What is Keto Diet ?
The full version of the keto diet is called the ketogenic diet. A unique type of healthy diet pattern which has many benefits other than giving weight loss. By the definition, the ketogenic diet is a type of diet in which one has to limit its carbohydrates amount and depend mostly on adequate protein and high fat for energy.
When you drastically reduce the number of carbohydrates and eat more fat for a longer period, it leads to a process in our body which is called Ketosis. In this process, the body has to burn more fat to provide energy in the absence of basic carbohydrates.
This leads to losing a lot of extra fat and hence in many health benefits. Years back ketogenic diet was introduced to cure some specific medical conditions such as epilepsy. But for many years this diet is being followed by people who have weight problems or other medical issues.
Versions of Keto Diet
Because of so many benefits of a keto diet, there are a lot of variations of a keto diet that can be explained.
Following are some types of keto diet which are being followed by many peoples for different health benefits.
1) Standard ketogenic Diet
This is the most basic one which is the eldest version of the keto diet which is introduced at first. In this type of keto diet, you need to eat basically take low carbs diet which is only ten percent, moderate protein, which is twenty percent, and high fat which is seventy percent of your total diet.
2) High protein ketogenic Diet
This is almost similar to the basic keto diet but the only difference is that in this type of keto diet, you need to have high protein which is a total of more than 35% of your total food intake, with high fat which can be up to 60 % of total and limited carbohydrates which is only 5 % of the total. This helps in maintaining good muscle mass while losing weight.
3) Targeted ketogenic Diet
When following a standard keto diet or high protein keto diet, one cannot include more workout or exercise routines. But workout lovers who need to lose weight while doing their proper exercise can also follow a type of keto diet called the targeted keto diet which allows them to eat more carbs during their workout window. You can add more carbs just before your workout to have more strength for your exercise followed by a high protein food after your workout.
4) Cyclic ketogenic Diet
While the need of losing weight forces us to follow the keto diet, we cannot neglect the fact that some of us really need to work hard throughout the day. While maintaining your work schedule or other family or household chores, sometimes it becomes difficult for someone to follow the keto diet.
For such people, this kind of keto diet called the cyclic keto diet is introduced in which they can eat as per their work or routine cycle. You can choose to eat a standard keto diet 5 days a week and then you can eat high carbs diet for the next 2 days. This type of cyclic diet can help you to go through with your works when you need more energy or if it is difficult for you to stay on low carbs diet for too long.
The health benefits of all these varieties of diets are almost the same. All these varieties only exist because of the acceptance of what people eat and are comfortable to follow for a longer period. Because of so many different cultures and different types of love for food, or the requirements of the modifications as per the health goals of individuals, all these types of the keto diet are now being used by people. All these types of diets help to lose weight and extra fat and gain more muscles.
Tips to boost your ketosis and generate more ketones
The whole point of following a ketogenic diet is to produce more ketones into the body so that you can burn more fat and lose weight. Hence it is very important to understand how canone generate more ketones and undergone ketosis faster. While eating as per the ketogenic diet, you can follow some tricks so that your body can go into ketosis quickly and you can have good results faster.
Here are some tips which can help you in generating ketosis more quickly,
1. Include more physical activity
When you exercise more, you need more fuel. But while following a keto diet you are eating limited. So when you exercise more but eat less, your body will burn more fat to compensate for the energy requirement. This will help you to generate more ketones and ketosis.
2. Maintain Protein intake
cutting down on carbs and taking more healthy fat is helpful but you also need to include an adequate amount of protein. Having very limited protein will not help as an amino acid is required by the liver to convert it into glucose in the absence of carbohydrates and hence cause ketosis.
3. Include more healthy fats
High fat intake is important but you also need to maintain the quality of fat you are eating. You can include more coconut oil, as a healthy fat source to boost the process.
4. Fast for a short period
When we fast in between the main meals, it helps us to go into ketosis faster. So fasting for some time will help in producing more ketosis. You can do it on alternate days or you can go on eating very little for 2-3 days to generate more ketones.
5. Limit your carbohydrate levels
You gradually need to reduce the number of carbs while starting with the keto diet. This is important so that your body can burn more fat for fuel and energy.
How keto diet can help in medical conditions
Lately, the ketogenic diet is being used by many people not just to lose weight but the experts are suggesting this diet in many clinical issues as well. Because of the way it works it can help in maintaining a lot of medical parameters. Here are some medical issues and reasons why a keto diet can help with your medical parameters.
