The Keto Diet and Weight Loss
If you have had a desire to shed some extra pounds, then perhaps you could have come across ketogenic diet, which is popularly known as Keto diet. It is a popular weight loss plan that promises significant weight loss in a short time.
But far from what most people believe it to
be, the diet is not a magical tool for weight loss. Just like any other diet,
it takes time, requires a lot of adjustment and tracking to see results.
What is the Keto
diet?
The keto diet is aimed at putting your body
in Ketosis. This diet plan is usually low carb with high intake of healthy
fats, vegetables and sufficient proteins. In the this diet, there is also an
emphasis on avoiding highly processed foods and sugars.
There are several types of Keto diets:
standard ketogenic, cyclical, targeted and the high-protein diets. The
difference in them depends on the carb intake. The standard ketogenic diet is
low carb, high fat and adequate protein is the most recommended.
Is the Keto Diet Safe?
Most critics of the Keto diet say that it
is not safe because of the emphasis on consuming high fat content. This is
guided by the misconception that fats are bad for you. On the contrary, healthy
fats are actually very good for you.
With this diet, you get lots of fats from
healthy sources like avocado, nuts, fish, butter, eggs, coconut oil, palm oil,
seeds like chia and red meat.
How Does the Keto Diet Aid in Weight Loss?
So how does the keto diet really work and
help your body lose excess pounds? When on a high carb diet, your body uses
glucose from carbohydrates and sugars to fuel body activities. When on a
ketogenic diet, you supply the body with minimal amounts of carbs and sugars.
With reduced sugar and carbs supply, the
glucose levels in the body are depleted causing the body to look for
alternative energy sources. The body therefore turns to stored fats for energy
which is why the Keto diet leads to weight loss.
This condition where your body burns fats
for energy other than carbs is called ketosis. When your body goes into
ketosis, it produced ketones as the fuel source rather than depending on
glucose. Ketones and glucose are the only two power sources that fuel the
brain.
Benefits of Ketosis and the Keto diet
Besides just aiding in weight loss, putting
the body in ketosis comes with other health benefits too. Here are some of
them:
Enhanced mental clarity
Improved physical energy
Steady blood sugar levels which makes it a
good remedy for epilepsy and diabetes
Improved and enhanced skin tones
Lower cholesterol levels
Hormone regulation especially in women
The Ketogenic diet is one of the best diets
you can follow for weight loss and to enhance your overall health. The diet can
also be used for children who are overweight.
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