A Comprehensive Guide To The Ketogenic Diet For Beginners

  Have you tried different fad diets? Do you often starve yourself but every time end back to the same square? Well, if so, then you must gi...

 

Have you tried different fad diets? Do you often starve yourself but every time end back to the same square? Well, if so, then you must give a try to the keto diet. It’s simply an amazing low-carb diet that will strip the fat rapidly. 

If you have diabetes and want to lose weight, the keto diet is worth trying. Alongside it also helps you improve your health and battle against serious diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer’s and epilepsy.  
 

Let’s go straight to the comprehensive guide to the ketogenic diet.

What is the keto diet? 

 

 

 

 

The keto is a low carb diet that is much similar to the Atkins diet. It supports the idea of getting more calories from fats instead of carbohydrates. This reduced intake of carbs enters the body in a metabolic condition known as ketosis. 

As a result of ketosis, the body rapidly melts fat reserves for fueling. When it enters the liver, it converts the fatty acids into ketones, which cross the blood-brain barrier and provide a significant amount of energy to the brain.  

The ketogenic diet is also involved in lowering blood glucose and insulin levels, which provides tremendous health benefits.

What are the types of keto diets?

Here are the few important types of ketogenic diet;  

1. Standard ketogenic diet: This type of diet focus on the consumption of the diet containing high fat (70%), moderate protein (20%) and very low carbs (10%) content.  

2. Cyclical ketogenic diet: This is a diet that includes portions of high carbs. You can follow the ketogenic diet for five days and high carbs diet for two days in a week. 

3. Targeted ketogenic diet: This diets benefits you with the high carbs intake around the exercises or workouts. 

4. High protein ketogenic diet: This diet is much like the standard ketogenic diet but involves more proteins. 

The recommended ratio is

• 5% carbs
• 35% proteins
• 60% fats

However, greater researches are conducted on high protein ketogenic diets. Although targeted and cyclical are more sophisticated methods but are suitable for athletes and bodybuilders.

What does ketosis mean?

 

 

 

Ketosis is a metabolic state in which fat melts to provide most of the energy for the body. 

This happens when you have limited glucose access, which is mostly the preferred source of fuel for the body.  

To start ketosis, one must have to strictly follow a ketogenic diet. 

Generally, this needs 20 to 50 g of carbs per day and adds more fat-rich foods, including meat, fish, nuts, eggs and essential oils. 

Another important thing for ketosis to begin is the moderate intake of proteins. 

However, if consumed in a larger amount, the proteins break down into glucose and disrupt the switching of your body to ketosis. 

Nowadays, the frequently used method of weight loss is intermittent fasting.  

This method also aids you to enter into ketosis. Intermittent fasting is of different types, but the most preferred way is to limit the food consumption for 8 hours and practice the fast for 16 hours. 

To determine whether your body started ketosis or not, blood, breathe, and urine tests are highly preferred. 

Some of the symptoms that show the formation of ketone (ketosis) in your body are as follows

• Frequent urination
• Loss of appetite
• Dry mouth
• Increased thirst

Ketosis is safe for many people. But still, if you want to know more about it, you can find detailed info about ketosis on this article. What is ketosis – is it beneficial or not.

Is the keto diet effective for weight loss? 

 

 

 

A ketogenic diet is the most suitable method to drop a large amount of weight in a limited time. Several types of research suggest that the keto diet is a low carbs diet that reduces the risk of developing different diseases.

Is it promising? Yes, of course, you can eventually lose a significant amount of weight without tracking your calorie intake. It also results in a decrease in the diastolic blood pressure and cholesterol (bad) levels. 

For more details on the keto diet for weight loss, read this article.

Is the keto diet beneficial for diabetics and pre-diabetics?

Diabetes is an ailment that occurs due to impaired insulin function, elevated blood glucose level, and metabolic changes.  

The keto diet may eliminate excess fat, which has a close association with pre-diabetes, type 2 diabetes, and different metabolic syndromes.  

According to a study, the ketogenic diet can enhance insulin sensitivity by almost 75%.  

Another study reveals that the keto diet significantly loses weight and helps manage the blood sugar level, which ultimately lowers hyperglycemic medications intake.  

For more information, about managing your diabetes with keto diet read the following article: 

==> Diabetes and Ketones – Symptoms, Testing and Treatment.  

