Have you ever wondered if going keto is right for you? Going on a ketogenic diet is a popular way to lose pounds fast. Basically, this specialized diet involves eating mostly fats and proteins and minimizing carbohydrates. By limiting carbs (sugars), your body is forced to turn to fats for energy. Fats are broken down to form ketones. They are the source of energy that replaces sugars. The metabolic state where the body turns to ketones for energy is called ketosis.
The benefits of this diet are fast weight loss with less hunger without counting calories. It takes more calories to burn fats than it does to burn carbohydrates. Eating more fats can satisfy hunger better and decrease calorie intake. While in ketosis, blood sugar levels and insulin are kept lower which has been shown to be helpful in treating type II diabetes, heart disease, some types of cancer, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, epilepsy, and acne.
Like any diet, it is always best to consider your own health history and talk to a doctor or a dietician to make sure it is a safe weight loss option for you. People with diabetes of all types should take special care in monitoring blood sugar and may need to adjust insulin doses. Some side effects that you may experience are referred to as “keto flu” and may occur for several days. With the flu, you can experience some or all of the following: bad breath, fatigue, headache, nausea, constipation, diarrhea, skin rashes, and irritability.
Switching to a this diet is most difficult for the first three to four days. A good place to start is to keep carbs below 50 grams. There are different degrees of keto diets that limit carbs even more, but 50 grams of carbs or under is a moderate place to start.
What foods should you eat? Meat, chicken, fish, eggs, cheese, butter, avocados, and low-carb vegetables (leafy greens, broccoli, peppers, onions) should be the base of a keto diet and will provide the right nutrients for your body. You can utilize air fryers, dehydrators, and steamers to add varieties to food. You can find the top quality appliances here. Some foods to avoid are sodas, sweets, bread, most fruits, beans, pasta and rice. Drinking a lot of water will speed weight loss and minimize side effects.
Depending on your individual weight loss and health goals, there are the variables of time and carb amounts that you can adjust to personalize to your situation. If you only want to drop a few pounds, one or two weeks at 50 grams of carbs should work to achieve this goal. If you are diabetic and want to regulate and decrease blood sugar levels, a longer time frame may be right for you. The keto diet has the factor of flexibility which makes it a beneficial diet for a wide range of weight loss and health goals.
