The Ketogenic Diet: A Primer

11 Apr The Ketogenic Diet: A Primer

The ketogenic diet also known as the keto diet, has become a current trend among many individuals ever since it was first recommended. The keto diet is high fat, low carb diet that is medically recommended for people with certain conditions such as epilepsy and diabetes. The keto diet follows a strict diet whereby an individual eats 80 percent fat, 20 percent proteins, and carbohydrates of up to five percent. In some keto diets, the individual eats zero carbohydrates, but many scientists do not recommend this. The main aim of the keto diet is to trick the body to begin burning fats instead of burning glucose as it normally does. The glucose that the body burns is usually from carbohydrates that one ingests and that is where one gets their energy from. There are also supplements called Ketones that can help to achieve ketosis (see all of the quite positive keto hack reviews).

How it works

The keto diet works by tricking the body to burn fats for energy instead of glucose. To reach this point one needs to reach ketosis which is a metabolic state in which the body has few carbs to burn. One needs to reduce significantly the number of carbohydrates they take each day to reach ketosis. If ketosis is not achieved then one is not on a ketogenic diet. The reason why the keto diet is regarded as medical is that it does not cause a spike in the blood sugar levels. This is effective for people with diabetes who need to maintain a certain blood sugar level. Taking carbohydrates and proteins usually spike the insulin level because of the amount of sugars they have, but with a keto diet, one is burning fat.

Despite the fact that the keto diet is a medical diet, many people have adapted it for different reasons. One main reason that people use this diet is to reduce weight. Obesity is an ongoing issue especially in the US with all the junk food in stores. This presents a health problem for those battling obesity and eating healthy. Being on a keto diet is one of the recommended ways to quickly lose all that fat that one has. The keto diet means taking a high amount of fat, and this fat does not add to the fat that an obese person has. What happens is that since the amount of carbs one is taking has been reduced, the body resorts to another source of fuel to provide energy. The body shifts automatically to burning fat to provide energy because of the high amounts that are present. The body thus slowly burns the fats that were stored in the body from the high carb content that one was taking.

Ultimately

The keto diet has worked effectively in reducing weight and also helping people with medical conditions. There are many people against this diet because of the high-fat content that one consumes and how it can cause health problems in the arteries. However, it is widely gaining recognition among many audiences and more nutritionists adapting to it. It is important to note that the ketogenic diet does not work on everyone.

Got interested then check out this incredible JRE episode, which features an awesome debate of ketogenic vs. traditional diets: