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The ketogenic diet is a very successful weight-loss program. It utilizes high fat and low carbohydrate ingredients in order to burn fat instead of glucose. Many people are familiar with the Atkins diet, but the keto plan restricts carbs even more.
Because we are surrounded by fast food restaurants and processed meals, it can be a challenge to avoid carb-rich foods, but proper planning can help.
Plan menus and snacks at least a week ahead of time, so you aren’t caught with only high carb meal choices. Research keto recipes online; there are quite a few good ones to choose from. Immerse yourself in the keto lifestyle, find your favorite recipes, and stick with them.
There are a few items that are staples of a keto diet. Be sure to have these items on hand:
Eggs — Used in omelets, quiches (yes, heavy cream is legal on keto!), hard boiled as a snack, low carb pizza crust, and more; if you like eggs, you have a great chance of success on this diet
Bacon — Do I need a reason? breakfast, salad garnish, burger topper, BLT’s (no bread of course; try a BLT in a bowl, tossed in mayo)
Cream cheese — Dozens of recipes, pizza crusts, main dishes, desserts
Shredded cheese — Sprinkle over taco meat in a bowl, made into tortilla chips in the microwave, salad toppers, low-carb pizza and enchiladas
Lots of romaine and spinach — Fill up on the green veggies; have plenty on hand for a quick salad when hunger pangs hit
EZ-Sweetz liquid sweetener — Use a couple of drops in place of sugar; this artificial sweetener is the most natural and easiest to use that I’ve found
Cauliflower — Fresh or frozen bags you can eat this low-carb veggie by itself, tossed in olive oil and baked, mashed in fake potatoes, chopped/shredded and used in place of rice under main dishes, in low-carb and keto pizza crusts, and much more
Frozen chicken tenders — Have a large bag on hand; thaw quickly and grill, saute, mix with veggies and top with garlic sauce in a low carb flatbread, use in Chicken piccata, chicken alfredo, tacos, enchiladas, Indian Butter chicken, and more
Ground beef — Make a big burger and top with all sorts of things from cheese, to sauteed mushrooms, to grilled onions… or crumble and cook with taco seasoning and use in provolone cheese taco shells; throw in a dish with lettuce, avocado, cheese, sour cream for a tortilla-less taco salad
Almonds (plain or flavored) — these are a tasty and healthy snack; however, be sure to count them as you eat, because the carbs DO add up. Flavors include habanero, coconut, salt and vinegar and more.
However, if you are following this diet and are not losing weight, chances are that you are not in ketosis. Given below are some common reasons for not losing weight on the ketogenic diet.
1. Not Reaching Ketosis
Typically, most keto dieters don’t lose weight because they don’t achieve ketosis. And the reason that they don’t achieve ketosis is that they don’t reduce their carb intake. According to experts, your carb intake should be only 5 to 10% of your caloric intake.
Most keto diets require dieters to reduce at least 20 grams of carbs per day. And that’s Why they may not be able to burn fat. You can buy a home testing kit and use the test strips to find out if your urine contains ketones. If the test result is positive, you are in ketosis.
2. Consuming a Lot of Protein
Most low-carb diets do allow some amount of protein. If you think a keto diet refers to a high protein, low-carb diet, you need to think again. The thing is that this type of diet may not help you reach ketosis as your body can’t break down the excessive amount of protein to get amino acids, and then convert the amino acids into sugar.
When on a keto diet, you get your calories from fat. And fat should be at least 55% of your caloric intake.
3. Eating a Lot of Acceptable Carbs
You can have some types of carbs when on the keto diet, such as dairy and nuts. Typically, these foods are rich in fat and nutrients. Therefore, they can be an ideal addition to your diet. But the problem is that they have carbs in them.
Therefore, it’s not a good idea to have a lot of these foods. Ignoring this advice will prevent you from maintaining ketosis.
4. Eating Maltitol
Usually, sugar alcohols are fine for keto dieters. They offer sweetness but don’t increase the number of carbs in your body. But it’s important to keep in mind that some types of alcohols do contain carbs.
For instance, maltitol is a type that is not allowed on this low-carb diet. Technically, it’s low GI sugar but has an impact on your blood sugar levels. Therefore, it may prevent you from achieving ketosis.
