Keto Tip: 5 Reasons You Need To Drink More Water On A Ketogenic Diet!
It’s often been said that most problems you run in to on a ketogenic diet can be solved by doing one of three things; drink more water, eat more salt, or eat more fat. Over the years as I’ve done this, I’ve found this adage to be fairly accurate as most of the “tweaks” I’ve done to get over a plateau or speed up my weight loss has been some variation of these 3 things. Probably the most powerful part of that truth is to drink more water. I’ve seen over and over again how upping my water intake leads to faster weight loss and a healthier overall feeling as I continue on this little weight loss journey of mine. Here are 5 reasons you should be drinking more water on a Ketogenic Diet Replaces Lost Water This is something I just didn’t know when I started cutting out the carbs and wasn’t prepared to deal with in those early days. Your body stores glycogen in water in your muscles. As your body burns through that stored glycogen and you don’t replace it because you aren’t eating carbs, your body’s water stores get depleted as well. This is why you tend to lose up to 10 lbs in the first week on keto and also what causes the “keto flu” or the miserable feeling that happens just before you switch over to being fat adapted. That feeling is caused by mild dehydration and can be shorten tremendously just by drinking more water. Like I said, that would have been awesome to know in those early days. Suppresses Appetite and Curbs Cravings This is another one of those things that I really wish I had known early on but every time you have a hunger pang or a sugar craving, just drink some water and they go away fairly quickly. In fact, even though I’m almost 2 years into this journey of mine, it is still the ever present glass of water on my computer desk t Continue reading >>
Signs Of Ketosis: How To Tell If The Ketogenic Diet Is Working
If you buy something through a link on this page, we may earn a small commission. How this works. The ketogenic diet aims to induce ketosis to burn more body fat. Knowing the signs of ketosis can help a person determine whether or not the diet is working. Ketosis is a metabolic process that occurs when the body begins to burn fat for energy because it does not have enough carbohydrates to burn. During this process, the liver produces chemicals called ketones. The ketogenic, or keto, diet aims to induce ketosis in order to burn more fat. Proponents of the diet claim that it boosts weight loss and improves overall health. According to one 2018 study , people following a "well-formulated" ketogenic diet typically eat less than 50 grams (g) of carbohydrates per day and around 1.5 g of protein per kilogram of body weight . Despite these guidelines, some people following the diet may not know when they are in ketosis. In this article, we list 10 signs and symptoms that may help a person determine whether the ketogenic diet is working for them. A blood sample can indicate ketone levels. Having ketones in the blood is probably the most definitive sign that someone is in ketosis. Doctors may also use urine and breath tests to check for ketone levels, but these are less reliable than blood samples. A special home testing kit allows people to measure their own blood ketone levels. Or, a doctor may take a blood sample and send it away for testing. When a person is in nutritional ketosis, they will have blood ketone levels of 0.53 millimoles per liter . Alternatively, people can use a breath analyzer to test for ketones in their breath, or they may use indicator strips to check their urinary levels. Ketone testing kits are available to purchase online . Some research suggests that Continue reading >>
Not Losing Weight On A Low-carb Ketogenic Diet? Don’t Give Up And Read Further
The ketogenic diet is not only known to be one of the most effective weight loss tools, but has proven to have many health benefits. Ketosis is a state at which your body produces ketones in the liver, shifting the body's metabolism away from glucose and towards fat utilization. Unless you can check your blood ketones, using Ketostix is an easy way to detect urinary ketones. It's not the most accurate method, but may be good enough to find out whether you are in ketosis. In some cases, weight loss may be difficult even on a low-carb ketogenic diet and there may be a few possible reasons for weight stalling, which I have listed in this post. If you want to know more about the ketogenic diet and how it can help you lose weight, have a look at my Practical Guide to Keto Diet which is freely available on my website also as PDF. 3 free diet plans to help you kickstart your diet, lose weight and get healthy Recipes, giveaways and exclusive deals delivered directly to your inbox A chance to win the KetoDiet app every week Top Reasons You Are Not Losing Weight on a Keto Diet 1. Carbs are Too High Your carbohydrate intake may be too high. Try to decrease your daily carbs limit. Also try to include coconut oil in your diet. Coconut oil consists of MCTs (Medium chain triglycerides), which are easily digestible, less likely to be stored by your body and are used for immediate energy. MCTs are converted in the liver into ketones, which helps you enter ketosis. If you want to know more about carbs, check out this post. For more about ketones, have a look at this post. 2. Protein is Too High or Too Low Your protein intake may be too high/ low. Protein is the most sating macronutrient and you should include high-quality animal protein in your diet. If you don't eat enough protein, you Continue reading >>
How Much Water Should I Drink On Keto?
