I’ll bet you already know what the keto diet is, right? If so, skip to the next paragraph! But if not, I want you to take a minute and think about it.
What is the keto diet?
It’s a high-fat, moderate protein, and very low-carb diet that forces your body into a metabolic state called ketosis.
(The Keto diet is a high-fat, adequate-protein, low-carbohydrate diet. It has a lot of health benefits and it helps in weight loss and also mitigates risk factors of heart disease and diabetes.)
This is the place where you burn fat instead of sugar for fuel. In order to get your body into this fat-burning state, you have to eat very few carbs and disrupt carbohydrate metabolism so there is no readily available energy source in the form of glucose. Your body has to use fat and its byproducts in order to survive. Ketosis is a natural response of your body to food deprivation, but when it is done artificially, the name changes from starvation ketosis to ketogenic diet or keto diet. You can also achieve this metabolic state by fasting or consuming even fewer carbs than on a typical keto diet.
Most people, will not experience ketosis by eating fewer carbs than the typical American consumes in a day (about 300 grams). But with this diet, You’ll keep your blood sugar low and insulin levels stable so that you can get into this metabolic state of ketosis within one to two days.
The goal of the ketogenic diet is to get your body into a state of ketosis. Keto is short for ketosis. The other way that you can spell it is ketoacidosis, but don’t worry about this one because it isn’t used when describing what happens during a ketogenic diet.
You want to achieve ketosis, but also make sure that you do this safely. Your body has adapted to run off of glucose as its primary energy source and it is not prepared for the amount of fat that your diet now includes.’isn’t
Take a minute and think about what that would mean: eating very few carbs like 20 grams, which is the equivalent of a small banana, and about 70 grams of protein. Your daily intake would be less than 600 calories to get into ketosis.
With that said, you want to make sure that you give your body everything it needs while you are transitioning into this metabolic state. If not, then your weight loss will come to a complete halt, or even worse, You’ll gain weight. That said, here are some of the things that your body needs to make ketosis happen:
You may have guessed by now that this diet requires extreme dedication if you want to get into ketosis and see results. Let’s talk about what foods are included and excluded from the ketogenic diet. What can you eat on a keto diet?
What foods are included in a typical keto meal plan?
Your focus will be on lean meats and seafood, lots of green veggies, eggs, and cheese. You may also see your intake limited to certain types of oils.
The foods that you will want to avoid are things like sugar, grains, and anything with a high-carb count.
To sum it up, here’s a table of what you can eat:
Food Eat as much as you like
Meats Beef Chicken
Pork, ham, and bacon (turkey if limited)
Fish and seafood
Vegetables are unlimited so have as many of these as you can! The more you eat, the more weight you will lose.
Leafy Greens (spinach, kale)
Cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage)
Asparagus
Cucumbers
Mushrooms
Zucchini
Onions
Garlic
Celery
Okra
Artichokes Artichoke hearts are on the not allowed list because they’re high in carbs. Limit to one serving a day if you need. Note: Dark leafy greens and cruciferous veggies tend to be the lowest in carbs.
Herbs and Spices: Basil, oregano, cilantro, thyme, parsley, sage, rosemary
Other allowed foods:
Coconut oil
Grass-fed butter or ghee clarified butter
1 tablespoon of mayonnaise a day is okay
Small amounts of tomato sauce are okay
Coconut milk is okay but doesn’t go crazy with it
Who should avoid Keto Diet?
People with kidney problems, metabolic conditions, gall bladder, and digestive problems should not eat a Keto diet.
People who take blood-thinning medications or insulin for diabetes should talk to their doctor before trying the keto diet.
Ketogenic diets have also been linked to heart attacks or cardiac arrest in some cases. People with existing conditions are at higher risk of cardiovascular diseases due to heart attacks. So, if you have a family history of heart disease in your family it is better to avoid the keto diet.
A Keto diet may also not be suitable for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding because the changes in hormones during these stages can affect body weight and insulin resistance.
It is important to talk to your doctor before making any changes in your diet and exercise routine.
