Beginner's Guide to Keto Dieting: A Beginners' Keto Meal Plan, FAQs, Recipes, and More!
A ketogenic diet is a restrictive diet that forces the body to burn fats instead of carbohydrates. It’s commonly referred to as the keto diet (short for ketogenic diet). The main aim of the ketogenic diet is to get your body in a metabolic state called ketosis, where it burns fat instead of carbs. When you follow a ketogenic diet, you drastically reduce carbohydrate consumption and increase your intake of healthy fats. The result is that your body will switch from using glucose as its primary energy source to using fatty acids as primary energy source. What Is Ketosis? And How Does It Affect My Health? Ketosis is not the same thing as being physically fit or skinny; it’s actually quite the opposite. Being underweight has more to do with having less muscle rather than burning fat efficiently. Fat cells produce ketones when we eat fatty foods, but this does not mean that we are carrying around extra pounds because our bodies can only store a certain amount of fat in our adipose tissue (read: stored fat). Instead, having fewer but larger fat cells allows us to burn more total calories per day than someone who has more small fat cells.
What Is a Ketogenic Diet?
A ketogenic diet is a dietary regimen where you consume more fat, and less carbs and proteins, which forces your body to produce and store more fatty acids and amino acids in the liver and muscle tissues. Over time, your body changes metabolism, and you start to burn fat as energy source instead of carbs for energy. This is what happens when you follow a ketogenic diet. Ketosis is a metabolic state where the body shifts from using glucose (a type of sugar) as energy, to using ketones, or byproducts of fat metabolism. Ketosis is the reason why ketogenic diets are used to treat certain medical conditions, like epilepsy. You can read more about the health benefits of ketosis here.
How Does a Ketogenic Diet Work?
When we eat carbohydrates, our body converts it into glucose, which it then turns into insulin and stores as fat. The more glucose you eat, the more insulin your body produces. Excess insulin is not good for you because it encourages the body to store fat. On a ketogenic diet, you consume fats and proteins but very little or no carbs which forces your body to use insulin as a storage mechanism, so it doesn’t have to store any additional fat. This can help you lose weight, improve your blood sugar levels, and prevent thousands of diseases.
The Benefits of a Ketogenic Diet
Aids Insulin Sensitivity: As we age, our cells become less responsive to insulin. When insulin sensitivity goes down, blood sugar levels rise and we are more likely to experience diabetes and other health problems. Some studies show that ketogenic diets improve insulin sensitivity and increase the sensitivity of insulin-producing cells. - Improves Your Mood: Ketogenic diets can improve your mood and decrease the risk of developing mental illness like depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder. - Lowers Your Blood Pressure: Ketogenic diets reduce blood pressure by reducing the amount of sodium and potassium in the body. This is important because too much sodium and potassium are consumed in many processed foods and drinks. Excess sodium and potassium are linked to an increased risk of stroke and heart disease. - Improves Quality of Life: Ketogenic diets can increase lifespan by extending the time you spend in your prime, or healthiest years.
How to Start a Ketogenic Diet?
Although there are many different ways to start a ketogenic diet, you can start by cutting back on carbohydrate intake to less than 50 grams per day. Make sure to stay under 10 grams of net carbs per day and eat foods that have high fiber content like vegetables, as well as low protein foods like eggs and nuts. As you begin to feel more ketogenic, you can increase your carb intake to 20-50 grams per day. You can also increase your protein intake, or add more fats to your daily diet. When it comes to food choices, try to pick foods that have a low amount of carbs and a high amount of protein, such as protein-rich meat, fish, poultry, eggs, dairy products, nuts, and green vegetables.
FAQs and Must-Know Tips before beginning a ketogenic diet.
How do I know if I am eating too much fat? You can check this by looking at your ketone levels. The higher your ketone levels, the more fat you are burning. You will know if you are eating too much fat if you start feeling tired during the day, or have “brain fog.” - How do I know if I am eating enough protein? Protein is important for the body’s growth and repair and helps maintain muscle mass. You should aim for at least 0.8g/kg of body weight to maintain muscle mass. - When is it safe to drink coffee or tea? Drinking coffee or tea is fine during the initial 2-3 days of the diet, but you should avoid caffeinated beverages when you start the diet because they contain too much caffeine, which can cause insomnia and rapid heart rate. - When is it safe to drink alcohol? Alcohol is high in carbohydrates, so it can cause a rapid rise in your blood sugar levels, which can damage your teeth, nails, and eyes, and also contribute to heart disease and certain cancers. - When is it okay to eat fatty foods? Eating fat-rich foods when you are on a ketogenic diet is not ideal, as it can increase your cholesterol level and cause weight gain. - When is it okay to snack? Snacking on low-carb, high-fat foods is okay during the initial 2-3 days of the diet, but you should avoid snacking on high carb foods after the first 3 days of the diet, as your body will get used to burning fat for energy. - When should I drink water? During the initial 2-3 days of the diet, you should drink at least 8 glasses of water to help your body flush out toxins. Water also helps you feel satiated and prevents you from overeating. - When should I exercise? Exercising on a ketogenic diet is important because you will burn fat while building muscle, and you can increase the duration and intensity of your workouts. - When is it okay to eat fruit? You can include fruit in your diet during the initial 3-4 days of the diet, but you should avoid eating too much fruit because it can cause your body to become acidic and can also disrupt your stomach. - When should I drink coffee or tea? Drinking coffee or tea is fine during the initial 2-3 days of the diet, but you should avoid caffeinated beverages after the first 3 days as they will interfere with your body’s ability to burn fat. - When should I eat vegetables? Your diet should consist of a variety of fresh vegetables, roots, and tubers like sweet potatoes, squash, and yams. - When should I eat meat? Meat is an important source of protein and minerals, and should be consumed at every meal. - When should I stop drinking coffee or tea? You should stop drinking coffee or tea after 3 days when you begin the ketogenic diet. - When should I start thinking about exercise? You should start thinking about exercising when you start seeing results from your diet and exercise. - When should I start thinking about my weight? You should start thinking about your weight when you start seeing results from your diet and exercise. - When should I start thinking about my health? You should start thinking about your health when you start seeing results from your diet and exercise.
Conclusion
A ketogenic diet is not a quick fix, but a healthy and sustainable lifestyle change. It will take time to adjust your diet and get used to the new way of eating. You need to be dedicated, patient, and follow a specific diet plan, which will require you to make changes in your daily life. Eating a high-fat, low-carb diet will require you to make serious changes in your life, but the results are worth it. A ketogenic diet will help you to get back to the basics and live a healthier, happier life.
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