What is the Ketogenic Diet?
A Ketogenic diet was developed in the early 20th century, and it was an effective solution for epileptics at the time (and is still today). In the early days, bodybuilders used to do a “fish and water” diet without knowing the mechanisms behind it. It is also the diet that humans historically followed before processed sugars became so readily available.
To date, the Ketogenic Diet has maintained its status of effectiveness and of course gaining wider attention among people looking to lose weight faster. The Ketogenic diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet that causes weight loss and provides health benefits. It involves significantly reducing carbohydrate intake while increasing protein to the levels necessary to maintain muscle mass with the calorie ratios approximating 70 percent fat, 25 percent protein, and 5 low-glycemic carbohydrates.
The average American diet includes at least 50% carbohydrates, which the body converts to glucose. The glucose in your body is used by your cells as fuel. Having switched to a low-carb, high-fat diet, your body shifts away from glucose and instead uses fatty acids and ketone bodies for energy. This process is known as ketosis — hence the name of the diet.
It is essential to eat the right foods in the right proportions when following the keto diet. It will cause your body to begin burning stored fat if you do it correctly.
What Makes It Work?
The process of getting into ketosis is relatively straightforward, but there is a lot of information out there that can make it seem difficult and confusing. Dietary guidelines for the Ketogenic Diet generally include avoiding high carbohydrate foods like pasta, bread, rice, potatoes, and honey, as well as all simple carbohydrates like fruit juice and sugar.
Every meal includes protein as it helps to maintain lean muscle mass, reduce appetite and regulate blood sugar levels. Meat, fish, chicken, turkey, eggs, and cheese are examples of foods that contain protein. Protein drinks such as whey protein isolate can be used.
Getting an adequate amount of fat into the body is essential, as it increases fat burning in the body while also reducing fatty acid synthesis in the body, factors both of which aid in fat loss. The best sources of fats are fatty meats, fish, avocados, olive oil, nuts, and seeds.
Being on a Ketogenic Diet has numerous benefits: from weight loss and increased energy levels to therapeutic medical applications. Low-carb, high-fat diets are safe for most people.
Food You Should Eat While On A Keto Diet
- Vegetables (excluding starchy vegetables)
- Leafy Greens
- Meat (Beef, Lamb, Poultry, Eggs, and Fish)
- High Fat Dairy (Hard Cheeses, High Fat Cream, Butter, etc)
- Nuts & Seeds (Macadamias, Walnuts, Sunflower seeds, etc)
- Oil & Fats (Coconut Oil, Olive Oil, Avocado Oil, Bacon Fat)
- Sweeteners (Stevia, Erythritol, Monk fruit, etc)
Food To Avoid While On A Keto Diet
- Grains (Wheat, Corn, Rice, Cereal, etc)
- Fruits
- Starchy Vegetables (Sweet Potatoes and Squashes)
- Sugars (Honey, Agave, Maple Syrup, etc)
