How To Get Started With The Keto Diet As A Beginner?
What is a Keto Diet? How long does it take to get into Ketosis! Can Keto Diet be consumed for longer durations?
All of your doubts, queries, and ambiguity that you’ve regarding the ketogenic diet will come to rest in this Ultimate Keto Guide for beginners. This could be the last time you ever have to search for beginner's stuff related to the keto diet.
All of the facts and suggestions made in this guide have been thoroughly checked and scrutinized by CDC-approved medical officials to help you get started with your keto journey
Skip Ahead To What You’re Looking For
· What is a Keto Diet?
· Types of Keto Diet
· How does the keto work?
· Keto Diet Foods
· Ketogenic Diet For Type 2 Diabetes
· Side Effects of Keto Diet
∘ What is Keto Flu?
· Takeaway
∘ Custom Keto Diet Plan for Free
What is a Keto Diet?
In its most basic terms, the keto diet is much like a low-carb diet but with very high amounts of fat and a considerable portion of protein.
Yes, keto diets make use of fats for losing weight which are notorious for causing obesity and are averted in other low carb diet programs like The Paleo, South Beach, and Atkins diets, but this is where the uniqueness of the keto diet kicks in.
Normally the fats we consume take more time to get digested than their carb counterparts, Due to which carbs that are broken down into sugar (glucose) are used to render energy to our body. So, instead of reducing the amounts of fats that we take in as supported by other dietary programs, keto diets mitigate’s the carb intake which forces the body to break down stored fats to produce and meet energy requirements.
This is achieved by converting fats into ketones via lungs that pushes the body into a metabolic state called ketosis, more on this under How does the keto work?
Now let's dive into the composition of macro calories for the keto diet.
For a 2000 calories meal, about 70–80% should be fats,20% is expected to be protein, and less than 10% of carbohydrates; which works out to be precisely 165gms,75gms and 40gms respectively of fats, proteins, and carbs.
Calculate the exact amount of carbs, protein, and fats you need for your ketogenic diet using this free Keto Calculator
Types of Keto Diet
Since ketogenic diets are majorly dependent upon the amount of the three macronutrients (proteins, carbon, and fats) their variations arise by adjusting their compositions to suffice the need for different lifestyles.
The prominent four are listed below:
(i)Standard Ketogenic diet: This is the diet we have talked about earlier, where the composition is 70%,20%, and 10% respectively for the three macros.
This Diet has been fruitful for adults with mediocre or less active lifestyles who are pushing for losing weight.
(ii)Advanced Ketogenic Diet: This is for athletes or people having a very active lifestyle and involves about 80% of fats and 20% of protein with nearly nill amounts of carbs.
(iii)Cyclical Ketogenic Diet: For all those folks who need to keep up with their protein requirements for mass building this diet is for you. It incorporates about 60% of fats and about 35% of proteins with 5% of carb.
(iv)Targeted Ketogenic Diet: This one has been devised specifically for the people who want to keep eating carbs around their workout times.
Check which diet fits you the best with our free tool here
How does the keto work?
The working of the keto diet depends upon the production of the ketone bodies.
To understand how does the keto diet works we have to know how energy is synthesized normally in our body.
For an average adult, the carbohydrates taken in from grains, legumes, vegetables, and fruits are broken down into sugar (glucose) which is then used by the body to perform various functions.
But in ketosis, this system is ditched entirely for a few weeks, rather than getting energy from carbs keto diets reduces our carbohydrate intake and replaces it with a very high fat intake, which forces our body to synthesize energy by breaking down fats into ketone bodies using our lungs.
This breakdown of fats is expensive and wastes a lot of calories; some researchers put the number at 600 calories per day, hence speeding up the weight loss program.
It’s further believed by some authors that due to the appetite suppressant action of ketone bodies such prompt weight loss is observed, which can even be confirmed by the fact that the human digestive system takes more time to break down the fats ultimately causing higher satiety or a sense of fullness.
In a 2013 meta-analysis Trusted Source of 13 different randomized controlled trials, researchers found that people following ketogenic diets lost 2 pounds (lbs) more than those following low-fat diets over 1 year,
Keto diet has been proven in helping losing weight and that too quickly, however trying it alone is a big no! as not only you’ll harm your health but won’t get any results that you’re rolling in for, So it’s advisable to first confront a doctor or a physician and then start your keto journey.
Watch our Custom Keto diet video to get started with your keto journey. *
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Keto Diet Foods
To help you out in choosing the right keto diet food we have curated the list of top keto foods that are vital for any type of ketogenic diet, Here are they :
- Meat: sausage, steak, ham,red meat, bacon and turkey
- Fatty fish: trout, salmon and mackerel
- Butter and cream: grass-fed butter and heavy cream
- Eggs: pastured or omega-3 whole eggs
- Cheese: unprocessed cheeses like cheddar, goat, cream, blue, or mozzarella
- Nuts and seeds: almonds, walnuts, flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, etc.
- Healthy oils: avocado oil, coconut oil and extra virgin oil
- Avocados: Whole avocados or freshly made guacamole
- Low carb veggies: green vegetables, tomatoes, onions, peppers, etc.
- Spices: pepper, salt, herbs, and spices
These foods are generic keto foods that are believed to suit everyone, but for a more customized food plan specific for your body type and lifestyle check out Custom Keto diet
Ketogenic Diet For Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is a condition that impacts the blood sugar level in one’s body; the condition arises due to the absence or improper working of a hormone called insulin.
Due to the problems associated with the production of the insulin via pancreas the sugar in our blood isn’t made available to cells for synthesis and leads to a spike in blood sugar levels as shortly as a high carb meal is consumed.
To counter that keto diet significantly reduces the intake of carbs and helps the body deal with type 2 diabetes.
Various studies have found out that the keto diet improves insulin production by a massive 75% and even a small study on a group of women found out that following a keto diet for 8 weeks has reduced hemoglobin A1C.
These results speak for themselves how big a difference the keto diet can create for people who want to curb their diabetes and lose weight. So try for your own with our custom keto diet program which provides you with keto meals that match your body type and lifestyle, Watch our Custom Keto Diet Video to get started
Side Effects of Keto Diet
Yet with the novel and efficient way of losing weight the keto diet too has some backlashes that you should keep in mind before trying it or consult with your physician about.
All the studies and benefits you read earlier are based upon acute research, No prominent study on the long-term effects of the keto diet on the body has been made till yet.
What is Keto Flu?
Despite not being proven but there has been some anecdotal evidence of a string of problems coming along with starting the keto diet, These initial problems include:
- poor energy and mental function
- increased hunger
- decreased exercise performance
- nausea
- digestive discomfort
All of these symptoms have been temporary and usually disappear within 2–4 days of the keto diet or as soon as your body goes under ketosis.
Takeaway
Keto Diet has been a game-changer for people who were resolute to lose weight but were hindered by the failures of the current weight loss programs, it has shown that weight loss is possible and that too without giving up on everything you love. Some anecdotal side effects have come into the limelight and proper research needs to be done.
So, if you’re just starting out and need guidance please consult your doctor or physician as they will show the right path for going on with your journey without any side effects.
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Custom Keto Diet Plan for Free
If you’re starting out with the ketogenic diet and need some guidance check out our custom keto diet plan curated for you and that too for free.
*(it’s an affiliate link, if you end up purchasing any program through this link it’ll render me a commission at no extra cost to you and will support my writing)
