What Happens If I Eat Sugar In Ketosis?
The state of Ketosis is achieved through the use of either a low carbohydrate diet or in a state of starvation. Essentially your body has been restricted in glucose containing carbohydrates; glucose is your bodies primary fuel source for long enough to need to resort to alternative sources of fuel. In this case Ketone bodies, a byproduct of the breakdown of fatty acids, are used as an alternative to carbohydrates. Accordingly id your body is relying on ketone bodies for its energy needs it is in a state of ketosis. Low Carbohydrate diets rely on your bodies ability to use ketone bodies for energy by burning burn excess body fat for fuel. Video of the Day Table sugar, or sucrose, is a six carbon disaccharide containing one molecule of glucose and one molecule of glucose. Ingesting sugar in sufficient quantities, the amount varies depending on your body type and activity levels will stop ketosis as your body now has a supply of glucose to fuel it. Continue reading >>
Ketogenic Diet Foods To Avoid: 108 Foods That’ll Slow Your Fat Loss
There are 108 ketogenic diet foods to avoid that will slow down (or shut down) your body’s fat burning capability. Remember that carbs must be kept very low to remain in ketosis. Most people need to stay within 20-30 grams of net carbs per day, and protein shouldn’t make up more than 20-25% of total calories. Too many carb or protein-centric foods can very quickly bring you out of ketosis and slow down your body’s fat burning capabilities. This is why the foods below should be avoided on a ketogenic diet. Not to worry, though. We’ve made it easy for you with this cheat sheet covering the biggest keto foods to avoid and why. We chunked it down by macronutrient: Want a quick and easy meal plan that doesn’t include any of these keto-unfriendly foods? We’ve created one for you. Click here to get the FREE downloadable meal plan now. Carbs to Avoid on a Ketogenic Diet Grains All grains—and foods made from grains (yup, even whole grains)—should be avoided. Grains contain too many carbs and will interfere with ketosis, slowing weight loss. That includes*: Beans and Legumes Beans provide nutrition for those on a regular diet, but they’re not fit for the ketogenic diet due to their high starch (carb) content. Avoid legumes including*: Fruit is healthy, right? Sure, but that doesn’t mean they’re keto-compliant. Fruit is high in sugar and carbs, so is usually a no-go on the keto diet. That includes tropical fruits, fruit juices, dried fruits, and fruit smoothies (for the most part). If you do have fruit, choose lower-sugar options like blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries, and eat them sparingly. Starchy Vegetables Avoid any vegetables that grow beneath the ground and focus on more on the leafy greens. The high starch content of some vegetables (like tho Continue reading >>
Keto And Sugar Cravings: What You Need To Know
Keto and Sugar Cravings: What You Need To Know ~ This post contains affiliate links to help you find the products we use. Sugar is your nemesis, but you would probably be surprised to learn how many products in your home right now are loaded with sugar. Being that sugar is such a dangerous drug (yes, I said drug) food manufacturers can’t simply call it by its name. After all, if you know that the products labeled to be healthy are loaded with sugar, you would probably be less likely to put them in your cart. Sugar is everywhere you look, and it might pop up in some surprising places like your cheese or maybe even your all natural Stevia. Did you know that most whole grain bread has at least one form of sugar in it, yes even if they tout “No High Fructose Corn Syrup”? We have a national sweet tooth epidemic. Even if you don’t eat a lot of sugary treats you may experience intense sugar cravings in the first few weeks of the Keto Diet so don’t let it surprise you. Even if you don’t typically eat sugary foods, carbohydrate loaded foods have hidden sugars in them (a carbohydrate is made up of fiber and sugar), and your body will probably experiencing withdrawal at some point. Keto and Sugar Cravings: Names Of Sugar Let’s start by taking a look at the names of sugar, so you know exactly what we’re working with here. I’ll skip all the names that involve the word sugar because those are pretty obvious. Top Offenders: Aspartame Acesulfame Maltodextrin Dextrose Soluble Corn Fiber (made from corn syrup) Corn Starch Dextrin Sorbitol High Fructose Corn Syrup Evaporated Cane Juice Lactose Glucose Solids Glucose Maltose Sucrose Evaporated Cane Juice Corn Syrup Solids Fructose Food Starch Other Common Offenders: Agave Nectar Molasses Diastatic Malt Florida Crystals Ga Continue reading >>
How Many Grams Of Sugar Should I Consume Per Day?
