Hey, I am Fat.
I protect your vital organs, store energy, and help proteins do their job. I also help the body absorb fat-soluble vitamins and offer many other health benefits to your body. Still, everyone blames me for obesity.
I have many siblings; some are good, and some are bad. Just leave. I will talk about myself some other day.
Today I want to talk about what is my role in the ketogenic diet.
First, you have to understand –
Ketogenic Diet
When you reduce carbohydrate and take in more fat and moderate protein, yes, that’s me. Wait, wait, I am talking about my good siblings, not the bad ones.
Back to the story, carbs are the primary energy source in your body. They are broken down into glucose for immediate energy and glycogen for future energy.
When you reduce carbs intake in your diet, your body cannot produce glucose by the regular process. It switches to fat for the primary energy source. Fat gets broken down into glucose and ketones. Ketones are a byproduct. When your body uses this method of producing energy, ketone levels in the blood rise to a certain point, and you enter into a state of Ketosis. More on this later.
Types of Keto diet
You can do a keto diet in different ways;
The Standard Ketogenic diet (SKD): In this diet, you can take low carb, moderate protein and high fat.
The Cyclical Ketogenic Diet (CKD): In this diet, you take high carb in between in regular intervals every few days, and moderate protein and high fat.
The Targeted Ketogenic Diet (TKD): You can add carbs around your workout in this diet.
High Protein Ketogenic Diet: This diet and the standard ketogenic diet both are almost the same; the only difference is you can add more protein to this diet. The ratio will be 60% fat, 35% protein and 5% carbs.
Thus, many studies have been done on the standard ketogenic diet and high protein ketogenic diet. The rest of the two diets: the cyclical ketogenic diet and The targeted ketogenic diet, are more advanced and mostly used by bodybuilders or athletes.
So we are mostly talking about The standard ketogenic diet because The standard ketogenic diet is the most researched and recommended diet.
What is Ketosis?
Now back on Ketosis.
When your body is not getting enough energy from carbs, your body will use fat (that’s me) as an energy source. In this process, your body beak fat in glucose and ketones as a by-product. Some brain cells need glucose, and the rest of your body uses ketones as a fuel source. The liver mainly produces these ketones.
Ketosis is a metabolic state when your body uses ketones as the primary fuel source because, in this state, you are not taking enough carbs from food.
See, I sacrifice so much, and all I get are complains!
Benefits of the Keto Diet
Here are some health benefits from the keto diet:
Weight Loss
Oh yeah! Finally, I know why you are thinking about doing the keto diet. Yes, its right keto diet makes weight loss, but listen to me first about the science behind it. There are two main reasons;
First, you are using fat as a primary fuel source, so your body gets easy access to burn fat, and your body burns a lot of fat.
And second, fat feels you full because it’s very satiating, so you don’t want to overeat. Therefore you limit the number of calories you take in throughout the day.
Some people feel weight loss very quickly when they start the keto diet. It’s cool right now you think you got something magical in your hand. But wait, my cousins will not leave your body so quickly. Because the majority of weight loss you feel is water loss, not fat loss.
If you are thinking of doing the keto diet for the long term, let me tell you that the keto diet is not suitable for a long-term purpose because you have to be very attentive when you are on a keto diet. Carbs are found in most of your food.
Diabetes type 2
The keto diet is beneficial for type two diabetes because when you have type two diabetes, your body has insulin sensitivity issues and high blood sugar levels. And many studies show that the keto diet helps to fight type II diabetes.
Cancer
There are more studies needed for this topic. The keto diet is beneficial for some kind of cancers like glioblastoma and brain cancer. But there is very limited evidence if you are undergoing cancer treatment, talk to your doctor first before changing your diet in any manner.
Metabolic Syndrome (Syndrome X)
High blood pressure, high blood sugar, high triglycerides, low HDL cholesterol, and belly fat, increasing heart disease risk, diabetes and stroke. If you have three or more of these health issues, it will increase your Metabolic Syndrome chances.
It’s a common syndrome. If you follow the keto diet, it will improve many metabolic syndrome features, like improving better cholesterol values, reduced blood sugar level, reduce abdominal obesity, triglycerides and blood pressure.
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)
A hormonal disorder is causing Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. It affects 27% of women during their childbearing years (ages 15 to 44). It involves cysts within the ovaries, high levels of male hormones, and irregular periods.
One of its main reason is insulin resistance.
