Guide To Keto Diet

The ketogenic diet is a high-fat, medium-protein, low-carbohydrate diet that has received widespread attention in recent years as a weight loss method. But does this really work? If you’re thinking about trying a ketogenic diet, here’s the guide to keto diet if you’re a beginner.

What Is a Keto Diet?

The ketogenic diet may sound trendy, but it’s been around for a while. It first appeared in the 1920s. Initially, doctors suggested it to help treat diseases such as epilepsy and diabetes. But now, some people use a ketogenic diet to lose weight.

For many Americans, carbohydrates such as bread, pasta or potatoes make up more than 50 percent of their daily diet. Your body breaks down the glucose (sugar) in carbohydrates to provide energy to your body.

The guide to keto diet is to replace glucose calories with fat. In a typical ketogenic diet, your nutrition is mainly focused on high-fat foods. They will make up 60 to 80 percent of your daily calories. Protein accounts for 15% to 20%. Carbohydrates are limited to 50 grams. This makes it a restrictive diet.

Studies have shown that those who follow a low-carb ketogenic diet are more likely to lose weight in the first 3 to 6 months than those who follow a more balanced diet. But since the ketogenic diet requires you to make drastic changes in your daily diet, it’s best to ask your doctor or dietitian if it’s right for you before you start.

How Does the Diet Work?

When you adopt a ketogenic diet, you consume too few carbohydrates to meet your body’s energy needs. As a result, your body starts burning the fat stored in your body to provide energy.

When your body burns fat as fuel, it produces ketones, which are produced in your liver. Your body enters a metabolic state called “ketosis.”

If you strictly follow the ketogenic diet, your body will reach ketosis in about 4 days. You might even see a few pounds of weight loss in the first week.

What Are the Types of Keto Diet?

If you’re planning to start a ketogenic diet, keep in mind that there are several types. Each pays attention to the subtle variations in the proportion of fat, protein, and carbohydrates in your daily diet.

Types of ketogenic diets include:

Standard ketogenic diet (SKD). This is a very low-carb, medium-protein, high-fat diet. It usually contains 70% fat, 20% protein, and only 10% carbohydrates in your daily diet.

Cyclical ketogenic diet (CKD). This includes periods of “replenishment” for high carbs, such as 5 days of innate ketones and then 2 days of high carbs.

Targeted ketogenic diet (TKD). This diet allows you to add carbohydrates during high-intensity workouts.

High-protein ketogenic diet (HPKD). It’s similar to SKD, but you can eat more protein. This ratio is usually 60% fat, 35% protein and 5% carbohydrates.

The most studies have been conducted on standard and high-protein diets. They are also the most common. Cyclical and targeted ketogenic diets are recently increased and are mainly used by athletes or bodybuilders

What Is the Keto Diet Used For?

Initially, the ketogenic diet was mainly used to help people with epilepsy. Over time, experts have applied this benefit to several other health conditions, including:

• Cognitive and memory improvement
• Type 2 diabetes
• Cancer such as glioblastoma
• Psychiatric disorders
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Autism
• Obesity

The ketogenic diet is very effective for certain diseases, especially type 2 diabetes. One study looked at the results of 349 people with type 2 diabetes before and after consuming a ketogenic diet over a one-year period. About 60 percent of the participants’ diabetes was reversed. The ketogenic diet also helped many of those involved in the study reduce their dependence on prescription insulin medications.

If you have health problems, it’s best to get your doctor’s guide before starting a keto diet.

How Do You Start a Keto Diet?

To start a ketogenic diet, you may want to throw away some foods and add some high-fat food sources to your daily meals.

Talk to your doctor or dietitian about what works best for you. This is especially important if you have other dietary restrictions, such as veganism, vegetarianism, or allergies to certain foods. Experts can help you find alternatives and develop a diet plan that best suits your needs.

Before you start changing your diet, here are some questions you should consider or ask your doctor:

• Does the ketogenic diet help control certain health conditions?
• Do you need to lose weight?
• Are there any side effects?
• Should you take or continue to take vitamins or supplements in your diet?
• How long should the ketogenic diet last?
• Should you exercise? If so, how much?

