The ketogenic diet, colloquially called the keto diet, is a popular diet containing high amounts of fats, adequate protein and low carbohydrate. It is also referred to as a Low Carb-High Fat (LCHF) diet and a low carbohydrate diet.
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Ketogenic diets are basically designed to induce a state of ketosis in the body. When the amount of glucose in the body becomes too low, the body switches to fat as an alternative source of energy.
The body has two primary fuel sources which are:
The glycerol molecule goes into the liver where three molecules of it combine to form one glucose molecule. Therefore, as your body burns fat, it also produces glucose as a by-product. This glucose can be used to fuel parts of the brain as well as other parts of the body that cannot run on FFA.
However, while glucose can travel through the bloodstream on its own, cholesterol and triglycerides need a carrier to move around in the bloodstream. Cholesterol and triglycerides are packaged in a carrier called low-density lipoprotein, or LDL. Thus, the larger the LDL particle, the more triglycerides it contains.
The overall process of burning fat deposits for energy produces carbon dioxide, water, and compounds called ketones.
Ketones are produced by the liver from free fatty acids. There are composed of 2 groups of atoms linked together by a carbonyl functional group.
The body has no capability to store ketones and therefore they must be either used or excreted. The body excrete them either through the breath as acetone or through the urine as acetoacetate.
Ketones can be used by body cells as a source of energy. Also, the brain can make use of ketones in generating about 70-75% of its energy requirement.
Like alcohol, ketones take priority as a fuel source over carbohydrates. This implies that when they are high in the bloodstream, they must be burned first before glucose can be used as a fuel.
What Causes Ketosis
When you start eating less amounts of carbohydrates, your body gets smaller supply of glucose to use as energy compared to before.
The decrease in the amount of consumed carbohydrates and the subsequent reduction in the amount of available glucose, slowly forces the body to move into the state of ketosis. Thus, the body goes into a state of ketosis when there is not enough amount of glucose available to the body cells.
Starvation Induced Ketosis
Fasting and starvation states usually involve reduced or no intake of food that the body can digest and convert into glucose. While starvation is involuntary, fasting is a more conscious choice you make to intentionally not eat.
However, the body enters into a "starvation mode" whenever you are sleeping, when you skip a meal or when you intentionally go on a fast. The lack of food intake results in a reduction in blood glucose levels. As a result, the body starts to break down it glycogen (stored glucose) stores for energy.
The glycogen is converted back into glucose and used as energy by the body. In this state, the body also starts to burn its stored fats. Thus, the production of ketone bodies (ketogenesis) is induced by a lack of available glucose.
Any time the amount of ketones in the blood outnumber the molecules of glucose, the body cells will start making use of the ketones as their source of energy.
The keto diet, sometimes referred to as the ketosis diet, is a method to naturally drop weight without dieting, starving yourself, or popping pills. Instead of eating whole natural foods, you will be eating smaller, higher fiber carbs and add lean protein to your food. Consuming more protein will help you feel fuller longer because it will make up for the shortage of carbohydrates in your diet. This allows you to lose weight, feel healthier, and live a better life.
While the keto diet does not allow you to eat too much, it does severely limit the amount of carbs you are allowed to eat. You are also not allowed to consume any kinds of potatoes, rice, bread, or other processed and refined foods. While the keto diet may sound crazy to some people, many have reported increased energy, increased strength, improved stamina, better digestion, clearer skin, and much more by cutting out these kinds of bad foods from their diets. By consuming more natural, wholesome foods, many have lost weight and improved the quality of their lives.
The reason most people choose to go on the ketogenic diet is that it is low carb, high protein, and it is a keto diet plan for beginners. This diet has many benefits, which is why it has become so popular over the last few years. Not only can it help with weight loss, it can improve many health conditions. In particular, total carbs the ketones are known to lower LDL cholesterol and raise HDL cholesterol, which is the good kind. By increasing the amount of HDL in your bloodstream, you reduce your risk of heart disease. Since cholesterol is considered a bad fat, ketones can also reduce the absorption of fat from food, thus preventing heart disease.
One of the most popular foods used in conjunction with the ketogenic diet is cheese. Although some people use cream cheese for this purpose, eggs are perfectly fine. You can eat eggs every day if you so desire, as long as you use other healthy alternatives like cream cheese. You can add small amounts of butter or cream cheese to your eggs to make it taste more like the real thing.
If you are thinking that this kind of weight loss plan is harmful for your health, you would be right. However, you should not totally rule it out just yet. Although the ketogenic diet may sound like it's bad for you, there are some healthy benefits to it. For example, ketogenic diets enable you to burn a lot more fat compared to other low carb diets. This allows you to reach your ideal weight much faster than other low carb diets.
One of the reasons why you should take a look at the ketogenic diet is because of all of the fat burning and weight loss that it can provide you with. This diet involves eating primarily fats and proteins. This diet requires that you increase your protein intake significantly, which results in you burning off lots of fat. Also, you will be eliminating a large amount of carbohydrates from your diet, which results in you being able to achieve or maintain your ideal weight. If you are looking to lose a few pounds and have been trying low carb diets, then this diet is definitely for you!