Today we will talk about “How to Implement Nutritional Ketosis?” Ketosis is a condition characterized by elevated concentrations of ketone in the blood, which comes when the liver converts fat into fatty acids and ketone bodies due to energy needs. Nutritional Ketosis is a specific sort of the diet which is based on the state of Ketosis, which enters the body after a certain time from the start of applying this type of diet. Once the body enters into a state of ketosis, instead of sugar a primary source of energy becomes fat.
Many of us already know that the fat is a really bad thing for us and our body. It seems that the media, parents, coaches were wrong whole time. Things got changed, and it seems that fat may be actually good for us.
Many people start experiments with the nutritional ketosis. They start taking extremely fat food, which is low if you talk about carbohydrates. The diet is based on allowing the thing body uses fat as its own special source of energy, instead of carbohydrates.
Scientists have long thought that the carbohydrates are essential to our body. But again, they were wrong. Nutritional ketosis is sufficient for everyday needs and even high-intensity training or bodybuilding. There are a few diets that are based on the same principle, but nutritional ketosis is definitely the best
It is believed that such diet successfully treats many diseases. It is invented in 1921. by a doctor Geyelin to treat epilepsy, and he was very successful.
Table of Contents
How can I lose weight with nutritional ketosis?
Mitochondria is human’s organ who makes essential energy that we need. Mitochondria run on glucose. If you take a look at nutritional ketosis diet, you will observe our body generally starts to burn fatty acids and the ketones just in case to produce energy. In this way, it can produce far more energy than glucose.
The ketogenic diet can cause a drastic reduction of the sugar in blood and insulin levels.
Our body would always automatically run on glucose (if it is available). However, if the body is in the ketosis stage, the liver converts fat into fatty acids and in ketones, that are used for the same purposes. To achieve and maintain a state of ketosis in the body, it is necessary to drastically reduce your intake of carbohydrates. Most of the foods that you enter in your body should be protein rich and fat. Sources of carbohydrates should come from vegetables that grow above the ground.Nutritional ketosis drastically decreases your daily dose of carbohydrates, to a maximum of 50g per day, which is forcing the fat burning.
Why is it the best?
A scientist does not know why nutritional ketosis so successfully changed natural processes in the body, but it certainly works. Nutritional ketosis is good also in various neurological disorders. The most important thing about this kind of diet is that it provides the feeling of satiety, which makes her one of the easiest diets. One study showed that people who followed the regime of ketogenic diet lost 2 times more weight, compared to those who followed the regime who promoted limiting the intake of calories and fat. In addition to a successful weight loss, it is the observed improvement of the level of triglycerides and good HDL cholesterol.
One of the reasons why the ketogenic diet is the best is that it requires a large intake of protein, which causes muscle growth. Achieving the optimal level of ketosis is not an easy task. But the positive side is that in this way, you are forcing your body to burn fat instead of primary energy sources, such as starch and sugar. Many athletes and bodybuilders will recommend nutritional ketosis as your primary diet.
How does it work?
- Food elimination – by ejecting carbohydrates from your body, you drastically limit the number of food that you can enter in your organism.
- Increased appetite
- Increased protein intake
- Improved sensitivity to insulin – which can affect the metabolism and the usage of energy in your body.
- Increased fat burning – ketogenic diet can drastically increase the amount of fat you burn during the day.
Types of ketogenic diets
- Standard – low intake of carbohydrates and the high amount of fatty foods. (healthy fats only)
- Cyclical – 5 regular days on ketogenic diet followed by 2 day-break, when you eat normally.
- High protein – Same as standard, except that it includes more protein. Ratio should be: 60% fat, 35% protein and 5% carbohydrate.
- Targeted ketogenic diet (TKD) – allow an increased intake of carbohydrates during periods of increased physical activity. (training)
What should I eat?
Depending on your goal with nutritional ketosis diet, there are some recommendations that should be followed. Classical formulas recommended 4:1 ratio of protein and fat.
Bodybuilders are recommended to take only 30-50g of carbohydrates only from vegetables per day.
It is recommended to base the majority of your meals based on these foods:
- Meat – red meat, chicken, turkey, bacon, steak, tuna
- Eggs
- Butter
- Cheese
- Avocado
- Seeds and nuts
- Healthy oils – olive oil, coconut oil and avocado oil
- Vegetables with low-carb – tomatoes, onions, peppers…
All food that is rich in carbohydrates should be avoided:
- Fruits – except berries
- Sweetened foods – such as smooties and fruit juices, cake, ice cream, soft drinks etc.
- Starches and grains – plain hot cereals, pasta, rice, wheat bread and other
- Root vegetables – such as potatoes, carrots
- Alcohol – because many beverages are containing carbohydrates
- Unhealthy fats and oils – such as mayonnaise and vegetable oil
Possible side-effects
Although the nutritional ketosis is safe for most of the people, there could be mild side effects during the period of adaptation of the organism to a new diet. This effect is called “keto cold” and often takes just for the few days.
Other benefits
Because nutritional ketosis regulates insulin and the level of blood sugar, it may reduce the risk of diabetes. Diabetes is characterized as a metabolic disorder, accompanied with a high blood-sugar level and uneven secretion of insulin. The overweight is closely related to the increase of type 2 diabetes, prediabetes, and the metabolic syndrome. One study shows that the ketogenic diet improved insulin sensitivity by 75%. Another study showed that 7 out of 21 patients with type 2 diabetes able to discontinue the use of drugs for diabetes.
Other diseases for which it is useful is Alzheimer disease, cancer, Parkinson disease, heart disease, epilepsy, brain injury, acne…
