What Is The Ketogenic Diet?
The concept of ketogenic dieting is not new – it has existed in many forms and in many variations. It has many similarities to the Atkin’s Diet, and is cousins with other popular diets like South Beach and Paleo. Below, we’ve outlined exactly what the ketogenic diet is, how and why it works, and how you can get started with a ketogenic diet today. Before we dive in, however, it is important to understand that there are three types of ketogenic diets: the Standard Ketogenic Diet, the Cyclical Ketogenic Diet, and the Targeted Ketogenic Diet. All are very closely related but differ in regards to limits and timing of carbohydrate consumption. For all intents and purposes, when we refer to ketogenic diets on TheKetogenicDiet.org, we are typically referring to the Standard Ketogenic diet unless otherwise noted. Most information here is relevant regardless of what type of ketogenic diet you are practicing, however. Okay…so what is the ketogenic diet? A ketogenic diet is quite simply any diet that forces the body into a process called ketosis, whereby fats are burned instead of carbohydrates for use as energy. A proper ketogenic diet calls for the dieter to consume high amounts of fat, adequate amounts of protein, and very low amounts of carbohydrates. Our bodies are used to turning carbohydrates into glucose to send all over the body as energy. When we enter ketosis by sufficiently limiting our carbohydrate intake, our livers start breaking down fat cells into fatty acids and ketones, to be used as energy. Why does the ketogenic diet work? The ketogenic diet works much like any other diet: by limiting the amount of calories you consume, thereby creating a caloric deficit where the body burns more energy than it takes in. That is the fundamental science of weight loss, Continue reading >>
A Comprehensive Beginner's Guide
What is a Keto Diet? A keto diet is well known for being a low carb diet, where the body produces ketones in the liver to be used as energy. It’s referred to as many different names – ketogenic diet, low carb diet, low carb high fat (LCHF), etc. When you eat something high in carbs, your body will produce glucose and insulin. Glucose is the easiest molecule for your body to convert and use as energy so that it will be chosen over any other energy source. Insulin is produced to process the glucose in your bloodstream by taking it around the body. Since the glucose is being used as a primary energy, your fats are not needed and are therefore stored. Typically on a normal, higher carbohydrate diet, the body will use glucose as the main form of energy. By lowering the intake of carbs, the body is induced into a state known as ketosis. Ketosis is a natural process the body initiates to help us survive when food intake is low. During this state, we produce ketones, which are produced from the breakdown of fats in the liver. The end goal of a properly maintained keto diet is to force your body into this metabolic state. We don’t do this through starvation of calories but starvation of carbohydrates. Our bodies are incredibly adaptive to what you put into it – when you overload it with fats and take away carbohydrates, it will begin to burn ketones as the primary energy source. Optimal ketone levels offer many health, weight loss, physical and mental performance benefits. Make keto simple and easy by checking out our 30 Day Meal Plan. Get meal plans, shopping lists, and much more with our Keto Academy Program. Looking for Something Specific? There are numerous benefits that come with being on keto: from weight loss and increased energy levels to therapeutic medical appl Continue reading >>
Silicon Valley's Favorite Diet Has Techies Eating Lots Of Fat
Geoffrey Woo, left, is one of Silicon Valley's biohackers — those who experiment with diet and medical devices in a DIY approach to biology.Melia Robinson/Business Insider Geoffrey Woo likes to start the day with a plate of eggs, cheese, and avocado. It might not sound as if Woo — cofounder and CEO of "cognitive enhancement" supplements startup Nootrobox — is dieting. But he subscribes to an increasingly popular diet — the ketosis or "keto" diet — that he hopes will help him live longer and better. It has especially gained traction among Silicon Valley's biohackers, who often experiment with diet and medical devices in a DIY approach to biology. The high-fat, low-carb diet turns the body into a fat-burning machine. When you turn off access to glucose, a primary fuel source derived from eating carbohydrates, the body taps into its own fat stores for energy. Here's why health nuts, from Silicon Valley to fashion runways, are saying yes to fat. The keto diet has been called the "holy grail of good health and weight loss" by some doctors and bloggers. Melia Robinson/Business Insider Sources: Nootrobox, GreenMedInfo.com On the flip side, it's a nutritionist's nightmare, according to Scientific American. The keto diet completely reorganizes the building blocks of the food pyramid as outlined by the USDA. A strict keto diet cuts back carb consumption to 20 or 30 grams a day, which is about the number of carbohydrates in one small apple. Source: Time On the keto plan, it's all about healthy fats. "You'd want healthy fats to account for about 80% of your calories, and protein around 20%," Dr. Eric Westman, director of the Lifestyle Medicine Clinic at Duke University, told Time. By comparison, Americans, on average, get about 50% of their calories from carbs, 15% from p Continue reading >>
What Is Ketosis?
