A Blog Series
Keto is one of the hottest things going right now. It's hot because it allows you to lose weight fast without a lot of maintenance, or calorie counting and without a lot effort.
Well, that's not entirely true - effort does play a role as it relates to your willpower. For example, are you able to keep your carb intake to 5% of your overall daily nutrition?
That is hard to do - but it is not impossible.
So how does it all work exactly?
You see, the diet elevates the levels of ketone bodies in your system. Ketone bodies are the byproducts of the body breaking down fat for energy since your carbs are often in short supply (given the chart noted above.)
This process is called ketosis.
On average, a person on an American diet, gets most of their energy from glucose, which comes from carbs (aka sugars.) When you're in ketosis, however, your body goes into hyper fat-burning mode, and will also start using up stored body fat, which is how you start to lose weight.
When you're in ketosis, your body stores less fat and you feel full longer, this is often because of the kind of food you're eating and because over time, ketosis will change your hunger hormone levels.
So let's get you started. . .
1. Eat. Eat. Eat. Do not make the mistake of eating less than you should. Since you're flipping the switch and feeding your body more fat (for energy) and less carbs, be sure to eat enough calories to fuel yourself. This is a very common mistake.
2. Hydrate. Hydrate. Hydrate. Drink lots of water because when you stop eating carbs, your insulin levels will lower and this will likely cause your kidneys to excrete water and electrolytes. Avoid being dehydrated and be sure to eat whole food sources (avocados, and other salty foods, for example) as well as consuming enough water to avoid what is known as "keto flu" symptoms.
3. Walk. Walk. Walk. Although it may be difficult at first, get some movement into your routine. Just a simply walk around your neighborhood after dinner and first thing in the morning is a great way to end the day, and then start up again.
4. Lose. Lose. Lose. Here are the things to lose out of your kitchen and your stomach: Low-fat yogurt, potato chips, buns, breads, biscuits, black/pinto/kidney beans, flour, mashed potatoes, noodles and pasta. There's more ... but start there.
5. Add. Add. Add. Here are the things to add to your kitchen and your stomach: Lettuce, vegetables, cottage cheese, pork rinds, zucchini chips, baked cheese crisps, Greek yogurt, Almond or coconut flour, cauliflower, soybeans, spaghetti squash.
Your body is truly a fat-burning machine but you must be sure to keep it that way. This nutrition plan was first used (believe it or not) by ancient peoples as a treatment for major ailments because it was discovered that a high-fat, low-carb diet changes your body's mechanics.
Instead of burning glucose for energy - burn pure fat. Think about it. If you condition your body to burn the fat you feed it, and it does, when your body has some down time, it will start seeking out fat cells in your body for energy (because you have conditioned it mechanically to do that.)
KETO is successful for many because it conditions the body to seek out fat cells for energy and not glucose. (since you're not conditioning the body to look for glucose, with the absence of carbs.)
You are changing the mechanics of how your body functions. It looks for energy in different ways (to survive) because it has to. You have made it so.
6. Make it so. Make it so. Make it so. Every decision has a beginning.
Make this your beginning. If your body were an auto engine, you would want to fuel it with the best quality petrol to make it go far and fast. Treat your human body like an auto engine, feed it with quality fuel (keto foods) that will keep it going and going, and not slow it down or make it stop.
You got this!
Please consult with your Physician or another healthcare professional before starting this or any other nutrition or exercise program to determine if this is appropriate for your needs. Thank you.
This Blog Series | Keto Science, is a three-part series helping those that want to get started but don't quite know how. Check out all the posts in this series on www.iloveureka.com