What is The Ketogenic Diet?
The science behind the Ketogenic Diet:
The keto diet causes the human body to enter a state of ketosis which means that the body produces energy by the process known as ketogenesis. ketogenesis occurs mainly in the liver, where fat is metabolized to produce ketone bodies which are used to power the body. Ketogenesis depends on the levels of carbohydrate that is available. If an adequate amount of carbohydrate is available, the body metabolizes it and uses it immediately, as fuel. If excess carbohydrate is available, a portion is metabolized to produce energy for immediate use, a potion is converted to glycogen and stored in the liver and muscles for use between meals when necessary and the excess carbohydrate is converted to fat by the liver and stored in fat calls.
The body cannot burn fat directly, it needs to use glucose or convert fat to ketones.
The Keto diet transforms the body into a fat burning machine by forcing it to run almost entirely on ketones produced from fat. It has been proven to cause weight loss while enhancing performance and improving health.
The Keto diet may even help to prevent age-related conditions such as heart disease, Alzheimer’s Disease and certain types of cancers. Researchers have found, in a recent study conducted in the UK, that the ketone known as β-hydroxybutyrate (βOHB) protects cells in the body from ‘internal stress’ that causes genetic damage in cells that result in ageing.
Ketogenic Diet Menu
Some people find it easy to follow a structured program. If you are that person, consider a meal plan for beginners. To achieve and maintain ketosis, consume of less than 50 grams of carbs per day, ideally below 20 grams is the optimum goal. The fewer carbs, the more effective.
Creating a keto meal plan on your own is not easy, especially since eating a diet high in fats doesn’t come naturally to many people accustomed to traditional carb-heavy diets.
Set yourself up for success:
- Make a plan and set a start date
- Stock up on allowed foods, plan meals and snack options
- Confirm with your physician that you can safely adapt the Keto lifestyle and discuss how your body will change the way it metabolizes energy.
- Consider bloodwork to check cholesterol, vitamin D, and other markers that may change while you are on the keto diet.
Ketogenic Diet Ratio
The ketogenic diet consists of a 70/20/10 ratio of healthy fats, protein and carbohydrate. The ideal macronutrient ration for each meal is 70-80 percent healthy fats, 20-25 percent protein and 5-10 percent carbohydrate.
A diet consisting of low levels of carbohydrate, approximately 5-10 percent, causes the liver to use the stored glycogen to produce fuel for the body. After the glycogen is depleted, the body turns to fat to produce acetyl-CoA which accumulates and then activates ketogenesis. The ketones that produce energy are acetoacetate and β-hydroxybutyrate. Ketone levels are regulated by both insulin which reduces ketone production and glucagon which stimulates the production of ketones.
The quickest way to achieve Ketosis is by fasting, which is unsustainable. The alternative is the ketogenic diet, consuming low levels of carbohydrates, enough to produce ketosis.
Most non-diabetics on a ketogenic diet reach a beta-hydroxybutyrate (B-OHB) level of 3 milimolar (mM) which is far below the unsafe level of 15(mM).
Ketogenic Food/Grocery List
The Ketogenic Diet Food List:
- Meat
- Leafy Green vegetables
- Non-starchy vegetables
- Full-fat Dairy products
- Nuts and Seeds
- Avocados
- Berries
- Fats such as Coconut Oil
Food to avoid while following the Keto Diet are:
- Sugars including honey and maple syrup
- Grains especially rice and wheat products
- Most fruits
- White or sweet potatoes
- Root vegetables such as carrots,or beets
- Pulses – beans, peas, lentils
Ketogenic Benefits
Appetite control
On the Keto diet, you eat if and when you are hungry. Your body burns fat 24-7 and having access to a supply of stored fat for energy should dramatically reduce the frequent that you experience the feeling of hunger. This makes intermittent fasting easy, speeds up weight loss and may also help to reverse type 2 diabetes. Feeling hungry less often can be a great benefit for those who suffer from addiction to food or sugar, and also those suffering from eating disorders such as bulimia.
Constant energy and mental performance
Ketosis results in a constant supply of ketones to the brain and the brain functions normally. Without sugar-highs resulting from carbohydrates, many have reported improved focus and concentration.
Stable blood sugar levels and type 2 diabetes
A keto diet controls high insulin levels and is known for actually reversing type 2 diabetes. This has been found in multiple studies and reported by many on the Keto diet. It makes perfect sense because ketosis goes hand in hand with low blood-sugar levels.
Increased physical endurance
The Keto diet can improve physical endurance because of the constant access to the energy stored in fat cells. On a carbohydrate-rich diet, after the body uses the available carbohydrate, it turns to carbohydrate stored as glycogen which only lasts for a few hours of intense exercise.
Epilepsy
The keto diet has been used as an effective treatment for epilepsy in children since the 1920s. Recently, the keto diet has also been proven beneficial for adults with epilepsy. Patients are free of Seizures on less medication or in some cases, come off medication completely.
Other benefits
Additional benefits include:
- normal blood pressure,
- less acne,
- Improvement or no migraine headaches
- weight loss
- many more
Keto Myths
- Your brain stops working because if needs carbs. That’s wrong.
- Ketosis, as a result of the Keto diet is very different from ketoacidosis which is a medical emergency.
- Other myths based on misunderstanding- it kill your kidneys or destroy your bones? Will it stop your thyroid from working?
| Ketogenic – 5 Health Conditions
Ketogenic eating have become incredibly popular. Early research suggests this high-fat, very low-carb eating may benefit several health conditions. Although some of the evidence is from case studies and animal research, results from human controlled studies are also promising.
Here are 5 health conditions that may benefit from a ketogenic eating.
1. Ketogenic eating hasbeen shown to reduce seizure frequency and severity in many children and adults with epilepsy who don’t respond well to drug therapy.
2. Ketogenic eating may reduce abdominal obesity, triglycerides, blood pressure and blood sugar in people with metabolic syndrome.
3. People with certain types of glycogen storage disease may experience a dramatic improvement in symptoms while following a ketogenic plan. However, more research is needed.
4. Women with PCOS following a ketogenic plan may experience weight loss, reduction in insulin levels and improvement in reproductive hormone function.
5. Ketogenic eating has been shown to reduce blood sugar in people with diabetes. In some cases, values return to a normal range, and medications can be discontinued or reduced.
With respect to cancer and several other serious diseases on this list, a ketogenic eating should be undertaken only in addition to standard therapies under the supervision of a doctor or qualified healthcare provider.
Also, no one should consider the ketogenic eating a cure for any disease or disorder on its own. Nonetheless, the ketogenic eatings’ potential to improve health is very promising.
All evidence & citations are from US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health
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