What if you could train your body to burn fat more efficiently and speed up your metabolism without restricting calories? If you’re struggling to lose those last 5 pounds or wondering why the muffin top just won’t budge (despite eating clean and exercising), you may find the answers you’re looking for in this keto diet mastery.
What Is the Keto Diet?
The ketogenic (aka: “keto”) diet is a high-fat, low-carb diet that puts your body in a natural fat-burning metabolic state called ketosis (1).
This is done by heavily restricting carbs and focusing on high fat, moderate protein meals (in some cases protein may be also be heavily restricted). According to PubMed, the classical ketogenic diet contains a 4:1 ratio of fat to proteins and carbs. In other words, the principle of the keto diet is to “eat fat to burn fat”.
Now, the keto diet is often grouped with other high-fat, low-carb diets such as the Paleo or Atkins diets. But the reason these diets boast fat burning benefits in the first place is because they promote ketosis. Therefore, the ketogenic diet isn’t so much a “diet”, but more so the basis of these diets, and the biochemical reaction that occurs when you train your body to burn fat for fuel instead of carbs.
While the ketogenic diet has become popular for weight loss, studies have also shown numerous other health benefits of following a keto diet. For example, studies have shown it may help reverse type 2 diabetes and reduce symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, depression, and autism (2)(3). In fact, the keto diet was first used in the 1920s not as a weight loss diet, but a natural treatment to prevent seizures in epilepsy patients (4).
With that said, let’s look closer at how the ketogenic diet can work for dramatic weight loss, and other ways it can improve your health.
How the Keto Diet Works
As we’ve covered, the purpose of the keto diet is to train your body to burn fat for fuel, rather than carbs, by remaining in a state of ketosis. In order for this to happen, you must remove the majority of carbs (in most cases, 90-95%) out of your diet. Why?
By default, your body generates energy from carbohydrates (glucose), which are stored as glycogen in your muscle tissue and liver (5). You store enough carbs for approximately 24 hours worth of energy (5). Now, most of us easily replenish our carb stores by eating fruit, vegetables, grains, and legumes, so our carb “fuel tanks” rarely get low and we continue burning glucose for energy.
However, in the case you do run low on glucose, your body will switch gears and begin converting stored fatty acids to ketones, which can be used as a secondary energy source (6). This is why the ketogenic diet is so effective for losing weight. Instead of starving yourself, you’re training your body to burn fat for energy.
Now, since carbs are your body’s first choice for energy and fat is secondary, the only way to get your body to burn fat for fuel instead of carbs is by getting your body into a “ketotic state,” usually by removing the majority of carbs from your diet. Without stored glucose, your body has no choice but to dip into your fat stores and begin converting those fatty acids to ketones when you need energy (7).
And while we only store enough glucose for about 24 hours of energy, enough fat can be stored in the body to provide weeks or months worth of energy, which is why people can survive fasting (8). The amount of fat your body can utilize for energy will depend on your body composition and the fat percentage you’re carrying.
As you can see, keeping your body in ketosis for prolonged periods of time teaches your body to burn fat for energy more efficiently, which is how the keto diet can reduce your overall fat mass. This is how following a high-fat, low-carb can help you lose weight without starvation, especially since high-fat foods are satiating and keep you full for longer periods of time.
It should be noted, however, the keto diet may not always trigger weight loss, especially if you already have a low body fat percentage.
But weight loss isn’t the only benefit or reason to follow a ketogenic diet. Let’s look at some of the other benefits.
Why Follow a Keto Diet?
A Keto diet is good for heart health
Wait: doesn’t fat raise LDL cholesterol and increase your risk for heart disease?
If that were the case, surely the keto diet would be the perfect storm for a heart attack. However, studies have proven that fat is not the culprit in cardiovascular disease— in fact, to this day, no reputable study has been able to show a link between saturated fat and cardiovascular disease (9).
Instead, research shows diets high in refined sugar and carbs are far more destructive to the heart and arteries than fat, and have a greater ability to raise blood pressure and promote inflammation (10).
Since the keto diet removes all processed carbs and starchy carbs, it may serve as both a preventative and therapeutic diet for those at risk.
A Keto Diet Helps Maintain Healthy Blood Sugar
If you develop a condition related to blood sugar imbalance, such as type 2 diabetes, it means your body has stopped properly responding to insulin, the hormone that brings sugar out of your bloodstream and into your cells to be used and stored as energy (11). This is also known as insulin resistance.
But there’s good and bad news: while type 2 diabetes is primarily caused by excess refined sugar and carbs in your diet, it’s a condition that can also be reversed by changing the foods you eat (12). Again, since the ketogenic diet removes most carbs, it gives your body a chance to reestablish and reset the ‘communication’ with insulin, which can improve insulin sensitivity and reverse blood sugar imbalances.
