The Ketogenic Diet Explained

Many years ago, decades in fact, a diet which called for the restriction of carbohydrates in order to lose weight, emerged on the scene and found itself to be very popular. That diet was the Atkins diet, and it has absolutely nothing to do with what we’re talking about today. Okay, maybe a little bit. The diet we’re talking about today is often confused with Atkins, despite the fact that the two are very different. The only similarity they share is that they both require you to restrict your carbohydrate intakes in order for you to enter a state of ketosis in order to lose weight. The diet in question is the ketogenic diet, and below, we’ll do our best to explain it. Group Fitness Classes Canberra

What is the ketogenic diet?

The ketogenic diet is a low carb, moderate protein, high fat diet which is designed to promote increases in energy, improved cognitive health and performance, and weight loss. Unlike Atkins, which is a low carb, moderate fat, high protein diet, keto is a diet which emphasizes the consumption of fats. The idea is that you restrict your carbohydrate intakes in order to force your body into a state of ketosis, whereby it essentially fuels itself with fat. This fat comes from your own body fat reserves, and from dietary sources. Many athletes and bodybuilders are avid followers of keto, and have enjoyed fantastic results because of it.

What is ketosis and why is it important for weight loss?

As you might know, the human body’s primary and preferred source of energy is carbohydrates. It prefers carbs because it is lazy and it finds them the easiest to convert into energy. Once consumed, carbs are converted into glucose sugars which we use to fuel ourselves. With the ketogenic diet, you restrict your carbs to around 25 – 40g max per day. When you do this, your body panics as it thinks it is starving because now it doesn’t have it’s usual source of energy. As the days go by, and glycogen reserves are used up, your liver jumps to the rescue and begins synthesizing enzymes called ketones. Ketones are then secreted by the liver and are used by the brain and body for fuel, instead of glucose. Here’s the best part of ketosis, though. In order for the body to produce ketones, you must first metabolize fat. In order to produce these ketones, your body is burning body fat so you are basically fuelling your body with your own stored body fat.

 

What sort of foods can you eat?

People looking to promote keto, will often emphasize the fact that the diet allows you to consume foods like eggs, bacon, cheese, and steak every day and lose weight. You can indeed eat these foods, but you must ensure that the vast majority of your caloric intakes from fat, come from healthy sources. Typical foods encouraged on keto include:

  • Grass-fed butter
  • Grass-fed red meat
  • Avocados
  • Nuts
  • Natural nut butters
  • Seeds
  • Coconut oil
  • Olive oil
  • Meat
  • Fish
  • Cheese
  • Cream
  • Oily fish
  • Green leafy vegetables
  • Non-starchy vegetables
  • Water
  • Black coffee
  • Green tea

How long does it take to enter ketosis?

Entering ketosis is not a quick process. You can’t just stop eating carbs for a day and wake up the next day in ketosis. Getting into ketosis takes around 3 days on average. During this time, you’ll feel tired, you’ll feel sick, you’ll have a headache, and you’ll experience flu-like symptoms. People call this ‘keto flu’. Once in ketosis, though, you feel absolutely fantastic. You’ll be full of energy, you’ll be able to think straight, you’ll be motivated, and you’ll feel great. Personal Trainer Canberra