There’s a lot of buzz happening about the benefits of the ketogenic diet. Unfortunately, the standard American diet is loaded with toxic chemicals, harmful fats and loads of sugar. The health consequences of existing on this type of diet for a prolonged period of time can be staggering. You may be setting yourself up for chronic illness, due to the increase of inflammation in your body which can send your insulin levels completely out of whack. Not to mention, it can make you fat!
The worst offender is sugar (aka glucose) which your body uses for fuel. However, ketones are an alternative form of fuel that your body can use for energy production. Ketosis kicks in when glucose is in short supply. By creating nutritional ketosis your body begins to burn fat as its primary fuel. And you thought you’d never find a way to get rid of that pesky fat. Following a ketogenic diet, either as a lifestyle or by carb cycling/keto is an excellent way to reset your body and lose those stubborn pounds.
Benefits of a Ketogenic Diet
Anti Inflammatory
Sugar is highly inflammatory so it just makes sense that when you cut back on sugar and high carbohydrate foods that turn to sugar in your system, you will decrease your inflammation. In turn, reducing inflammation in your body helps to reduce pain and the potential for chronic disease.
Weight Loss
When you minimize carbohydrates and increase healthy fats while continuing to consume moderate protein you will lose weight.
May Lower Cancer Risk
While cancer can be a sneaky beast, there have been studies indicating that some cancers are much more likely in individuals with metabolic disorders. (1) When there’s a problem with metabolism, cancer can form. AND….Cancer feeds on sugar. Without glucose and sugar in the body cancer cells don’t have the fuel they need to replicate. Secondly, when you maintain a ketogenic state you’re much less likely to develop cancer in the first place. Lastly, it’s been noted that ketosis compliments common cancer treatments.
Types of Ketogenic Diets
Standard Ketogenic Diet
Carbohydrates – Limit carbohydrate intake to 5% of your total calorie intake.
Protein – Moderate protein of 25% of you total calorie intake.
Healthy Fats – Make fat 70% of your calorie intake.
High Protein Ketogenic Diet
For those who are struggling with obesity increasing protein can serve to satisfy hunger with fewer calories. Once the desired weight has been obtained you can increase your calories and lower your protein intake.
Targeted Ketogenic Diet
For fitness buffs and weight lifters it’s important to increase protein and carbohydrate intake, remembering to target your carbohydrates and proteins to before and after your workout can help to maintain a state of ketosis.
So What Can You Eat?
A ketogenic diet is incredibly satisfying, especially after you’ve gotten past the withdrawals from your food addictions to sugar and breads, etc. Oh, you didn’t know complex carbohydrates were addicting? They really are. Craving certain foods is the way you know you’re addicted.
But seriously, once you’ve been on the ketogenic diet a while you’ll see that the cravings just don’t happen anymore. You get hungry, you eat a healthy meal and you feel completely satisfied. No more cravings.
Healthy Fats – Grass fed butter, ghee, olive oil, Coconut Oil, MCT oil (medium chain triglycerides) eggs, avocado oil. Avoid any processed vegetable oils because they increase inflammation in the body by creating free radicals. Use common sense here. When was the last time you squeezed a kernal of corn and got oil out?
Meat – Keep it grass fed, organic and free range. Sustainably responsible animal rearing practices produce healthier food to keep you healthy. Even though these products are more expensive it’s important to avoid eating animals raised on GMO feed and pumped full of hormones and antibiotics. For example, you can just eat less meat and keep the meat you do eat super clean.
Fish and Seafood – While there are some responsible fish farming operations, most of them are pumping out super toxic food. Not to mention that they can have negative impacts on the surrounding waterways. Wild cold water fish is best and think about eating more small fish. This is because the smaller the fish, the less time it’s had to accumulate heavy metals and toxins from our oceans and rivers.
Cheese – Sure you can have cheese, just remember cheese can increase allergies and hormonal disturbances. Try to keep it minimal if you’re going to eat it at all. Good alternatives to conventional cheeses are grass fed raw versions, goat or sheep milk cheeses.
Eggs – Sure, as long as they’re sourced from free range, responsibly raised chickens. You can tell the difference by the color of the yolk. Healthy eggs have yolks that are almost orange and they offer superior nutrition and taste so much better!
Vegetables – Vegetables that are grown above ground are best here. Tubers like sweet potatoes and potatoes can be problematic for a ketogenic diet because they are have a lot more carbohydrates. Alternately, leafy green vegetables like spinach, bok choi and kale are ideal. Broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, avocado, zucchini, asparagus, green beans and brussell sprouts are also good choices. And of course avocados.
Nuts and Seeds – Best to keep intake of nuts and seeds to 1/4 Cup per day. While nuts and seed are wonderful sources of high quality fats, some have more carbohydrates than you’d anticipate. Pecan, Macadamia and Brazil nuts are probably the lowest in carbohydrates.
What to Drink
- Water
- Coffee & Tea
- Red Wine occasionally
Foods to Avoid
- Fruit – Berries are ok but for the most part fruit has a ton of sugar.
- Beer – Sorry
- Potatoes
- Pasta
- Rice
- Bread
- Donuts
- Soda
- Fruit juice
- Chocolate/ Candy
- Cakes/ Cookies
All these foods have very high net carbs spiking glucose levels in the bloodstream and increasing inflammation in the body.
So What Are Net Carbs, You Ask?
According to Diabetes Forecast:
“Some food companies started using the term “net carbs” and defined it to mean the total grams of carbohydrate minus the grams of sugar alcohols, fiber, and glycerine. This equation is not entirely accurate, because some of the sugar alcohols and fiber are absorbed by the body.”
I always thought it was grams of carbohydrate and subtract the grams of fiber and the balance was net carbs. From my most recent investigations the meaning is getting more and more muddled. So just eat less carbs and more healthy fat. That’s the bottom line if you are looking to create ketosis in your body.
Before changing up your diet talk to your health care professional. This information is not intended to be a substitution for medical advice.
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Disclaimer:
I am not a doctor and do not claim to be. I am a seeker of pure, healthful living. Always talk with your doctor or qualified health care professional before making any dietary changes to ensure safety, especially if you are already on medications. The information on this website has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. None of these statements are intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease. Always consult with your medical practitioner or other qualified healthcare provider.