The Keto Diet (also known as the ketogenic diet) is well known for being low in carbohydrates. Keto is a state in which the body produces ketones in the liver, which are then used for energy. The keto diet can also be known as a low carb diet, low carb high fat (LCHF), or any diet that limits carbohydrates to a low level (typically lower than 30 grams of carbs).
What Is The Keto Diet?
When you’re on the keto diet, because it’s lower in carbohydrates, most of your calories come from fats and protein to fuel the body.
When you ingest carbohydrates, your body breaks them down into the simplest molecule possible, glucose. This molecule forces your body to produce insulin. Insulin transports carbs across membranes to either be used directly as energy or to be stored for later use (either in fat or muscle/liver glycogen). Glucose is the easiest molecule for your body to convert into and use for energy at any given time. Glucose will be the first thing chosen to use for an energy source.
Insulin is produced to process the glucose in your bloodstream, to transport it around your body, and to store it where necessary. When your body is using glycogen or glucose as its main energy source, your body will not need to burn fat. It’s therefore more likely that your body will store fat so it can be used at a later point in time when your energy (glycogen) levels are low. So, when you’re on a higher carbohydrate diet, your body will use glycogen as its main energy source.
What Do I Eat on Keto Diet?
When you opt to start a keto diet, you’ll want to make sure you plan ahead of time. You’ll want to know which foods to have on hand and what you needs to go on your shopping list. You don’t have to have a set “diet” plan where you eat the same meticulously-planned meals every day for months on end. You will soon notice that many of the foods you had eaten in the past will no longer be a staple in your diet.
As I mentioned earlier, you will want to keep your net carbohydrates at between 20 and 40 grams, but to stay below 30 grams would be optimal, as the lower you can keep your net carbs, the better the diet will work.
An Insight Into Ketogenic Diet
Net Carbs
Let me backtrack, as you might want to know the definition of a net carb.
A net carb is the amount of carbs you ingest minus the fiber. So if you eat some vegetables – let’s say half a cup of steamed green beans – you’ve eaten roughly three grams of fiber and a total of seven grams of carbs.
7 total grams – 3 grams of fiber = 4 net carbs
Since you will limit your carbohydrates, these trace carbs will come from things such as vegetables, nuts, and some dairy products. A good macronutrients intake would be 65-75% fats, 20-30% protein, and 5% or less of carbohydrates. You will want to avoid things like bread, pasta, potatoes, fried items, cereals, beans, legumes, fruit, and of course sweets.
This leaves you with most of your macronutrients coming from things like meats (beef, chicken, fish, pork, bison, seafood, veal, eggs, etc.), green and leafy vegetables, and healthy fats/oils (olive, coconut, macadamia, grass-fed butter, etc.).
As for snacks, some good things to keep on hand would be nuts and nut butters (almond, cashew, sunflower, etc.), cheeses, and protein shakes.
Foods Recommended on a Ketogenic Diet
- Meat: Beef, goat, lamb, turkey, pork, veal, chicken.
- Fish: Salmon, trout, catfish, sardines, tuna, haddock and many others.
- Fruits: Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, avocado.
- Vegetables: Broccoli, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, cucumbers and many others.
- Nuts and Seeds: Almonds, walnuts, sunflower, pumpkin, sesame, etc.
- Dairy Products: Cheese, Greek yogurt, sour cream, heavy cream.
- Fats and Oils: Peanut Butte, flaxseed oil, butter, sesame oil, olive oil and almond oil.
Foods to Avoid on a Ketogenic Diet
- Grains: Grains: Wheat, oats, corn, barley and rye. Includes breads and pastas.
- Artificial Sweeteners: Sucralose, Equal, Acesulfame, Splenda, Saccharin, etc.
- Processed Foods: If it contains carrageenan, don’t eat it.
- “Low-fat” products: Atkins products, drinks, gluten, diet soda, etc.
What Are The Benefits of The Keto Diet?
There are a myriad of benefits of the keto diet, including but not limited to:
- Improved cholesterol due to improved triglyceride and cholesterol levels from arterial buildup
- Improved focus and energy as insulin spikes and crashes are minimized due to decrease in carbohydrate consumption
- Improved blood sugar since insulin levels are kept lower
- Increase in weight loss as the body is burning fat as its primary fuel source, and limiting carbohydrates tends to decrease overall caloric intake
- Decrease in hunger due to satiety provided by fats and proteins as well as increased vegetable intake
Related: Dr Oz 21 Day Weight Loss Diet Meal Plan
Are There Dangers to The Keto Diet?
There has been a lot of debate about whether or not the keto diet is dangerous. There have been studies that show both good and bad effects. However, the main problem is how to eat a high amount of carbohydrates with high amounts of fats. If you limit carbs with the keto diet, it will not result in the adverse effects that come with high carbohydrate consumption.
Excess carbs are stored as fat. Eating a high amount of carbohydrates, if not kept in check, can lead to fat gain and obesity, as well as lower activity levels. But, again these issues tend to occur when you consume both high amount of carbs and high amounts of fats, not just high amounts of fats like in the keto diet.
Resource: https://ultimatepaleoguide.com/ultimate-beginners-guide-keto-diet/
https://dietingwell.com/ketogenic-diet-meal-plan-menu/