First, a simple explanation of the process: the carbohydrates you eat are converted to glucose, which is the body’s primary source of energy. Whenever your intake of carbohydrates is limited to a certain range, for a long enough period of time, you reach a point where your body draws on its alternate energy system, fat stores, for fuel. This means the body burns fat and turns it into a source of fuel called ketones. (Ketones are produced whenever body fat is burned.) When you burn a larger amount of fat than is immediately needed for energy, the excess ketones are discarded in the urine. Being in ketosis means your body has burned a large amount of fat in response to the fact that it didn’t have sufficient glucose available for energy needs. Dietary ketosis is among the most misunderstood concepts in nutrition because it is often confused with ketoacidosis, which is a life-threatening condition most often associated with uncontrolled insulin-deficient Type 1 diabetes. In the Type 1 diabetic, the absence of insulin leads to a toxic build-up of blood glucose and an extreme break-down of fat and muscle tissue. This condition doesn’t occur in individuals who have even a small amount of insulin, whether from natural production or artificially administered. Dietary ketosis, however, is a natural adjustment to the body’s reduced intake of carbohydrates as the body shifts its primary source of energy from carbohydrates to stored fat. The presence of insulin keeps ketone production in check so that a mild, beneficial ketosis is achieved. Blood glucose levels are stabilized within a normal range and there is no break-down of healthy muscle tissue. The most sensitive tests of ketosis (“NMR” and “blood ketone level”) show that everyone is in some degree of ketosis e Continue reading >>
Beyond Weight Loss: A Review Of The Therapeutic Uses Of Very-low-carbohydrate (ketogenic) Diets
Very-low-carbohydrate diets or ketogenic diets have been in use since the 1920s as a therapy for epilepsy and can, in some cases, completely remove the need for medication. From the 1960s onwards they have become widely known as one of the most common methods for obesity treatment. Recent work over the last decade or so has provided evidence of the therapeutic potential of ketogenic diets in many pathological conditions, such as diabetes, polycystic ovary syndrome, acne, neurological diseases, cancer and the amelioration of respiratory and cardiovascular disease risk factors. The possibility that modifying food intake can be useful for reducing or eliminating pharmaceutical methods of treatment, which are often lifelong with significant side effects, calls for serious investigation. This review revisits the meaning of physiological ketosis in the light of this evidence and considers possible mechanisms for the therapeutic actions of the ketogenic diet on different diseases. The present review also questions whether there are still some preconceived ideas about ketogenic diets, which may be presenting unnecessary barriers to their use as therapeutic tools in the physician’s hand. During recent years, an increasing amount of evidence has accumulated in the literature, suggesting that very-low-carbohydrate ketogenic diets (VLCKD) could have a therapeutic role in numerous diseases. The use of VLCKD in treating epilepsy has been well established for many decades and these diets have become even more widely known, as they became popular in the 1970s for weight loss—especially as the ‘Atkins Diet’.1 More recently, the therapeutic use of ketogenic diets in other diseases has been studied with positive results—it is an important direction for research because, clearly, Continue reading >>
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A Beginner’s Guide To The Ketogenic Diet: An Effective Way Of Optimizing Your Health
Many Americans suffer from various chronic diseases such as diabetes and obesity, and the main culprit is usually the food they eat. The standard American diet contains excessive amounts of protein and carbohydrates, neither of which is good for your health because it eventually causes you to develop insulin and leptin resistance. As a result, you gain excess weight, develop inflammation and become prone to cellular damage. To avoid this problem, significant changes in your diet are necessary, and the best way is inducing your body into a state of nutritional ketosis, a condition where your body burns fat as its primary fuel instead of sugar. In order to reach nutritional ketosis, you must follow a ketogenic diet. But what exactly is a ketogenic diet? This guide will tell you everything you need to know about a ketogenic diet – how you can apply it to your lifestyle and what positives you can reap from it. The Various Benefits of the Ketogenic Diet A ketogenic diet is a dietary approach that focuses on minimal carbohydrates, moderate amounts of protein and high healthy fat consumption — the three keys to achieving nutritional ketosis. In fact, it’s what I recommend for most people who would like to optimize their health. There are many reasons why you should try a ketogenic diet. It can be very beneficial for people suffering from chronic conditions, or for people who would simply like to be healthier than their current state. You’ll be excited to know that a ketogenic diet can help with the following: • Weight loss If you’re trying to lose weight, then a ketogenic diet is one of the best ways to do it, because it helps access your body fat so that it can be shed. Obese people in particular can benefit from this method. In one study, obese test subjects were Continue reading >>
