[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOJxfh0b3o8]
Halfway through February, many of us are still trying to hold onto those New Year’s resolutions.
Specifically, those where we vowed to eat healthy and lose weight!
For those of us who have been around for the all the diet fads—Atkins, low-sugar, low-fat…it’s definitely no surprise that there has been yet another new diet is taking the internet and social media by storm. That popular new diet made all the rave around our very own Carrollton, TX is the ketogenic diet or “keto” for short. The keto diet promises quick results and improved health for those who follow its guidelines.
Unfortunately, just like with other restrictive diets, what can and cannot be eaten gets confusing! But this cute video helps outline how the keto diet works as well as WHAT foods fit within its parameters.
We got a little something out of it, so we wanted to share it with you.
What is the Keto Diet?
Unlike other diets that solely focus on what you eliminate from your diet to lose weight quickly, the keto diet actually changes how your body feels. The ketogenic diet is a low-carb and high-fat diet that shares many similarities with Atkins, for one. It involves drastically reducing carbohydrates and replacing them with fat. This puts your body into a metabolic state called “ketosis.” When this happens, your body becomes incredibly efficient at burning fat for energy. It also turns fat into ketones in the liver, which can supply energy for the brain!
What is ketosis?
Ketosis is a natural state for the body and happens when it is almost completely fueled by fat. Ketosis has many potential benefits like rapid weight loss, improved health or athletic performance—but there are also side effects. In Type I Diabetes and certain other rare conditions, excessive ketosis can even become dangerous.
Is there only one way to do this?
Just like with everything (especially where there’s anyone online to blog about it), there are many variations to the keto diet. Below are a few of the more popular options. It is important to note that only the standard and high-protein ketogenic diets have been studied extensively.
- Standard ketogenic diet (SKD): This is a very low-carb, moderate-protein and high-fat diet. It typically contains 75% fat, 20% protein and only 5% carbs.
- Cyclical ketogenic diet (CKD): This diet involves periods of higher-carb refeeds, such as 5 ketogenic days followed by 2 high-carb days.
- Targeted ketogenic diet (TKD): This diet allows you to add carbs around workouts.
- High-protein ketogenic diet: This is similar to a standard ketogenic diet but includes more protein. The ratio is often 60% fat, 35% protein and 5% carbs.
Health benefits
Since the keto diet helps you burn fat, it has been shown that it can also help you prevent diabetes and even regulate insulin levels for those with Type II diabetes. Additionally, the keto diet has been shown to be a good tool for treating neurological diseases, heart disease, epilepsy and even acne.
What foods can you eat and what do you have to avoid?
The majority of foods you eat on a keto diet revolve around meat, fatty fish, eggs, nuts and seeds and low-carb veggies. It is best to base your diet mostly on whole, single-ingredient foods. Things you should avoid include sugary foods, grains, fruit, and alcohol.
Here at Josey Lan Dentistry we are committed to helping you achieve full body health since it has been proved that it is directly linked to oral health, and vice versa! Take a look at this video—and remember, it’s not too late to keep on that New Year’s resolution!
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