What is Keto Diet?
If you’ve seen our previous article on the Types of Diets for Beginners, you must be here because the types listed in there didn’t pique your interest. That’s fair, it is important to explore your choices before you commit to a routine or a lifestyle.
You may have heard of the Keto Diet before. Through media or talks among your peers.
It has been endorsed by several famous faces including Gwyneth Paltrow, Lebron James, and Kim Kardashian. Keto has a lot of health benefits such as weight loss and reducing the risk or severity of diseases such as diabetes and epilepsy. It may also clear up your skin because of its decreased use of high-glycemic foods that can cause acne.
What is the Keto Diet anyway?
“Ketogenic” is a term for a low-carb diet in which your source of calories switches to proteins and fat and less from carbohydrates. You’ll have to eat little to no carbs that are easy to digest, like sugar, soda, pastries, and white bread.
It is important to note that there is such a thing as the “keto fever” in which participants of the diet may feel faint and experience headaches during the first few days of their routine. The journey will be different for everybody.
According to Kourtney Kardashian, going keto was a “really positive experience.” She said she first went keto after doctors found high levels of mercury in her blood. She now eats cauliflower rice or broccoli rice in place of carbs.
LeBron James once shared his six-pack abs as a result of the keto diet he was doing. He told Sports Illustrated in September 2014 that he didn’t eat dairy, sugar, or carbohydrates for 67 days in order to “test his mental fortitude.”
Keto works by letting your body run out of fuel or blood sugar that in can use quickly. It usually takes 3 to 4 days, this is when people feel faint and will often get headaches. You will then experience ketosis in which you’ll start to break down protein and fat for energy, which can make you lose weight. It’s important to note that the ketogenic diet is a short-term diet that’s focused on weight loss rather than the pursuit of health benefits.
People will often participate in this diet to lose weight but it can also help manage certain health conditions that include even some brain diseases.
To those that lead an even more active lifestyle, a ketogenic diet may help endurance in athletes. Over time, it helps your muscle-to-fat ratio and raises the amount of oxygen your body is able to use when it’s working hard. But while it might help in training, it may not work as well as other diets for peak performance.
Of course, like other diets, Keto has its side effects too. Besides the previously mentioned faintness, you might experience constipation, mild low blood sugar, or indigestion. The “keto flu” may also include headache, weakness, and irritability; bad breath; and fatigue.
Make sure that the change in your diet will be slow and gradual. Any odd feeling you have that isn’t in the included side effects should always be consulted with a doctor.
If you are looking for other ways to help your body, you may want to consider reading our articles on as well as the many ways you can inspire yourself to be more healthy.
