How Does The Ketogenic Diet Help With Weight Loss?
By: Whole Health Emporium
Tags: Weight Loss, Health, Healthcare, Keto, Weight Loss Tips

Wanna lose some weight? Go keto!

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I’m certain that almost all of us have heard of the famous keto diet.

And some of its relatives such as the Atkins diet, paleo diet, mediterranean diet and so many more.

You have probably tried out one of them or all! Anything to lose those extra pounds right?

Have you ever stopped to think; how does this diet contribute to my weight loss?

Don’t scratch your head too much.

This article will talk about how the ketogenic diet helps with weight loss.

If you’re looking for some help with keto, this supplement works wonders!

What Is The Ketogenic Diet?

Commonly known as “keto,”Wajeed Masood, Pavan Annamaraju, and Kalyan R. Uppaluri define the ketogenic diet as one that is made up of high fats, moderate proteins and very minimal carbohydrates.

The diet forces the body to burn fats rather than carbohydrates.

Carbohydrates only make 5% of a keto diet.

Interesting Fact!

The keto diet is not as new as we may think.

Dr.Russell Wilder first came up with the term ketogenic diet in 1924,when he suggested the diet for the treatment of seizures.

However, the popularity of this diet faded when antiepileptic drugs were discovered.

It then came back to the limelight as a way to lose weight. What a comeback!

How Does It Work?

Carbohydrates are the primary source of glucose that is taken up by cells and used as energy.

When the intake of carbohydrates is reduced to about 50 grams a day glycogen stores are depleted and the body goes through two processes.

The first process is called gluconeogenesis where the body starts producing its own glucose from the liver. This glucose comes from amino acids and lactic acid.

When the body can no longer sustain itself by gluconeogenesis, it taps into its fat stores and starts using fats as a source of fuel.

This is called ketogenesis. In ketogenesis; the body uses ketones instead of glucose as the primary energy source.

This is commonly called ‘going into ketosis’

“As long as the body is deprived of carbohydrates, you will remain in ketosis, and lose fat, therefore, losing weight.” Wajeed Masood, Pavan Annamaraju, and Kalyan R. Uppaluri.

Is It Safe?

Most doctors and nutritionists agree that being in a state of ketosis is safe because the ketones are produced in very small amounts.

Therefore they cannot alter the pH of the body.

If ketones are produced in large amounts, they will alter the body’s pH, causing ketoacidosis which can be a life threatening complication.

What Should You Eat?

The keto diet consists of approximately 50–60% fats, 30–35% protein and 5–10% carbohydrates.

Including a large volume of foods rich in unsaturated fats such as nuts, seeds, avocados, coconuts, organic tofu, and olive oil are all great way to start.

Other sources of omega 3 fatty acids are also great.

Foods rich in saturated fats such as butter, coconut oil and lard are also encouraged.

And Lean proteins such as fish, chicken and proteins high in saturated fats such as bacon, beef and pork.

“Remember to watch your protein intake as too much protein prevents ketosis”.Harvard Medical School Journal.

Keep carbohydrate intake as low as possible and go for leafy vegetables and certain low GI fruits like berries.

Certain superfoods are an excellent way to get optimal nutritional also. You can learn more about them here.

Spirulina and chlorella are both excellent additions that won’t knock you out of ketosis either.

Diabetes And Keto

People with diabetes should talk to their physician before starting a keto diet.

This is because their medication, especially insulin, needs to be adjusted to prevent hypoglycemia when combined with keto.

However, many have had great success improving their diabetes symptoms with the keto diet — you can learn about it here.

Conclusion

The keto diet has lived up to the hype and has been proven to be effective in enhancing weight loss.

To gain more from this diet, you need to couple it with a regular exercise routine.

If you are living with diabetes, be sure to talk to your physician first before starting the diet.

Remember, ketosis occurs after a few days so be patient, be consistent and you shall reap the sweet fruits of the famed keto diet!

Thank you for reading!

How did keto affect your weight loss journey?

Leave a comment below and share your thoughts with us!

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Written by Pauline D. and Richard Tracy

Works Cited

Masood, Wajeed, Pavan Annamaraju, and Kalyan R. Uppaluri. “Ketogenic Diet.” StatPearls. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing, 2021. Print.

Rhoads, Paul S. “RUSSELL M. WILDER, M.D. 1885–1959.” Archives of internal medicine 105.4 (1960): 510. Print.

“Should You Try the Keto Diet?” Harvard.edu. N.p., 1 Oct. 2018. Web. 24 Oct. 2021.