You may recall a post I wrote just a short while ago talking about what is the best diet to lose weight and in that post I mentioned several different diets. With that being said right now as of this writing one of the diets people are talking about is the “Ketogenic Diet.” I have received numerous questions about this particular diet as well as what is ketosis. So, I thought I would write up a short post and define both.
The ketogenic diet (often termed keto) is a very low-carb, high-fat diet that shares many similarities with the Atkins and low-carb diets.
It involves drastically reducing carbohydrate intake, and replacing it with fat. The reduction in carbs puts your body into a metabolic state called ketosis.
Ketosis is a metabolic state in which most of the body’s energy supply comes from ketone bodies in the blood, in contrast to a state of glycolysis where blood glucose provides most of the energy.
Essentially, when your body is in ketosis it becomes incredibly efficient at burning fat for energy. It also turns fat into ketones in the liver, which can help supply energy for the brain.
Now, I dont want you to get Ketosis confused with diabetic ketoacidosis, which is a serious complication of uncontrolled diabetes that occurs when your body produces high levels of blood acids called ketones in conjunction with high levels of glucose.
Now that I have briefly describe what ketosis is I know some of you are thinking well how do I get into Ketosis. Before I give you some tips to get your body into Ketosis please make sure that you consult with your doctor to make sure that you are healthy and dont suffer from any metabolic disorders or other conditions that might be harmful to you. With that disclaimer out of the way…
- Minimize Your Carb Consumption. …
- Include Coconut Oil in Your Diet. …
- Ramp up Your Physical Activity. …
- Increase Your Healthy Fat Intake. …
- Try a Short Fast or a Fat Fast. …
- Maintain Adequate Protein Intake. …
- Test Ketone Levels and Adjust Your Diet As Needed.
If you were having questions about ketosis and the ketogenic diet I hope this brief post gives you a sense of what it is and how it affects metabolism in the body. Remember it is not for everyone and if you just implement a few of those 7 tips at some level you will see results in regards to your weight loss.
Let me know if you have any questions either by emailing me at Dave@davemcgarry.com with the subject “Ketosis” or sign up to receive my newsletter where I share my best tips and strategies for being fit over 40! [thrive_optin color=”red” text=”Join” optin=”3483″ size=”medium” layout=”horizontal”]
In health,
Coach Dave