5. Taking Too Many Calories
If you eat more calories than you burn, you won’t be able to shed those extra pounds. In fact, if you consume a lot of calories, you may gain fat even if you have achieved ketosis.
Foods that contain a lot of fat have more calories compared to foods that are rich in proteins and carbs. Therefore, it’s important that you monitor the calories you consume on a daily basis. If you stick to a balanced diet, you may achieve your goals.
One of the foremost things a ketogenic diet does is to stabilize your insulin levels and also restore leptin signalling. Reduced amounts of insulin in the bloodstream allow you to feel fuller for a longer period of time and also to have fewer cravings.
Medical Benefits of Ketogenic Diets
The application and implementation of the ketogenic diet has expanded considerably. Keto diets are often indicated as part of the treatment plan in a number of medical conditions.
Epilepsy
This is basically the main reason for the development of the ketogenic diet. For some reason, the rate of epileptic seizures reduces when patients are placed on a keto diet.
Pediatric epileptic cases are the most responsive to the keto diet. There are children who have experience seizure elimination after a few years of using a keto diet.
Children with epilepsy are generally expected to fast for a few days before starting the ketogenic diet as part of their treatment.
Cancer
Research suggests that the therapeutic efficacy of the ketogenic diets against tumor growth can be enhanced when combined with certain drugs and procedures under a “press-pulse” paradigm.
It is also promising to note that ketogenic diets drive the cancer cell into remission. This means that keto diets “starves cancer” to reduce the symptoms.
Alzheimer Disease
There are several indications that the memory functions of patients with Alzheimer’s disease improve after making use of a ketogenic diet.
Ketones are a great source of alternative energy for the brain especially when it has become resistant to insulin. Ketones also provide substrates (cholesterol) that help to repair damaged neurons and membranes. These all help to improve memory and cognition in Alzheimer patients.
Diabetes
It is generally agreed that carbohydrates are the main culprit in diabetes. Therefore, by reducing the amount of ingested carbohydrate by using a ketogenic diet, there are increased chances for improved blood sugar control.
Also, combining a keto diet with other diabetes treatment plans can significantly improve their overall effectiveness.
Gluten Allergy
Many individuals with gluten allergy are undiagnosed with this condition. However, following a ketogenic diet showed improvement in related symptoms like digestive discomforts and bloating.
Most carbohydrate-rich foods are high in gluten. Thus, by using a keto diet, a lot of the gluten consumption is reduced to a minimum due to the elimination of a large variety of carbohydrates.
This is arguably the most common “intentional” use of the ketogenic diet today. It has found a niche for itself in the mainstream dieting trend. Keto diets have become part of many dieting regimen due to its well acknowledged side effect of aiding weight loss.
Though initially maligned by many, the growing number of favorable weight loss results has helped the ketogenic to better embraced as a major weight loss program.
Besides the above medical benefits, ketogenic diets also provide some general health benefits which include the following.
Improved Insulin Sensitivity
This is obviously the first aim of a ketogenic diet. It helps to stabilize your insulin levels thereby improving fat burning.
Muscle Preservation
Since protein is oxidized, it helps to preserve lean muscle. Losing lean muscle mass causes an individual’s metabolism to slow down as muscles are generally very metabolic. Using a keto diet actually helps to preserve your muscles while your body burns fat.
Controlled pH and respiratory function
A ketoc diet helps to decrease lactate thereby improving both pH and respiratory function. A state of ketosis therefore helps to keep your blood pH at a healthy level.
Improved Immune System
Using a ketogenic diet helps to fight off aging antioxidants while also reducing inflammation of the gut thereby making your immune system stronger.
Reduced Cholesterol Levels
Consuming fewer carbohydrates while you are on the keto diet will help to reduce blood cholesterol levels. This is due to the increased state of lipolysis. This leads to a reduction in LDL cholesterol levels and an increase in HDL cholesterol levels.
Reduced Appetite and Cravings
Adopting a ketogenic diet helps you to reduce both your appetite and cravings for calorie rich foods. As you begin eating healthy, satisfying, and beneficial high-fat foods, your hunger feelings will naturally start decreasing.
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