If you have the urge to shed some extra pounds, you may have come across a ketogenic diet, which is better known as the keto diet. It is a popular weight loss plan that promises significant weight loss in a short time.
But far from what most people think, diet is not a magic weight loss tool. Just like any other diet, it takes time, and requires a lot of tweaking and follow-up to see results.
What is the keto diet?
The keto diet aims to put your body into a state of ketosis. This diet plan is usually low in carbohydrates with plenty of healthy fats, vegetables, and adequate protein. In this diet, there is also an emphasis on avoiding highly processed foods and sugars.
There are several types of keto diets: standard, periodic, purposeful, and high-protein ketogenic diets. The difference in them depends on the amount of carbohydrates. The standard ketogenic diet low in carbohydrates, high in fat and adequate protein is most recommended.
Is the keto diet safe?
Most critics of the keto diet say it is unsafe because of the focus on eating a high-fat diet. This is guided by the misconception that fats are harmful to health. On the contrary, healthy fats are very beneficial for you.
With this diet, you get plenty of fat from healthy sources like avocado, nuts, fish, butter, eggs, coconut oil, palm oil, seeds like chia and red meat.
How does the keto diet help in losing weight?
So how does the keto diet really work and help your body lose extra pounds? When you follow a high-carb diet, your body uses glucose from carbohydrates and sugars to fuel your body's activities. When you follow a ketogenic diet, you supply your body with minimal amounts of carbohydrates and sugars.
With the low supply of sugar and carbohydrates, the glucose levels in the body are depleted causing the body to search for alternative energy sources. So the body turns to stored fat for energy which is why the keto diet leads to weight loss.
This condition in which your body burns fat for energy is called carbohydrates. When your body transitions into ketosis, it produces ketones as a fuel source rather than relying on glucose. Ketones and glucose are the only two energy sources that fuel the brain.
Benefits of ketosis and the keto diet
Besides just helping you lose weight, putting your body into ketosis comes with other health benefits as well. Here are some of them:
Enhance mental clarity
Improve physical energy
Stable blood sugar levels making it a good treatment for epilepsy and diabetes
Enhanced & Enhanced Skin Tones
Lowering cholesterol levels
Regulating hormones, especially in women
The keto diet is one of the best diets you can follow to lose weight and boost your overall health. The diet can also be used for children who are overweight. There are many studies that support the diet and show significant results especially when combined with exe