So, for all the above reasons it is better to talk to your doctor and get a detailed checkup in order to know whether you can take up Keto or not.
What foods are not included in a typical keto meal plan?
All fruits, even if they’re lower-sugar, like avocado and raspberries. All beans and legumes. Granola bars. These things just add too many carbs. Also, avoid processed meats–they’re full of sodium and preservatives that you won’t want to consume in large quantities.
In addition to the foods that are not allowed or limited when on a keto diet, there are also some other guidelines to follow:
You are going to feel like You are missing out on a lot of things. One of the hardest parts about being on a ketogenic diet is that you have to say goodbye to simple carbs and sugars. You’ll also have to steer clear of starchy veggies or fruit, which limits the number of carbs that you can intake. However, the more disciplined you are with it, the more benefits You’ll see.
You will also want to reduce your caffeine intake and drink lots of water. This will help get rid of your headache and any cramping that may come along with transitioning into ketosis.
Your body can burn either fat or carbs. When You are on a ketogenic diet, your body will burn fat instead of carbs for energy. This change in metabolic state is the goal that most people are looking for when they go on this diet. Anyone who has ever struggled with their weight can tell you how frustrating it can be to try to lose those last five pounds. The ketogenic diet seeks to break this cycle by allowing your body to enter into a new fat-burning state called ketosis. By putting your body in ketosis, it can burn the excess weight that’s been hanging on for dear life!
Fatty acids are made when our bodies burn carbohydrate stores (glucose) for energy. When glucose levels are low, fatty acids are used as a source of fuel instead. The fat we eat can be stored as body fat and re-used later when we’re hungry (this is how the ketogenic diet works).
Your glycogen stores (how many carbohydrates you have stored in your muscles and liver) will be depleted by the time you enter ketosis. Glycogen is a form of glucose that can be used as an energy source for your muscles, so It’s important to eat carbs before exercise or you risk fatiguing those glycogen stores faster. Once those stores are gone, though, the body starts to use fat as its primary source of energy. With no glucose stores to use, the body will then break down fat and protein into amino acids instead. This is called gluconeogenesis and fuels your brain cell’s activities while you remain in ketosis.
Cool! What about exercise?
Running and sprinting on the treadmill for an hour won’t do you any favors when on this diet, but it doesn’t mean weightlifting and other forms of strength training aren’t possible. Talk to your doctor before starting any new workout routine if You are unsure whether or not it will be safe for you.
The best time to work out on this diet is after your body goes into ketosis (meaning you’ve been fasting and maintaining a keto diet for about three days). This is the point when fat becomes your primary source of energy. It’s also important to note that while You are in ketosis, It’s not a good time to increase caloric intake after exercise. If you are planning on exercising while on this diet, eat 1-2 hours before and until you ingest some carbs after.
What is your daily carbohydrate intake?
When You are on the keto diet, your body will be using fat as its primary source of energy instead of carbohydrates. To accomplish this, you need to reduce your total carbohydrate intake to 20-25g per day, which is the equivalent of 1/2 cup of brown rice or 2 slices of bread. However, You’ll need to eat much more fat in order to reach your daily caloric intake.
Best App For 7-day keto diet plan
For those of you who need a quick and simple way to plan your keto dieting, the 7-day ketogenic diet meal planner app is for you.
I’ve tried dozens of apps and I find this one to be my favorite. The features include:
-Prebuilt meal plans with hundreds of per meal macros (at launch)
-Customize your own meal plans with ease
-Add ingredients to a shopping list for any meal plan
-Food database filled with thousands of keto-friendly foods
-Ability to save custom food items that you see in the database, but don’t eat regularly. So next time you search for that item it’ll be on your list.
-Built-in recipes that show you how to make simple but delicious low-carb meals.
-You can swap out ingredients for items you already have on hand, such as if it calls for cream and you only have heavy whipping cream, just click the button and it will change the item to what you actually have so there’s no need to go out and buy some.
The app is free, with no ads. I hope you enjoy using it as much as I enjoyed creating Hit!
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