Are you astounded at the sheer numbers of obese people you see each day, or are you one of the population that thinks it is ok to be obese? If so, I got news for you: Obesity is not OK!
To be honest, it’s not even ok to be 15 or 20 pounds overweight. Every extra pound you carry around day after day helps to prematurely destroy your joints, skeletal system, heart, lungs, kidneys, and more.
In fact, the foods that get us fat are so unhealthy they are the cause of most diseases and cancers that plague our society today?
With our society is in the middle of an obesity crisis, why would you think this is bad for you? How can it be bad for you to live at your perfect weight and enjoy good health?
This post is going to take a look at the benefits of eating “keto” for losing weight or a lifestyle change. So let’s see why Keto isn’t bad for you and is the best low carb diet and the most effective diet for weight loss.
Is the Keto Diet Good or Bad?
The ketogenic diet (also known as the keto diet) isn’t new and has been around for years. This low carb diet has long been a tool of bodybuilders for ‘cutting’ and shedding the excess fat to reveal their hard-earned muscle.
Low carb diets have seen a massive increase in popularity over the past few years.
This diet is not as stringent as the paleo diet and it’s much easier to follow because the focus is on eating foods that are rich in fat. I know eating fat runs contrary to what we’ve been taught over the years, but just take a look at what eating unhealthy foods has done to our health and weight.
The old theory that eating fat makes you fat goes right out the window when you adopt a keto diet.
In this diet, 60 to 75 percent of your calories should come from fat, about 15 to 30 percent from protein and 5 to 10 percent from carbs.
The general rule is that you should not consume more than 50 grams of carbs a day, and whatever carbs you consume should be from natural foods like vegetables and fruits… and NOT refined carbohydrates.
Now, let’s look at the benefits of ditching carbs.
Long Lasting Benefits of Keto
1. Fewer food cravings
Unlike normal diets that require you to avoid fatty foods, etc. thediet allows you to consume foods like bacon, fatty meats, butter, cheese, Greek yogurt, coconut oil, olive oil, seafood, etc. In fact, it encourages it.
By eating these fatty foods, you feel satiated and less likely to crave sugary foods and carbs. You’ll avoid spiking your insulin levels and gaining weight.
2. Encourages the body to burn fat
When you’re consuming a lot of fat, your body realizes that it really doesn’t need to cling on to its fat stores for future needs. You diet has ample amounts of fat. Since your body is highly adaptable, it will shed the fat stores more readily and lose weight faster than you would with a conventional diet.
3. Reduced appetite
The ketogenic diet is most effective when paired with intermittent fasting. When you’re intermittent fasting, your body will be in a fasted state for 16 hours and you’ll be able to eat during an 8-hour window.
After a few days, your body will adapt to this style of eating and you’ll discover that your appetite decreases greatly. Contrary to popular belief, you’ll not feel hungrier when you fast. In fact, you’ll not feel much hunger at all.
Learning how to stop food cravings not only is the key to losing weight, it’s going to enhance your general health and lifestyle. In fact, there are several spices that will help you reduce cravings, appetite and increase your energy levels.
This will prevent you from overeating or seeking solace in the soft glow of the refrigerator light in the middle of the night while you binge eat to your heart’s content.
4. Loss of water weight
Every gram of carbohydrates retains about 3 grams of water. When you’re on a keto diet, one of the biggest changes you’ll see is that you lose several pounds within the first week.
This is mostly water weight, though some of it may be fat too. Since your diet is very low in carbs, your body will not be having water retention issues. You’ll feel and look less bloated.
5. Helps you gain lean muscle
The keto diet and intermittent fasting will increase the human growth hormone in your body. Ideally, you should be on a training regimen with a good mix of cardio and weight training.
You’ll soon discover that your body gains more muscle. Since muscle is more calorically expensive, your body will burn more calories while at rest and you’ll become leaner.
The protein you consume is anabolic in nature and will help to repair your muscles. So now, you have a higher basal metabolic rate (BMR) and you’re a fat burning machine round the clock.
6. Better gut health
Refined carbohydrates are highly inflammatory and will cause intestinal permeability. This is also known as leaky gut syndrome. When this occurs, undigested food and other toxins will leak through your damaged intestinal wall into your bloodstream.
This will make you sick and causes a whole host of health problems. Most of your inflammation will disappear because the fats you’re eating are all from natural sources.
Without refined carbs, the inflammatory cytokines will no longer be a problem and your body will recover. It’s extremely difficult to lose weight when your body is inflamed and when you prevent this from happening and accelerate your weight loss.
FAQ
What is Ketosis?
The normal process of the body burning stored fat for energy when there isn’t enough glucose available for energy.
Normal is now abnormal due to the fact that our society as a whole is addicted to carbohydrates for energy but cause obesity as a result.
What Does the Keto Diet Do?
The Diet is similar to other low carb diets as it reduces your carb intake and ups your fat intake. As your body stops depending on carbs it goes to a metabolic state known as Ketosis.
In Ketosis you are burning fat for energy, reduces blood sugar and insulin levels and increases ketones. This combination can have many positive health effects.
Will It Really Help Me Lose Weight?
Yes. You get your body to ketosis by stopping the intake of sugar and starches along with any foods that contain them.
The simple fact is that by stopping your intake of all processed sugar and starches, sticking to a diet of meat, vegetables, a few nuts, and fruit only when it’s in season in your area — you should lose weight.
What Vegetables Can I eat on a Ketogenic Diet?
Stick to vegetables that grow above ground. Above ground vegetables are generally lower in carbs than root vegetables and should only be eaten occasionally. Potatoes, white or sweet, are culprits when it comes to carbs.
Can I Eat Beans?
Not a good idea. this is an ultra low carb and high fat. If you are serious about losing weight you should know that only about 5% of your intake will be carbs which equates to about 25 grams.
One cup of most any legume is going to be your total carb intake for the day, so be careful with beans.
Can I Eat Fruit on This Diet?
We all know fruits are healthy and most of us know they are super high in sugar and carbs. That means the only fruit you should eat are strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries – and very sparingly.
Should I Eat Dairy Products?
Yes, dairy is a source of fat with one stipulation: Stay away from non-fat options which are high carb content.
How Do I Know When I’ve Reached Ketosis?
- Use Keto Stips
- Your energy levels will be up and your appetite down
- You will be thirsty more often and urinate more often
- Dry Mouth that may taste metallic at first
How Long to Reach Ketosis?
Varies from person to person, but usually happens between 2 and 7 days. If you’re insulin resistant or type 2 diabetic could take longer and if you are already lean it could happen quicker.
Summary
These 6 points alone should motivate you enough to get on a low carb diet. However, there are many other benefits you’ll gain from going keto. In fact, this article is merely scratching the surface.
While you don’t have to be on this diet forever, being on it for a few months will help you shed all the stubborn fat and teach you new ways to take care of your body for the long haul. You can then get back to a normal diet (as long as it remains a healthy diet) which has a balanced macronutrient ratio.
As long as you avoid the refined carbs and processed foods, you’ll keep the excess pounds at bay… and if you notice that the weight is creeping back on, you can always do two or three weeks of keto and shed the excess pounds ASAP.
The Keto diet is one of the best diets on the planet and is a natural low carb diet that dismisses food cravings and helps you maintain a healthy weight.