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The Keto Diet: A Beginner's Guide To The Ketogenic Diet.

Beginner's Essentials

By Anushka RanePublished 2 years ago 3 min read
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The Keto Diet: A Beginner's Guide To The Ketogenic Diet.
Photo by Travis Yewell on Unsplash

If you're looking for a diet that will help you lose weight, improve brain function, and decrease your risk of serious diseases, then the keto diet may be for you. Ketosis is a natural metabolic state that can be achieved by eating a very low carbohydrate, moderate protein, and high fat diet. Many people believe that consuming a ketogenic diet can lead to better mental clarity and physical performance. In this article, we’ll cover what it means to be in ketosis and how the keto diet works. We'll also show you some benefits and drawbacks of the keto diet and offer some tips on what to eat on the keto diet. If you’re ready to learn more about this trendy new way of living in the digital age, continue reading!

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What Is Ketosis?

Ketosis is a state of the body that occurs when an individual's diet is very low in carbohydrates. In this state, the liver starts to break down fatty acids into ketones.

A person can be in a state of ketosis without following a ketogenic diet – but it's likely that they have eaten a low-carbohydrate diet. This can happen as a result of an intermittent fasting program, for example.

The Ketogenic Diet

The ketogenic diet is a low carbohydrate, high fat, moderate protein diet that mimics the metabolic state of ketosis. Ketosis is a natural metabolic state that can be achieved by consuming just enough carbohydrates for your body to function, but not so much that you enter into glycolysis (the conversion of glucose into cellular energy). The keto diet typically consists of less than 30 grams of carbs per day (though it can vary depending on the person).

Why would someone want to follow the ketogenic diet? It's believed that this type of diet has various benefits including improved cognitive function, improved physical performance, improved weight loss, improved blood sugar regulation and decreased risk of chronic disease.

Some proponents also believe that following the ketogenic diet could help combat cancer cells due to its effects on metabolism. Although this is still an area under research, there are studies that suggest an association between following a ketogenic diet and decreased cancer growth.

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What To Eat On The Keto Diet

When starting the keto diet, you will need to eliminate all sugars and carbs from your diet. This includes:

- Sugar - Breads - Pasta - Rice - Potatoes

Luckily, there are plenty of substitutions for each of these foods on the keto diet.

If you replace bread with lettuce wraps or eggs, pasta with shirataki noodles, rice with cauliflower rice, potatoes with cauliflower, and sugar with honey or maple syrup, you'll be able to survive on a ketogenic diet.

Get My Keto Diet CookBook Full of Essential Recipes for FREE.....

Benefits and Drawbacks of the Ketogenic Diet

The ketogenic diet has many benefits including clearer thinking, increased energy, and fat loss. However, there are also some drawbacks to the keto diet.

#1: Keto is Hard to Stick To

A major drawback of the keto diet is that it’s hard to stick to. One of the main reasons for this is that it’s difficult to eat out on a keto diet and most restaurants don't offer any options for low-carb or high-fat food. You may find yourself eating more carbs than you want when you need to eat out with friends or family. This can make following the keto diet more challenging.

#2: The Ketogenic Diet Can Be Costly

There are many affordable foods you can buy on a keto diet, but some items like beef and bacon tend to be more expensive than other types of meat and in some cases they can cost more than $9 per pound! Additionally, if you're not careful about what you're ordering at restaurants, then your bill could quickly add up. For example, one restaurant meal could cost you over $30 if you order something like steak and lobster tails. And even if you cook your own meals

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By Victoria Shes on Unsplash

Conclusion

The ketogenic diet is a high fat, low carb and low-protein diet that makes your body switch to ketosis, a metabolic state where you use fat as the main energy source and make ketones, an energy source that we can use for energy.

The ketogenic diet has many benefits and drawbacks, and there is no one-size-fits-all solution to this diet. What works for one person may not work for another.

I hope this article has helped you better understand what the ketogenic diet is and how it can help you reach your health and fitness goals.

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