Keto, yes it sounds like a super hero sidekick name but it is an intriguing diet plan and way of eating that can change your life!
With the summer approaching, you may want to get into shape and look your best. So, consider switching to a keto diet?. Maybe this change is for you? Well here is some basic information you need to know about the diet and how it can help you “wow” people this summer.
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Today, low carb diets such as the keto diet are a popular way to lose weight and maintain stay in shape, in fact a dime a dozon.
However, there was a time, not too long ago, when questions were raised about low-carbs diets and whether they were healthy at all. What were the questions raised? Were they answered? If so, what was the outcome?
Here at HealthFaire we will go over this for you. We will also reveal what Keto dieting means, where the idea came from, the advantages of thise diet and some simple k- diet tips you can try at home.
What is the Keto Diet?
These are groups of eating plans such as “moderate fat, high protein” or “moderate protein, high fat”, Ketogenic or the keto diet includess extremely low carb seating patterns. Simply put, the term Ketogenic refers to an increase in the production of Ketone bodies caused by the increase in fat break down (lipolysis).
Acidic by-products, Ketones are produced during the breakdown of fat into fatty acids in the liver. An alternative fuel for the body, Ketones are fuel when there is a short supply of blood sugar or glucose in your system. When you eat low carb diets, Ketones, along with moderate amounts of protein, are produced in your body
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As mentioned above, Ketones are produced from the breakdown of fat in the liver. Ketones serve as fuel for the entire body including the brain. A hungry organ, the brain consumes a considerable amount of energy each day. You may or may not know this but your brain cannot run simply on fat as energy. Instead, it needs glucose or Ketones to run efficiently.
The keto diet turns fat into ketones in the liver, this supplies the needed energy to the brain. Apart from the brain a Ketogenic diet causes your body to run almost entirely on fat. This results in extremely low insulin levels and a dramatic increase in the fat burning process.
Ultimately, this helps in weight loss and you getting to your target weight.
Where Did the Keto Diet Come From?
The Keto diet was developed in the 1920s to treat Epilepsy. For centuries, physicians tried various dietary remedies to treat epilepsy, with fasting being one of them. Fasting was somewhat successful in treating epilepsy and this prompted one doctor to suggest that the effects of fasting could be captured in a diet. What was the diet suggested? It was the keto diet.
Although it became popular as a treatment for epilepsy in the 1920s and 1930s, the Keto diet was eventually abandoned due to the introduction of medications that controlled epilepsy. While these medications controlled the disease in most of the epileptic population, around 20 to 30% of those diagnosed with epilepsy saw no improvement. And, these were the people that continued to use the keto diet for their condition.
In the 1960s, further research was done into the keto diet. The results showed that medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) produce more ketones per unit of energy because they are transported quickly to the liver via the hepatic portal vein, as opposed to the lymphatic system.
To allow more protein and carbs to be included than the original keto diet, Peter Huttenlocher developed a keto diet where 60% of the calories came from MCT oil. This ensured more enjoyable meals for people with epilepsy. Many hospitals adopted this diet and this served the basis of the modern ‘keto diet’ that we eat today.
Advantages of the Keto Diet
AS ALWAYS PLEASE CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR BEFORE TRYING ANY DIET PLAN
A high fat, low carb diet, keto diet can help you lose weight and improve your overall health. How does the keto diet do this? It does this by reducing of intake of carbs and replacing it with fats. By reducing your carb intake, the keto diet puts your body in a state of ketosis, which makes your body incredibly efficient at burning fat for energy. Additionally, it turns fat into ketones in the liver, which supplies energy to the brain.
People who eat a keto diet enjoy ‘weight loss’ benefits, and experience better brain function, a decrease in inflammation, an increase in energy, improved body composition and many other health advantages. Following are some of the benefits a keto diet can help you achieve.
Weight Loss
Want to look your best this summer? Switching to a keto diet can help you achieve that. So, how does the keto diet aid weight loss?
After you consume them, Keto diets force your body to exhaust its glucose supply. This causes a shortage of blood sugar or glucose in your body. When your body has a short supply of blood sugar or glucose, it’s forced to get energy by burning its fat deposits. This aids the fat burning process and ultimately weight loss.
Ketogenic diets offer only the basic number of calories required by the body. In addition to reducing the production of insulin, this forces the body to burn its fat deposits to get energy. Ultimately, this aids the burning of fat and rapid weight loss.
Controlled Appetite
When you eat a diet that isn’t heavy on carb, an amazing thing happens. You’re not as hungry as you often are and you have no random cravings for ‘junk’ food.
Many people on a keto diet practice intermittent fasting where they eat only during a specific time of the day. This is possible because their stomach is not rumbling to tell them that they need to eat a donut or other ‘mid-day- or ‘mid-night’ snack. This ensures a controlled appetite, which helps in weight loss and maintaining shape.
Reduce Acne
There are many causes of acne and one of them is related to diet and blood sugar. By altering gut bacteria, a diet high in processed and refined carbs can cause dramatic blood sugar fluctuations, which can a negative impact on skin health. So, by eating a diet low of carbs such as a keto diet, you can reduce the occurrence of acne in you.
Improved Mental Focus
Carbs can cause your blood sugar levels to rise and fall. Since the energy isn’t consistent, it can be harder for your brain to stay focused for long periods of time. When you’re in ketosis, you have a consistent fuel source, which allows you to focus for longer periods of time. Moreover, your mind is not clouded with thoughts. This ensures improved mental focus and function.
