Keto Diet: What is a Keto or Ketogenic Diet?

Let’s be honest, how many of us have tried different diets to get in shape while giving up all our favorite eating snacks?

Would you be interested in knowing about a diet with which you can lose weight while still enjoying some of your favorite dishes?

Ever heard of a keto diet?

Interestingly, a keto diet is quite useful and suitable to lose excess body fat without dealing with hunger. Yes, you read that right.

With the keto diet, you don’t have to struggle with your hunger temptations to lose weight. You can easily do that while having a good amount of fat.

Doesn’t it make you excited to know more about this keto diet? If yes, then you have landed at the right place.

Here in this article, we are discussing the various important associated parameters of the keto diet plan. We hope you will get a clear idea about the keto diet to get its maximum benefits.

 

What is the Ketogenic diet?

Now, without creating any further curiosity, let us quickly understand what a Ketogenic diet actually is.

A Ketogenic diet is a very low-carbohydrate and high-fat diet which is very similar to normal low-carb diets or Atkins diet.

In simple words, this diet reduces the intake of the carbs and replaces it with a higher consumption of fat. The lower consumption of carbs makes your body go in a metabolic state which is popularly known as ketosis.

While your body is in the ketosis state, it becomes really effective in burning the body fat to generate the required energy. It also helps to supply the required energy to the brain for performing all the required activities with the best alertness and concentration.

Another thing that should be kept in mind is the fact that the Ketogenic diet can massively reduce the blood sugar levels along with the insulin level of the body.

Most certainly, most of you must be thinking about the success rate of this Ketogenic diet, isn’t it? Well, you will be surprised to know that the Ketogenic diet offers many health benefits to its users if followed with proper and strict observations. Let us dig in for finding more details about the keto diet.

 

Different types of Ketogenic diet:

There are different types of keto diets that you can follow. The different keto diet includes:

Type 1. Standard Ketogenic diet:

In this keto diet, you would have a very low-carb intake, moderate protein intake, and very high fat intake. Typically, this diet contains just 5% of carbs, 20% of protein and 75% of fat for the people. It is one of the most common keto diet plans that is followed amongst the people.

 

Types 2. Cyclical Ketogenic diet:

This type of keto diet includes changing of the diet period after every few days. It includes a certain period of higher carb intake and then followed by a low-carb diet plan. For example – you can follow 5-days of low-carb keto diet followed by a 2-days high-carb diet plan.

This keto diet plan is an advanced diet plan which is generally followed by athletes and bodybuilders only.

 

Type 3. Targeted Ketogenic diet:

Just like the cyclical Ketogenic diet plan, this targeted Ketogenic diet is also meant for athletes and bodybuilders who are looking for some extreme benefits. The targeted Ketogenic diet allows the users to add carbs around workout sessions. This fulfills the nutritional needs of the body to show some great results and benefits.

 

Type 4. High-protein Ketogenic diet:

This diet is quite similar to the standard Ketogenic diet but it includes higher protein content in it. If you are following this diet, you can get 60% of fat, 5% of carbs and around 35% of protein for your body. This diet is also followed on a large scale by the people who are looking to shape their bodies.

 

How does the Ketogenic diet work for weight loss?

Are you struggling to lose weight even after trying all possible ways? If so, then you will be delighted to know that following the traditional keto diet can help you lose those extra kilos quite easily.

Thanks to the traditional keto diet, you reduce the intake of carbs and thus allow your body to use the stored fat to get the necessary energy. The reduced carb content ensures to accelerate the fat content which is burned to act as the energy fuel for the body.

Well, it is not just the reduced consumption of carbs that works in favor of weight loss. There are certain other mechanisms as well that are associated with the keto diet and weight loss balance.

Here is a keen look at the associated mechanisms for weight loss related to keto diet:

1. Reduced hunger:

One of the most common mechanisms associated with a keto diet that helps in weight loss is reduced hunger.

Ghrelin is the main hunger hormone of the body which indicates the level of hunger for every individual. As you follow the keto diet, it controls and decreases the ghrelin levels in your body. With the reduced level, you tend to feel less hungry and as a result, you tend to intake lesser calories throughout the day.

This helps many people to control their caloric measure in total and thus results in effective weight loss within no time.

