What is The Keto Diet – A Beginner’s Guide

The ketogenic diet, also known as the “keto” or “low carb” diet, has been around for decades and is a popular way to lose weight. 

It involves drastically reducing carbohydrates while eating high amounts of fat. 

This increases ketone bodies in your blood, which can help you burn more calories than average.

People who follow this diet claim that they get rid of their belly fat within a short period. 

This article will introduce you to the keto diet and cover the following topics:

What is a Ketogenic Diet?

A ketogenic diet is a high fat, moderate protein, and low carbohydrate eating pattern. 

The main goal of the ketogenic diet is to burn fat instead of carbohydrates. 

The ketogenic diet was initially developed for children who had epilepsy. In recent years, however, its popularity has increased due to its benefits for health conditions such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.

The keto diet’s primary goal is weight loss, which can help reduce symptoms associated with seizure disorders. The keto diet can help lower insulin levels, increases HDL cholesterol, and improves triglyceride levels.   

What is Ketosis?

Ketosis occurs when the body uses fat stores for energy instead of glucose. 

This process happens naturally during starvation but also when you restrict carbohydrates. 

When your body enters a state of ketosis, it starts producing ketones. These molecules provide fuel for the brain, muscles, and organs.

When you’re in ketosis, you produce less insulin, making it easier to burn fat. Now let’s have a look at why people choose to follow the keto diet.

The Health Benefits of the Keto Diet

The ketogenic diet is one of the most effective ways to lose weight and improve overall health. 

While there are many reasons why people choose to follow this diet, here are some of the benefits:

Weight Loss 

When you eat foods rich in carbs, your body stores large amounts of it as glycogen in your liver and muscles. 

If you stop eating carbs, your body releases stored glucose into your bloodstream, causing your blood sugar to rise. As a result, you feel hungry and consume more food to stabilize your blood sugar. 

In contrast, when you eat foods rich in healthy fats and moderate amounts of protein, your body converts excess fat into ketones, which fuel your brain and body. 

Because your body doesn’t store fats once it enters your system, you won’t experience uncontrollable cravings or be bloated after meals.

Improved Health

Eating a keto diet has been linked to improvements in heart disease risk factors, including lower LDL cholesterol, higher HDL cholesterol, and reduced inflammation. 

Research suggests that these positive effects may be due to changes in gut bacteria caused by the high-fat, low-carb nature of the diet.

Diabetes Management

A ketogenic diet has been shown to help control diabetes symptoms such as fatigue, hunger, and thirst. 

It also helps regulate blood sugar levels, reduces the risk of developing kidney stones, and improves sleep quality.

Brain Function

Your brain runs on ketones, so if you’re following a keto diet, you’re likely experiencing improved mental clarity and focus.

Anti-Infective Properties

Because the keto diet limits exposure to carbohydrates, it’s an ideal way to treat antibiotic-resistant infections.

Foods You Can Eat on the Ketogenic Diet

The ketogenic diet is one of the most popular diets out there today. Many people swear by it because it helps them lose weight fast, and many others claim it works well for treating medical conditions like epilepsy. 

But what about food? 

How do you know whether certain foods are good for you while on a keto diet? 

Well, we’ve got some tips for you…

Tip #1 – Getting enough proteins

First, you’ll want to ensure you get plenty of protein while on the keto diet. 

Proteins help build muscle, and having adequate amounts of protein will ensure you don’t experience muscle loss. 

Protein sources include:

If you’re looking for something quick and easy, try making your protein shakes. It only takes a few minutes to prepare, and they contain no added sugar or artificial ingredients.

Tip #2 – Eat plenty of veggies!

Next up, you’ll want to focus on eating lots of vegetables. 

These include:

These vegetables provide fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytonutrients. Plus, they taste great!

Tip #3 – Avoid processed carbs

You’ll also want to avoid processed carbs. 

Processed carbs can include:

All these items contain high levels of carbohydrates, and they won’t fit into your daily carb intake. 

Instead, opt for whole grains, fruits, and starchy veggies like those mentioned in tip #2.

Tip #4 – Limit fruit juices

And finally, you’ll want to limit your consumption of fruit juices. 

