The Complete Guide to the Keto Diet Plan
Today, people are turning to the keto diet for a variety of reasons. It helps many people lose weight and combat serious health conditions. But there’s never a diet that is guaranteed to work for everyone.
So it’s important to learn what you can about a diet before you go on it. Here’s everything you should know about the keto diet for weight loss!
What is a keto diet?
What “keto” means
How Keto Works
- “Keto” is short for ketogenic. The goal of being on the keto diet plan is to produce ketones, which are essentially an alternative energy source that is made in your liver. Keto makes you switch to producing ketones by lowering your blood sugar. Once you reach this state, you’ve achieved what is called ketosis. The best way you can start producing ketones is by adhering to a low-carb diet that includes only a small amount of protein.
- The ketogenic diet actually alters your metabolism. When you aren’t consuming a lot of carbs, you have a low insulin level. This causes you to burn a large amount of fat. In fact, you’ll be burning fat pretty much 24/7. At this point, your body will start to burn the fat you’ve stored away, and that will cause you to lose weight.
- Although your whole body can use ketones as fuel, they are especially useful for your brain. Your brain needs a lot of energy to perform at its peak. But it can’t run off of fat. It needs glucose or ketones. So when you’re producing ketones, your brain has a lot of fuel.
"The keto diet results in more than just weight loss. It comes with even more benefits than traditional low-carb and high-fat diets."
Benefits of the Keto Diet Results
When your body is always burning fat, it’s going to access weeks or months of stored energy so you won’t feel as hungry. While you’re on keto, you’ll need to start training yourself to eat only when you’re hungry. This will help you lose even more weight because you’ll be consuming fewer calories. Some people on keto choose to practice intermittent fasting. The decreased hunger feelings will make intermittent fasting easy. This will not only help with weight loss but also with reversing type 2 diabetes. Other people feel they only need to eat twice a day when they’re on keto. Usually, they choose to skip breakfast. When you spend less time feeling hungry, you can develop a better relationship with food. This is a huge help for those who have food addictions or even eating disorders.
Improved Mental Performance
Keto has general mental benefits as well. Many people discover that they feel more alert and focused on the diet. You may be able to concentrate for longer periods of time and experience less brain fog.
Increased Energy
Keto can give you more energy and endurance by improving access to your fat storage. Ordinarily, your stored carbohydrates will only give you energy for a couple of hours of intense exercise at the most. But when you’re being fueled by fat, your energy can last for weeks! The keto diet can reduce your overall body fat percentage. This can improve athletic performance, especially when it comes to endurance.
Heart Disease
Keto may be able to reduce your risk of heart disease. It does this by changing your cholesterol profile. Losing weight in general can improve your heart health. Because of this, keto diet weight loss can indirectly help your cardiovascular health.
Type 2 Diabetes
Keto gives you greater control over your blood sugar levels. Thus, it’s especially beneficial if you have type 2 diabetes. Sometimes keto can even completely reverse diabetes. By lowering your blood sugar levels, keto can reduce your need for medications. It may also reduce the potentially negative impact that high insulin levels can have on some people. Keto may also make you less likely to get type 2 diabetes.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Keto can also reduce your symptoms of IBS. When you’re on the keto diet plan, you may experience less gas, less cramping, and an overall more settled stomach. Some people on keto experience relief from IBS in just one or two days!
Epilepsy
Keto has been used for treating epilepsy for a century! In the past, it was mostly used for children who suffered from the condition. But more recently, adults have benefited from it as well. Some people may experience such significant seizure reduction that they no longer need to take as many anti-epileptic drugs. Some stop taking them altogether! Being on keto may also decrease the side-effects of your anti-epileptic drugs.
Try Keto with the Help of Chicago Weight Loss & Wellness Clinics
There are so many great reasons to try keto! If you’re looking to start this diet plan, talk to an expert at one of the Chicago Weight Loss & Wellness Clinics. We’ll be there to motivate you and help you achieve maximum results. For a free consultation, contact us today!
Frequently Asked Questions About Keto
If I’m a vegan or vegetarian, can I do keto?
Yes! It’s easy to prepare keto diet meals without eating meat or animal products.
What are net carbs?
You’re going to hear the words “net carbs” a lot when you’re on the keto diet. You can figure out how many net carbs are in keto diet foods when you subtract the grams of fiber from the grams of total carbs.
What are some foods to avoid on the keto diet?
Although there aren’t many restrictions for keto diet meals, there are still definitely some foods you need to be wary of. For example, you shouldn’t eat: • Starchy foods like rice or pasta • Beans • Sugary beverages • Low-fat dairy
What are some of the best keto diet foods?
The keto diet isn’t a restrictive one. You have a lot of options of what to eat. Some of the foods you’ll definitely eat a lot of include: • Eggs • Full-fat dairy like cheese and plain Greek yogurt • Nuts and seeds • Avocadoes • Olives • Low-carb fruits like berries, lemons, and limes • Low-carb vegetables like asparagus and cauliflower
Who should avoid the keto diet?
There are always people who should avoid certain diets. Keto is no exception. Most people do very well with keto. The three main groups that could experience issues on the diet are the following: • Those who take insulin for diabetes • Those with high blood pressure • Women who are breastfeeding You should speak with one of our experienced professionals before you go on this diet if you fall into one of these categories.