 

2. Reduction in water weight:

Another way in which the keto diet reduces body weight is by controlling and minimizing water weight in the body.

Most of us are not aware of the fact that the carbs stored in our body holds water and have a significant amount of associated water weight. By following a keto diet, you reduce the intake of carbs and thus limit the water weight associated with it.

The balance of carbs limitation and reduction of water weight results in weight loss in varying amounts for person-to-person.

 

3. Reduced calorie intake:

In the general case, weight is reduced when we burn more calories than what we actually consume. Isn’t it?

The same scenario is maintained in a keto diet.

How? Let us find out.

Keto diet ensures to balance the ghrelin level in the body – a hormone known to control the hunger rate in the body. In simple words, the keto diet and its supplements ensure to keep you full for the maximum time.

Since, your body feels full for the maximum time; there is hardly any possibility to gain any extra calories than needed. Thus, with reduced calorie intake, the keto diet can be beneficial to control your weight.

 

How to get into ketosis on a Keto diet?

For all those who are not aware of ketosis, it is a metabolic process that ensures that your body converts fat into ketones which later be used as the main source of energy for the body.

Achieving ketosis in a keto diet can require some serious planning and thinking as it is not just simply about cutting on the carbs. So, would you be excited to know how to get in ketosis in a keto diet?

Here are some effective tips that can be followed:

1. Minimize carb consumption:

One of the prime ways to achieve ketosis is by minimizing the consumption of carbs. With this, you ensure that your body can get the required energy from other sources like body fat.

Also, the level of restricting the body carbs can vary from person-to-person and according to their needs.

 

2. Including MCT oils in your diet:

This is another effective way to get in ketosis as the MCT oils are easily broken down by the liver and then converted into the required energy. For this, you can include coconut oil in your diet as it is highly enriched with MCT oils and thus be beneficial.

 

3. Focus to increase healthy fat intake:

As you are focusing on reducing the carb consumption, you should also keep an eye on the maximum consumption of healthy fat in your diet.

With more amount of healthy fat in your diet, you will provide your body with maximum possibilities to convert it into the required amount of energy.

 

4. Maintain an adequate protein intake:

Besides carbs and fat, proteins are the next big thing that should have all your focus to get ketosis in a keto diet. You can include some food items that are rich in protein but make sure to avoid the excessive intake of protein.

 

How to know you are in ketosis?

It is quite important to know if you are in ketosis or not to be sure that your keto diet is on the right track. Here are some of the ways to ensure that you are in ketosis:

1. Increased ketones:

Having a good amount of ketones in your blood is one of the best ways to be sure that you are in ketosis. The ketones level in humans can easily be tested with the help of blood samples or with urine and breath tests.

2. Weight loss:

Some health experts also indicate that if you are losing a decent amount of weight with your low-carb diet, this also indicates that you are in ketosis in your keto diet. You tend to lose more weight when you have reached ketosis.

3. More thirst:

There are also chances that if you are in ketosis in your keto diet, you may feel a lot more thirst than usual. This usually happens due to the side effect of water loss and thus it is suggested to keep yourself hydrated during a keto diet.

 

Foods to Eat in Keto diet:

One of the major reasons for the success of a keto diet is because of the food that we consume in that. Certainly, you no longer have to struggle with hunger but you really have to be very careful of what to eat and include in your diet plan.

To make it a bit clear about all the food items that are okay to be included in the Ketogenic diet, we are mentioning some of the foods to eat.

1. Meat – this includes items like:

• Red meat
• Steak
• Ham
• Sausage
• Bacon
• Chicken
• Turkey

2. Fatty fish – this includes items like:

• Salmon
• Trout
• Tuna
• Mackerel

3. Eggs – this can include:

• Pastured or omega-3 whole eggs

4. Butter or cream – this can include:

• Grass-fed kinds of butter and creams with high-fat content

5. Cheese – this includes items like:

• Unprocessed cheese such as cheddar, goat, cream cheese, blue cheese or mozzarella

6. Nuts and seeds – this includes items like:

• Almonds
• Walnuts
• Brazil nuts
• Cashews
• Macadamia nuts
• Pecans
• Sesame seeds
• Pistachios
• Flax seeds
• Pumpkin seeds
• Chia seeds, etc.

