WHAT IS THE KETO DIET?
The Keto or ketogenic diet is a low carb, moderate protein, high Fat, no sugar diet.
It is when you eat certain foods in certain combinations that cause the body to run on ketones.
Your body runs better with this fuel source because your body has a lot more stored Fat then stored sugar.
When you are on Keto, your body is burning Fat for fuel (energy), and ketones produce. You have ketones when you become fat-adapted, and the way to become fat-adapted is to eat a lot of high-quality Fat with low carbs.to get into the state of ketosis.
On a regular or carb-based diet, people are running on Glucose. As most of us know, Glucose is what spikes insulin. We often feel sluggish after eating a meal high in carbohydrates from sugar climbing than descending. Once this happens, it is usually that crash feeling, or you become hungry again because your brain is signaling to your body that you need more insulin.
A significant advantage to the Keto diet is that you stay full (satisfied) longer, and your cravings for sugar go away. Staying satisfied makes it much easier to stick with a Ketogenic diet. You have a lot bigger of a fuel reserve while doing Keto compared to running on a limited amount of Glucose for energy with a high carbohydrate diet.
Low Fat or low-calorie diets are high carbohydrate diets, and these carbohydrates are what prevent fat burning. If someone does a low fat or low-calorie diet, they may lose some water weight, but they are going to need to do more exercise, and they are still hungry. Foods of this type are usually not sustainable, and the person often gives up.
When you are in ketosis you are burning fat, lowering your carbohydrates is what gets you into ketosis. You need to have your carbohydrates between 20-50 g, The lower you get your carbohydrates, the faster you are going to get into ketosis. As long as you keep your carbs low, there is no danger in eating high Fat. You are shifting from a sugar burner to a fat burner, and this can happen in 3 days if you keep your carbohydrates low enough. At first, you should keep your carbs closer to 20g of carbohydrates. Some people can get away with eating more carbs after they have been on Keto for an extended amount of time.
Initially, on Keto, you are going to drop a lot of water weight in the first few weeks. If you plateau after that you haven’t gotten into the fat burning. Exercise is crucial to being healthy, but it will only contribute to 15% of your results. If you think you are going to exercise this weight off it is going to be minimal compared to using the right diet. It’s going to be hard to stick to other foods because you are going to be craving and hungry all the time, making it impossible to stay with it for an extended time. Speaking from experience, once you are fat-adapted on (Keto), this diet is easy to maintain.
Ketogenic diets are known to help you lose weight and improve your health. They may even help fight diabetes, cancer, epilepsy, and Alzheimer’s disease. It may also help fight heart disease by lowering your triglycerides and increasing your HDL (Good Cholesterol). Hormone disorders like PCOS and Acne can also be improved.
Things to avoid on a Keto diet are sugar, grains, beans, legumes. Cold cut deli meats, cured meats (prosciutto, salami, pepperoni), potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn: beets, and fruits other than berries (strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries).
You can have foods high in Fat like Avocado’s, Coconut oil, Avocado Oil, Macadamia nuts, Walnuts, eggs, olives, bone broth, Organic beef, pork, liver, Wild-caught Salmon, Sardines, Shrimp, full-fat sour cream, full-fat cream cheese, full-fat cheese, full-fat butter, leafy greens (romaine, collard greens, swiss chard, spinach, kale, arugula, mustard greens) broccoli, Cauliflower, Brussels Sprouts, Onions, Jicama, Bell Peppers.
A ketogenic diet has been called another fad or yo-yo diet by many, that it can be hard to sustain for an extended period, and that we don’t know much about its long-term effects on our health. Although Keto is not new, it is new to many, and more Dr’s are starting to prescribe Keto to their patients to improve their health. We definitely see an increase in companies selling Keto products too.
My husband and I have been on Keto for three years, and it has not been hard for us. Keto has been the most natural diet or as we like to say Lifestyle change. We have seen improvements in our overall health and well-being. We will never go back to running on Glucose because running on Fat makes us look and feel so much better. Keto may not be right for everyone, but we feel like it is right for us.
Remember to always consult a physician before starting any new diet or exercise program, especially if you have existing conditions. Not all foods are right for everyone. Type 1 diabetics may have a harder time due to taking insulin.
