You may have heard of Ketogenic or keto diet. And you have probably seen a lot of celebrities, athletes and doctors swears by it. And I know you’ve been wondering what it is exactly, what makes it so special, and why it has such a huge popularity ?
What is Ketogenic diet and how it works ?
The diet consist of lowering your carbohydrate intakes, that are usually the main source of energy when converted to Glucose.
So when your body runs out of Carbohydrates, it will look for another alternative to produce energy. Your liver will start converting stored and consumed fat into fatty acids then to Ketone Bodies. It’s the Ketosis metabolic state.
These Ketone bodies are water-soluble molecules, that will therefore provide energy for your brain , heart and muscles. They represent a healthy , viable fuel for your body.
Benefits of Ketogenic diet :
1. Weight loss :
Since keto diet use fat as a fuel , it will help tremendously with weight loss. You will start burning your stored fat to produce energy. The less carbohydrates you are consuming the more fat you will burn and more ketone bodies you will produce.
On the other hand , the HDL will absorb cholesterol and carries it back to the liver. It will be flushed from the body, reducing that way your risk of heart disease and stroke.
One of the best ways to increase HDL level is to eat fat. So having a Keto diet is the best way to go.
Having a low carbohydrate diet will decrease your risks of getting a metabolic syndrome and will help reverse these symptoms.
If you just decided to give it a try , here’s a little list of healthy food to eat :
• Low carb vegetables : Non-starchy vegetables are low in carbs, but high in many other nutrients, including vitamin C and several minerals…
• Cheese : Rich in protein, calcium and fatty acids, with a tiny amount of carbs.
• Avocados : High in fiber and several nutrients, such as potassium.
• Eggs : It’s healthy , affordable , delicious and most importantly low in carbs.
• Nuts and seeds : Almonds, Cashew, Walnuts, Pecans … etc , are high in fiber and fat but low in carbs . This is the best alternative for snacks.
• Fresh meat, poultry : Best source of proteins, contain no carbs and are rich in B vitamins potassium, selenium, zinc…
• Dairy products : Such as butter, cream … So rich in fatty acids, but not in carbs.
• Dark chocolate : Delicious and perfect ketogenic snack for cocoa lovers.
You can change and adapt your meals the way you’d like to. Just remember to lower your carbohydrate intakes, and focus more on high-fat ones.
If you have health problems or under specific medications, ask your doctor before starting Ketogenic diet. alert-error
It’s very ironic , consume fat to burn fat ! Life has never been so easy.
2. Reduce your appetite :
How many times you decided to go on a diet , but stopped halfway through because of your appetite? It’s so hard to resist hunger. A low-carbohydrate eating leads to an automatic reduction in appetite, so you won’t be craving food all day long.3. HDL , the “good” cholesterol :
We all know that there’s two types of cholesterol, the good HDL (stands for high-density lipoprotein), and the bad LDL ( Low density lipoprotein ) . High levels of LDL raise your risk for heart disease and stroke.On the other hand , the HDL will absorb cholesterol and carries it back to the liver. It will be flushed from the body, reducing that way your risk of heart disease and stroke.
One of the best ways to increase HDL level is to eat fat. So having a Keto diet is the best way to go.
4. Metabolic syndrome :
Metabolic syndrome is a health condition that will increase your risk of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes. It includes increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, excessive body fat around the waist, abnormal cholesterol level, and high concentration of triglycerides.Having a low carbohydrate diet will decrease your risks of getting a metabolic syndrome and will help reverse these symptoms.
5. Epilepsy and brain disorders :
And as mentioned earlier , keto diet is an effective way to treat epilepsy and brain disorders. Many patient cases showed immense progress under this diet , that helped reduce seizure frequency by more than 50%.What to eat under a Ketogenic diet :
If you just decided to give it a try , here’s a little list of healthy food to eat :
• Low carb vegetables : Non-starchy vegetables are low in carbs, but high in many other nutrients, including vitamin C and several minerals…
• Cheese : Rich in protein, calcium and fatty acids, with a tiny amount of carbs.
• Avocados : High in fiber and several nutrients, such as potassium.
• Eggs : It’s healthy , affordable , delicious and most importantly low in carbs.
• Nuts and seeds : Almonds, Cashew, Walnuts, Pecans … etc , are high in fiber and fat but low in carbs . This is the best alternative for snacks.
• Fresh meat, poultry : Best source of proteins, contain no carbs and are rich in B vitamins potassium, selenium, zinc…
• Dairy products : Such as butter, cream … So rich in fatty acids, but not in carbs.
• Dark chocolate : Delicious and perfect ketogenic snack for cocoa lovers.
What to avoid or consume less ?
- Bread , grains …
- Fruits that are high in carbs : Bananas , mangos , raisins …
- Pasta , noodles …
- Fruit juices , milkshakes …
- Beans
- Legumes that are high in carbs and strachy ones
- Junk food
- Honey
- Sugar
- Milk
- Alcohol ( drink with moderation )
- Cereals
You can change and adapt your meals the way you’d like to. Just remember to lower your carbohydrate intakes, and focus more on high-fat ones.