What is the Keto Diet?
So you have been searching for information on the keto diet, let’s go over what the keto diet is, the benefits, and some keto foods.
Introduction:
A ketogenic diet (or simply known as the keto diet) is characterized by very low carbohydrates, moderate-to-high protein, and high fats consumption for medium to long periods in order to burn excessive body fat (and to achieve certain other claimed health benefits). Including a high-fat diet to burn body fat may come as a surprise to some; however, the keto diet is known to provide efficient results.
The idea behind the keto diet is fairly simple. When indulged in the keto diet, your body starts producing molecules known as “ketones,” and the body is said to have achieved the state of ketosis. Normally, 50-60% of an average person’s diet consists of carbohydrates, and the sugar included in these carbohydrates is used for the fuel source. On the other hand, however, body fat is used as the major source of fuel during the state of ketosis. It ultimately leads to fat loss.
Keto diet is an effective weight-loss tool, but it may not be easy for two main reasons. Firstly, you may experience the keto fever during the early few days of keto diet since your body fuel is being shifted from sugars to fats. This fever goes away within a few days. Secondly, finding the right food sources for the keto diet may not be difficult since the majority of our regular food sources contain carbohydrates. For this purpose, the following list may be helpful for you:
Keto Foods:
- Vegetables: One of the best food sources during keto diet could be to eat raw or steamed vegetables since a majority of this food source is very low on carbohydrates. Some of the vegetables that you may look to consume are cabbage, kale, lettuce, cauliflower, avocados, spinach, and olives.
- Meat and Poultry: Nearly all meat and poultry sources are loaded with protein but negligible carbohydrates. So, you may look to consume around 150 grams of grilled or lightly cooked meat or chicken every day.
- Oil: All oil sources have zero carbohydrates. While all oil sources are not healthy, you may look to consume coconut and olive oil due to several additional health benefits these sources may have to provide.
- Nuts: Nuts such as peanuts, walnuts, cashew, and pistachios, among several others, are an amazing source of healthy fats. Some nuts also have some protein but very less carbohydrates, making it a must-have keto food.
- Unsweetened Tea and Coffee: Let’s be honest! Leaving tea and coffee is a big ask, even though we all know these drinks are loaded with carbohydrates (sugar). The easiest way to strike a balance is to develop a habit of drinking unsweetened coffee and tea.
Benefits of the Keto Diet:
Weight loss is an obvious benefit of keto, and it has been proven numerous times. Apart from weight-loss, however, keto may also provide the following additional benefits:
- Reduces the risk of various kinds of cancers.
- Improves health of the heart and its functioning.
- Low-carb diet helps reduce seizures.
- Helps in managing diabetes.
- Improves functioning of the brain.
- Better clarity of mind.
- Helps fight acne, and improves skin.
- Increases “good” Cholesterol and decreases “bad” Cholesterol.
- Helps manage blood pressure.
- Helps in managing various brain disorders.