Fruit juices contain very little nutritional value, and they’re packed full of sugar. 

Instead, try sticking to wholefood fruit sources such as: 

If you follow these guidelines, you’ll find that you can enjoy delicious meals while still staying within your daily carb allowance. And best of all, you’ll start losing weight faster than ever!

Risks of the Keto Diet

While the keto diet may be effective at helping you lose weight, it comes with its share of risks. Here are three things to consider:

#1 – Your Body Might Not Be Used to Running on Fat

When you overeat fat, your body doesn’t have enough energy to burn stored fat. 

So instead, your body starts burning muscle tissue. 

You could feel weak, tired, and even light-headed when this happens.

#2 – You May Have A Hard Time Maintaining Healthy Blood Sugar Levels

When you cut back on carbs, your blood sugar levels drop, which means you might feel hungry more often, leading to overeating. 

In addition, when your blood sugar drops, your body releases insulin. 

Insulin is a hormone that’s responsible for storing excess calories as fat. So if you’re constantly low on blood sugar, you could store extra calories as fat.

#3 – Ketones Can Build Up in Your System

Ketosis is a metabolic state where your body burns fat for fuel rather than carbs. 

However, once you reach ketosis, your liver converts any remaining glucose into glycogen (a type of carbohydrate). 

Glycogen stores are found in your muscles and liver. Once your liver has converted all your glucose into glycogen, your body enters a state called “ketotic hypoglycemia.” 

During this stage, your blood sugar level drops so low that you can develop symptoms like headaches, fatigue, dizziness, nausea, and vomiting.

Simple Steps on How You Can Get Started

If you want to try out the keto diet, it’s essential to understand what it entails. Here are simple steps you should take before starting:

Step 1: Understand What Foods Are Allowed

You’ll need to avoid or limit all sugar, grains, legumes, dairy, and alcohol. You can have a maximum of 30-60 grams of net carbs daily (net carbs include fiber).

Step 2: Calculate Your Macronutrient Ratio

To determine how much fat, protein, and carbohydrates you should eat each day, use this formula:

Macronutrients Ratio Fat % + Protein % + Carbohydrates % 100%

For example, if you want to maintain a 150-pound weight, you would need to aim to get about 65% of calories from fat, 25% from protein, and 10% from carbohydrates.

Step 3: Track Your Macros

Keeping track of everything you eat using a nutrition app is essential. 

There are plenty available online, but I recommend MyFitnessPal because it allows you to connect directly with friends tracking their macros.

Step 4: Get Enough Sleep

Sleep deprivation is associated with increased appetite and decreased metabolism. 

Aim to get at least eight hours of sleep every night.

Step 5: Drink Plenty of Water

Drinking enough water will ensure you stay hydrated and adequately flush toxins from your system.

Step 6: Exercise Regularly

Exercise increases energy expenditure, so you burn more calories daily. 

Aim to exercise at least three times per week.

Step 7: Don’t Skip Meals

Don’t skip breakfast or lunch — both are essential for maintaining stable blood sugar levels.

Step 8: Limit Caffeine

Coffee and other caffeinated beverages increase your chances of getting headaches and migraines. 

Step 9: Limit Alcohol Consumption

Alcoholic drinks contain lots of empty calories and don’t provide any nutritional value. 

Have one drink per day if you do choose to drink.

Step 10: Be Patient with Yourself

The transition to a keto lifestyle takes time. Expect to see results only after three months.

Step 11. Consider A Ketogenic Supplement

Some people experience better results when taking a supplement containing medium-chain triglycerides.

Step 12: Keep in Mind That This Is Not a Shortcut

This isn’t a quick fix.

If you follow these guidelines, you’ll be closer to losing weight, feeling great, and living healthier lives. 

The Bottom Line

Ketogenic diets aren’t just about shedding pounds. They also improve overall health by reducing inflammation, lowering cholesterol, and protecting against heart disease. 

However, it does come with some challenges. It requires strict adherence to a low-carbohydrate plan, followed by high-fat foods.

The keto diet is worth trying if you’re looking to get healthy. 

But remember that it takes time to adapt to the new eating method. 

Starting any diet can be difficult; make sure you listen to your body and adjust gradually and accordingly.