Ketosis for Beginners: The Quick-And-Easy Guide
Obesity is the second leading cause of preventable death in the United States. Not only will it increase your risk of heart disease, but it can also lead to diabetes, osteoarthritis, and some cancers.
The good news is that it’s treatable. How? With a combination of physical activity and lifestyle changes.
For example, your doctor may recommend a ketogenic diet. If anything, it can be an extremely effective way of losing weight.
What is it? How does it work? We’ll be going over all of the answers in our ketosis for beginners guide below. Keep reading to learn more!
What Is a Ketogenic Diet?
The ketogenic diet is a low-carbohydrate (<50 grams per day), high-fat diet. By lowering your carb intake and replacing it with fat, your body will enter a state called ketosis. Put simply, it’s when your body burns fat, instead of glucose, for energy.
More specifically, fat will be converted into ketones—an alternative fuel source—in the liver, which will then be used to fuel the brain and the rest of the body.
On top of that, it can help lower insulin and blood sugar levels. In other words, it may benefit those with type 2 diabetes.
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Combining Keto and Intermittent Fasting
Combining the ketogenic diet with intermittent fasting will allow you to enter ketosis faster. Why? Your body will naturally begin to burn fat for fuel as your liver glycogen stores decrease—this will help ‘jumpstart’ the process.
Some of the most popular fasting methods include the 5:2 method, 16/8 method, and eat-stop-eat method.
The 5:2 Method: A fasting routine where you eat regularly for 5 days and consume only 500-600 calories per day two times a week.
The 16/8 Method: Also known as the Leangains protocol, it involves restricting your eating to an 8-hour window (e.g., 12 pm to 8 pm).
The Eat-Stop-Eat Method: A type of intermittent fasting in which you fast for 24 hours twice a week (you can eat freely on the remaining days).
What Should You Eat?
Some healthy foods to eat on a ketogenic diet include meat (e.g., beef, ham, chicken, turkey), fatty fish, eggs, low-carb veggies such as tomatoes and onions, seeds, and unprocessed cheese.
Avoid sugary foods such as fruit juice, cake, candy, and ice cream. Consider replacing them with keto-friendly alternatives instead, such as keto gum or low-carb dessert bars.
In addition to that, you want to avoid unhealthy fats such as processed oils, margarine, and shortening. Swap them for healthy fats instead. Some examples include avocados, nuts, and fatty fish.
Ketosis For Beginners: Explained
And there you have it—ketosis for beginners guide. As you can see, it can be an effective way of losing weight. Not only that, but it can help with your blood sugar levels as well.
Did you find our guide helpful? Looking for more similar posts? Then be sure to check out the rest of our health section!
