There are many popular diets out there, and one you might have heard of is the keto diet. The ketogenic diet was actually created to treat epilepsy in the 1920s to mimic the metabolism of fasting. But now, people have also realized the other keto benefits.
So, what actually is the keto diet? Before you start a diet plan, it is important to understand it to determine whether it is the right choice for you. Read on for all you need to know about the ketogenic diet.
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What Is a Keto Diet?
The ketogenic diet, which is known as the keto diet, is a low-carb diet. It involves replacing carbohydrates with fatty foods.
You drastically cut your intake of carbohydrates, so foods rich in carbs and easy to digest are eliminated. Instead, the keto diet focuses on fat, which makes up as much as 90% of your diet.
How the Ketogenic Diet Works?
The ketogenic diet aims to stop your body from relying on carbohydrates as your main energy source. The keto diet relies on ketone bodies, which is a fuel type that the liver produces from the fat that it stores.
Your body ends up reaching ketosis without carbohydrate energy, which is a metabolic state. Once you reach ketosis, your body becomes efficient at burning fat to gain energy.
Types of Keto Diets
There are different keto diet plans, which include:
- Standard ketogenic diet (SKD)
- Cyclical ketogenic diet (CKD)
- Targeted ketogenic diet (TKD)
- High protein ketogenic diet
The SKD follows the low carb diet, high fat plan. You eat around 20-50 grams of carbs, 40-60 grams of protein, and no set limit for fat.
The CKD is similar, but it is less restrictive. It includes days when you can eat more carbs, such as five days keto diet and then two days off.
The high-protein diet contains more protein than the SKD. The TKD lets you add in more carbs around workout schedules.
There are many other keto diet plans, such as those with a vegan or vegetarian focus. It is best to work with a keto coach such as Theketonutritionist.com to find the best keto diet plan for you.
Keto Diet Foods
Keto diet plans typically allow you to eat foods such as non-starchy vegetables, nuts, avocados, cheese, meat, eggs, full-fat dairy, olive oil, and other leafy greens.
You usually have to avoid bread, pasta, processed foods, junk food, potatoes, sugar, beer, wine, bananas, apples, beans, and other carb-heavy foods.
Popular Diets: Keto Benefits
Weight loss is one benefit of the keto diet. However, research has found it can be helpful to prevent and manage type 2 diabetes. Studies have also found it can help reduce risk factors for heart disease, such as lowering blood sugar levels.
However, while it is clear why keto is one of the most popular diets, you should take it seriously. Consider a keto coach to help guide you and consult with your doctor, so you can safely enjoy keto without risks such as kidney stones.
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