In Depth Look At Ketogenic Diets And Ketosis
What exactly is Ketosis? The metabolic state of ketosis simply means that the quantity of ketone bodies in the blood have reached higher-than-normal levels. When the body is in a ketogenic state, this means that lipid energy metabolism is intact. The body will start breaking down your own body fat to fuel the body's normal, everyday functions. What's So Great About Being In Ketosis? Establishing this metabolic state of ketosis even for a short period of time has many outstanding benefits. Benefit 1 The main benefit of ketosis is that it increases the body's ability to utilize fats for fuel, which gets very lazy on a high-carbohydrate diet. When on high-carbohydrate diets, the body can usually expect an energy source to keep entering the body. But in the state of ketosis, the body has to become efficient at mobilizing fats as energy. Benefit 2 Ketosis has a protein-sparing effect, assuming that you are consuming adequate quantities of protein and calories—0.7 grams per pound of body weight per day—in the first place.[1] Once in ketosis, the body actually prefers ketones to glucose. Since the body has copious quantities of fat, this means there is no need to oxidize protein to generate glucose through gluconeogenesis. Benefit 3 Another benefit has to do with the low levels of insulin in the body, which causes greater lipolysis and free-glycerol release compared to a normal diet when insulin is around 80-120. Insulin has a lipolysis-blocking effect, which can inhibit the use of fatty acids as energy. Also, when insulin is brought to low levels, beneficial hormones are released in the body, such as growth hormone and other powerful growth factors. Benefit 4 Another small but very important benefit of the ketogenic diet is that when in the state of ketosis, ketones, alon Continue reading >>
Keto Diet Glossary: Ketogenic Diet Terminology
Keto (Ketogenic Diet, Keto Diet) The ketogenic diet is a high-fat, moderate protein, low-carb diet. It's a diet that causes ketones to be produced by the liver, shifting the body's metabolism away from glucose and towards fat utilisation. Paleo Diet / Primal Diet Strictly speaking, a paleo diet is a diet high in protein, moderate in fat and low in carbs while primal usually refers to diet high in fat, moderate in protein and low in carbs. Additionally, the paleo diet doesn't allow dairy. The paleo / primal diet is based on the idea of eating foods our body has been used to for thousands of years of evolution, especially during the hunter-gatherer era. Foods like meats, eggs, nuts & seeds and fruits & vegetables are paleo-friendly, but you should avoid grains, legumes, artificial sweeteners and processed foods. Here is a complete keto diet food list. Total Carbs vs Net Carbs Net carbs are defined as total carbs minus fibre. Also, there is no wrong or right in counting carbs. As I've discussed previously, counting net vs total carbs depends on your goal. Very Low Carb Ketogenic Diet (VLCKD) A VLCKD is a diet that is very low in carbohydrates. Nutritional ketosis can be achieved by restricting total carbs per day to 50 grams or less. This is an equivalent to 20-35 grams of net carbs depending on the fibre content. According to Volek and Phinney, people with less carbohydrate intolerance can have even more than 50 grams of daily total carbs. "Zero-Carb" Diet The ketogenic diet is NOT an equivalent name for a "zero-carb" diet. Typically, if you follow a "zero-carb" ketogenic diet, it means you eat less than 20 grams of total carbs. Such diet is low in micronutrients - most vegetables are not allowed or only in small amounts. The reason for the popularity of "zero-carb" is th Continue reading >>
What Everybody Ought To Know About Ketosis
