The keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat eating plan that offers many health benefits. It’s often used to help shed excess weight and improve one’s health. This article will break down what a keto diet is and who should take it, the pros and cons of it, as well as how you can get started on this new lifestyle!
What exactly does “ketogenic” mean?
A ketogenic (or “keto”) refers to when your body produces small fuel molecules called “ketones”. A state in which your body begins breaking down fat instead of glucose for energy. Essentially changing from running off carbohydrates or sugars to running off fats with an in blood levels of ketones.
What is a Keto Diet?
A ketogenic eating plan that offers many health benefits. It’s often used to help shed excess weight and improve one’s health. This article will break down what a keto diet is and who should take it, the pros and cons of it, as well as how you can get started on this new lifestyle!
Who should take the Keto Diet? Are there any side effects to be aware of?
Anyone with an interest in the science behind nutrition is sure to be fascinated by its principles! That said, there are serious risks involved which you will want to discuss with your doctor before starting any sort of low carbohydrate or high fat/protein intake regimen. If uncontrolled or left untreated, a ketogenic diet can result in seizures, dehydration, and malnutrition due to the lack of carbohydrates. This may not sound very healthy but it is important to note that these risks are usually only associated with children or patients who have been on the low carbohydrate lifestyle for an extended period of time!
Are there any other advantages to a Keto Diet?
For most people looking to lose weight, there is no better option available than a properly administered keto diet plan. In fact, many studies show this type of eating pattern as being superior when compared to other diets such as Atkins or South Beach because you do not need to count calories which makes sticking with your daily calorie allowance easier. Plus if you’re going out to eat at restaurants while you’re on a keto diet, you can enjoy any type of food your heart desires.
Consuming foods rich in healthy fats and low in carbohydrates also has another advantage: satiety!
With the large amounts of fat content paired with extremely low carbohydrate levels, it’s no wonder people feel full when they go on this eating plan. This is why the ketogenic diet works so well as an appetite suppressant; those who are overweight or obese report feeling fuller faster and longer than ever before which helps them eat less all day long naturally. It goes without saying that weight loss programs like these lower blood pressure, reduce cholesterol (LDL), and even lead to improvements for those suffering from diabetes since insulin sensitivity improves drastically while following such a diet plan.
Are there are variations to the Keto Diet?
The dirty keto diet is a variation of this popular eating plan, and it is very similar to the ketogenic diet as well. The dirty keto diet is a more liberal approach than its predecessor because those following such an eating pattern won’t be held back from indulging in different types of food; essentially anything goes under these guidelines – which can make for quite a departure from traditional diets that require extreme restrictions and limitations.
The difference between clean and dirty Keto:
When you look at clean or pure forms of both variations of the keto diet, what separates them all boils down to “clean” versus “dirty.” People who follow standard carb-restricted versions of either version will not eat any processed foods (sugar, preservatives), but there really isn’t much of a limit when it comes to what fill-ins they can use.
People choosing the dirty variation, on the other hand, will keep their carb count low but are free to have processed foods as desired – including diet sodas and snacks that would otherwise be off-limits if following clean keto variations.
The difference between standard Keto vs Cyclical Keto:
Another major distinction you’ll see with those, not on pure forms of either version is how often they cycle in and out of “loads.” Standard ketogenic diets always maintain enough carbs (generally 30g) for an easy transition back into using glucose as fuel; after all, there’s no reason why we need to give our muscles and brains such low amounts daily when we can easily access and store more than enough carbs in our body fat.
Cyclical keto diets, on the other hand, will try to shift this balance by spiking their carb intake up several times a week; for example: if they were previously following standard Keto at 25g net carbs daily, then perhaps they’d switch it around with two or three high-carb days of 50 or 60 g followed by four lower ones again. This allows them to get all the benefits of both worlds from each approach without having to constantly maintain such low levels throughout their eating plan.
They also have another advantage over people who don’t cycle through loads: since your muscles are already adapted to using glucose as fuel during certain periods of time, they actually do better when you take your foot off the gas for a few days, so to speak.
The consequences of this are that most people who attempt Keto end up doing it totally wrong and then wonder why diets like this don’t work well in the long term. If you’re going to try out one of these plans, be sure not only to start with low carbs but also cycle back through them every once in a while if possible. Otherwise, there’s really no reason at all these methods should help you lose weight faster than any other dieting method available today!
And remember: even though switching from standard keto over to carb cycling is pretty tough on the body initially – especially depending upon how strict your approach is during the first few weeks – the long-term effects are completely worth it.