When it comes to shedding excess body weight, there are several varieties of diets that you will come across. Some may work for you and some may not. In this world, where people are always short on time, trying out different diet plans in order to check which one really works for you is a sheer waste of time. Thankfully, there is a diet plan that has proved to be rather beneficial for almost every person who has tried it. Known as the ketogenic diet or simply as the keto diet, it has proved useful in helping people lose weight and also feel more energized and lighter. However, unless you try it, you will not understand the benefits of the keto diet.
What Do You Mean by Ketosis?
If you are in the world of fitness and health, you must be aware of the term ketosis. Just in case you are not too sure about it, ketosis is basically a metabolic state of your body in which the body rapidly burns fat all the time in order to get its required source of energy as opposed to carbs. Under normal circumstances, your body turns carbs into glucose in order to get its fuel supply. However, in ketosis, your body primarily burns ketones that is obtained from the stored fat in your body.
In order to help your body get into a state of ketosis, you have to follow a low-carb, average protein, and high fat diet. This is known as the keto diet. It is good for you to know that getting in a state of ketosis for your body is not as simple as it may seem to you. It is true that there are certain diets that let you try it for a fee day in order to see if it works for you or not. When it comes to ketosis, you need to give it more commitment and time. There are many people trying the keto diet. The simple reason is that the results are worth the try.
There is no doubt about the fact that the body structure of every person is different. However, there are certain rules as per the keto diet that is mostly dependent upon the body structure of a person. It is important for you to remember that the key to this diet is reducing the intake of carbs drastically.
What to Eat on a Ketogenic Diet?
Most of you may wonder about the type of food that you are supposed to eat while on a keto diet. These have been mentioned below for your information. Fats: You may have healthy fats during a keto diet. This will prevent you from feeling hungry every now and then and also will not kick you out of ketosis. You may have avocado oil, olive oil, grass-fed butter, coconut oil, ghee, nuts, avocados, and seeds.
Protein: Talking about protein, you can have fatty fish and pastured meat on a keto diet. Avoid having soy and high-carb beans. Instead, have grass-fed beef, pork, chicken, goat, lamb, wild fish sources such as mackerel, salmon, and sardines, and turkey, along with organic whole eggs.
Low-Carb Vegetables: Have a high intake of vegetables such as broccoli, spinach, kale, asparagus, and cauliflower.
Dairy: When it comes to dairy products, you are supposed to have full-fat yogurt, sour cream, cheeses, and heavy creams. Always ensure that the sources are pretty high on quality and you get you get a majority of your calories from other healthy foods.
What Not to Eat on a Keto Diet?
There is also a list of food items that you are not supposed to eat while on a keto diet. These have been listed here for your reference. Processed Grains and Whole Grains: Processed and whole grains that include millet, rice, wheat, rye, barley, and oats are rich sources of carbs and suitable for you to have while on a keto diet. You will be surprised to know that even a half cup of quinoa will supply a whole day worth of carbs to your body.
Legumes and Beans: Majority of the legumes and beans are rich sources of carbs and a modest percentage of protein along with a very small percentage of fats.
Lower Fiber and High Sugar Fruits: There are several tropical fruits such as tangerines, mangoes, pineapples, and papaya that are rich in sugar and consuming them will straightaway kick you out of ketosis. Always avoid having such fruits. However, you may have avocados as it contains a high percentage of fiber and fat.
Keto Diet Is Bad for Your Kidneys: True or False
Many a times you may hear people saying that a keto diet can easily give rise to kidney stones or various kidney diseases. This idea arises from the fact that any high-protein diet is bad for the kidneys. This is why it is always recommended to keep a watch on your protein intake if you already suffer from a kidney disease. Nonetheless, if you are a health individual, a keto diet contains a high intake of proteins will not pose any threat to your kidneys.
Keto diet involves keeping your carb intake below a specific level. It is also important for you to know that it is not necessarily a high-protein diet. You just need to consume enough protein based on your daily activity levels. There have been some studies that prove that a ketogenic diet can effectively reverse the diabetic kidney disease. This disease is not due to a consumption of high protein or fat. It is due to a high blood glucose content.
Is It Bad for Your Heart?
There were beliefs that a keto diet can prove to be dangerous for your heart. On the contrary, it has been proved to be rather safe for your heart. Having a low-carb and high-fat diet is safe for the proper functioning of your heart. Although a keto diet is safe for your heart and kidneys, there are some experts who believe that such a diet for a long time can have negative impacts on your overall health.