What is Ketosis?
Ketosis is a normal metabolic process that happens when the body is not given enough glucose for energy. On an average carbohydrate high diet the body will use glucose as the main source of energy. When glucose in the body is used to produce energy the fats are not needed and are then stored in the body. When the body is deprived of these carbohydrates the body begins to break down the fat storage instead. This results in a build-up of acids called ketones in the body. When the body enters into this state it is referred to as ketosis.
For someone who has diabetes ketosis can be a sign that they are not using enough insulin in their body. For a healthy person ketosis is simply a sign that they are not taking in a high amount of carbohydrates and so the body is burning fat instead of glucose to get its energy. This can also happen after exercising for a long time, or during pregnancy.
What is the Ketogenic Diet?
The ketogenic diet is also referred to as the keto diet, low carb diet or the low carb high fat diet (LCHF). The intent of the ketogenic diet is to force the body into the metabolic state of ketosis. This will cause the body to burn fat as its main energy source, causing you to lose weight while maintaining a healthy level of energy. The keto diet can also be referred to as a high fat diet, since the bulk of your calorie intake is from fats.
On the ketogenic diet you are no longer consuming high amounts of carbohydrates, but rather replacing those carbs with high fat foods. This forces your body to adjust to these new consumption choices, causing you to burn fat. The body is rather resilient and you will find that over time it adjusts rather well to these changes.
Potential Benefits of the Ketogenic Diet
A huge benefit of the ketogenic diet is the way the body now produces your main source of energy. Instead of the body constantly needing to take in sugar to keep you alert, your body now has to be more independent to keep you going. Many people find that this way of producing energy keeps them feeling more alert and focused on an even level. Instead of the high cab diets which often leave you feeling sluggish and in need of more sugar to keep you energized. Many people say that this helps them think clearer and maintain focus throughout the day.
Unlike most diets which leave you hungry and with intense cravings, the keto diet keeps you feeling full. The consumption of fats has been proven to keep people feeling much fuller than simply cutting out calories to diet. This helps people diet efficiently, especially if they have struggled in the past. Studies have shown that the cravings are strongly diminished on the ketogenic diet.
The ketogenic diet can also help to lower blood pressure. For anyone who experiences higher blood pressure the keto diet has been proven to help lower these levels. Of course if you are not medication these changes need to be monitored by a doctor.
The keto diet also causes higher amounts of HDL Cholesterol which can help lower risk of heart disease.
Along with these benefits there are many more potential health benefits to the ketogenic diet. Of course the efficiency in losing weight is excellent for keeping the body healthy, especially in people who are overweight.
How Do I Start?
The best way to begin the ketogenic diet is my figuring out a smart meal plan and also remembering that it takes time to adjust. Your body needs a few weeks to full adjust to the changes it is undergoing, which means results may not happen overnight. Make sure you are prepared to go through some adjusting while both you and your body figure out how to navigate these changes.
It is very important to plan ahead since many things in our average diet include high amounts of carbs. Once you figure out what you can and cannot eat, you may even find yourself excited about your new meal plan. There are many ways to incorporate higher fats into your diet while cutting out the carbs, it just takes a little research and learning. Just because you are used to a high carb diet, doesn’t mean you will truly be missing out on anything. You will find yourself fuller and energized as time goes on, and those cravings will begin to melt away. Luckily the internet is full of recipes and information of which foods contain high or low amount of carbs. The great thing is that there are so many creative keto recipes out there that just about anyone can enjoy. The reason it is important to plan ahead, is so that you can prevent yourself from making any last minutes snacking mistakes. Maintaining a strictly low level of carbs and a higher level of fats will help you see exciting results. It may take a little time to adjust but it will certainly be worth it.