Recently I wanted to explore the world of Ketosis. I thought I knew a little bit about ketosis, but after doing some research I soon realised how wrong I was. 3 months later, after reading numerous books, listening to countless podcasts and experimenting with various diets I know have a sound understanding of ketosis. This resource is built as a reference guide for those looking to explore the fascinating world of ketosis. It is a resource that I wish I had 3 months ago. As you will soon see, a lot of the content below is not mine, instead I have linked to referenced to experts who have a greater understanding of this topic than I ever will. I hope this helps and if there is something that I have missed please leave a comment below so that I can update this. Also, as this is a rather long document, I have split it into various sections. You can click the headline below to be sent straight to the section that interests you. For those that are really time poor I have created a useful ketosis cheat sheet guide. This guide covers all the essential information you should know about ketosis. It can be downloaded HERE. Alternatively, if you're looking for a natural and sustainable way to improve health and lose weight head to this page - What is Ketosis? What Are The Benefits from being in Ketosis? Isn’t Ketosis Dangerous? Ketoacidosis vs Ketosis What Is The Difference Between a Low Carb Diet and a Ketogenic Diet? Types of Ketosis: The Difference Between Nutritional, Therapeutic & MCT Ketogenic Diets Is The Ketogenic Diet Safe? Long Term Effects Thyroid and Ketosis - What You May Want To Know What is a Typical Diet/Macro Breakdown for a Ketogenic Diet? Do I Need to Eat Carbs? What do I Eat On a Ketogenic Diet? What Do I Avoid Eating on a Ketogenic Diet? Protein Consumption a Continue reading >>
What Is The Ketogenic Diet? – Your Keto 101 Guide
I’ll start with a quick answer to “what is the ketogenic diet?” before diving into the intricacies of this diet. Definition of Ketogenic Diet: The ketogenic diet (AKA keto diet, ketosis diet) is a low carbohydrate diet designed to put your body into the natural state of nutritional ketosis. When your body receives very few carbohydrates, it can’t use glucose to supply all your energy needs. So your body’s fat cells will be broken down in your liver to produce ketones (ketone bodies). Your body will then use those ketones for energy. In this article, I’ll go over some of the basics of a ketogenic diet like what do you eat, will you lose weight, how do you measure ketones. I’ll also reference other articles so that you can (if you want) go into more depth. Table of Contents – Keto 101 Guide There are several types of ketogenic diets… Many people consider a ketogenic diet (aka keto) a low carbohydrate diet like Atkins. Strictly speaking, while an Atkins diet can be ketogenic, it has traditionally emphasized different things. Atkins emphasizes low carbohydrates while keto emphasizes getting your body to have higher ketone levels. As the negative myths around eating fat have melted away in the past decade or so, high-fat diets (like the low carb high fat (LCHF) movement) have taken off. While keto is perhaps a stricter version of LCHF, in general, the foods we eat on both diets look very similar. There are also several other types of keto like the Cyclical Keto Diet or the Targeted Keto Diet. I’ll try to contain myself to just the basic keto diet in this article though. How much fat, protein, and carbohydrates do you eat on keto? The exact percentages and amounts of fat, protein, and carbohydrates will differ depending on why you’re on a ketogenic diet. Continue reading >>
Ketosis
a condition in which there is excessive formation of ketones in the body Origin of ketosis Modern Latin from ket(o)- + -osis pl. ke·to·ses, A pathological increase in the production of ketone bodies. Related Forms: ke·tot′ic Continue reading >>
The Beginners Guide To Ketosis: Investigating Low-carb, High-fat Eating
The only hard and fast rule of health is that health is personal and what works well for one person may not work for someone else. Aside from that rule, there are “frameworks” that seem to benefit large groups of people. One more level down from that are alternative strategies that benefit smaller groups. Ketosis is likely one of those alternative strategies that works well for certain, smaller groups of people. So, right off the bat I want you to understand that Ketosis might not be for everyone. I’m going to lay out the case for potential benefits of Ketosis. If it sounds interesting and beneficial to you, then consider trying it. (see our free cheat sheet to help you). What is Ketosis Ketosis occurs when liver glycogen gets depleted and the body burns fatty acids for fuel. The primary driver of this state is a very low carbohydrate intake. Often, it also requires a low protein, higher fat intake. You can also achieve a state of ketosis by not eating altogether. The creation of ketones is a byproduct of this metabolic state. Ketones are a source of fuel, just as glucose is a source of fuel. Ketones tend to have some added benefits, though. What role does Ketosis play in human health? Ketosis allows our bodies to function in the absence of carbohydrates, both physically and mentally. Instead of burning carbohydrates, or converting protein to glucose, the body burns ketones. This is pretty much a survival mechanism. It allows your body to function in a state of caloric deprivation. This is why ketosis often gets bad press (as it’s linked to “starvation”). Being a survival mechanism doesn’t make it invalid as a strategy, though. There can still be potential benefits to be had. Let’s cover a few of them… Ketosis and Accelerated Fat Loss Being in ketosis Continue reading >>
What Is The Ketogenic Diet And Is Ketosis Safe?
