Not many people understand the pros and cons of the food items they consume, and one of such food item is what is popularly referred to as Keto. Thus, Keto diet or Ketogenic diet and on this piece an attempt shall be made to reveal the truth about Keto diets in simple but relatable way, because the media space has been awash with and buzzing with several expert opinions about Ketogenic diet, and while few of these articles truly capture the truth about Keto, more than a handful of them are filled with balderdash about Keto.
First of all, what is a Keto diet? This is any low or no-carbohydrate diet that propels the body into a state of Ketosis. A state of Ketosis is, however, not a bad thing, neither is being a Keto diet, but there are guidelines to follow to maintain the minimal level of good. The primary reason why many people go into Keto diet is simply for the sake of weight loss, and the people responsible for the popularization of the Keto diet say it uses the body fat burning system to help people lose a significant amount of weight in two weeks or less. And after a while, the body reaches a state of ketosis, which is a normal metabolic process which keeps your body working. With the cutbacks on carbohydrates, instead of burning glucose for energy, instead, it burns fat. Your body turns to ketosis for energy after you exercise for a long time and during pregnancy. But it becomes dangerous when Ketones build up, high level of this build up could lead to dehydration and change the chemical balance of the blood. Sometimes it reduces libido.
Researchers suggest that Ketogenic diets might help lower the risk of heart disease; other studies show that low-carb-diets help people with insulin resistance and even type 2 diabetes. If you are healthy and eating a balanced diet, your body is absolutely in control of how much fat it burns and doesn’t necessarily make use of Ketones, suffice to say Keto diets are safe for you. But on the other hand, when you reduce on the way too much, the amount of calories or carbs you consume, your body switches to Ketosis for energy.
During the first week after a Keto diet, there is a chance you would feel bad. Experts believe it is due to carbs and sugar withdrawal while some others believe it could be an immune system reaction. You might notice some temporary side effects and symptoms. Some of the symptoms (both positive and negative) associated with Ketosis include the following
• Weight Loss
• Fatigue
• Bad breathe
• Nausea
• Suppression of Appetite
• Increase in focus and energy
• Insomnia
• Sugar cravings
• Cramps
• Irritability
• Headache
The truth about Keto diet is it comes with its good and bad side effects, totally dependent on the individual and how well you feed when on Keto diet and the number of activities you get involved in. However, you need to constantly check to know how much Ketosis is going on in your body by testing for Ketones in your blood or Urine. This test you can run yourself by buying test strips or visiting a doctor or a diabetes instructor.
Awesome post! Keep up the great work! 🙂