Even when followed as a short-term solution, ketosis may help improve other blood sugar conditions, such as hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia. With the permission (and supervision) of a qualified healthcare practitioner, the keto diet can also be used safely as a long-term protocol for eliminating type 2 diabetes (13).
A Keto Diet Can Improve Cognitive Function
The brain can only use two types of nutrients for fuel: glucose, and ketones (14). This is why, despite information that states a certain amount of glucose is needed per day for optimal brain function, a keto diet can actually support cognitive function. In fact, some people report improved focus, concentration and mental alertness when they enter ketosis.
The improved mental performance may be due to the fact that certain ketones, such as beta hydroxybutyrate (BHB) produce more ATP (energy) than glucose, which would actually make fat as a more efficient fuel source. However, there are few studies to back up this claim.
As mentioned above, the keto diet has also been used effectively for preventing seizures in epileptic patients, especially those who don’t respond well to medication. While it’s not entirely clear how this process works, research suggests removing carbs and mimicking the effect of starvation may block the neuron channels that lead to the ‘electrical storm in the brain’ that results in a seizure (15).
Additionally, the keto diet may also help patients with degenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease (16). Research shows that with the onset of Alzheimer’s, the brain’s cells stop responding to insulin (much like type 2 diabetes), which causes inflammation in the brain
(17). By restricting carbs, the keto diet may help improve insulin sensitivity when it comes to blood sugar and brain function.
A Keto Diet Can Improve Skin Health
A high carb diet (especially when it comes to dairy products and refined sugar) has been shown to trigger sebum (oil) production in the skin, which is a major cause of acne (18). Removing sugar from your diet may also help improve inflammatory skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis (19). The healthy fats encouraged on the keto diet also provide the building blocks of healthy skin cells (20).
A Keto Diet can Help With Hormonal Balance
Since ketosis has the ability to improve how insulin functions, it may also improve the rest of your hormones and correct hormonal imbalances, such as polycystic ovarian syndrome, or PCOS (21).
An easy way to understand how your hormones work is to picture them as strands of a spider web: you can’t remove one strand without affecting the rest. In other words, when one hormone is out of balance, the rest are negatively impacted— but when the functioning of one hormone is improved, the rest are improved too.
A Keto Diet Could Have Anti-Cancer Properties
Cancerous tumorous use glucose as a main source of energy to grow (22). For this reason, a keto diet is recommended to slow tumor growth in cancer patients of all stages by starving out the cells.
Research shows the keto diet may also enhance a patient’s response to chemotherapy. In fact, one study reported an improvement in sleep and emotional functioning in patients undergoing chemo who were also following a keto diet (23).
A Keto Diet can Help Control Food Cravings
We’ve discussed why the keto diet is beneficial for fat loss, but another way it can contribute to weight loss is by balancing your blood sugar levels, which reduces cravings for carbs (24). Since high fat foods are also richer and more satiating than carbs, they also fill you up in smaller portions, further leading to weight loss.
A Keto Diet Can Provide a Metabolism Boost
Some studies suggest ketosis can increase your metabolism by causing even more calories to be expended during the fat-for-fuel burning process (25).
How to Test if You’re in Ketosis
Now of course, in order for the keto diet to work, you’ll need to know if you’re in ketosis or not. There are several ways to measure ketones in your body, through your blood, urine, and breath. Here are the most common methods:
1. Urine Testing Strips
Elevated levels of ketones (the acetoacetate group, to be specific) can be instantly detected in your urine using strips, such as KetoStrips (only one of many brands). After dipping one of these strips into your urine stream, you’ll be able to find out which stage of ketosis you’re in, based on the color guide provided.
You can find keto strips at nearly any drugstore, and online through Amazon.
2. Acetone Breath Analyzer
Ketone breath analyzers allow you to measure your state of ketosis in your breath, also by detecting acetoacetates. A popular brand is Ketonix, which is a rechargeable ketone monitor that can be used over and over again.
Also, a sign of ketosis is bad breath, or “fruity” smelling breath, which you can detect on your own!
3. Blood Monitor
According to Authority Nutrition and many other online sources, the ketone blood monitor is the most accurate ketosis testing method. A blood monitor measures your state of ketosis by detecting the amount of beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) in your blood, which is one of the primary ketones.
It is a little more invasive than the other keto testing methods, as it requires a prick of blood from your finger. Test kits are around $40, and blood ketone test strips go for roughly $5 each (you’ll need one for every time you test).
Types Of Keto Diets
There are many different ways to follow a keto diet. Here are the 4 of the most common.
1. Standard Ketogenic Diet (SKD)
This standard ketogenic diet is one of the most researched versions of the keto diet, and is what we’re primarily referring to throughout this article (although, the same principles we’ve discussed apply to most of the other forms).