7. Healthy oils – this includes items like:

• Extra virgin olive oil
• Coconut oil
• Avocado oil

8. Avocados – this includes items like:

• Whole avocados
• Freshly made guacamole

9. Low carb veggies – this includes items like:

• Green vegetables
• Tomatoes
• Onions
• Peppers, etc.

10. Condiments – this includes items like:

• Salt
• Various healthy spices and herbs

11. Seafood – this includes items like:

• Clams
• Mussels
• Octopus
• Squid
• Oysters, etc.

All these food items especially concentrate to maximize the benefits for the users without any compromises or hassles. If you want to get the maximum benefit from your keto diet plan, it is advisable to restrict your diet on whole and single-ingredient food items.

Apart from all these food items, you can also get in touch with your dietarian or health expert to be sure of the exact diet plan that will be beneficial for you.

 

Foods to avoid in Keto diet:

As of now, you all must be aware of the Ketogenic diet and therefore, should have guessed the food items that should be avoided in the diet plan.

Anything high in the carb content should be avoided while following the keto diet plan. You can also get the help of your nutritionist or health expert to be sure of the food items that should be excluded from your diet plan when you are following a keto diet plan.

Here is the list of some of the food items that should be avoided in the keto diet plan if you want to get the maximum benefits from the diet:

1. Sugary foods – these include items like:

• Soda
• Fruit juices
• Smoothies
• Cake
• Ice creams
• Candies, etc.

2. Grains or starches – these include items like:

• Wheat-based products
• Rice
• Pasta
• Cereals, etc.

3. Fruits – this includes items like:

• All fruits except small portions of strawberries and other berries

4. Beans or legumes – these include items like:

• Peas
• Kidney beans
• Lentils
• Chickpeas, etc.

5. Root vegetables and tubers – these include items like:

• Potatoes
• Sweet potatoes
• Carrots
• Parsnips, etc.

6. Low fat or diet products – these include items like:

• Highly processed eatables
• High carbs food items

7. Condiments or sauces – these include items like:

• Different sauces with high sugar content and
• The high content of unhealthy fat

8. Unhealthy fats – these include items like:

• Processed vegetable oils
• Mayonnaise, etc.

9. Alcohol – these include items like:

• Alcohol drinks that have high carb content in them

10. Sugar-free diet food – these include items like:

• All the food items those are high on sugar alcohols which can affect your keto diet adversely

11. Traditional snack food – these include items like:

• Potato chips
• Pretzels
• Crackers, etc.

Make sure you clear off all these food items to remain in the maximum nutritional value of the keto diet plan.

 

What to drink in the Keto diet?

Other than the food items that can and cannot be taken in the keto diet; there are some of the drinks that can be taken in the diet plan. Are you aware of those drinks?

Let us have a look at the certain drinks that have made their names in the keto diet plan.

1. Water:

Obviously!

You must include water in your diet as it helps to prevent dehydration along with flushing out all the unwanted elements from the body.

You can either have plain water or can also add slices of cucumber, limes, lemon, etc. in it to enhance its beneficial value.

2. Coffee:

You can also include coffee in your diet but without any sugar in it. You can add a very small amount of milk or cream in it. However, to improve the energy levels, you can increase the fat content in your coffee by adding some butter or coconut oil in it.

3. Tea:

If you are a tea-lover, then here’s a piece of good news for you. You can include any kind of tea in your keto diet but again without any sugar.

Keto diet is open for black tea, green tea, orange pekoe, mint tea, herbal tea or any other type of tea that is free from sugar.

4. Bone broth:

Full of nutrients, hydrating and extremely easy to make – bone broth can be the ultimate drink that you can include in your keto diet. you can also add some butter in it to get the maximum energy level from it.

 

Supplements for a Ketogenic diet:

 

Some supplements can make keto diet easier along with preventing the possible symptoms of keto flu. Interested in knowing?

Here are some of the essential supplements of Ketogenic diet that can be your true companion:

 

1. Whey Protein:

Whey supplement is one of the most common and widely used supplements for a Ketogenic diet. The main reason for this is the fact that all the whey supplements are rich in protein along with having low carb content.

Along with whey supplements, you can also include some adequate amount of green vegetables in your diet for reaping the maximum benefits from the supplement. You can also easily find some efficient keto whey protein powders in the market for your use.