I get asked this question a lot. It’s a tricky question because there are two types of sugars; those that are naturally occurring in healthy foods like fruit (fructose) and milk (lactose), and those that are added which include any sugars that are added to foods/beverages during process or preparation. So how do you know how much sugar you are consuming? It’s a good idea to start tracking all the food you eat in a program like Myfitnesspal to provide you with some accurate information. There isn’t really a definitive answer as to how much sugar one should consume in a day. But as obesity is on the rise in North America, more and more people are becoming concerned about added sugars and limiting it in our diets. The consensus is that we should consume no more than 40 grams of sugar per day (for non-diabetics). 40 grams refers mainly to added sugar, not naturally occurring sugar. High Sugar Foods Using 40 grams as the Daily Value for added sugars might reveal how much sugar per day is ideal for our body. For example, a typical cup of fruit-flavoured yogurt contains 70% of the Daily Value for sugar and a 12-oz soft drink contains 100% of the Daily Value for sugar! Obesity and Sugar Addiction Have you ever eaten something high in sugar and then a few minutes later, you find yourself hungry again? That’s the effect of sugar on our body…we never fully feel satisfied. High sugar diets, also known as high glycemic index diets, can cause obesity. How? If you consume a high glycemic food, this triggers a rapid rise in our blood sugar levels, which overstimulates our pancreas and releases a large amount of insulin. So what’s the result? This large quantity of insulin mops up the excess sugar in our bloodstream, causing our blood sugar levels to rapidly dip below normal Continue reading >>
How Many Carbs Should You Eat On A Ketogenic Diet?
If you’re considering going “keto,” keep in mind you’ll need to consider everything — worked out down to the last gram — regarding how many carbohydrates you can consume. One thing’s for sure: the statement “low carb” isn’t open to interpretation. This isn’t a quick fix “fad” diet; it’s meant to promote real and lasting change for your body — change that’s ultimately going to help you become less dependent on glucose and able to melt through fat for energy instead! You need to actually cause a metabolic shift, and just simply guessing if your carbs are low enough isn’t going to be the most efficient way to do that. While you’re on the ketogenic diet, you absolutely must keep your carbohydrate count within the specified range your body operates in — at all times. If not, you won’t reach a state of ketosis, thus rendering the entire program null and void. With that in mind, it’s important to realize you’re doing this as a more long-term process for lasting results. No matter what your goals or desired outcome, eating a lower carb diet than you are now is certainly going to benefit you in the long run. So, How Many Grams of Carbs Should I Have? If you’re a “normal” person — and by normal, we simply mean “non-athlete” — then you’ll be alright following the standard ketogenic dietary ratios. (And we use the word “standard” here because there isn’t just one version of the ketogenic diet — but more on that in a bit.) You can enjoy fantastic benefits going keto, including effortless fat loss, increased lifespan, improved energy, and sharper mental focus. Everyone responds differently to different amounts of carbohydrates, but there are some general starting points. But to achieve those, you’ll need to make yo Continue reading >>
Is Honey A Sweet Low-carb Indulgence Or Keto No-no?
Honey has been touted as a superfood in the world of health and nutrition, and it is undoubtedly a far healthier choice than refined sugar. There are conflicting opinions as to whether or not honey really can be part of a healthy diet, or if it is no better than other types of sugar. In this article, we’ll compare the health benefits of honey to more processed sugars, and also consider whether it has a place in your low carb diet. What is Honey, Exactly? Honey has been used throughout history across the globe for both its medicinal and nutritional benefits. Some health experts point out that honey is very high in fructose, and therefore unhealthy. While this is true (and why honey should be used in moderation, whether you follow a low carb diet or not), honey also comes with a long list of nutrients, a bit of fiber and other health promoting compounds. Specifically, honey contains the following: 82% sugar, 40% of which is fructose. Small amounts of vitamins and minerals. Some antioxidants. Depending on the type of honey, its fructose: glucose content can vary greatly, meaning certain types will have a higher glycemic index than others. 1 tbsp. contains 64 calories. What Are The Health Benefits of Honey? Before looking specifically as to whether honey has a place in a low carb diet model, let’s consider the health benefits offered, and how they compare to those of white sugar (hint: honey comes out far ahead). High in Antioxidants High quality honey (especially raw honey) offers a decent amount of antioxidants, which are important for fighting oxidative damage caused by free radicals. Excessive free radicals in the body have been linked to serious chronic diseases and cancer. Studies show that honey is particularly high in certain phenols, flavonoids and enzymes whic Continue reading >>
Can I Eat Fruit On Keto?
