Dr. Ahmed Mostaque
Before you start following your keto diet plan, there are things about the ketogenic diet that you should know about. This involves the complications, the process, and the end result. You should know about the types of keto diet and how it is going to help you lose weight. In short the 101 of keto diet. Getting rid of your body weight by following a ketogenic diet is easy. The whole process is much easier. Ketosis is the process that your body goes through on a keto diet. This metabolic process provides lots of health benefits while reducing weight.
During this whole process, your body converts fat into compounds known as ketones that are being used as its main source of energy. It occurs when there is limited access to glucose (blood sugar), which is the energy source for many cells in the body.
Ketosis is very effective for weight loss because of its appetite-suppressing effects. You don’t feel the urge of eating excess food.
Some recent research also suggests that ketosis may also be helpful for type 2 diabetes and neurological disorders, among other conditions.
Having said that, achieving the state of ketosis can be a bit difficult and might take some work and planning. To go into ketosis, you might have to eat fewer than 50 grams of carbs per day. Although it sometimes may vary for which you might have to eat as little as 20 grams of carb per day.
1. Cutting Carb
Minimizing your carb consumption up to 20–50 net grams per day will lower blood sugar and insulin levels. It will lead to the release of stored fatty acids that your liver will convert into ketones. Having a low carb diet is very important in achieving ketosis. Try restricting your carb intake to 20-30 grams for the first two weeks to get into ketosis faster.
2. Include Coconut Oil in Your Diet
Coconut oil is a very healthy choice to get into ketosis faster. Consuming coconut oil provides your body with MCTs, which are quickly absorbed and converted into ketone bodies by your liver. Studies show that consuming coconut oil may be one of the best ways to increase ketone levels in our body especially for people with Alzheimer’s disease and other nervous system disorders.
3. Increase Physical Activity
Being more active physically can help you get into ketosis faster. Engaging in physical activity can increase ketone levels during carb restriction. Especially when you are working out in a fasted state, your ketone level increases drastically.
4. Increase Your Healthy Fat Intake
The keto diet is a high-fat low-carb diet. Consuming plenty of healthy fat can boost your ketone levels and help you reach ketosis. But consuming excess fat doesn’t result into higher ketone level.
Consuming at least 60% of calories from fat will help boost your ketone levels. Choose a variety of healthy fats from both plant and animal sources.
5. Maintain Adequate Protein Intake
Consuming too little protein can lead to muscle mass loss, whereas excessive protein intake may suppress ketone production. So it is important to consume enough protein so that you don’t lose your muscle. Although losing weight will eventually reduce your muscle and fat.
