What is the Keto Diet
You probably have heard about the Keto diet, since during the last few years it has been the favorite topic of the nutrition community with millions of people trying it and many of them being surprised by its effectiveness and immediate results.
The ketogenic diet, well known as just The Keto Diet, is based on a simple principle: decreasing the amount of carbohydrates that are our body’s primary source of energy and forcing it to burn fat, that way, maximizing weight loss.
When you consume carbohydrates your body converts them to glucose and they are used as your main energy source. When you eat fewer carbs and more fats your body begins to burn fat for fuel and it enters in a state that is called ketosis. In this state, your liver uses fat to turn it into energy molecules called ketones which then your body uses for energy.
Where did Keto come from?
The Keto diet became widely known through social media, blogs and television during the last few years but it has been around since the 1920s. The ketogenic diet was used as an alternative, non-mainstream fasting for patients with epilepsy since it was proven that it helped them reduce seizures.
However, the story of the ketogenic diet does not end with epilepsy. Since there was scientific proof that the Keto Diet was an effective treatment for this medical condition researchers became more interested in it.
Some recent studies suggest that ketones have neuro-protective benefits and they can strengthen and protect brain cells, this is why the Keto Diet could be beneficial at preventing diseases such as Alzheimer.
There is also evidence that demonstrates that eating healthy fats can improve heart health by reducing cholesterol levels.
How can the Keto Diet be so effective?
The Keto Diet is highly recommended to people who have to lose weight and follow a healthier lifestyle since it is an effective diet with immediate results.
The standard American diet consists of 35% fats, 15% protein and 50% carbohydrates. Now if we take a look at the ketogenic diet the numbers are very different since we are consuming 75% of fats, 20% of proteins and only 5% of carbohydrates.
The ketogenic diet is indeed very effective when it comes to weight loss, and this happens in two ways. Firstly, since we are using fats as our primary energy source, we are able to burn a lot of stored fat quickly. Furthermore, we start feeling satiated with smaller meals because they are so high in fat. We eat up to 10 times fewer carbohydrates in comparison to a standard diet therefore, we limit our daily caloric intake.
Surprising facts about the Keto Diet:
- Fruits are allowed in Keto Diet:
Even though fruits are high in carbohydrates you can still incorporate fruits like strawberries, avocados, raspberries and cantaloupe in your diet without getting out of the state of ketosis.
- Keto Diet National day:
The ketogenic diet has its own national day and it is celebrated on January 5th.
- It’s not the end of the world if you cheat on Keto:
Cheating on Keto means eating high carb foods, your blood sugar will spike, your body will switch back to glucose as a source of fuel and ketone production will stop. However, that doesn’t mean that you will gain back the weight you lost or that your body will never enter again in the state of ketosis. As soon as you start following the keto diet your body will make the switch and continue burning fat.