Fruit is delicious, no one can really argue that point… but, how do fruit and keto mix together? Can you eat fruit on keto? Well then, what fruits can I eat on keto? So many fruit-based questions! We’ve already talked about what vegetables you can eat on keto. Now we’re going to have a discussion about fruit. Fruit? But there’s so much sugar in fruit! Are you trying to make me fat? Calm down there, champ. Yes, there are many fruits that are pretty high in sugar, but there are also a bunch that aren’t really that bad. Fruit contains a lot of beneficial vitamins, minerals and polyphenols, and if you’re really craving some pomegranate this time of year, you might as well go for it. Just in moderation. I like to add freeze dried fruits to baked goods in lieu of fresh fruit because they don’t go to waste, the portion is easy to control, and I find they pack in more flavor because they’re so concentrated. But, on to the questions! So, what’s so great about fruits? They’re all sugar! Okay, kind of true. Fruit does contain a lot of sugar. However, fruit also contains a lot of both soluble and insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber not only helps to keep our micro biome by acting as food for our gut bacteria (technically, called a prebiotic) healthy and well-fed, but it can also bind to excess cholesterol and hormones, and clear them from our guts. Fruit is also high in a variety of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other polyphenols. As many of these compounds are destroyed with cooking, and we tend to cook our vegetables, fruit can be the best option for obtaining necessary vitamins, like vitamin C. Well, what fruits are best on a keto or low carb diet? Berries. I’m not even going to pretend like it’s a close call. Berries are loaded with nutrition, and tend Continue reading >>
The Best And Worst Low Carb Sweeteners
Most people that start a keto diet plan find that they have some intense cravings for sugar in the beginning, but will dissipate after a few weeks. Even the seasoned low carber will tell you that they have cravings every once in a while, sometimes burning inside them so deep they want to give up to temptation. That’s where sweeteners come in, where you can make or bake things you usually can’t eat. Of course, you will have to watch out because most things that say “carb free” actually still contain carbs. Make sure you take the net carbs of any impacting sweetener into consideration when tracking your macros. As a general rule of thumb, it’s always best to try to avoid sweeteners in the beginning. They’re well known to cause cravings and some may stall your progress with over-use. Stay strict and try to only occasionally consume sweet treats when you are on a low carb diet. Types of Sweeteners In general, there are a few classifications of sweeteners. There are natural sweeteners, sugar alcohols, and synthetic sweeteners (or artificial sweeteners). There are a few others that aren’t exactly classified in these categories (like glycerin based sweeteners) but they are quite uncommon and rarely used, so we’ll skip going over them. For a ketogenic diet, I personally suggest sticking with erythritol and stevia (or a blend) because they are both naturally occurring, don’t cause blood sugar or insulin spikes, and sweeten just perfectly. When used in combination, they seem to cancel out the aftertaste that each has, and work like a charm. When you purchase sweeteners, make sure to take a look at the ingredients on the packaging. You normally want the pure sweetener, rather than having fillers such as maltodextrin, dextrose, or polydextrose which can cause spik Continue reading >>
How To Get Into Ketosis Faster On A Low Carb Diet
This post may be sponsored or contain affiliate links. We may earn money from purchases made through links mentioned in this post, but all opinions are our own. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliates sites. Want to be a fat-burning machine without having to count calories? Here’s a few ideas on how to get into ketosis faster on a low carb diet. Do you want to look leaner for bikini season? Yoga pants starting to feel a little tighter? One way to burn fat fast is to go on a ketogenic diet. The physiological process of burning stored fat instead of sugar, can be achieved within a short amount of time after following a strict keto diet. It is possible to get there in a day. In fact, some people show you how to get into ketosis, this fat burning state, in 24 hours. Do you need to fast? Becoming keto adapted where the body burns fat rather than sugar isn’t as hard as you might think. And, you don’t have to starve yourself to get there quickly. The great news for those who want to know how to get into ketosis faster is, well … you don’t have to fast. Fasting has been used for thousands of years by virtually every religion and traditional society. There are some people who think that a complete fast (not just intermittent fasting) is a way to get into ketosis faster. But the great thing about following a ketogenic diet is that you can eat until your heart—er, stomach—is content. You just have to eat enough of the right foods. And, of course, eat very little of the wrong foods. Is getting into ketosis safe without a doctor? Before reviewing how to get into ketosis quickly, let’s take a look at a quick background: T Continue reading >>
All You Need To Know About Carbs On A Low-carb Ketogenic Diet