The SKD generally includes 5% carbs, 20% protein, and 75% fat.
2. Targeted Ketogenic Diet (TKD)
The targeted ketogenic diet allows you to add extra carbs around workouts, surpassing the SKD 5% carb rule, and may be a better option for those who are extremely active and train more than twice per week. The easiest way to see if this is working for you is to keep testing your ketone levels when you add carbs after workouts and make sure that they don’t kick you out of ketosis.
3. High Protein Ketogenic Diet
The high protein ketogenic diet is close to the standard ketogenic diet, but with a higher ratio of protein. The macro count for the HPK diet is roughly 5% carbs, 35% protein, 60% fat.
4. Cyclical Ketogenic Diet (CKD)
This form rotates ketogenic days with high carb days, usually 5 ketogenic days, followed by 2 high carb days. Sometimes referred to as ketogenic carb cycling, this version of the keto diet can help maximize fat loss and build muscle.
On high carb days, your body will leave a state of ketosis— but these “carb refeeds” may be more effective for muscle growth than the high protein or targeted keto diet, since glycogen is the nutrient that “feeds” muscles (26). Ketogenic carb cycling is also said to be less of a lifestyle stressor for some people, as the 2 high carb days make the CKD feel less restrictive and easier to follow.
How to Follow a Keto Diet
The ketogenic diet is super low-carb, and since each person has a different body fat percentage and nutrient requirements, there is no one-size-fits-all caloric or macronutrient rule for getting into ketosis.
For example, athletes who train 4-5 times per week will still be able to enter a state of ketosis by eating a higher percentage of carbs, compared to someone who’s mostly sedentary.
The amount of carbs you’re allotted each day and the best type of keto diet for you to follow will depend on:
- Your current weight
- Your current body fat percentage
- Your height
- Your gender
- Your fitness and activity levels
- Your fitness and health goals (for example, body builders may experience more muscle gain from a cyclical ketogenic diet vs. a standard keto diet)
If you’re not already a keto pro, you can calculate your personal optimal macronutrient ratios by using this ketogenic calculator.
What Foods Are Off-Limits on a Keto Diet?
Grains: any type of whole grain or grain-based product (pasta, bread, cereal, rice, etc.)
Fruit: all fruit (a few blackberries or strawberries are the exception if you’re not at your total carb percentage for the day since they’re lower in sugar)
Root Veggies: potatoes, sweet potatoes, parsnips, yams, carrots
Beans and Legumes: lentils, garbanzo beans, peanuts, peas, kidney beans, navy beans
Unhealthy Fats: the keto diet encourages healthy fats, not unhealthy fats like those found in refined vegetable oils, such as canola, soybean, sunflower, and peanut oil
Processed Foods: avoid anything in a package or box, because it will most likely contain either a grain, sugar alcohols such as xylitol, refined sugar, or all of the above
Condiments: salad dressings, ketchup, and sauces are generally high in carbs
Alcohol: since alcohol is a carbohydrate, even one glass of wine or a beer can throw you out of ketosis
What Can You Eat on a Keto Diet?
So.. what can you eat on the keto diet? The answer is plenty!
Meat: beef, elk, bison, bacon, ham
Fatty Fish: wild salmon, halibut, sardines, mackerel
Poultry: chicken, organic eggs
Nuts and Seeds: almonds, walnuts, macadamia nuts, cashews, flaxseeds, pumpkin, chia seeds
Healthy Fats: avocado, coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil
Low Carb Veggies: leafy greens, onions, tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, asparagus
Condiments: herbs and spices: turmeric, black pepper, basil, mint, parsley, cilantro, mustard seed
Is Following the Ketogenic Diet Dangerous? Ketosis Vs. Ketoacidosis
Ketosis is sometimes mixed up with the term, ketoacidosis — which is a dangerous health condition that can turn your blood too acidic, and lead to serious health problems, including death (27).
Ketoacidosis happens when your body fails to produce enough insulin (which is more commonly seen in those with type 1 diabetes, however it can also occur in those with type 2 diabetes if their diet and insulin levels aren’t being properly monitored (28).
On the other hand, when done properly, nutritional ketosis can improve insulin function, and people who don’t have blood sugar imbalances aren’t typically at risk for ketoacidosis (29).
Who Should Not Follow The Keto Diet
A word of caution: if you’re starting a new dietary plan, especially if it’s for a condition or disease, you need a professional to help you weigh your options.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding are notable times of extreme physical vulnerability, and unless medically prescribed by a doctor, the ketogenic diet could do more harm than good. Likewise, certain conditions respond better to higher carb and lower protein diets (like certain hormone imbalances or autoimmune diseases), so there’s still the matter of considering your individual circumstances above all else.
The post Keto Diet Mastery: Your Comprehensive Guide to the Ketogenic Diet appeared first on Gut Health and Glutamine.