When it comes to water, take daily guidelines with a grain of salt. Thats because water recommendations, like the eight glasses of water one is supposed to consume each day, are full of misinformation. Theyre repeated so often, by so many sources, that they may as well be law. Water is one of the two most important ingredients necessary to sustain life. Water even plays a special role in how we digest our food and transform it into energy. But when it comes to the ketogenic diet , the traditional water guidelines go out the window. Whats the deal with water? How can you gauge your water consumption needs for the day, let alone follow the right water goals while on keto? To answer these questions, we have to go back to the beginning, starting with the important role that water plays on a molecular level in the body. According to the Center for Disease Control , water helps your body perform many important tasks. It allows the body to regulate temperature, lubricate crucial joints and ligaments, regulate body temperature, cushion the spinal column, transport nutrients to cells and remove waste from the body. On top of these essential bodily functions, water also aids in the digestion process. It softens and breaks down food in the stomach in a biochemical process called hydrolysis, which makes work easier for the digestive acid in the stomach. The human body itself is made up of water a whopping 60% of our body weight. In short, water is a critical element that keeps the body healthy, and when you arent getting enough, it can really take a toll. Dehydration is the medical term for not having adequate levels of water in your body to perform at your best. Dehydration can leave you feeling tired and weak and can turn into a serious health risk if left unaddressed. Mild to m Continue reading >>
Is The Keto Diet Safe? 10 Myth-busting Arguments For The Safety Of Ketosis
Is ketosis safe? The truth is that we can’t say for certain that it is 100% safe. Humans don’t understand everything under the branch of nutritional science and probably won’t for a very long time. As an individual, the only thing you can do is take a look at the research yourself and form your own conclusion. Personally, through the reading I’ve done and the experience I’ve had with the Keto diet, I’ve formed my own conclusion that ketosis is safe. Could I be wrong? Absolutely. But I could also be right. I’m willing to take that risk in order to follow a diet which could maximize longevity, well being and function. My personal conclusion shouldn’t matter to you though. You need to do your own research and come to your own conclusion. I’ve put together this post to organize all of the issues surrounding the safety of ketosis so that you can make your own decision. In trying to prove something to be safe there are two ways to go about it. Disprove the claims of danger Show evidence which may be correlated with safety This article will dispel the top 10 claims people make in an argument to label ketosis as dangerous. Like I said, the science on ketosis is still quite immature. The following data is not meant to 100% prove or disprove the safety of ketosis. It’s merely the information we have available today which can help us form a nutritional strategy we feel is best for ourselves. I’m not a doctor or a researcher. The following information is material I’ve collected in my attempt to feel confident following a Keto diet indefinitely. Most of it is sourced from doctors or authors although I have also included anecdotal accounts from experiences posted on message boards and Reddit. I know, much of the information here isn’t sourced directly from s Continue reading >>
Can Drinking Too Much Water Kick You Out Of Ketosis?
Longer answer - Water has no calories so, no carbs, proteins or fats. It is physically impossible for water to knock you out of ketosis. If however, you are in ketosis and measuring your ketone levels then, too much water could skew the results on your keto test strips if testing via your urine. The strips could give you a false negative. My partner see this when she tests for UTIs which are a similar test as she drinks bucket loads of water and her strips always say negative even though she has a UTI. Answered Apr 29, 2018 Author has 468 answers and 1m answer views No. Drinking water does not have any effect on the amount of ketones your body produces. However, if you are using urine test strips to determine if you are in ketosis or not, this might be misleading. You need to stay hydrated, but if you are drinking a lot of water you may see a lower concentration of ketones in your urine. This doesnt necessarily mean that you are out of ketosis if you still register some. A blood test or breath test may show different results, which would not be affected by your hydration level. Personally, I dont think it is important enough to pay the cost of these te... No. Drinking water does not have any effect on the amount of ketones your body produces. However, if you are using urine test strips to determine if you are in ketosis or not, this might be misleading. You need to stay hydrated, but if you are drinking a lot of water you may see a lower concentration of ketones in your urine. This doesnt necessarily mean that you are out of ketosis if you still register some. A blood test or breath test may show different results, which would not be affected by your hydration level. Personally, I dont think it is important enough to pay the cost of these tests. I am still seeing posit Continue reading >>
