The ketogenic diet is basically a high-fat, low-carb diet which in recent years has been used primarily to treat juvenile epilepsy in epileptic children. However, there are increasing numbers of people who are using the ketogenic diet to lose weight and regain their health. The ketogenic diet forces your body to use fats instead of glucose, resulting in more efficient weight loss. It is claimed to be able to reduce your chances of getting heart disease and high blood pressure as well as helping to control your cholesterol levels.
One of the most important elements of the ketogenic diet are fats. You should get your fats from raw nuts, olive oils, avocados, coconut oil and fish. Nuts are a good source of protein, but make sure they are organic and unrefined. You can get good fats from organic almonds, walnuts and Brazil nuts. Other good sources of medium-chain triglycerides include coconut oil, olive oils and avocado.
It is difficult to say how successful the Ketogenic Diet will be in weight loss for epileptic patients. It is difficult to say how successful the Atkins Diet will be in weight loss for heart patients. Both diets have strong supporters both on the Internet and in the medical community. However, all diets work on similar principles: reduce your carbs and increase proteins in order to boost your metabolism. So, it’s hard to say how much weight the Ketogenic Diet will help you lose.
The Ketogenic Diet consists mainly of fatty acids from animal sources, but there are some carbohydrates included in the diet as well. You should count the number of carbs in the day you consume and plan your meals around these carbs. Most people on the Ketogenic Diet eat about twenty-five grams of carbs each day. There are other people who only count the grams of carbs they have in their daily food intake and just limit their fat intake. Most people on Ketogenic diets burn approximately three thousand calories per day, so if you are looking to lose a significant amount of weight (thousand calories or more) you should see some quick results.
Most of the weight loss with the Ketogenic Diet is due to burning more calories than the body normally uses. If you are wondering what happens to the other eighty-five percent of the calories you consume during the day, the answer is simple: nothing! So, you should take in more antioxidants, because the Ketogenic Diet allows you to take in more antioxidants than any other diet. Antioxidants help the body fight off free radicals. The Ketogenic Diet also has a lot of fiber, which means you can feel fuller for longer.
Although the Ketogenic Diet can definitely help you lose weight, the only real way to lose weight is to change your diet. Studies have shown that when you use the Ketogenic Diet alone, you may lose up to five pounds in a week’s time. One study, however, did not show any significant weight loss results when participants ate one gram of protein per pound of body weight. Another study, however, did show a significant decrease in LDL cholesterol when participants on the Ketogenic Diet took in 2 grams of protein per pound of body weight. Both studies agree that a Ketogenic Diet can significantly reduce the risk factors for heart disease, high blood pressure, and type II diabetes. So, the evidence is pretty strong that a Ketogenic Diet can help you live longer.
A nice addition to the Ketogenic Diet is the occasional consumption of semi-skimmed milk, one to one and a half ounces of cottage cheese, and one to two tablespoons of dark chocolate. Semi-skimmed milk contains four grams of carbs, one gram of protein, and two grams of fat. Cottage cheese contains four grams of carbs, one gram of protein, and only two grams of fat. So, by combining cottage cheese with a bit of the semi skimmed milk, you can get your Ketostix to tell you that you are having enough cottage cheese to keep off hunger, but not enough to make your heart beat too fast! Dark chocolate is known as a “good fat”, because it helps control insulin levels, which can cause problems with weight control.
Besides all of these wonderful health benefits, there are even more reasons to incorporate the Ketogenic Diet into your daily life. This diet has been proven to increase your metabolism, which can lead to faster weight loss. It has also been shown to increase the amounts of energy you get throughout the day, which can help you keep going during those long days at work. And, of course, all of the delicious taste that comes from eating foods rich in carbs and protein.