When it comes to ideal carbs intake, I've discussed it in my post here: How Many Carbs per Day on Low-Carb Ketogenic Diet? However, daily carbs intake is not the only aspect you should focus on. Does our body need carbs? It's a common misconception that our body, especially our brain needs carbs. In fact, the brain can either use glucose or ketones. When you restrict the intake of carbohydrates, your body will switch to using ketone bodies instead of using glucose. Not only that, ketones are a better fuel for our body and brain than glucose, even for highly active individuals. Once you get keto-adapted (3-4 weeks), you will experience improved energy levels. Although a small amount of glucose is still needed, our body can produce glucose on demand via gluconeogenesis. Dr Volek and Dr Phinney, The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Performance (2012): "Ketone bodies are an important lipid-based fuel, especially for the brain, when dietary carbohydrates are restricted." It has been estimated that about 200 grams of glucose can be generated daily just from protein (Dr Briffa, Escape the Diet Trap, 2012). Our body needs some glucose (e.g. for the thyroid health) but according to Dr Volek, it's a very small amount. As I said in my post here, there is no need for everybody to follow a very low-carb / "zero-carb" diet and you may need to adjust the level of carbs to fit your needs. Types of carbs in ketogenic diets Generally, you should avoid any sugary or starchy foods. The best measure to represent "good" and "bad" carbohydrates is their Glycemic Load (GL), which measures how much insulin will be released by your body for a given food measured in standard portions. This is different to Glycemic Index (GI), which doesn't take the serving size into account. As a result, some Continue reading >>
Keto Diet: The Do's And Don't's Of This High-fat, Low-carb Nutrition Plan
I'm often asked about popular diets, so this week and next I'm covering two popular diets - the Keto Diet this week, and Whole30 next week - including the pros, cons and my take for each. I am not advocating or recommending that we all follow these programs. While these diets - or components of these diets - may be beneficial to some, my recommendation for the majority of the population is to keep it simple, streamlined, wholesome - less about hard rules with lists of do's and don't's, and more about the key fundamentals: limit added sugars and white carbs. Emphasize lean proteins. Tons of vegetables, some fruits (mostly berries), and more of an emphasis on plant based fats when possible. Find what works for your individual lifestyle, taste preferences, budget and schedule. If you do choose to try one or some of these popular diets, use it as an opportunity to help break and replace not-so-good habits, and to educate yourself and learn more about how you may respond to certain foods and ingredients so that you can make lasting behavioral changes that can stick around long after you're "off" of a particular diet plan. *** "I'm going keto." I'm hearing this more and more often. And odds are you've heard someone talk about "going keto," you've considered it yourself, or at the very least, you've seen "keto-friendly" products and recipes in stores, magazines, and social media. Keto is a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet, with limited protein allowed as well. As with many of these diets, healthful food selections within each of those food categories is what determines whether the diet is healthful. The keto diet's origins "Keto" is short for "ketogenic" and is a type of diet that has been used for 100-plus years for children with uncontrolled seizures. Approximately half of th Continue reading >>
Ketones And Carbohydrates: Can They Co-exist?
For reasons I’m still struggling to understand, the idea of “nutritional ketosis” (NK, to be distinguished from starvation ketosis, SK or diabetic ketoacidosis, DKA) is often discussed and debated in much the same way as religion or politics. Perhaps this can be said of all nutrition, which is a shame. Nevertheless, in my continued defiance of such sensitive topics, I’d like to add another layer of complexity and nuance to this discussion. The “rule of thumb” for NK is that caloric intake is determined as follows (this excludes a subset of ketogenic diets known as calorie-restricted KD which, as the name suggests, is specifically restricted in calories): Carbohydrate (total, not “net”): less than 50 gm/day, but ideally closer to 30 gm/day Protein: up to 1 to 1.5 gm/kg, but ideally below about 120 gm/day Fat: to satiety Let me illustrate what this looks like for Joe (left), Jane (middle), and Jeff (right — an example of a calorie restricted KD), three hypothetical people in NK — but each with different caloric requirements. As a general rule, as caloric requirement increases the proportion of calories derived from carbohydrate and protein decreases (and the contribution of dietary fat increases), even while absolute intake of carbohydrate and protein increases. Anyone who has bought a blood ketone meter knows how tough it can be to get “into” ketosis by carbohydrate restriction (since everyone asks, I use the Abbott Precision Xtra meter which uses two different strips: one for glucose and one for beta-hydroxybutyrate, or BHB). Most practitioners consider the minimum threshold of NK to be a fasting serum level of BHB above 0.5 mM. I’m a bit more stringent in my practice and like to see fasting BHB levels above 1 mM. To give you a sense of one per Continue reading >>
