Keto Diet: What You Need To Know To Get Started

The ketogenic diet has surged in popularity over the past few years, and for good reason. It offers a powerful solution to the question of how to lose weight. Even though it’s a fairly restrictive diet that’s limited in its availability, the benefits of ketosis are so tremendous that it’s worth investigating further. Once you learn about this high-fat, low-carb eating plan, you’ll understand why so many people swear by it. In fact, The New York Times has even published an article on how people who follow the keto diet consistently lose weight without even meeting another person or recording their macros—which is pretty remarkable. What is the Ketogenic Diet? The ketogenic diet is a very strict high-fat, low-carbohydrate eating plan. In simple terms: proteins, fats and sugars are restricted and replaced with medium chain triglycerides (MCTs), fatty acids and dairy products; fruits and vegetables are also restricted but offer abundant amounts of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and phytochemical that aid health.

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Benefits of the Ketogenic Diet

There are so many benefits to the ketogenic diet, it’s hard to know where to start. They include: - Fights Aging: The ketogenic diet accelerates the “ketosis state” in the body by reducing levels of insulin and glucose, which reduces aging at the cellular level. This is due to the increased rate of protein synthesis the body undergoes when in ketosis. - Boosts Metabolism: The key to helping your body burn more calories even while you’re sleeping. The ketogenic diet helps you efficiently burn fat by increasing the amount of calories your body burns while you’re sleeping. This process is known as “ketosis.” - Reduces Insulin Resistance: The high fat content in the ketogenic diet causes your body to break down insulin receptors, which allows insulin to enter the cells more easily. This leads to lower levels of insulin in the blood and less resistance to insulin in the body, which may improve conditions like type 2 diabetes. - Improves Brain Health: A ketogenic diet high in healthy fats like avocados, nuts and seeds is linked to improved cognition and reduced risk of degenerative diseases like dementia and Alzheimer’s. Studies show that the ketogenic diet also reduces the risk of seizures in people with epilepsy. - Aids in Weight Loss: A diet high in healthy fats and low in carbohydrates can assist with weight loss by reducing hunger and increasing satiety, the body’s natural biological signals of fullness. - Improves Athletic Performance: Ketogenic diets may improve athletic performance by building ketones’ energy for intense exercise.

What Does the Keto Diet Look Like?

The ketogenic diet is a very high-fat, very low-carb diet. Many low-carb diets are not ketogenic because they include protein and/or carbohydrate sources. The ketogenic diet is different because it’s very high in fat and very low in protein with an emphasis on high-quality fats. This can include: -nuts and seeds-macadamia nuts, almonds, cashews, walnuts, pecans and hemp seeds - avocados-have more potassium than a banana and have four times the amount of monounsaturated fatty acids found in olive oil - eggs-eggs are a complete protein and high in choline, a nutrient that’s been linked to brain health in adults and children - cheese-goat, feta and shredded mozzarella are some of the highest-quality cheeses, along with blue and cheddar - buttermilk-buttermilk has the highest amount of calcium and the lowest amount of sugar among dairy products - grass-fed beef-red meat is carnivorous and has high levels of blood-clogging cholesterol; grass-fed beef has a much lower ratio of saturated fat, making it a more healthful choice - heavy cream-fats are essential to optimal health; there’s a strong link between high saturated fat intake and an increased risk of heart disease, including stroke - olive oil-olive oil contains more than twice the amount of oleic acid found in olive fruit, which has anti-inflammatory properties - avocado-avocados are a rich source of vitamins, minerals and fiber, and they have no saturated fat, making them a healthful substitute for fatty meats

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How to Start a Ketogenic Diet Plan

The ketogenic diet is a very restrictive and high-fat way of eating, so starting a keto diet plan can be overwhelming. Most people find it best to start with a very low-carb and high-fat keto diet for a few days to get the feel for it, then switch to a moderate diet for maintenance. It’s best to start by following the keto meal plan below and building from there. Once you get the hang of things, you can transition to a more complex plan, such as the one below. The main idea of the keto diet is to get into ketosis as quickly as possible, which causes the body to release ketones that burn stored fat. This sounds great, but how do you know if you’re in ketosis? The answer is, you’re not. But if you follow a keto diet for a few weeks, you should experience deep ketosis, even if you don’t feel like you’re in it.

Safety Notes for the Ketogenic Diet

Like any diet, the ketogenic diet carries some health risks. Follow the guidelines below to stay safe. - Don’t starve yourself: Failing to consume enough calories while restricting carbs, even in the short-term, may cause the body to break down muscle tissue, leaving you with the dreaded “metabolic deprivation” that manifests as muscle loss, fatigue, brain fog and decreased exercise performance. - Don’t use supplements: While high-quality fats and proteins are crucial, they should come from natural, whole foods. - Don’t drink sugar-free soda: There isn't evidence that drinking soda is bad for you. It might, however, affect your ketosis by disrupting your gut flora. - Don’t drink alcohol: Alcohol is a toxin and disrupts your metabolic process. - Don’t overtrain: Excessive exercise could throw off your metabolism and slow down ketosis. - Don’t forget to breathe: It’s easy to hold your breath while restricting carbs, but it’s important to breathe throughout the day.

Summary

The ketogenic diet has been used for thousands of years as a tool for weight loss, but it is only recently gained traction among dieters. The diet involves consuming high amounts of fat, moderate amounts of protein, and low amounts of carbs. Most people start following a very low-carb ketogenic diet, followed by a transition to a moderate keto diet after they become accustomed to the fat intake. You can lose weight while eating delicious foods, such as bacon and avocado. The diet requires you to get into ketosis as quickly as possible, but you can do this by following the keto diet meal plan below and understanding what to eat.

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