- 100gms of peanut butter.
- A teaspoon of cocoa powder.
- Some stevia for sweetening.
Method:
Put all the ingredients into a blender and add water according to the consistency you desire. You can also add some ice instead of water if you want the smoothie to be cold. Your keto smoothie is ready.
A Keto Meal(Keto Mushroom Omelette)
Ingredients:
- 3 Eggs
- 1 Oz. Butter
- 3 Mushrooms
- 1/4 onion
- 1 Oz. Shredded cheese
- Salt
- Pepper
Method:
Take a mixing bowl and crack the eggs into it. Add salt and pepper to them. Take a frying pan, melt butter in it and add the egg mixture. After cooking for a while, add rest of the ingredients. Cook until it becomes golden-brown from both the sides. Your keto mushroom omelet is ready.
Keto Snacks
- Hard Boiled Eggs
- Dark Chocolate
- Almond milk with peanut butter
- Nuts & Seeds
Caution:
Before you shift to a keto, it is critical to consult your physician. Your physician understands the condition of your body well and you don't want to deal with any health conditions due to keto.
To Sum Up
A keto or a ketogenic diet is a low-carb diet with an aim to put your body in the metabolic state of ketosis. During ketosis, the body starts converting fat into energy. That's why it is considered as an effective measure to lose weight.
Besides weight loss, there are a number of health benefits associated with a keto including controlled sugar levels, triglyceride levels, mental clarity and improvement in the skin health.
Make sure that you consult your physician before starting a keto.