If you have a desire to shed some extra weight, you might have come across the ketogenic diet, better known as the keto diet. It is a popular weight loss plan that promises significant weight loss in a short amount of time.
But far from what most people believe it to be, diet is not a magical tool for weight loss. Like any other diet, it takes time, requires a lot of adjustment and tracking to see results.
What is keto diet?
The purpose of the keto diet is to put your body into ketosis. This diet plan is generally low-carb with a high intake of healthy fats, vegetables, and adequate protein. The diet also emphasizes avoiding highly processed foods and sugar.
There are several types of keto diets: standard ketogenic, cyclical, targeted, and high-protein diets. The difference in these depends on the carb intake. The standard ketogenic diet low carb, high fat and adequate protein is most recommended.
Is the Keto Diet Safe?
Most critics of the keto diet say that it is not safe because of its emphasis on high fat intake. It is guided by the misconception that fat is bad for you. In contrast, healthy fats are actually very good for you.
This diet gives you plenty of fat from healthy sources like avocados, nuts, fish, butter, eggs, coconut oil, palm oil, seeds like chia and red meat.
How does keto diet help in weight loss?
So how exactly does the keto diet work and how does it help your body lose extra pounds? When on a high-carb diet, your body uses glucose from carbohydrates and sugars to fuel body functions. When on a ketogenic diet, you supply the body with minimal amounts of carbs and sugars.
With the supply of less sugar and carbs, the glucose levels in the body drop, causing the body to seek alternative energy sources. Hence the body turns to stored fat for energy which is why the keto diet leads to weight loss.
This condition where your body burns fat for energy other than carbs is called ketosis. When your body goes into ketosis, it produces ketones instead of relying on glucose as a fuel source. Ketones and glucose are just two of the power sources that fuel the brain.
Benefits of Ketosis and the Keto Diet
In addition to helping with weight loss, putting the body into ketosis provides other health benefits. Here are some of them:
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increased mental clarity
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better physical energy
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Stable blood sugar level which makes it a good remedy for epilepsy and diabetes
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Improved and enhanced skin tone
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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 that you can follow for weight loss and boosting your overall health. The diet can also be used for overweight children. There are many studies that support the diet showing significant results, especially when combined with XE.