Should Endurance Athletes Go Keto? Ketosis And Ketogenic Diets For Endurance Athletes
When it comes to weight loss and endurance performance, dietary ketosis is the strategy everyone is asking about this year. On the surface, ketosis or a ketogenic diet offers everything an endurance athlete could dream of: endless energy, freedom from bonking, and an efficient pathway to weight loss. The diet has been all over mainstream magazines, it’s the subject of several new books, and the supplement companies have already jumped in with new products and a ton of marketing dollars. So, is it time for cyclists, triathletes, and runners to go Keto? First, a refresher course on what a ketogenic diet is. To achieve dietary or nutritional ketosis you need to severely restrict carbohydrate intake (fewer than 50 grams of CHO/day) so the body transitions to using ketones for fueling muscles and the brain. Ketones are produced from fat, which is why nutritional ketosis is so appealing to sedentary people as a weight loss solution. It’s appealing to athletes because we have a virtually unlimited reserve of fat calories to pull from but can only store 1600-2000 calories worth of carbohydrate in muscles, blood, and the liver. An athlete fueled by ketones would be theoretically “bonk-proof”, since bonking is the result of running low on blood glucose. [blog_promo promo_categories=”coaching” ids=”” /] Dietary ketosis for athletes is one of the most hotly contested subjects right now. Proponents point to the metabolic advantage of relying on fat instead of carbohydrate, and critics point out the physiological limitations of eliminating carbohydrate as a fuel for performance. You’ll find bias in both groups, either because scientists and coaches (including me) have been in the high-carbohydrate camp for many years, or because there’s a lot of money to be made b Continue reading >>
Common Ketosis Side Effects And Treatments
There are many awesome benefits with come with adopting a low-carb ketogenic diet, such as weight loss, decreased cravings, and even possibly reduce diseases risks. That being said, it’s also good to talk about possible ketosis side effects so you know fully what to expect as you start this new health journey. Not everyone experiences side effects when starting a ketogenic diet, and thankfully, those who do don’t usually experience them for very long. It varies with the individual, but just to make sure all your bases are covered, we’re going to breaking down each possible side effect and go over ways to manage and alleviate them if needed. KETOSIS SIDE EFFECT 1 – Frequent Urination As your body burns through the stored glucose in your liver and muscles within the first day or two of starting a ketogenic diet, you’ll be releasing a lot of water in the process. Plus, your kidneys will start excreting excess sodium as the levels of your circulating insulin drop. Basically, you might notice yourself needing to pee more often throughout the day. But no worries; this side effect of ketosis takes care of itself once your body adjusts and is no longer burning through the extra glycogen. KETOSIS SIDE EFFECT 2 – Dizziness and Drowsiness As the body is getting rid of this excess water, it will also be eliminating minerals like potassium, magnesium, and sodium too. This can make you feel dizzy, lightheaded, and fatigued. Thankfully, this is also very avoidable; all it takes is a little preparation beforehand. Focus on eating foods that are rich in potassium, such as: Leafy greens (aim for at least two cups each day!) Broccoli Dairy Meat, poultry, and fish Avocados Add salt to your foods or use salty broth when cooking too. You can also dissolve about a teaspoon of regu Continue reading >>
Ketogenic Diet: Beginner's Guide To Keto And Weight Loss
The ketogenic diet is a low carb, moderate protein, and high fat diet which puts the body into a metabolic state known as ketosis. When you're body is in a state of ketosis, the liver produced ketones which become the main energy source for the body. The ketogenic diet is also referred to as keto (key-toe) diet, low carb diet, and low carb high fat (LCHF). So why is it so awesome and why is it taking the world by storm? Because it completely reverses how your body functions (in a good way) along with changing how you view nutrition. It's based around the premise that your body was designed to run more efficiently as a fat burner than a sugar burner. Fat Burner vs Sugar Burner When you eat something that is high in carbs (that yummy donut), your body will produce glucose and insulin. Glucose is the easiest molecule for your body to convert and use as energy so that is why it's the preferred energy source for your body. Insulin is produced to process the glucose in your bloodstream by transporting it around your body. This sounds pretty efficient, right? The problem with this is that when glucose is used as a primary energy source, fats are not needed for energy and therefore are stored. With the average person's diet, glucose is the main energy source. This initially doesn't seem like a problem until you realize that the body can't store that much glucose. This becomes an issue for you because the extra glucose gets converted into fat which is then stored. Because your body uses glucose as it's main energy source the glucose that is converted into fat doesn't get used. When your body runs out of glucose it tells your brain you need more so you end up reaching for a quick snack like a candy bar or some chips. You can begin to see how this cycle leads to building up a body Continue reading >>
