The ketogenic diet, or as commonly said “keto” diet is a low-carbohydrate diet. It is a fat-rich eating plan used since traditional times to treat certain medical conditions. In the initial years, it was used primarily to cure diabetes.
Due to its low carb intake, the Keto diet has been used for weight loss. The quest for a low-carb diet began with the Atkins diet’s popularity in the market. There are other low-carb diets also prevailing in the market, like the Paleo diet, Dukan diet, and South Beach diet.
The strict Ketogenic diet has a high-fat meal, around 70% to 80%, and moderate protein content.
We all know that carbohydrates are the source of glucose and energy for all cells in our body; hence the keto diet works by depriving our body of this source of glucose. Now, an alternative fuel called Ketones gets produced from the fat stored in our body.
Our body requires around 120g of a steady supply of glucose daily. In the case of a keto diet, our body first uses stored glucose due to low carbs. After completely consuming this stored glucose, our body starts consuming the stored fat. This consumption of stored fat may help you lose weight faster. The ketone bodies are produced from the liver and can be used without glucose in our bodies.
The accumulation of ketone bodies in our blood is known as Ketosis. If the Keto diet is followed correctly, then the blood vessels of ketones do not reach the state of Ketoacidosis as the brain uses the ketones for fuel. Ketoacidosis produces toxic acid in your blood due to many ketones.
The ketogenic diet contains carbohydrates between 20 to 50 g a day. It should have a 70-80% high-fat diet, 10-20% protein, and an average of 5-10% carbohydrates. Foods rich in carbohydrates should be reduced, like cereals, pasta, potatoes, cookies, beans, legumes, corn, etc. Eating foods like processed meat, butter, nuts, avocados, fish, etc., is acceptable.
Following a keto diet is not an easy task as, in the beginning, it would cause nausea and fatigue, known as keto sickness. To reduce the impact of a rigorous keto diet on your body and mind, a keto diet pill or keto supplement is available on the market…