Other health benefits of the ketogenic diet 

 

 

 

The keto diet has been linked with various mental health benefits like epilepsy. Beyond the weight loss, the keto diet may also help you with various incredible health benefits.  

Heart health:

Keto can help lower the risk factors such as increased HDL cholesterol, improvement in blood pressure and lower blood glucose level.  

Cancer:

The anti-tumor effects of the ketogenic diet have also been revealed recently.  

Alzheimer’s disease:

The keto diet may also improve cognitive functions and slow down Alzheimer’s disease progression.  

Epilepsy:

According to research, the ketogenic diet can reduce the episodes of seizures in epileptic patients.  

Parkinson’s disease:

Although more research is required, a study suggests that the diet stimulates the breakdown of proteins and manages Parkinson’s disease.  

Polycystic ovary syndrome:

The keto diet can also lower insulin levels, which play a significant role in controlling polycystic ovary syndrome.  

Traumatic Brain injuries:

According to the studies, the diet could also lower the outcomes of severe brain injuries.  

But Remember that the researches in most of these areas are still insufficient.   

What kind of foods should you avoid?

Foods rich in carbs are prohibited during the keto diet.  

 Such food intake should be reduced;   

Sugar-rich foods: fruit juices, ice creams, smoothies, cakes etc.
Starchy foods: rice, cereal and wheat-based products.
Fruit: all types of fruits and only a small portion of strawberries or cheery is allowed.
Legumes: kidney beans, peas, lentils, chickpeas etc.  
Tubers: potatoes, carrots, sweet potatoes etc.
Low-fat foods: mayonnaise and salad dressings.
Sauces and condiments: ketchup, barbecue sauce, honey mustard etc.
Unhealthy fats from processed vegetable oils
Alcohol and diet free foods products like syrups, sweeteners, sugar-free desserts, puddings etc.

What type of food must you eat?

Here is the must-have list of foods for the ketogenic diet:

Meat: beef, mutton, chicken, turkey, ham etc.
Fish containing fats: trout, tuna, salmon and mackerel
Eggs: Whole eggs or pasteurized eggs
Cheese and butter: unprocessed cheese and heavy cream
Healthy oils:  Coconut oil and extra virgin olive oil.
Nuts: peanuts, almonds, flaxseeds, walnuts etc.  

It’s perfect for consuming all of these foods; however, for tons of recipes, check out our keto recipe eBook or video keto recipes.   

Tips and tricks for the keto diet 

 

 

 

Although, initially, the keto diet might seem tough. It may seem difficult to keep up with the specific diet plan, but here are some tips and tricks that may help you. 

The key to a useful keto diet is thoroughly reading the fats, carbs, and proteins in the food labels. This exercise will help you to pick your favorite fat-rich foods. 

Eating in restaurants offering keto-friendly meal options can help you to stick to your diet.
Different food blogs, magazines, and cookbooks are widely available that share keto-friendly recipes and customized meals. 

==> To get your custom menu, click here. 

Prefer healthy frozen keto foods when you don’t have much time. 

When you go out to a social gathering or visit your friend’s place, you can also take your home-cooked keto meal.  

Tips for eating out

• Most restaurants prepare keto-friendly meals. They offer different types of fatty fish and red meat.  
• Egg-based dishes like omelet and bacon are also good options.  
• Another great choice is bun-less burgers. You can replace the French fries with boiled veggies or avocados.  
• In dessert, berries with cream and mixed cheese board are the best choices.  
  

What are the side effects of the keto diet?

Although the keto diet is safe but initially, most people experience some of the side effects. Here are the few most reported side effects.

• Diarrhea and vomiting
• Constipation

Less common side effects are:

• Mental abnormalities
• Sleep apnea
• Low exercise performance
• Nausea

To lower the risk of side effects, you can stick to the low carb diet initially. This will train your body to melt fat alternative to carbs.

Final verdict

Ok, now you have got the detailed ins and outs of the ketogenic diet. Conclusively, the keto diet demands you to lower your carbohydrate intake and, in turn, raise the consumption of fats. 

The purpose is to utilize the fat stores instead of sugar as energy. It boosts your metabolism and keeps you charged until the next meal. 

However, if you are a sportsperson and want to increase your muscle mass, the keto diet might not be sustainable. 

For further details related to the keto diet, seek the recommendations of your doctor.