Foods you can eat on the keto diet include fish and seafood, meat and poultry, non-starchy vegetables like bell peppers, broccoli, and zucchini, avocados, berries, nuts and seeds, eggs, high-fat dairy products, olive oil and other oils, and high-cocoa chocolate.
Welcome to my blog , "Keto Optimal" I am your host, Marlon Smith.
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Here are the basics of keto: The diet aims to force your body into using a different type of fuel. Instead of relying on sugar (glucose) that comes from carbohydrates (such as grains, legumes, vegetables, and fruits), the keto diet relies on ketone bodies, a type of fuel that the liver produces from stored fat. Burning fat seems like an ideal way to lose pounds. But getting the liver to make ketone bodies is tricky:
Tricking the liver to burn fat as a fuel is dependent on two major factors, your genetics and diet. But of course you cannot change your genetics but you can definitely change your diet.
I am sure many will argue keto is not for them, this is due to the fact that some persons may develop keto flu, lack energy and start feeling deprived. I can assure you right now! that the reason these persons are experiencing these effects is due to improper meal planning, lack of meal diversity, lack of adequate supplements and the false notion that carbs have to be totally eliminated to achieve ketosis.
Here! I will provide a diverse array of recipes you can use to help you on your keto journey. I will also provide useful links to meal planners and products you can use to ensure your growth in keto is sustainable.
A diet high in fat and low in carbohydrates (sugars) that causes the body to break down fat into molecules called ketones (Ketosis). Ketones circulate in the blood and become the main source of energy for many cells in the body.
Ketosis is a process that occurs when your body uses fat as its main fuel source. Normally, your body uses blood sugar (glucose) as its key energy source.
Typically glucose in your diet comes from eating carbohydrates (carbs) such as starches and sugars. Your body breaks the carbohydrates down into glucose and then uses the glucose as fuel. Your liver stores the rest and releases it as needed.
When your carb intake is very low, these glucose stores drain down. Since your body doesn’t have enough carbs to burn for energy, it burns fat instead. As your body breaks down fat, it produces a compound called ketones. The ketones, or ketone bodies, become your body and brain’s main source of energy.
The fat your body uses to create ketones may come from your diet nutritional ketosis, or it may come from your body’s fat stores. Your liver produces a small amount of ketones on its own. But when your glucose level decreases, your insulin level decreases. This causes your liver to ramp up the production of ketones to ensure it can provide enough energy for your brain. Therefore, your blood has high levels of ketones during ketosis.
The Ketogenic (keto) diet changes the way your body uses food. Typically, carbohydrates in your diet provide most of the fuel your body needs. The keto diet reduces the number of carbs you eat and teaches your body to burn fat for fuel instead.
The keto diet is high in fat, moderate in protein and low in carbohydrates. The standard keto diet consists of 70% to 80% fats, 10% to 20% proteins and 5% to 10% carbohydrates.
Many nutrient-rich foods contain high amounts of carbohydrates. This includes whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Carbs from all sources are restricted on the keto diet. So you’ll have to cut out all bread, cereal and other grains and make serious cuts to your fruit and vegetable intake. The types of foods that provide fat for the keto diet include:
Meats and fish.
Eggs.
Nuts and seeds.
Butter and cream.
Cheese.
Oils such as olive oil and canola oil.
If you eat between 20 and 50 grams of carbohydrates each day, it will usually take you two to four days to enter ketosis. However, the time it takes to enter this state varies based on several factors. It may take you a week or longer to get into ketosis. Factors that may influence how long it takes you to achieve this state include your:
Age
Carbohydrate, fat and protein intake
Physical activity level
Metabolism
Sleep health
Stress level
If you eat a high-carb diet before starting a keto diet, it may take you longer to reach ketosis than someone who consumes a low-carb diet. That’s because your body needs to exhaust its glucose stores first.
You may be able to get into ketosis faster with intermittent fasting. The most common method of intermittent fasting involves eating all of your food within eight hours. Then, you fast for the remaining 16 hours of a 24-hour period.
Research has shown that ketosis may have several health benefits. One of the biggest benefits of ketosis may be weight loss. The process can help you feel less hungry, which may lead to eating less food. It can help you lose belly fat (visceral fat) while maintaining a lean mass. Other possible benefits of ketosis include treating and managing diseases such as:
Epilepsy: Healthcare providers often put children with epilepsy on the keto diet to reduce or even prevent seizures by altering the “excitability” part of their brain.
Other neurologic conditions: Research has shown the keto diet may help improve neurological conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, autism and brain cancers such as glioblastoma.
Type II diabetes: The keto diet can help people with Type 2 diabetes lose weight and manage their blood sugar levels.
Heart Disease: The keto diet may lower your risk of developing cardiovascular disease by lowering your blood pressure, improving your HDL (“good”) cholesterol levels and lowering your triglycerides.
Metabolic Syndrome: The keto diet may reduce your risk of developing metabolic syndrome, which is associated with your risk of heart disease.
Ketosis has also been shown to increase your focus and energy. The keto diet delivers your body’s energy needs in a way that reduces inflammation. Research suggests your brain works more efficiently on ketones than on glucose.