6 Keto Mistakes To Avoid When Starting The Ketogenic Diet
Thinking of starting a ketogenic diet? This high-fat, low-carb diet is all the rage, and Instagram is brimming with success stories about going keto. The ketogenic diet is a low-carb , high-fat diet that seems to grow more popular by the day. Studies have shown that it aids in weight loss, while suppressing your appetite and lowering your cholesterol . Even celebrities have jumped on the keto bandwagon. From Kelly Ripa to Kourtney Kardashian, Hollywood stars gush about its body-transforming effects. Halle Berry is also a keto enthusiast, and she says the secret is training your body to burn fat by not feeding it any sugar. Many people do see success in just a short period of time (like in the 28-Day Keto Challenge ), but without a road map it can be difficult navigating the challenges that the keto diet presents. Though this diet plan seems new, its been around for nearly 100 years. It started as a natural way to treat epilepsy but fell out of favor soon after its discovery. According to Alix Turoff, R.D ., new anti-seizure drugs were an easier and more effective way to treat the condition. This diet also has similarities to the Atkins craze that peaked in popularity in the early 2000s. To follow the Atkins Diet, you could eat all the fat and protein you wanted as long as you severely limited your carbohydrates. There was no calorie restriction, and the diet became a mockery of health, with people eating entire sticks of butter and pounds of bacon. The ketogenic diet is distinct from the Atkins Diet in that it does entail counting calories, and it advocates for eating real food, not processed food. Still, the rules are strict, and its easy to fall out of ketosis if youre not following the principles to the letter. If youve been looking for a way to burn fat, get ripped Continue reading >>
Losing Water Weight: How Carbs Really Work
Does going on a ketogenic diet mean you have to stay on it forever? Why do many folks experience a few days of low-energy moodiness (“low carb flu”) at the beginning of ketogenic diets? The answer to all of these queries can be found in understanding our body’s relationship with glycogen. Many people ask if is glycogen a carbohydrate. Glycogen is the way the body processes and stores glucose as energy, chiefly in the liver and the muscles. High intensity activities like sprinting draw upon the glycogen tucked away in our muscles for fuel, which is why you hear about marathoners “carb-loading” in the days before a big race. The glycogen stored in the liver is what keeps specific systems running all day, including the brain, kidney cells, and red blood cells. For anyone not low-carbing, the body needs a minimum of 100g of glucose each day in order to meet the basic demands of the brain. So — what if a person consumes significantly less than 100g of carbohydrates in a day? What happens when the body runs out of glycogen stores? The hierarchy of energy sources Your body’s just as lazy as you are on Sunday afternoon eating chips on the couch, and it will get energy from the easiest sources possible as long as they’re available. The zippiest energy comes from carbohydrates in the diet, especially simple carbs quickly converted into sugars (think white bread, sweets, fructose, etc.), with more complex carbs following shortly after. For a person following SAD (Standard American Diet) — we’re talking easily over 300g carbohydrates a day on average — the body may not ever burn through this ingested potential energy. Instead, it simply sweeps it away under the rug — you know, the one bulging around your waist — where no one will ever notice. When you cut Continue reading >>
The Ketogenic Diet Part 4: Avoiding Common Side Effects Of Ketosis
In the final part of this series, we’ll explore some common “side-effects” of a ketogenic diet, and how you can combat them. You can view previous parts here: The Ketogenic Diet Part 1: What is Keto?, The Ketogenic Diet Part 2: Sugar, Insulin, and Inflammation, The Ketogenic Diet Part 3: How to Become Fat Adapted Side-Effects and Dampers of a Ketogenic Diet People who follow a low-carb diet often complain of unpleasant side effects. In this section, I will explain what causes these side effects, and how to prevent them. I call my approach to the ketogenic diet a “well-formulated keto-adapted diet,” because it maximizes the benefits while minimizing any unpleasant side effects. Carb Quantity and Food Quality Low-carb diets often get bad press, and many times studies show that they “don’t work.” Why is this? Let’s dive into the so-called “low carb” studies. In these studies, the participants were reducing their carbohydrates to 150 grams per, didn’t eliminate gluten, and often didn’t eliminate dairy. Sure, reducing their carbohydrates from 300 grams a day makes 150 grams look like low-carb, but it isn’t! A well-formulated keto-adapted diet will be closer to 30 grams of carbohydrates per day. Cutting out these “complex carbohydrates,” as well as gluten, is essential in order for you to become the keto-adapted fat burner we all strive to be. Sugar Cravings One of the best side effects of becoming keto-adapted is the disappearance of the desire for carbohydrates and sugar, but it can take some time. If you find yourself indulging in carbs on the weekends, whether it is a beer or a piece of pizza, these indulgences will throw you out of ketosis. This is why I often discuss with my clients the possibility of adding specific supplements: bifido b Continue reading >>
