Everyone desires to enjoy life in good health. But, this goal is often not realized as life hit us with several struggles only to end up battling with a chronic illness and dying a solitary death. It’s possible to live life without having to deal with health issues and one of the ways to go about this by being conscious of what goes into the mouth – our diet, our nutrition.
Keto diet is one of many potent nutritious diets that can help eliminate the risk of disease so that one can be healthy enough to live a good life. Here’s all you need to know about the ketogenic diet.
What’s the ketogenic diet?
Keto diet as it is fondly called is a kind of diet that combines low carbs and high fat and it’s highly beneficial to the body as it improves health. One of the fundamental benefits of this diet is that it helps to bulk down on weight. A ketogenic diet is a deliberate kind of diet that reduces the intake of carbohydrates to the barest minimum while increasing the intake of fat at the same time. The metabolic state in which the body stays after carbs might have been reduced is what is called ketosis. Instead of burning carbs, the body begins to use up the fat as it breaks it into ketones which is a potent source of energy for the brain.
There are four types of the ketogenic diet and they include; standard ketogenic diet (SKD) which contains high fat, moderate protein, and low carbs; targeted ketogenic diet (TKD) which contains eating just carbs during workout sessions; cyclical ketogenic diet (CKD) which involves having higher carb refeed after strict ketogenic days; and lastly high protein ketogenic diet which is similar to the standard ketogenic diet. The only difference is that the diet adds more protein. It can be properly appreciated in the ratio of 5% carbs, 35% protein, and 60% carbs.
Having explained what the ketogenic diet entails, here are some of the things you need to know before you begin your ketogenic diet.
Your body enters the metabolic state known as ketosis
You should be prepared for this change in metabolism as your body switches from burning carbs as energy to producing kerotenes from fats. Once your body feels the significant decline in the supply of carbohydrates, your body slips into ketosis which is the metabolic state in which only fat will be used up for energy production. It is important to point out that by going low on carbs, the production of glucose is reduced to the minimum in the body. As such, the body is protected from excess sugar which is responsible for several ailments such as diabetes and other cardiovascular diseases.
Proteins if consumed in excess might hinder ketosis
As you cut down on carbs, so also, you should be prepared to cut down proteins. If more than normal is consumed into the body, it can slow down the body’s transition into ketosis. This is possible because protein can also be converted into glucose. Eliminating glucose is the goal of a ketogenic diet, whereas the consumption of a high amount of protein can keep aiding the production of glucose.
By modifying diet, you can attain ketosis faster
To expedite the metabolism process, you can practice intermittent fasting where you delay feeding for over 8 hours only to feed on the standard keto diet at the time of eating. This helps you to slip into ketosis faster.
The number of ketones in your body can be measured
There are blood and urine test which can help you to know if you have attained ketosis. You would know after the total number of ketones in your body is calculated by any of these test procedures. Apart from these tests, you can know if you have attained ketosis when you begin to see certain symptoms such as decreased appetite, frequent urination, dry mouth, and increased thirst for water.
Keto diet is effective for weight loss
Apart from the fact that a ketogenic diet lowers your risk of contracting a chronic illness, it is also effective for weight loss. It can help you bulk down totally even more than those who take a low-fat diet.
Keto diet is also good for treating diabetes
High blood sugar and damaged insulin are responsible for diabetes. Keto on the other hand reduces blood sugar while also improving insulin sensitivity. Hence, it’s effective for managing diabetes.