The Ketogenic Diet: An Ultimate Guide To Keto
Over recent years, ketogenic diets have become increasingly popular. The diet is otherwise known as ‘keto,’ and it’s high in fat and extremely low in carbs. But there are a few things to be aware of, such as the benefits, best foods to eat, foods to avoid, possible dangers and side effects. This guide will show you all of these things. Also, the guide provides sample keto meal plans, snack ideas, and guidance how to implement the diet in a healthy way. What is a Ketogenic Diet? Ketogenic diets are a way of eating that focus on strictly limiting carbohydrate. And if implemented well, they can be incredibly beneficial. By and large, those following a keto plan eat higher amounts of fat, moderate protein, and a very small amount of carbs. Macros As long as you keep carbs very low, then keto is possible on a range of macronutrient ratios. However, in my case I’d aim for macros similar to this: Carbohydrate: 5-10% Fat: 60-75% Protein: 20-30% How do keto diets work? When you keep carbs very low for an extended period, the body enters nutritional ketosis. Ketosis refers to a state in which the body starts burning fat for energy rather than carbohydrate. On a typical high carb diet, the body burns glucose. In contrast, the ketogenic diet encourages the body to start using ketones for fuel. Ketones are a type of molecule that our liver produces during times of carbohydrate restriction (or overall low food intake). The human body can use both glucose and ketones for fuel. How many carbohydrates should I eat? Respected low carb researchers Jeff Volek and Stephen Phinney advise aiming for an upper limit of 50 grams total carbs. Below this number is also widely accepted as a ketogenic diet (1). Generally speaking, you can eat this amount of carbohydrate and still be in ketos Continue reading >>
Keto Diet Food List, Including The Best Vs. Worst Keto Foods
Unlike many fad diets that come and go with very limited rates of long-term success, the ketogenic diet or keto diet has been practiced for more than nine decades (since the 1920s) and is based upon a solid understanding of physiology and nutrition science. The keto diet works for such a high percentage of people because it targets several key, underlying causes of weight gain — including hormonal imbalances, especially insulin resistance coupled with high blood sugar levels, and the cycle of restricting and “binging” on empty calories due to hunger that so many dieters struggle with. Yet that’s not a problem with what’s on the keto diet food list. Rather than relying on counting calories, limiting portion sizes, resorting to extreme exercise or requiring lots of willpower (even in the face of drastically low energy levels), the ketogenic diet takes an entirely different approach to weight loss and health improvements. It works because it changes the very “fuel source” that the body uses to stay energized — namely, from burning glucose (or sugar) to dietary fat, courtesy of keto recipes and the keto diet food list items, including high-fat, low-carb foods. What Can You Eat On a Ketogenic Diet? Here are some examples of high-fat low-carb foods on the keto diet food list you can expect to eat lots of if you’re following the ketogenic diet: High amounts of healthy fats (up to 80 percent of your total calories!), such as olive oil, coconut oil, grass-fed butter, palm oil, and some nuts and seeds. Fats are a critical part of every ketogenic recipe because fat is what provides energy and prevents hunger, weakness and fatigue. All sorts of non-starchy vegetables. What vegetables can you eat on a ketogenic diet without worrying about increasing your carb intak Continue reading >>
The 'eat This Not That' Guide To The Keto Diet
The ketogenic diet can be dizzyingly complicated. You want to load up on fats and protein, and keep your carb intake low—but all fats and proteins aren’t alike, and there are some veggies higher in carbohydrates than others. Oh, and fruit is pretty much banned. But don’t worry: We’ve put together the best and worst of each category so you can go keto with confidence. Fats Eat this: Play Video Play Loaded: 0% Progress: 0% Remaining Time -0:00 This is a modal window. Foreground --- White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan --- Opaque Semi-Opaque Background --- White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan --- Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window --- White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan --- Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Default Monospace Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Sans-Serif Casual Script Small Caps Defaults Done Saturated fats including coconut oil, ghee, grass-fed butter, duck fat, tallow, and lard—all essential for a healthy immune system, dense bones, and proper testosterone levels. Monounsaturated fats like olive, avocado, macadamia, and almond oils, which boost heart health and provide vitamin E—important for vision and a strong immune system. Polyunsaturated omega-3s such as wild-caught salmon, sardines, and sustainably harvested seafood—to prevent heart disease and stroke and reduce blood pressure. Medium-chain triglycerides, fatty acids that are easily absorbed and used for energy. Linked to weight loss, MCTs increase satiety and rev-up metabolism. Not that: Refined fats and oils like sunflower, canola, soybean, grapeseed, and corn oils, which have been processed at high Continue reading >>