Water, Water, Everywhere…
Water. It’s the source of all life. Around 71% of the earth’s surface is covered with it. There is water vapor in the air around us. The human body is made up of somewhere between 50 and 75% water, depending on individual size and age. Water is truly one of the most important chemical compounds in existence. We need it not just to live, but in order for the species to even exist at all. There are a heck of a lot of dietary myths that have been dispelled or discussed on this site, but one big question that probably needs a bit of a glance is thus: How much water do we actually need to consume to be healthy? Every health and diet “guru” has an opinion on water consumption, and in general the most common opinion is that more is better. I’ve read or seen recommendations ranging from a gallon a day all the way to advice like drink until your urine has no color. And when it comes to keto, things get even murkier. Keto websites and amateur experts throw out all kinds of recommendations, for example: 100 fl oz a day, minimum, or; 2 gallons a day and supplement like crazy, or; drink until you can’t stand it anymore, and then have another glass. Yes, I’ve seriously seen that last one, and no, I will not be naming the culprit. Medical experts vary a bit in their recommendations. For example, the Mayo Clinic’s recommendations vary quite a lot depending on your own circumstances (are you pregnant, do you live in an extremely hot climate, or are you extremely physically active?), although they do mention the standard 8×8 line, as in 8 glasses of 8 fluid ounces a day. We’ve all heard that one. The U. S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) estimates that the average person needs between 91 and 125 fluid ounces of water per day. When factoring in that an estimated 20% Continue reading >>
Metabolism And Ketosis
Dr. Eades, If the body tends to resort to gluconeogenesis for glucose during a short-term carbohydrate deficit, are those who inconsistently reduce carb intake only messing things up by not effecting full blown ketosis? If the body will still prefer glucose as main energy source unless forced otherwise for at least a few days, is it absolutely necessary to completely transform metabolism for minimal muscle loss? Also, if alcohol is broken down into ketones and acetaldehyde, technically couldn’t you continue to drink during your diet or would the resulting gluconeogenesis inhibition from alcohol lead to blood glucose problems on top of the ketotic metabolism? Would your liver ever just be overwhelmed by all that action? I’m still in high school so hypothetical, of course haha… Sorry, lots of questions but I’m always so curious. Thank you so much for taking the time to inform the public. You’re my hero! P.S. Random question…what’s the difference between beta and gamma hydroxybutyric acids? It’s crazy how simple orientation can be the difference between a ketone and date rape drug…biochem is so cool! P.P.S. You should definitely post the details of that inner mitochondrial membrane transport. I’m curious how much energy expenditure we’re talkin there.. Keep doin your thing! Your Fan, Trey No, I don’t think people are messing up if they don’t get into full-blown ketosis. For short term low-carb dieting, the body turns to glycogen. Gluconeogenesis kicks in fairly quickly, though, and uses dietary protein – assuming there is plenty – before turning to muscle tissue for glucose substrate. And you have the Cori cycle kicking in and all sorts of things to spare muscle, so I wouldn’t worry about it. And you can continue to drink while low-carbing. Continue reading >>
Things Everyone Gets Wrong About The Keto Dietand How To Do It Right|the Healthy
The ketogenicketodiet is an increasingly popular eating plan that promises big results. However, its not the easiest diet to follow, and these early mistakes can sabotage your weight-loss goals. The goal of a ketogenic diet is to force your body to stop burning its favorite fuelglucose from the carbs you eatand start burning fat stores for energy. The body does this by converting the fats to ketonesa state called ketosis. Keto dieters accomplish this digestive feat by cutting way back on their carbohydrate intake. In fact, the average daily goal for keto is 20 grams of net carbs. But to do it right, its not enough to just guess your carb intake. If you are a beginner to the ketogenic diet , counting carbs is an absolute necessity to avoid frustration in the future, says Steven Santo , president of Kegenix/Real Ketones , a keto supplement company. Track your food intake with a health app or just use old-fashioned paper and pen. What you learn may surprise you. You may be wearing carb-blinders, meaning you are unaware of how many carbohydrates you are really consuming in a day, says Santo. Keto runs counter to many of the low-fat diet fads of the 1980s and 1990s: It actually emphasizes fat. That is hard to comprehend because we dont eat anything thats pure fat, says Kristen Mancinelli , RD, who practices in New York City and Los Angeles, California. We dont eat a stick of butter or a spoonful of olive oil or even a nice cup of lard, saysMancinelli, who is also the author of The Ketogenic Diet. That would be unpleasant, so we really have a hard time wrapping our heads around this concept of the ketogenic diet.In order to succeed on a keto diet, 60-80% of your food intake will be healthy fats , according to Sara Gottfried , MD, author of the Brain Body Diet . Nuts, seeds, Continue reading >>
