What is Ketogenic Diet? What are the benefits? 

Isn’t there at least one or two articles popping up on your social media newsfeed claiming someone has seen quite a considerable shift in their scale within a week or a month?  This has gathered a lot of attention from a lot of people.

A ketogenic diet basically is a diet where one reduces the intake of carbohydrates to replace the daily essential calories with calories from proteins and fats. 

If someone eats less than 50 grams of carbohydrates per day, the source of quick energy which is the blood sugar will be used up. The body has to turn to the body’s stored fats and proteins for the energy sources. This is what makes you lose fat and eventually the weight. This entire process is called ketosis.

The body normally relies on carbohydrates for sources of energy for everyday function. The process of ketosis gears up the fat loss instead. 

Ketogenic diets have become popular in the fitness market these past few years. There are even communities on social media that sell ketogenic diet plans and they can be ordered to your doorstep and also various recipes are available to buy the right ingredients so that you can cook for yourself.

Full cream milk and yoghurt, cheese, butter, vegetable oil, nuts and seeds, meat and fish and eggs are the staple foods of ketogenic diet.

Unhealthy fat sources, beans, fruits with great sugar content, carbohydrate filled simple carbs such as sweet potatoes, potatoes, processed food are to be avoided at all costs. Recipes and menus for a keto diet may vary but if you have simple knowledge of what to eat and avoid, it should be easy to stick to this diet. 

The effectiveness of this diet will be determined by how strictly you can follow the facts below.

• Decide on what day you’re going to start the ketogenic diet.
• Avoid outside food if you’re not sure if it is ketogenic.
• Make a bulk-purchase of the keto-friendly ingredients.
• Avoid eating too much at once.
• Don’t forget to get appropriate exercise to pair with this diet.
• Do not overconsume proteins. Excessive protein intake can lead to the breakdown into amino acids which in turn can be converted to sugar. This can disrupt your ketosis cycle.

Switching into an unfamiliar where the body uses a different fuel source for energy can have side effects at the beginning. The symptoms known as keto flu such as lethargy, exhaustion, uncontrollable hunger, insomnia, nausea, constipation or loose motions can arise in the first few days of the ketogenic diet.

The difficulty of adjusting to the new diet can make you want to start eating carbs again. This can throw off your metabolism and make the diet ineffective. You have to wait at least 3-4 months until you return to your normal diet. The best way is to make ketogenic diet a part of your lifestyle instead of using it as a short-term crash diet. 

The most obvious benefit you will be able to see within a few weeks is a significant loss of weight. It is also the most effective in losing body fat percentage. It reduces your appetite, fuels your brain power and keeps you full of energy all day long!

The ketogenic diet was first used in the treatment of epilepsy. It also offers some help in controlling Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Some studies also claim that the diet itself can halt the spread of some cancers. 

There usually isn’t one. Some milder side effects are those of keto-flu, the constipation, fall in blood sugar level and indigestion.

Some of the very rare and serious side effects include developing kidney stones or build up of acids in the body, since fats are basically fatty acids. If you have an underlying medical condition, it is best to consult a doctor before going on this diet.