Are you looking for a new approach to havea healthy lifestyle?
The Keto Diet
The ketogenic diet is a nutrition regimen that rearranges your caloric intake to shift your metabolism into a state called ketosis. Normally, Western nourishment is based on a high content in carbohydrates (primarily fried and fast food) and a low content in fats and proteins.
These eating habits have led to an increased incidence of obesity, cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, and more health conditions. However, the keto diet focuses on fat-rich meals and little to no consumption of carbs. Many studies have shown the numerous improvements in overall health that this new nutriment approach offers.
This diet replicates the metabolic changes that our body experiences during fasting. When our body doesn’t receive enough sugar (same as carbs) to produce energy, it adapts itself to utilize fat as a means of energy. Thus, our fat storage is transferred to the liver and converts fat into ketones. This process is known as ketosis, which helps burn fat faster and also enhances our metabolic rate. Following this eating plan has proven to stabilize blood sugar levels, improve insulin sensitivity, promote weight loss, and enhance our cardiovascular health.
Originally, this diet was created to treat epilepsy in the 1900s as an alternative treatment for severe epileptic seizures. However, scientists discovered that it also had potential benefits in other medical issues or conditions, such as neurodegenerative diseases (like Parkinson’s disease), dermatological ailments, diabetes, high blood pressure, ovary cystic syndrome, and depression.
Keto Regimen
If you decide to follow a keto regimen, you must understand that is basically a diet rich in fats and low in carbohydrates. It will be distributed in the following way: Fats compose 70% of your meals, proteins a 20-25%, and carbs a 5-10%. This is the standard keto diet, however, there are variations to it, depending on your caloric necessities and physical activity. If you desire to build muscle and lose abdominal fat, you can choose the High Protein Keto plan, where there is a higher content in protein for muscle building. Bodybuilders and gym aficionados often use this plan.
Some athletes use the targeted keto diet, where they are allowed to consume carbohydrates before a workout session to increase performance and overall strength. Finally, certain people are unable to follow the standard keto diet and utilize the carb-cycling version. Essentially, you are given “days off” where you are allowed to have more balanced meals and a moderate consumption of carbs. In a 7-day plan, you will have 5 keto diet days and 2 moderate carb days. Either way, you must choose the best plan that suits you best.
Foods Permitted
- Fat-rich fish: Salmon, trout, mackerel, tuna, and anchovies
- Meat: Beef, chicken, turkey, and pork.
- Seafood: Shrimps, oysters, scallops, octopus.
- Non-starchy vegetables: Broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, eggplant, onions, tomato, spinach, and cucumbers.
- Healthy oils: olive, coconut, canola, and sunflower oil.
- Fat dairy products: milk. yogurt, cheese, sour cream, feta cheese, and butter.
- Avocados
- Mixed berries: strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries.
- Nuts and seeds: peanut, almond, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, and line seeds.
Prohibited Foods
- Processed foods
- Sugary drinks and beverages
- Wheat-based refined products: pasta, bread, cereals, and pastries
- Fruits (most contain fructose, a high-calorie carb)
- Starchy vegetables: potato, sweet potato, manioc, and plantains.
- Legumes: chickpeas, red beans, and kidney beans.