1. Cholesterol control
When one follows a keto diet, the internal fat starts to burn drastically to give more energy and hence reduces the overall fat percentage. This results in reducing more triglycerides and hence reducing your cholesterol levels.
2. Blood sugar levels
When we eat fewer carbs in a keto diet and eat more healthy fat and protein as the basic energy source, it helps in controlling our blood glucose levels. Because fat and protein take longer hours to get digest and absorb by the body, it does not let your blood sugar levels increase.
3) Epilepsy & Ketogenic Diet
This is a condition that causes seizures in children or adults. Whoever follows the ketogenic diet while having this condition along with the medical treatment and medicines, have been observed with less frequency of seizures. This generally happens because the basic energy source is changed from carbs to protein and fat even for the brain to work. So this helps in improved brain functioning and reduces the chance of seizures.
4. Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)/polycystic ovary disease (PCOD):
This is defined by the dysfunction of hormones which leads to irregular periods and infertility. Because of hormonal disbalance and insulin resistance factors, it becomes difficult to lose weight. As such, there is no medical treatment for the condition but weight loss helps in controlling the condition and symptoms. If follow a keto diet, one can see improvements in hormonal balance, insulin factor, and reduction in body fat.
5. Multiple Sclerosis
In this condition, when the protective covering of nerves is damaged, it leads to a problem in coordination and communication of brain and body. This leads to problems with balance, memory, vision, and movement. By following a keto diet, can help in reducing the inflammation in the body and hence making a connection between brain and body and helps in the improvement of symptoms.
6. Non alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
Because of the poor lifestyle and bad eating habits, this condition is getting very common among every other individual. With the help of the keto diet, one can quickly reduce the fat from the liver and hence can help in reversing the condition.
Foods to eat and to avoid in Keto Diet
Getting to know better about the keto diet is not over yet. Now that you know what is keto diet and how does it works, you need to learn what you can and can not eat while following a keto diet. Here is the list of food that you can and can not eat while following any type of ketogenic diet.
1) Meat & Poultry:
If you are a meat lover then it would be good for you to be on a keto diet. You can include all kinds of meat such as chicken, fish, other seafood, beef, pork, eggs, etc.
2) Low carbs veggies:
Vegetables like bell peppers, tomatoes, eggplants, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, all green leafy vegetables, green beans, asparagus, cucumber, avocado, kale, lettuce, olives, zucchini
3) Fruits:
Include more fruits such as watermelon, papaya, apple, pineapple, berries, avocado, peaches, pomegranate, etc
4) Diary :
Include more servings of yogurt, cheese, and cottage cheese.
5) Nuts and seeds:
Munch on good quality dry fruits and seeds to make up your healthy fat intake while doing keto.
What to Avoid in Keto Diet?
When you know what to eat you should also need to learn what not to eat, which is mentioned in the list below.
1) Bread and grains:
You need to cut down on carbs so avoid eating bread and grains. This includes whole wheat flour, white bread or flour, etc.
2) Fruit:
Fruits that are high in carbs need to be removed such as bananas, dates, mango, grapes, dried fruits, etc.
3) Vegetable :
Starchy Vegetables such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, etc.
4) Sugar :
Sweets, bakery, soft drinks, too sugary juices, etc all need to be removed from the diet.
Dangers of the Keto Diet
We have learned a lot about the benefits and advantages of following a keto diet. But the fact is that there are some limitations also come with this type of diet. Let us take a quick read on some of the drawbacks of the keto diet.
1) Nutrition deficiency:
Because we are limiting the list of foods and cutting down on most of the foods, there is a possibility of having some of the nutrients deficiencies. Most nutrients are found in grains and cereals which are limited during the keto diet. To avoid this kind of situation you need to start your keto diet under the guidance of an expert.
2) Regain weight:
When you are on keto you eat very limited foods especially carbs. But when you go back to your normal eating pattern, you tend to regain weight and sometimes even you gain more than you lost. In a way, you can not follow the keto diet for a longer time.
3) Post effects:
Some time you may get side effects of following this diet for too long which include fatigue, tiredness, nausea, hunger, headaches, dehydration, irritability, constipation.
4) Limited physical activity:
Eating very little carbs leads to very limited energy and hence you cannot do more exercise.
After reading so much now you know all about keto and how, to begin with. But even if you have learned so much, you need someone who can guide you about the keto diet which could fit as per your health goal and body type. One of the best dieticians in Delhi, Priyanka Jaiswal, can help you create a customized keto diet plan for you as per your need. She is a qualified and well-experienced dietician who can not only help you in your keto diet for weight loss but will also help you in avoiding the bad effects of a keto diet that can come along with it.