Everything You Need to Know About the Ketogenic Diet

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There are many different diets on the market to choose from, and at times it can be very difficult to select the correct one for yourself. What we hope to do is present you with the many different diets so that you can make an educated decision on whether or not you may want to choose it for yourself. In this article we will be taking a closer look at the Ketogenic diet, or what many are calling the Keto diet. This type of diet is well known as one that calls for a reduction in carbohydrates, or a low carb diet. The diet itself calls for an adequate amount of protein to be taken in, low amounts of carbohydrates and a high amount of fat.  The reason that many are gravitating towards this diet is that it calls for fats to be burned rather than carbohydrates. What happens in the body when there is little carbohydrates is that the liver will take the fat and convert it into acids, specifically fatty acids and Ketone bodies. The Keto diet actually originated as a diet to treat pediatric epilepsy.  The reason that it was used to treat epileptic seizures, was because when you have an elevated level of Ketone bodies in your blood, you are known to be in the state called Ketosis,  which leads to the frequency of epileptic seizures being reduced. Dr. Henry Rawle Geyelin first introduced the Ketogenic diet in 1921 as the treatment for epileptic seizures.   In our world today, many are looking at it as the latest in a long line of weight loss programs. You may have heard of other diets in the past such as Atkins and the South Beach diet that were similar, and are truly based on this strategy of taking in low amounts of carbohydrates, and high amounts of fats and adequate proteins. If you have ever been on a diet such as Atkins or the South Beach diet, then you’re probably familiar with this technique. If it was one that had worked for you in the past, then it may be something that you may want to look into once again. However, there are some individuals that debate the effectiveness and safety of staying on a Keto diet.   Again, as we have said in other articles talking about the various weight-loss programs, what you should do before embarking on a new diet is to let your doctor know. It is always a good idea to let your primary care physician or your doctor know of any changes in your eating, exercise and diet routines. Your doctor has a better idea of your overall health, and can recommend whether or not specific diets will affect you in a negative way. The one thing that you want to keep in mind when you’re on a low carbohydrate diet, is the fact that you may get lightheaded or dizzy because of the reduction in the amount of carbohydrates that you’re eating. If you have been used to eating a certain amount of carbohydrates on a regular basis such as breads, pasta and even starchy vegetables, then the induction period or rather the initial stages of the diet, may be a bit difficult for you. If you do decide that you want to try out this type of diet, as we mentioned before you may want to pay attention to your body, especially if you start to get lightheaded or dizzy. We cannot mention it enough that you should probably talk to your doctor before trying anything like this out.  Again, what you would also like to do is let someone know that you’re on this diet should something happen. What Can I Expect To Be Eating? This is where the rubber meets the road and is usually what people want to know about. As mentioned above, you will be cutting out the amount of carbohydrates that you will be eating.  And when we say that you’ll be cutting out the amount of carbohydrates, you can bet that they will nearly be eliminated from your diet altogether. So what does this look like? Well, a sample meal plan could be something like baked fish, some type of vegetable like cauliflower, small side of salad and some water. No bread, no pasta and hardly any carbohydrates to be found.  Your next meal of the day will probably look very similar, except you may be swapping out the meat with something such as beef and your vegetables with something such as cabbage. If you find that you’re getting hungry in between meals, then you won’t find yourself reaching for a sandwich, rather you’ll find yourself reaching for something that is low in carbohydrates and high in fat such as a piece of cheese. Again keep in mind that if you tend to eat a lot of starchy carbohydrates, have a tendency to reach for that extra piece of bread at the dinner table or enjoy your pasta, Then this may be a difficult diet for you to undertake. That is not to say that you couldn’t achieve success by going on this diet, it’s just to say that it may be a little difficult for you at first to get adjusted to it. Can I Stay On This Diet Long Term? This question is difficult to answer and one that you should probably talk to your personal care physician or your doctor about. Ideally, you really wouldn’t want to completely eliminate carbohydrates on a continual basis from your diet.  Carbohydrates are a good thing and provide your body with energy that you need to keep going. You may want to look at this as a short-term technique to lose some weight, while you make some lifestyle changes for the long run. Once you’re able to lose the weight that you want to safely, then it’s just a matter of weight maintenance from that point. We are unsure of the effects that may come about from being on a Keto diet for a long period of time, and encourage you to do your due diligence and research should, you feel that this is a diet that you would want to be on either long-term or short-term. What Do I Do Now? Chances are you’re reading this article because you have thought about going on a similar diet.  What you should do now is to do some research on your own to take a look and see if this diet is right for you. The next thing you should do is consult your personal care physician or your doctor to see what diets may be safe for you to go on.   If you’re set on going on the Keto diet then be sure to mention to your doctor that these are your intentions. Failing to talk to a medical professional about this, could bring about some severe complications and consequences. Which is why we encourage you to seek out the advice of a medical professional before embarking on any kind of dietary program, Keto or otherwise. If you would like to go down a different route before trying any of these diets that we have mentioned, then you may want to consider just eating more sensibly, exercising and ensuring that you’re getting the proper rest. Take It For A Quick Test Drive If you’re interested in the Keto diet and would like to see how you would do on it, what you can do is take it for a quick test drive.  All this would entail is doing a quick search online to find a simple meal plan or two, then preparing it and having it during the day. This will give you a better idea of what you can come to expect when you’re on this diet.  Again you aren’t bound to stay on it and we do advise that you speak to your personal care physician, but reducing your carbohydrate intake for one or two meals should give you a better idea of what you can come to expect. There are many different diet programs out there.  The key is to find one that fits you and your current situation. Losing weight and maintaining a healthy weight should be a lifestyle change, AND a lifelong commitment.  While it may be difficult to see it this way, that is truly the healthiest way to go about losing and maintaining your weight. While there are diet programs like this out there, it would probably be a good idea for you to use it on a short term basis just to get you to where you need to be. Again with anything that may affect your health, you will want to seek out the advice of a medical professional such as your personal care physician or doctor. We hope that this article has helped to explain the Keto diet and hope that you found it useful. If you have any further questions, we would love to hear from you.  Please drop us a line or contact us today, we look forward to hearing from you.