 

2. Caffeine:

The main focus on the keto diet is to burn more amount of fat into energy while being on a low-carb diet. Believe it or not, but caffeine can help to improve your metabolism which can lead to burning more energy with some amazing results. Moreover, it has nothing revolving around ketosis.

However, you should be careful with the consumption of pure and highly-concentrated caffeine as its over-dose can cause some severe side effects to the users.

 

3. MTC Oil:

This is another great supplement of the Ketogenic diet. These oils are metabolized with long-chain triglycerides – one of the most common fat types found in food.

MCT oils are quickly broken by the liver which then enters into the blood to provide the required energy to the brain and body muscles. Coconut oil is quite rich in MCT oil, however, these oils are easily be added to different smoothies and shake for getting the best benefits.

MCT oil also helps to lose weight as it keeps you full for the maximum amount of time.

 

4. Creatine:

Athletes and bodybuilders who are aiming to gain muscle strength and power with improved muscle growth can lean towards creatine supplement while being on a keto diet.

Creatine monohydrate is one of the best keto supplements that can help the athletes and bodybuilders to get all the benefits for their muscles while maintaining their keto diet plan. Its high-protein and low carb plan ensure that the users don’t have to compromise with their keto plan.

 

Healthy Keto Snacks:

If you are one of those who are always hungry between the meals, you can surely include a wide range of healthy snacks in your diet.

Here is the list of some keto-approved healthy snacks that you can include in your plan without compromising on your health:

• Fatty meat or fish dish
• Cheese or cheese sticks
• Avocado with cheese
• A handful of any of your favorite nuts or seeds
• Combination of Olives with cheese
• 1 or 2 hard-boiled eggs
• Dark chocolate
• Low-carb milkshake like a strawberry milkshake
• Almond milk with cocoa powder and nut butter
• Full-fat yogurt with the combination of nut butter and cocoa powder
• Strawberries or any other berries with cream
• Celery with salsa and guacamole

Other than these delicious and amazing snacks, you can also include your leftover meals in smaller portions. Make sure you keep the portions small of the leftover meals and not make it a complete meal.

 

Who should not do a Ketogenic diet?

Though, Keto diet is something interesting for many people but there are certain exemptions about the people who should avoid getting into the Keto diet plan. Are you sure that you are not amongst the one that should not do a Ketogenic diet?

Well, here are some of the cases or conditions under which following a Ketogenic diet would not make a good idea.

1. Pregnant women:

The Ketogenic diet is associated with causing problems for the overall development of the baby as it can hinder the baby’s brain development. Along with this, there is an increased risk of neural tube defects for the baby, if the mother is on a Ketogenic diet.

Since, there is a high possibility of risk of damaging the suitable growth of the baby, doctors do not recommend pregnant women to follow the Ketogenic diet.

 

2. Breast-feeding:

Just like pregnancy, Ketogenic diet is not recommended for women who are into breast-feeding. Those, who are breast-feeding, should maintain an adequate amount of carbohydrates rather than going for a low-carb Ketogenic diet.

Ketogenic diet during the time of breastfeeding can not only harm the mother’s health but can also cause lack of nutrients for the baby.

 

3. People who are on hypo-causing medications:

These medications generally include – insulin, sulphonylureas, and glinides.

All these medications are so that they increase the insulin in the body which results in lowering the blood sugar levels. Thus, following a Ketogenic diet in such a scenario can further degrade the situation. Therefore, it is recommended to consult your health expert before following a keto diet, if you are any of these medications.

Other than these main cases, there are some of the other cases that may not be safe to follow the keto diet plan. Have a look at these cases and know if you are one of them:

• Underweight people
• People who have some eating disorder
• Under 18 children
• People who are recovering from surgery
• Diabetic-1 patients
• People who have a history of serious mental health problems

 

Source of Infromation:

https://www.webmd.com/diet/ss/slideshow-ketogenic-diet

https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/keto

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/02/style/self-care/keto-diet-explained-benefits.html

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/ketogenic-diet-101

https://vitagene.com/blog/keto-diet/

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/7-tips-to-get-into-ketosis

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/does-keto-work

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/ketogenic-diet-and-weight-loss