That’s why many women with PCOS are obese and have a hard time losing weight; also, women who have PCOS have an increase in the risk of type 2 diabetes.
Studies on some women having PCOS who follow the keto diet, lose weight, fasting insulin level also started to decrease, and their reproductive hormone levels also improved.
Parkinson’s Disease
Parkinson’s Disease is a brain disorder of the central nervous system. This disorder leads to stiffness and difficulty in walking, balance, and coordination. It’s symptoms typically begin gradually and find worse over time.
Some studies suggested that ketone bodies may bypass the brain’s disturbed pathway and support other vital energy pathways when you are in ketosis. Keto diet has shown improving Parkinson’s disease symptoms in animal and human studies, but more research is needed.
Obesity
You all know about obesity.
When many of my cousins stay together in your body, your body changes its shape, and you all know what happens then.
Oh, by the way, I am talking about my evil siblings (bad fat). Some studies show that low-carb, ketogenic diets are often more effective for weight loss, comparatively calorie-restricted or low-fat diets. Some research shows men who followed a ketogenic diet lost twice as much fat as men who ate a low-fat diet. There are also other health benefits from the keto diet.
Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
It’s a more common liver disease globally, linked to type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome and obesity. The Keto diet helps reduce liver fat and helps people with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer’s Disease destroys memory and other critical mental functions because the brain cells themselves degenerate and die. Several symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease are known to improve with ketogenic diets in animal research. For similar benefits in humans, using MCT oil or Ketone Esters as supplements is recommended.
Migraine Headaches
It’s a headache of varying intensity, often accompanied by nausea and light and sound sensitivity. Some studies suggested that the sensitivity and frequency of headaches were improving for people who were following a keto diet.
What to Avoid
You should avoid or limit high carb food. Here‘s a list;
Sugary foods: fruit juice, smoothies, honey, maple syrup, ice cream,soda, cake, candy, etc.
Grains or starches: rice, pasta, cereal, wheat-based products, grains or starches, quinoa, rye, barley, corn, etc.
Fruit: especially sweet and dried fruits
Beans or legumes: mostly beans, peas, kidney beans, lentils, chickpeas, etc.
Root vegetables: potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips, beetroot, etc.
Some sauces: All sauces that contain sugar, barbecue sauce, honey mustard, teriyaki sauce, ketchup, etc.
Unhealthy fats: processed vegetable oils, trans fat, mayonnaise, butter, etc.
Alcohol: beer, wine, liquor, mixed drinks, cocktails, sangria.
Sugar-free diet foods: sugar-free candies, syrups, puddings, sweeteners, desserts, etc.
What to Eat
Here is the list of foods that you can use in the keto diet;
Meat: Red meat, steak, lamb, sausage, bacon, poultry (dark meat) and turkey
Fatty Fish: Salmon, trout, tuna, fatty fish
Eggs: Pastured and local whole eggs
Cheese: Unprocessed cheeses, cheddar, goat, cream, blue, or mozzarella
Nuts and Seeds: all nuts and seeds, Almonds, walnuts, flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, etc.
Healthy Oils: Extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, MCT oil, red palm oil and avocado oil
Avocados: Whole avocados its a fruit that contains healthy unsaturated fats.
Low carb veggies: Green veggies, tomatoes, onions, peppers, white mushrooms, cucumber etc.
Spices: Salt, pepper, herbs, and spices
Disadvantage of Keto Diet
The Keto diet is usually safe for most healthy people, and remember that when you start the keto diet, your body takes time to adapt to the diet and switch the energy source. But it depends on person to person, how their body reacts to the diet.
There are some effects or symptoms of the keto diet: diarrhoea, constipation, vomiting, etc.; it usually feels within a few days after starting the keto diet and disappears within a week or less once you adapts.
You can minimise these effects by slowly decreasing carbs. Your water and mineral balance may change radically, so consider adding extra salt in your meals and take mineral supplements. You may consult your doctor about your nutritional needs.
TL;DR - Long Story Short
The Keto diet is high fat and low carbs diet. There are specific variants of this diet, but the Standard Ketogenic Diet and High Protein Ketogenic Diet are more researched and popular. When you reduce carbs, then your body switches its fuel source to ketones.
There will be some effects when you reduce carbs, but you can minimise them. If you have some health issues and want to follow the keto diet, you should first talk to your doctor.
Ketogenic diets help in several disorders due to their beneficial effects on metabolic health and the nervous system.
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