What Can You Eat on a Keto Diet?

Here are some ketogenic foods:

• Nuts
• Seeds
• Full-fat dairy products
• Greek yogurt
• Non-starchy and fibrous vegetables.
• Fatty oils
• Meat
• Fish
• Eggs
• Cottage cheese
• Coconut

For 20 to 50 grams of carbohydrates per day, choose vegetables that do not contain starch, such as:

• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Peppers
• Mushrooms
• Leafy greens
• Asparagus
• Green beans

Foods that should be avoided or restricted include starchy and high-carbohydrate foods, such as:

• Bread
• Baked goods
• Sugary sweets
• Pasta
• Rice
• Breakfast cereals
• Starchy vegetables such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, peas and legumes
• Fruits high in sugars
• Wine
• Beer, unless it’s low-carb

When it comes to beverages that are acceptable in the ketogenic diet, you can choose unsweetened coffee or tea. Reduce alcohol consumption. If you drink alcohol, choose a low-carb liquor, such as tequila or vodka, and mix it with soda.

What Snacks Can You Eat on a Keto Diet?

Ketogenic-friendly snacks are a balance of healthy fats and moderate proteins, low in carbohydrates. You can do it yourself at home or buy it at the store.

This includes snacks such as:

• Brazil nuts
• Walnuts
• Hazelnuts
• Peanuts
• Coconut yogurt
• Guacamole
• Cheese
• Canned tuna
• Meat jerky
• Olives
• Pork rinds
• Seaweed snacks
• Hard-boiled eggs
• jicama (low-carbohydrate root vegetables).

These snacks can help you control hunger between meals and maintain ketosis for a long time.

Are There Risks From a Keto Diet?

While studies have shown that a ketogenic diet can help some people lose weight or control their health, restrictive diets aren’t good for everyone. If you don’t follow this diet correctly or without proper supervision, it can be harmful.

The ketogenic diet also affects everyone differently. While some people can easily adapt to changes in their diet, others may find that their bodies take longer to adjust to sudden changes.

It is important to check cholesterol regularly. The ketogenic diet may lower cholesterol in some people, but may increase cholesterol in others.

The low-carb part of the diet may have long-term effects on some people. For many people, a sudden and complete cessation of carbohydrate intake can lead to what many commonly refer to as the “ketogenic flu.” When your body converts from burning glucose to burning fat for energy, you may experience flu-like symptoms.

Symptoms of the ketogenic flu include:

• Stomach aches or pains.
• Nausea
• Dizziness
• Sugar cravings
• Cramping
• Muscle soreness
• Feeling cranky
• Diarrhea or constipation
• Trouble falling asleep or staying asleep
• Poor focus and concentration
• Brain fog

Usually, within a day or two of you cutting back on carbohydrates from your daily diet, the symptoms of ketogenic flu flare up. They may last for a week or less, but in severe cases, they may last up to a month. If symptoms are severe or persistent, see a doctor or stop eating.

To reduce your chances of getting ketogenic flu, start eating slowly, stay hydrated, do only light exercise, and get plenty of rest as your body adjusts to your new diet plan.

Another pitfall that experts warn is that there are so many varieties of ketogenic diets that it’s easy to go wrong. You may eat too much saturated fat instead of healthy one, which can put you at risk for high levels of bad cholesterol and heart disease. If you don’t follow your diet correctly, you may also not reach ketosis.

A ketogenic diet can also affect your gut health. This is because this diet mainly requires you to eat fewer foods that are rich in nutrients and fiber, such as legumes, whole grains, starchy vegetables, and fruits. Research on the effects of ketogenic on gut health is conflicting. More research needs to be done in this regard.

Other side effects can include:

• Low bone density, fractures
• Constipation
• High cholesterol
• Kidney stones
• Slower growth than typical
• Fatigue

If you’re planning to try the ketogenic diet for the first time, ask your doctor, dietitian, or dietitian if it’s right for you. They will guide you through the tailor-made keto diet plan that best suits you.