A Ketogenic Diet for Beginners

A ketogenic diet is a special low carbohydrate, high fat with adequate protein diet, this diet is similar to Atkins diet, both involves lowering the absorption of carbohydrate which makes the body brought into a state known as ketosis.

Ketosis is a characteristic metabolic process that the body helps us carry through when our food intake is low. During the Ketosis process, we produce ketones, which are as a result of the breakdown of fats.
The reason behind maintaining a proper ketogenic diet is to force your body into its metabolic state and this can only be achieved through starving yourself of carbohydrates as much as possible.

What to eat on a Ketogenic diet:

You are expected to reduce intake of carbohydrates by all means, grains such as wheat, rice and corn, fruits, sugar, tubers of yams should be stopped completely or at least limited.

Eat more of these fat and protein; fish, eggs, meat, poultry, high fat diary (butter, hard cheese) while focusing on getting more fat than protein. An estimate of 60% - 80% of your daily calories intake should come from fats; 15% of yourdaily calories from protein. 

Benefits of a Ketogenic Diet:

There are quite a number of health benefits that come with being on a ketogenic diet: from weight loss and increased energy levels to other improvements in mental focus, blood sugar, epilepsy, energy level.

Here are few benefits of a ketogenic diet for beginners.

1. Weight loss:
This diet is one of the quickest, simplest and yet effective ways to lose weight; it makes the body fat the energy source, so there are obvious weight loss benefits while you remain on the keto diet. Low carb diets also decreases the hormone where fat is being stored which turns your body into a fat burning machine.

2. Controls Blood Sugar:
Ketogenic diet naturally lowers the blood sugar levels due to the low carb diet you are feeding on. Case studies show that this diet is a stable approach to oversee and to avoid diabetes contrasted to low-calorie diets.
If you are diabetic, you ought to consider a ketogenic diet for slimming down.

3. Mental Focus:
The ketogenic diet is becoming a more popular method of improving cognition. Many people go on the ketogenic diet in order to enjoy the benefit of increased mental performance. 

Although there hasn’t been any direct research on the mental enhancing effect of ketogenic diet on the brain, there are still a few reasons to assume that it could positively enhance the brain. Since ketones are a great source of fuel for the brain, it’s only logical to assume that it could also enhance the brain. 

The antioxidant effects of the ketogenic diet also helps to improve brain function. With both the ketones and antioxidant effects on the brain while on the ketogenic diet, this can definitely result in improved focus and concentration.

4. Increased Energy & Reduced Hunger:
Ketogenic diet can reduce fatigue by giving your body a more reliable and better energy source; you will feel more energized all day. Fats are well known to be a readily available source of fuel.

Fats are normally more fulfilling and once someone goes on keto diet, they can easily go hours without craving food.

5.  Epilepsy:

The ketogenic diet was been used to treat epilepsy years back successfully. Today it’s still to be the most widely use treatment for children who has epilepsy today. The ketogenic diet is still used as a preferred choice of treatment for epilepsy because fewer medications will be given.

 Side Effects of a Ketogenic Diet:

The most common side effects include; weight loss, constipation and increased cholesterol levels. Women may also experience disruptions to the menstrual cycle.

Some people on ketogenic diet may experience; headache, excessive thirst, frequent urination, confusion, irritability, Light headed and shakiness, sweating and chills, brain fog, anxiety.

Bad breath is also a common side effect; it is caused by acetone which is a byproduct of fat metabolism. Leg cramps may also occur which are caused by dehydration.

On ketogenic diets, dietary changes can lead to digestive issues and constipation may also be a common side effect, some people may experience diarrhea. This is as result of not drinking enough water i.e. being dehydrated, low sugar intake and can be successfully overcome by after staying on ketogenic diets for few days.

Increased heart rate or a racing heart can also be an issue for some people while on keto diet.

How to Manage Side Effects while on a Ketogenic Diet:

Increase fiber intake: Feed on nuts and other foods rich in fiber, you can also add a multivitamin to help with that.

Drink lots of water: Staying dehydrated can cause lots of side effect, drink significant amount of water each day to help manage these side effect.

Exercise: Exercises when done regularly and moderately (not overly intense) helps to manage these side effects.

Get enough salt: Keto diet drains your body system of sodium, get enough salt through your meals into your body.

Get enough Rest: There is need to get enough rest and sleep while on Keto diet. Sleep helps your recover properly and should be taken seriously. 7 – 8 hours sleep daily should work fine.

 

Ketogenic Diet and Weight Loss

A lot of people around the world suffer from different chronic diseases like obesity and diabetes, and this is usually caused by the kind of food they eat. For instance, there is a large amount of carbohydrates and protein in a typical American diet, which is detrimental to your health because it leads to leptin and insulin resistance. This eventually leads to excess weight gain, inflammation and cellular damage. Thus, you need a change in your diet to avoid this problem, and the best way of doing this is to embrace the ketogenic diet.

In this article, you will know everything there is about the ketogenic diet and its benefits as well as tips on ketogenic diet and weight loss.

