What is Keto Diet
The keto diet is a very low-carb, high-fat diet. It involves drastically reducing carbohydrate intake and replacing it with fat. There are several types of keto diets, including the Standard ketogenic diet and the cyclical ketogenic diet. This reduction in carbs puts your body into a metabolic state called ketosis. It’s referred to by many different names – ketogenic diet, low-carb, low-carb high fat (LCHF). It is important to note that the ketogenic diet is a short-term diet that’s focused on weight loss rather than the pursuit of health benefits.
When we eat high carbs food, our body produces glucose and insulin. Our body chooses glucose over any other molecule that provides protein because it is the easiest molecule for our body to convert into energy. Insulin is produced to process the glucose in your bloodstream by taking it around the body.
Since glucose is being used as the primary source of energy, your fats are not needed and are therefore stored. Typically on a normal, high-carbohydrate diet, the body will use glucose as the main form of energy. By lowering the intake of carbs, the body is induced into a state known as ketosis.
Keto Diet Benefits :
A ketogenic diet helps with weight loss in several ways, and it boosts our metabolism and reduces appetite. Ketogenic diets consist of foods that fill a person up and may reduce hunger-stimulating hormones. For these reasons, following a keto diet may reduce appetite and promote weight loss. The goal is to use maximum calories from fat, not from carbs.
Why is the Keto Diet Good for You?
- Support weight loss.
- Improves acne.
- Reduces the risk of certain cancers.
- May improve heart health.
- May improve brain function.
- Potentially reduces seizures
- Improves PCOS symptoms.
Risks and Complications
- Protection against type 2 diabetes
- Anxiety and depression diminish
- The liver gets healthier
- Inflammation markers fall.
- Sleeps sounder.
- Cravings diminish.
Keto-Friendly Foods:
- Eggs: pastured, organic whole eggs make the best choice.
- Poultry: chicken and turkey.
- Fish: Wild-caught salmon, mackerel, and herring
- Meat: Grass-fed beef, venison, pork, organ meats, and bison.
- Full fat – dairy products: butter, yogurt, and cream.
- Full-fat- cheese: Cheddar, Mozarella, brie, goat cheese, and cream cheese.
- Nuts and seeds: Macadamia nuts,
- Nut butter: Natural peanut, almonds, and cashew butter.
- Healthy fats: Coconut oil, olive oil, avocado oil, coconut butter, sesame oil.
- Avocados: Avocados can be added to our daily meals.
- Nonstarchy vegetables: Broccoli, tomatoes, mushrooms, and peppers can also be consumed.
Foods to Avoid:
Avoid foods rich in carbs while following a keto diet. The following food should be restricted.
- Bread and baked foods. White bread, whole wheat bread, crackers, cookies, doughnuts, and rolls.
- Sweets and sugary foods: Sugars, ice cream, candy, maple syrup, agave syrup, and coconut sugar.
- Sweetened beverages: soda, juice, sweetened teas, sports drinks.
- Pasta: spaghetti and noodles.
- Grains and grain products: wheat, rice, oats, breakfast cereals, and tortillas.
- Starchy vegetables. Potatoes, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, corn, peas, and pumpkin.
- Beans and legumes: Black beans, chickpeas, lentils, and kidney beans.
- Fruit: citrus, grapes, bananas, and pineapple.
- High-carb sauces: barbecue sauce, sugary salad dressings, and dipping sauces.
- Certain alcoholic beverages: Beer and sugary mixed drinks.
Though carbs should be restricted, low-glycemic fruits such as berries can be enjoyed in limited amounts as long as you are maintaining a keto-friendly macronutrient range.
Make sure to choose healthy food sources, and stay away from processed foods and unhealthy fats,
The Following Items should be Avoided
- Unhealthy fats: Margarine shortening and vegetable oils such as canola and corn oil.
- Processed foods: Fast foods, Packaged foods, and processed meats such as hot dogs and lunch meats.
- Diet foods: Foods that contain artificial colors, preservatives, and sweeteners such as sugar alcohol, and aspartame.
Keto-Friendly Beverages:
Sugar can be found in many forms of drinks including juice soda, iced tea, and coffee. While on a ketogenic diet, high-carb drinks must be avoided just like carb foods. It’s no small matter that sugary beverages have also been linked to various health issues from obesity to increase risk of diabetes.
Keto-Friendly Beverages choices Include:
- Water: Water is the best way to get hydrated and we should consume it throughout the day.
- Sparkling water: Sparkling water can make an excellent soda replacement.
- Unsweetened coffee: Try heavy cream to add flavor to your cup of joe.
- Unsweetened green tea: Green tea is delicious and provides many health benefits.
Adjust your Diet as needed and Test your Ketone Level:
Like many things in nutrition, achieving and maintaining a state of ketosis is highly individualized. Therefore it can be helpful to test your ketone levels to ensure you are achieving your goals,
Three types of ketones – acetone, beta-hydroxybutyrate, and acetoacetate – can be measured in your breath, blood, and urine.
The Ketonix meter measures acetone in breath. After breathing into a meter, the color flashes to indicate whether you are in ketosis and how high your levels are.
Ketones can be measured with a blood ketone meter. Similar to the way a glucose meter works, a small drop of blood is placed in a strip that has been inserted into the meter.
It measures the beta-hydroxybutyrate in your blood and it has been found to be a valid indicator of ketosis levels. A recent study found that urinary ketones tend to be highest in the early mornings and after dinner on a ketogenic diet. Using one or more of the methods to test ketones can help you determine whether you need to make any adjustments to get into ketosis.
Most people have a similar question “What is the keto diet” From this post maybe I have cleared all of your doubts.
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