The ketogenic diet is one of the most popular diets around the world. It’s more of a lifestyle that focuses on low-carb foods that should allow your body to burn ketones for fuel. According to many studies, the keto diet is truly effective for weight loss, but there is also evidence that it can help treat various diseases and conditions.
Thousands of people so far have reported fantastic weight loss results thanks to the ketogenic diet. Many believe it’s too strict to be effective, and it certainly is when it comes to the food. There are only so much with low carbs you can eat, and many people are not willing to make big sacrifices when it comes to their choice of food.
That’s the gist of this dietary regime – you need to pick the right keto diet foods in order for it to be effective. Let’s debunk a long-standing myth many believe in – low-carb foods are not tasteless. As a matter of fact, there are plenty of tasty keto foods and products you can enjoy and still lose weight properly.
What’s a Keto Diet?
Short for ketogenic diet, this weight loss regime involves eating foods that are low in carbs as a way to lose weight. Low-carb foods will essentially put your body in a state of ketosis. This is a state in which the body burns so-called ketones for fuel instead of fat. You’re essentially shifting your metabolism to burn something else for fuel while keeping the carb count low. It’s a perfect combination that doesn’t only help you slim down – it’s effective in the fight against serious diseases too.
While more research is needed, early studies have shown that the keto diet may stop the onset of different types of cancers. Alzheimer’s disease patients have also experienced improvements, and the diet might also have a positive effect on epilepsy, cardiovascular diseases, and diabetes.
The key to the ketogenic diet is to stick to the keto food plan, of which there are many. People have been trying different food plans, with many reporting great results with a custom keto diet. There are different food regimes that work with the ketogenic diet out there. The basic foods will be low in carbs and high in healthy fats, allowing your body to burn fat and ketones for fuel with a number of positive effects.
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How Does Ketosis Work?
The low-carb diet will raise the number of ketones in your blood. These will then provide a new fuel source for your cells, effectively shifting your metabolism to burn them instead of fat. During ketosis, your body undergoes different biological adaptations, resulting in decreased insulin levels and improved fat breakdown.
This unique combination results in weight loss as well as many health improvements. When your body is in ketosis, the liver will continue producing ketones as low as you stick to low-carb foods. The benefits of a keto diet go beyond simple weight loss – it’s an excellent way to fight and prevent a host of diseases and conditions.
You won’t immediately feel these changes, but there are many symptoms that will help you realize you’re on the right track. These include:
- Bad breath
- Suppressed appetite
- More focus and energy
- Short-term fatigue
- A bit of a decrease in physical performance
- Digestive problems
- Insomnia
- Weight loss
Most of these symptoms are only short term. While you won’t be able to exercise at the same level as before, keep in mind that you’re doing this to improve your overall health and lose weight.
Of course, entering ketosis will require you to eat low-carb, high-fat foods and stick to the schedule. Deviate from it, and you will never be able to reach the level of ketosis required to lose weight and improve your health.
What Foods are Suitable for a Keto Diet?
The keto diet is essentially very simple. You can find a 7 day keto diet plan with ease online or try a customized diet. A 60 day keto diet plan is also popular these days for those who’d like to try a more challenging path to weight loss. This will require you to sacrifice a lot of your favorite foods or switch them with low-carb versions that will help you enter ketosis.
A basic keto diet plan includes foods such as seafood, unprocessed meat, fish, eggs, vegetables (especially leafy greens), high-fat dairy products, and many other foods. You can’t eat all low-carb foods frequently, though. For example, nuts can be had in moderation, but too much of them can throw your carbs out of balance. When it comes to nuts, ½ a cup of macadamia or pecan nuts is more than enough.
High-fat foods, including quality butter and heavy cream for cooking are great choices. Make sure to know each dairy product’s carb count before you eat it to keep close to 20-50 gr. per day.
As mentioned, there are many keto diet plans you can find online. You will also need to pick one of the four types of ketogenic diets:
- Standard keto diet: low-carb diet with moderate protein and high-fat foods;
- Cyclical keto diet: allows higher-carb days (example: 5 keto days with 2 high-carb days);
- Targeted keto diet: allows more carbs around workouts;
- High-protein keto diet: same as the standard diet, but with more protein included.
Pick one of these keto diet types and start today with a good plan that you can find online.
How many carbs are allowed on a keto diet?
In general, the carb count should be kept between 20 and 50 gr. per day. You can go over and under it depending on your type of ketogenic diet. If you count carbs properly and you’re disciplined, you can stay in that range with ease.
For example, you should skip lattes since they have around 18 gr. of carbs on average. That will put you close to the daily minimum average of 20 gr., so maybe stick to green tea or water or have your coffee regular black with no sugar at all.