Increased Energy
In ketosis, your body has an energy source that will never run out. This means that you will filled with more energy throughout the day.
Lower Blood Pressure and Increased Levels of HDL Cholesterol
The good cholesterol, HDL carries cholesterol away from your body and to the liver where it can be reused or expelled. When you eat a keto diet, the level of triglycerides in your body decreases, while the HDL levels increase. Additionally, a keto diet helps to lower blood pressure. Since a high blood pressure and increased levels of HDL indicate future heart problems, keto diet decreases your risk of heart disease by dong the above.
Controlling Type II Diabetes
An increased production of insulin is seen in people who are suffering from type-2 diabetes. By removing sugars from the diet, the keto diet helps to lower the HbA1c count, which in turn can help reverse type-2 diabetes. Studies show that eating a keto diet can reduce key markers related to the disease.
In addition to above, there are some other benefits of eating a keto diet including potentially reducing seizures and the risk of cancer.
The “Keto Diet” Vs Other Main Diets or Dieting Trends?
As seen above, the keto diet offers many health benefits including:
- Reduction in appetite
- Significant weight loss
- Reduction in the harmful abdominal fat
- Dramatic reduction in blood triglycerides
- Increased HDL (good cholesterol) levels
- Reduction in insulin and blood sugar levels
- Reduction in hypertension
- Dramatic improvement in the symptoms of metabolic syndrome
- Improvement in the pattern of LDL cholesterol
- Healing of several brain disorders
A low carb diet that aids weight loss better than any other diet, the Keto diet, or Keto turns your body into a fat burning machine. But, the keto diet wasn’t always thought of so highly as it is today.
When the idea of low carb diets such as keto diet was first floated, the media and fat-phobic health professionals were quick to demonize it. They saw these diets with a lot of skepticism: they believed that these diets would cause an increase in cholesterol levels which in turn will increase the risk for heart disease. Fortunately, things have changed since then. Over twenty studies have been conducted on low-carb diets since 2002.
In almost all of the studies conducted on low-carb diets which includes the keto diet, the low carb diets have outshone the diets they’ve been compared to. In addition to aiding weight loss, low carb diets lower the risks for diseases by improving/controlling the factors causing them. So, what are the keto diet ideas that you can try at home? let’s find out.
Some Simple Eating Ideas for the “Keto Diet”
Here are some simple eating ideas for the keto diet.
The Keto Breakfast
When it comes to eating healthy, there is nothing better than a low carb diet such as a Keto breakfast. A healthy breakfast does do two things: stabilize the blood sugars for the day and provide plenty of good nutrients. These are two things that Ketogenic breakfast recipes can ensure.
According to nutritionists, you should eat breakfast within two hours of waking. Moreover, they recommend that your breakfast should contain no more than 25-30% of your daily calorie requirement. A keto breakfast based on the above will ensure the following benefits:
- A lower risk of heart disease, diabetes, and obesity
- Lower levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol
- Better memory and concentration
Some examples of keto breakfast are bulletproof coffee, no-bread breakfast sandwich, dairy-free latte, and tuna salad with capers.
The Keto Lunch
Why is eating lunch important? An important meal for everyone, lunch provides the nutrients and energy required by the body and brain to work efficiently during the afternoon. Moreover, a packed lunch prepared at home is a healthy way to satisfy the workday hunger.
According to dieticians, a keto lunch prepared at home is a good way to increase your consumption of dietary fiber, vegetables, and fruits while decreasing your intake of saturated sugar, salt and carbs during your time at the workplace. Moreover, this can help you to save money.Examples of keto lunch are green bean fries, coleslaw-stuffed wraps, and Prawns and Avocado Salad with Toasted Bread.
The Keto Dinner
According to a 2009 study by the Leuven Food Sciences and Nutrition Research Centre, almost 30% of the adults in the United States regularly skipped dinner to lose weight. This is a dangerous practice because skipping meals can deprive a person of essential nutrients.
Apart from helping us to maintain our hormone and glucagon levels, a healthy and well-balanced dinner provides vital amino acids to our body. The amino acids provided by a healthy and well-balanced dinner are the building blocks of various proteins.Eating a keto dinner is a good way to stay healthy and get the essential nutrients required by the body. Examples of keto dinner are Poached Eggs Over Avocado and Smoked Salmon, Low Carb Chipotle Fish Tacos and broiled asparagus.
The “Keto Diet” Is Claimed to Work Very Well, Does It?
While it is true that the keto diet aids weight loss and improves overall health, you should consider it for yourself only after you’ve educated yourself on the diet and have weighed all the arguments. Generally, people have had positive experiences with Ketogenic or low carb diets. However, for one reason or another, some people have reported problems with the diets.
The point we at HealthFaire are trying to make is that there is no such thing as a miracle diet. So, don’t expect any ‘guaranteed’ results after switching to the keto diet.
It took a long time to add the extra weight on your body, to stay healthy it should also take a long time to lose it. Slow weight loss is the healthiest weight loss.
Having said that, all Ketogenic diets work based on a principle which has proven to aid weight loss and improve overall health in individuals. So, the keto diet may help you lose weight faster than conventional dieting, just use this diet with common sense and care.