Keto Diet Rules

Nowadays, your ears are struck by the low carb (carbohydrate poor) diets. I also have periods of relatively low carbohydrates to burn that extra fat. The big disadvantage of a low-carb diet is a lack of energy and some kind of lethargic futility that nobody gets merry on. The solution? A keto diet that forces your metabolism to switch to fats instead of carbohydrates. When your body is switched to fats, your body is in a state of ketosis.

Benefits of keto diet

The major advantage of the keto diet is that it allows your body to use fat as a "fuel" for your body. By eating carbohydrates, your body becomes "lazy" as it were. There is no reason to use fat as a power source. There is enough glucose available from the many carbohydrates that are eaten. In a state of ketosis, your body needs to work more efficiently and use fat as a source of energy.

Ketose saves your muscles! When in a state of ketosis there is no reason to oxidize protein in your body (muscles) and convert it into glucose. (a process is known as gluconeogenesis) Your body has plenty of fat available that your body can use as a source of energy.
Ketose causes a very low level of insulin in the body. This causes more lipolysis, ie fat burning! Insulin ensures that the process of lipolysis is blocked.
Last but not least: hungry! With a keto diet, you will not have it. Ketose in combination with relatively much protein and a lot of fat gives a full feeling. Awesome!

Ketose, how does it work?

To illustrate the difference between a keto diet and a normal carbohydrate diet, briefly the process takes place in the body:

Carbohydrate-rich diet

1. You eat carbohydrates, for example, rice
2. Your pancreas makes insulin
3. Insulin drives glucose to your muscles
4. ENERGY

Ketogenic diet

1. You eat fat, for example, bacon
2. The enzyme lipase provides release triglycerides
3. Fatty acids are transported to the liver
4. Liver produces ketones: ENERGY

Insulin and glucagon are important hormones that regulate your blood sugar levels. Insulin reduces your blood glucose while glucagon increases your blood sugar level. As you can see in the 4 steps, insulin glows toward cells (muscles, brains) that lower your blood sugar level.

Glucagon is produced by your pancreas if you do not eat enough carbohydrates or simply skip a meal. Glucagon breaks down stored glycogen in the liver to glucose. If your body has no control over glucose for a longer period of time, the rate of beta-oxidation increases, which causes the mobilization of fatty acids in fatty tissue. This is where ketosis looks around the corner. During beta-oxidation, ketones are produced in the liver used by the brain as a fuel.

What are ketones?

Ketones are a by-product formed upon conversion of fatty acids to fuel. Some fatty acids can be used by the liver for the production of energy. Other fatty acids can only be partially oxidized to oxobutanoic acid which is converted to hydroxybutanoic acid again. Together these acids are referred to as ketolichamen. These ketones can be used by energy and muscles by muscles and brains.

Ketogenic diet, the disadvantages

Every diet has its disadvantages, as is the keto diet. Just a few shortcomings.

The metabolism of the body must get used to the keto diet. You can be a bit more tired and less 'sharp'. When your body is used to producing ketones you will notice that you have more energy than before.

You eat fairly fat during a keto diet. For the blood-lipid profile (cholesterol in the blood) the keto diet may have a detrimental effect. However, many cases have been known where the keto diet caused lower cholesterol. Therefore, I recommend that you check your blood before starting a keto diet and check it again if you are in the state of ketosis for a few weeks.

As the number of grams of carbohydrates is minimal, you get fewer micronutrients inside. Potassium, Thiamine, Iron, Magnesium. These micronutrients do not find you in a bacon or a few hamburgers. It is therefore important to use multivitamins during your keto diet!

Ketoacidosis is a risk when the number of ketones in the blood becomes too high. This is a serious risk for diabetics! Large amounts of ketones ensure that the pH of blood dries down. When you are not diabetic you do not have to worry, the production of ketones has been checked, which causes the number of ketones to remain within limits. Also, when your serious sport is consuming a large part of your ketones while exercising.

Begin with a keto diet

Can you live with the described disadvantages? Nice! Then it's time to actually start the keto diet. You start with relatively much fat and less protein. At one point, your macros look like this: 70-80% fat, 20-30% protein. Too much protein causes the process of gluconeogenesis in your body. The conversion of protein into glucose. Too much protein is therefore detrimental to a keto diet. The focus is on fat. Create a nutrition schedule!Your carbohydrates should stay below 30-50 grams a day. It takes 3 weeks before you are in a state of ketosis. Patience is thus required and it will not always be as easy. No pizza, candy, ice cream .. All foods containing carbohydrates are banned from your diet, including fruit. Sugar and carbohydrates generally counteract the diet and when you are in a state of ketosis, eating carbohydrates can cause you to get out of ketosis. And then you have to go through the process again.

Foods for a ketogenic diet, which you may eat

Most of your diet consists of fats. It is important to get the right fats and find a good balance between Omega-3 and Omega-6 fats. Think about wild salmon, trout, tuna and shellfish. These are saturated fatty acids that are generally considered healthier. A number of healthy examples in a row:

• Avocados,
• Brazilian nuts,
• Olive oil
• Flaxseed oil
• Coconut oil
• Almonds
• Walnuts
• Walnut oil
• Cream butter. No margarine and other processed butter types.
• Pumpkin seeds and more.

Some good sources of protein during a ketogenic diet:

• Fish
• Eggs
• Cheese
• Meat. Beef, veal, goat, lamb, and game. The so-called "grass-fed" meat types are better because they contain more fatty acids.
• Pig. Ham, chopsticks, pork tenderloin.
• Poultry. Chicken, duck, pheasant, quail.
• Bacon / Bacon and sausages. Contain relatively high fat, but check the labels of the products well. Some sausages contain carbohydrates!
• Peanut butter! Also look closely at the packaging or there is no sugar hidden in the peanut butter. In addition, not too much because nuts contain some carbohydrates.

Whey is an option but not a must during a keto diet. When you go for whey, choose a whey type containing as few carbohydrates as possible. For example, Whey isolate is a good choice.