If you’ve had a desire to shed a few extra pounds, you might have stumbled upon the ketogenic diet, popularly known as the keto diet. It is a popular weight loss plan that promises significant weight loss in a short period of time.
But far from what most people believe, dieting is not a magical weight loss tool. Just like any other diet, it takes time, requires a lot of adjustment and follow-up to see results.
What is the keto diet?
The keto diet aims to put your body in ketosis. This eating plan is typically low in carbohydrates with high intakes of healthy fats, vegetables, and adequate protein. This diet also emphasizes avoiding highly processed foods and sugar.
There are different types of keto diets: standard ketogenic, cycling, targeted, and high-protein diets. The difference in them depends on the carbohydrate intake. The standard ketogenic diet is low-carb, high-fat, and adequate protein is the most recommended.
Is the Keto Diet Safe?
Most critics of the keto diet say it’s not safe because of the emphasis on eating high fat. This is guided by the misconception that fats are bad for you. On the contrary, healthy fats are actually very good for you.
With this diet, you’ll get plenty of fats from healthy sources like avocado, nuts, fish, butter, eggs, coconut oil, palm oil, seeds like chia, and red meat.
How Does the Keto Diet Help You Lose Weight?
How Does the Keto Diet Really Work and Help Your Body Shed Excess Pounds? On a high-carbohydrate diet, your body uses glucose from carbohydrates and sugar to fuel bodily activities. With a ketogenic diet, you provide the body with minimal amounts of carbohydrates and sugar.
With reduced intake of sugar and carbohydrates, the level of glucose in the body decreases, which causes the body to look for alternative sources of energy. The body therefore uses stored fats for energy, which is why the keto diet leads to weight loss.
This state, where your body burns fats other than carbohydrates for energy, is called ketosis. When your body goes into ketosis, it produces ketones for fuel instead of depending on glucose. Ketones and glucose are the only two energy sources that power the brain.
Benefits of Ketosis and the Keto Diet
Aside from just helping you lose weight, putting your body in ketosis has other health benefits as well. Here are some of them:
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Improved mental clarity
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Improved physical energy
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Stable blood sugar levels, which makes it a good remedy for epilepsy and diabetes
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Improved and improved skin tones
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Lower cholesterol levels
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Hormone regulation especially in women
The ketogenic diet is one of the best diets you can follow to lose weight and improve your overall health. The diet can also be used in overweight children. There are numerous studies supporting the diet and showing significant results, especially when coupled with Exe
Thanks to Mathenge Kabui