Any diet, by definition, is a group of foods consumed for a certain period of time. A “diet” can be as simple as an average daily meal or it can also be part of a treatment program for specific medical conditions. The ketogenic diet, which allows someone to enter a state of nutritional “ketosis”, has long been used in the treatment of epilepsy in children – but its benefits go way beyond this. As you’ll learn, recent studies show that a ketogenic diet can have many uses and benefits – including weight loss, reduced inflammation, cancer-prevention, as more. History of Ketogenic Diets The ketogenic diet was first introduced in 1924 at the Mayo clinic by Dr. Russel Wilder who started the diet to treat epileptic patients. He put his patients on a “fast” and found that epileptic symptoms became less frequent. The popularity of this diet as a means of controlling epilepsy has decreased since this time since powerful anticonvulsant drugs have been invented, but this doesn’t mean that ketogenic diets are not promoted for better health any longer. Since its introduction in the 1920s, the ketogenic diet and entering ketosis remains controversial until today. Although it has many benefits and is a natural approach to controlling disease in some cases, many doctors and patients often find it easier to administer pills than to adhere to a ketogenic diet that they find “strict’ and restrictive. The exact mechanism by which the ketogenic diet works still isn’t 100% known, but the results of ketosis that have been researched for years are staggering. What is A Ketogenic Diet? Today ketogenic diets get the most attention when it comes to weight loss and blood sugar control. “Burn fat by eating more fat” is one simple way to describe the approach that allows Continue reading >>
The Ketogenic Diet 101: A Detailed Beginner's Guide
The ketogenic diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet that offers many health benefits. Over 20 studies show that this type of diet can help you lose weight and improve health (1). Ketogenic diets may even have benefits against diabetes, cancer, epilepsy and Alzheimer's disease (2, 3, 4, 5). This article is a detailed beginner's guide to the ketogenic diet. It contains everything you need to know. The ketogenic diet (often termed keto) is a very low-carb, high-fat diet that shares many similarities with the Atkins and low-carb diets. It involves drastically reducing carbohydrate intake, and replacing it with fat. The reduction in carbs puts your body into a metabolic state called ketosis. When this happens, your body becomes incredibly efficient at burning fat for energy. It also turns fat into ketones in the liver, which can supply energy for the brain (6, 7). Ketogenic diets can cause massive reductions in blood sugar and insulin levels. This, along with the increased ketones, has numerous health benefits (6, 8, 9, 10, 11). The ketogenic diet (keto) is a low-carb, high-fat diet. It lowers blood sugar and insulin levels, and shifts the body’s metabolism away from carbs and towards fat and ketones. There are several versions of the ketogenic diet, including: Standard ketogenic diet (SKD): This is a very low-carb, moderate-protein and high-fat diet. It typically contains 75% fat, 20% protein and only 5% carbs (1). Cyclical ketogenic diet (CKD): This diet involves periods of higher-carb refeeds, such as 5 ketogenic days followed by 2 high-carb days. Targeted ketogenic diet (TKD): This diet allows you to add carbs around workouts. High-protein ketogenic diet: This is similar to a standard ketogenic diet, but includes more protein. The ratio is often 60% fat, 35% protein and 5% Continue reading >>
What Is The Ketogenic Diet?
The ketogenic diet has been in existence for 90 years The ketogenic diet was designed in 1924 by Dr. Russell Wilder at the Mayo Clinic. Despite being highly effective in treating epilepsy, it fell out of fashion due to the surge in new anti-seizure medications in the 1940s. In 1994 Charlie Abraham’s family started The Charlie Foundation after his complete recovery from daily seizures despite trying all available anti-seizure medications and enduring a futile brain surgery. Charlie started the diet as a toddler and remained on it for 5 years. He is now a college student and remains seizure-free. Ketosis is the unique feature The diet is high in fat, supplies adequate protein and is low in carbohydrates. This combination changes the way energy is used in the body. Fat is converted in the liver into fatty acids and ketone bodies. Another effect of the diet is that it lowers glucose levels and improves insulin resistance. An elevated level of ketone bodies in the blood, a state known as ketosis, leads to a reduction in the occurrence of epileptic seizures. The Charlie Foundation is a global leader in promoting ketogenic therapies In 2006, The Charlie Foundation commissioned a panel comprised of neurologists and dietitians with particular expertise in using the ketogenic diet to create a consensus statement in support of the clinical management of the ketogenic diet and when it should be considered. Children are especially good candidates for the diet owing to their reliance on adults for nourishment and to the nature of a young developing brain. Comparison of diet therapies There are five levels of diet which have been published in medical literture as effective treatments for epilepsy: the classic ketogenic diet, the modified ketogenic diet, medium-chain triglyceride (MC Continue reading >>
