There’s no time like the present if you’ve been putting off listening to your doctor’s fat shaming and making the effort to change your eating habits.
Of course, you want to lose weight but lowering your blood pressure or strengthening your mental focus also might be on your health wish list. You want to reach your goals; so forget about the latest fad diet, and choose one that is not only popular and trendy but has been proven successful by years of practice as well as science to work?
We are suggesting the high-fat, low-carb diet (HFLC), known as the ketogenic diet, which cuts out the carbs replacing them with healthy fats.
Johns Hopkins University researchers developed the ketogenic diet (Keto) in the 1920s to help patients to manage their symptoms of epilepsy. Since then, evidence from numerous studies suggests this very-low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet has an effective therapeutic role in numerous diseases.
Clinical evidence aside, using it as a weight loss tool is a recent development. Let’s take a look at some of the pros and cons of the Keto diet
How does it work?
The ketogenic diet triggers an internal process, which switches your body’s typical method of generating energy from burning carbohydrates to burning ketones instead. When e your body is starved of carbohydrates, ketones form in the liver.
Normally, when you eat, food is broken down into the glucose, which is the fuel your body uses for energy. If you change the way you eat and remove simple carbohydrates from your table, your body needs to find another source of fuel. That source is fat which is turned into ketones by the liver. When that process is activated you enter a state of ketosis.
The Keto (HFLC) diet is easy to adopt but it requires adherence to careful measurements and strict guidelines. For adults, the recommended A day’s worth of net carbs (total carbs minus fiber) is only about 25-30 grams. To give you some idea how much that really is, the amount of net carbs in the top half of a hamburger bun is 20.
Other characteristics of the Keto diet are for a low fiber (5%) and high amounts of fat (70-80%t of your daily calories).
You just need to remember 2 things:
- Eat more healthy fats
- Cut down or remove carbohydrate-rich foods from your diet
These 2 simple steps allow you to achieve ketosis. Of course, the burning question is: Wcan you eat?
A typical HFLC diet day
With a little planning, making healthy choices throughout the day should come easily. Aim for 20-30 net carbs, lots of fats and a moderate amount of protein. Drink lots of water and continue to stay hydrated.
Keto diet pros and cons
Some of the good reasons that a high-fat/low carb diet might be right for you are:
- The ketogenic diet reduces insulin and lowers inflammation levels.
- It encourages weight loss. Especially at first, partially due to more stable blood sugar (glucose) levels. The absence of sugar highs and crashes results in less snacking during the day. When you eat more fat, you feel full longer.
- Eating keto means consuming less sugar. In recent studies, sugar is the villain responsible for everything from obesity to heart disease. Public health agencies around the world counsel avoiding foods and drinks containing added sugars because they encourage weight gain, increase blood pressure and elevate your chances of developing chronic illnesses. Weight gain causes additional strain on key organs such as the heart and kidneys.
- Eat more healthy fats. This provides a steady energy supply to support your metabolism and assist with the absorption of nutrients, hormone production as well as cell signaling.
Keto diet cons:
- Calculating your carb and fat consumption takes some effort. (We’re here to make it easier!). It’s is fairly simple to stay on track once you lay the groundwork.work
- The Keto diet is low in fiber. All that fat and fewer plant-based foods mean your body is processing less fiber. This may make you think you’re becoming constipated. Actually, ketones burn cleaner and the types of food you’re eating leave less waste to eliminate.
- Invest in the best fats. Choose organic, grass-fed, cage-free animal products whenever possible.
Ready to give it a whirl?
Weight loss does come with a price. The difference with Keto is other diet’s results are dependent on tiny portions and restricted calories, The Keto diet is more of a new lifestyle than the same old routine with deprivation.
Be sure to check with your doctor before starting a new meal plan. The Keto diet can be adapted to fit your unique needs. See how you feel as you make a few changes at a time.