A ketogenic diet is a dietary system that centers on the consumption of an adequate amount of protein, little carbohydrates and a high amount of healthy fat.  There are several reasons why you should consider this particular diet. It is of immense benefit to people with chronic conditions as well as to those who desire a healthier lifestyle. For example, a ketogenic diet can help you in the following ways:

v  Weight loss

Do you want to lose weight? One of the best ways of doing so is through a ketogenic diet. It is particularly recommended for obese people because it helps them shed their body fat in a healthy way.

v  Inflammation prevention

Although both sugar and fat serve as fuel in the human body, fat makes a much better fuel because it is healthier due to the fact that it gives out less reactive oxygen species and secondary free radicals than sugar. The absence of sugar in the ketogenic diet implies a lower risk of having chronic inflammation in your body.

v  Cancer risk reduction

It is interesting to know that the ketogenic diet helps to prevent cancer. The reason for this is that cancer cells cannot thrive on a ketogenic diet because they cannot make use of ketones (i.e. fat) as energy.

v  Muscle growth

The ketogenic diet can help you build your muscles. This is because the structures of ketones are similar to that of branched-chain amino acids which are useful for muscle growth. Thus, the presence of ketones and amino acids in the ketogenic diet ensures an increase in muscle mass.

v  Reduction in appetite

In the process of eating too much, you take in more calories than your body needs and this eventually results in weight gain. The interesting thing is that this problem can avoided through the ketogenic diet because a reduction in the intake of carbohydrate can lower your appetite.

v  Reduction in insulin levels

After consuming carbs, they break down into sugars in your body, and this eventually increases your blood sugar levels which results in an increase in your insulin. In the long run, it may lead to insulin resistance, which gradually results in type 2 diabetes. Thus, the risk of developing type 2

diabetes can be reduced by adopting the ketogenic diet.

                                    Types of ketogenic diets

There are various types of ketogenic diets as given below:

(i)     Standard Ketogenic Diet

This particular type of ketogenic diet is often recommended for most people due to the fact that it is very effective. It is comprised of a high amount of healthy fats (about 70% of your diet), a moderate amount of protein (25% of your diet) and a very small amount of carbohydrates (5% of your diet). However, there is no fixed limit for fat as energy requirements differ with people based on their everyday physical activities. For a standard ketogenic diet, most of your calories should come from fats and you have to limit your intake of protein and carbohydrates.

(ii)   Targeted Ketogenic Diet

This type is generally suitable for people who are fitness inclined. Here, you are advised to consume all your daily allocated carbohydrates in one meal at about 30 to 60 minutes before going for a workout. The reason for doing this is to ensure that the energy from the carbohydrates are completely used up to avoid disrupting your diet. However, if you intend to follow this procedure, it is advisable that you take carbohydrates with a high glycemic index for easy digestion so as not to upset your stomach. After exercising, make sure you increase your protein consumption to aid your muscle recovery. Then afterwards, you should continue taking fats.

(iii) Cyclic Ketogenic Diet

While Target Ketogenic Diet is for people who are fitness inclined, Cyclic Ketogenic Diet is recommended for bodybuilders and athletes.  The Cyclic Ketogenic Diet implies that you move between a normal ketogenic diet and a high carbohydrate diet. The idea behind this is to make up for the glycogen lost from your muscles with carbohydrates while working out. It is usually comprised of five days of standard ketogenic diet and two days of high carbohydrate diet.

(iv) High Protein Ketogenic Diet

This type of ketogenic diet is slightly different from the standard ketogenic diet in the sense that protein consumption increases by 10% and fat consumption reduces by 10%. It is recommended for obese people at the initial stage before adopting the standard ketogenic diet.

(v)   Restricted Ketogenic Diet

The restricted ketogenic diet is about restricting your carbohydrate and calorie consumption, and it helps in preventing cancer.

Now, let’s move on to how you can begin a ketogenic diet.  Below are some tips on ketogenic diet for beginners:

(a)   Stop taking sugars

To begin with, you have to eliminate sugars, processed foods and starches from your diet because they are not good for your health.

(b)   No milk

You have to stop drinking milk because it is a source of the carbohydrate called galactose. By avoiding milk, people allergic to lactose can easily adopt the ketogenic diet.

(c)    Avoid hydrogenated vegetable oils

You should completely avoid hydrogenated vegetable oils such as canola, sunflower and the likes. In addition, soy products, peanut butter and sodas should not be included in your diet because they can cause damage to your health.

(d)   Take C8 medium-chain triglyceride oil

It is advisable that you add this oil to your food because it easily converts into fats. Start with one teaspoon every day, and increase it gradually to two or three teaspoons. If the oil causes upset on your stomach, then use the powder. You can also use coconut oil and olive oil but endeavor to check if the olive oil is third-party certified as most of them are diluted with vegetable oils.

Other foods that you can take include:

·         Meat, seafood and poultry

·         Butter, cheese and cream

·         Avocados, salads and organic pastured eggs

·         Raw cocoa butter

·         Raw nuts such as almonds, macadamia and pecans

·         Seeds such as sesame and pumpkin.

·         Spinach, broccoli, zucchini and Brussels sprouts

·         Water and organic black coffee with no sweeteners

There are a lot of unique benefits associated with the ketogenic diet and weight loss, especially for people who desire a perfect physique. However, it is important you adhere to the guidelines governing the implementation of this diet if you need results.