Thu Oct 07, 2021 By Mediifast
The keto diet or the ketogenic diet is a high-fat consumption and low carbohydrate intake diet that is known to offer a number of health benefits. This diet is beneficial in losing weight and improving the quality of life. According to a number of studies, a keto diet may also help against cancer, epilepsy, Alzheimer's, and diabetes.
This is essentially a low carb diet where the intake of fat and protein is increased. The focus is to attain energy from fats and proteins rather than from carbohydrates. This diet is similar to a normal low carb diet and Atkins diet.
The aim is to attain a metabolic state known as ketosis. This can be attained by drastically reducing the intake of carbohydrates and replacing it with fats and protein. When we reach this stage, the body becomes extremely efficient in burning fats and using them for energy. Energy is supplied to the brain as the fats turn to ketones in the liver. This is turn helps to lose weight more efficiently. Numerous benefits can be achieved by following this diet and can cause huge reductions in insulin and blood sugar levels. The body's metabolism is shifted away from carbs and towards ketones and fat. Usually a Ketogenic contains low- carb vegetables, cheese, eggs, butter, fish, avocados, nuts, heavy cream, etc. At the same time essentially all sources of carb are eliminated which would include high carb vegetables, milk, potatoes, rice, grains, beans, sweets, cereals, etc.
This diet is one of the most efficient ways that can help you to lose weight naturally. As you attain a healthy weight there is a lower risk of other diseases. The recommended low-fat diet is nothing compared to the ketogenic diet. This diet is far superior and filling at the same time. Unnecessary time is not wasted on keeping a track of the calorie count. Research shows that in comparison to a normal low-fat diet, people on a ketogenic diet are prone to lose more weight, approximately 2-2.5 times more. HDL cholesterol, as well as triglyceride levels, can also be improved. Another research shows that in UK itself people following a ketogenic diet lost 3 times more weight than the people following recommended diet plans. The weight loss is so efficient is because when you consume less than the required amount of carbohydrates the body tends to run out of fuel and then the body starts to breakdown proteins and fat for energy. This process which is known as Ketosis helps you to lose weight efficiently. In this process, the fats are turned into ketones that are essentially molecules that helps to supply energy to the brain. The insulin, as well as the blood sugar levels, are also reduced. Apart from helping the body to lose weight this diet can offer a number of health benefits as well.
Following a ketogenic may help eliminate or prevent my metabolic diseases. There are essentially five common risk factors that can lead to diabetes(type-2), obesity and heart diseases. The risk factors include abdominal obesity, high levels of bad cholesterol, low levels of good cholesterol, high blood sugar levels and high blood pressure. A ketogenic diet is beneficial for such cases in one way or the other. It helps to lower the insulin levels and this helps people who are diagnosed with diabetes(type2).
There is no one single diet plan that is suitable for everyone. This is quite obvious considering the fact that everybody's anatomy is different, even the anatomy of identical twins is different. However, a ketogenic diet can be especially beneficial for people facing the problem of obesity and are at risk of metabolic syndrome. If you dislike having fatty food and love to eat carbs then this might not be the diet for you. But even then, if you want to try out a low carb diet then you can try out the normal low carb diets like carb cycling, etc. This diet requires a significant amount of self-control and discipline. You might even fall sick if you don't follow this diet properly. This may not be the best option for athletes or bodybuilders. Vegetarians and vegans may also find this diet quite challenging because of the important role played by the consumption of meat, fish, eggs and dairy products.
In addition, there may also be negative symptoms which are often referred to as keto flu. This mostly happens during the transition period from a regular diet to a ketogenic diet. During this flu phase, you may experience the following symptoms- loss of energy, poor mental functioning, sleeping problems, fatigue, nausea, digestive problems, increased hunger, and poor physical performance. Although this is a rare phenomenon, it might affect the morale and people might quite even before they've tried it properly. The first week will prove to be the hardest but it certainly gets easier after that. The Ketogenic diet might not be suitable for everybody just like other diets but if you stick to it, you'll reap amazing results.
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