The Ketogenic Diet 

The Ketogenic diet, also known as the “keto diet”, is well known for being a low carb diet, where the body produces ketones in the liver to be used as energy.

The Ketogenic Diet consists of eating…

5% Carbohydrates
20% Protein
75% Fat

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 move the glucose in your bloodstream into either your muscle cells or fat cells.  Often the muscle cells in your body are already filled with glycogen (stored glucose) and therefore excess glucose in your body gets stored in your fat cells.

Since insulin is a storage hormone, if it is present in your bloodstream, your body will be unable to use stored body fat as energy.

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 stored body fat.

The end goal of a properly maintained keto diet is to force your body into this ketosis metabolic state. We don’t do this through starvation of calories but starvation of carbohydrates.

Our bodies are incredibly adaptive to what we put into them – 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.

Benefits of a Ketogenic Diet

There are numerous benefits that come with being on keto: from weight loss and increased energy levels to therapeutic medical applications. Most anyone can safely benefit from eating a low-carb, high-fat diet.

Weight Loss

The ketogenic diet essentially uses your stored body fat as an energy source – so there are obvious weight loss benefits. On keto, your insulin (the fat storing hormone) levels drop greatly which turns your body into a fat burning machine.

Scientifically, the ketogenic diet has shown better results compared to low-fat and high-carb diets; even in the long term.

Click here to learn how to lose weight by following The Keto 90 Lifestyle.

Control Blood Sugar

Keto naturally lowers blood sugar levels due to the type of foods you eat. Studies even show that the ketogenic diet is a more effective way to manage and prevent diabetes compared to low-calorie diets.

If you’re pre-diabetic or have Type II diabetes, you should seriously consider a ketogenic diet. We have many clients that have had success with their blood sugar control on keto.

Mental Focus

Many people use the ketogenic diet specifically for the increased mental performance.

Ketones are a great source of fuel for the brain. When you lower carb intake, you avoid big spikes in blood sugar. Together, this can result in improved focus and concentration.

Studies show that an increased intake of fatty acids can have impacting benefits to our brain’s function.

Increased Energy & Normalized Hunger

By giving your body a better and more reliable energy source, you will feel more energized during the day. Fats are shown to be the most effective molecule to burn as fuel.

On top of that, fat is naturally more satisfying and ends up leaving us in a satiated (“full”) state for longer.

Epilepsy

The ketogenic diet has been used since the early 1900’s to treat epilepsy successfully. It is still one of the most widely used therapies for children who have uncontrolled epilepsy today.

One of the main benefits of the ketogenic diet and epilepsy is that it allows fewer medications to be used while still offering excellent control.  In the last few years, studies have also shown significant results in adults treated with keto as well.

Cholesterol & Blood Pressure

A keto diet has shown to improve triglyceride levels and cholesterol levels most associated with arterial buildup. More specifically low-carb, high-fat diets show a dramatic increase in HDL and decrease in LDL particle concentration compared to low-fat diets.

Many studies on low-carb diets show better improvement in blood pressure over other diets.

Some blood pressure issues are associated with excess weight, which is a bonus since keto tends to lead to weight loss.

Insulin Resistance

Insulin resistance can lead to type II diabetes if left unmanaged. An abundant amount of research shows that a low carb, ketogenic diet can help people lower their insulin levels to healthy ranges.

Acne, Serious, and Other Skin Problems

It’s common to experience improvements in your skin when you switch to a ketogenic diet.  The keto diet drastically improves your digestive system which is the root cause of most skin problems and immune system problems.

Get more information and support by joining our Ketogenic Facebook Community by clicking here.