By Dr. Priti Nanda Sibal
A ketogenic diet is a very low-carbohydrate way of eating that delivers moderate amounts of protein and high amounts of healthy dietary fat. This reduction in carbohydrate intake helps the body promote the breakdown of fats to produce ketone bodies and enter a state known as “ketosis.” In this process, ketone bodies permeate through the blood-brain barrier and replace glucose as an energy source in the brain. The premise of the ketogenic diet is that if you deprive the body of glucose which is its main source of energy, an alternative fuel called ketones is produced from stored fat.
When following a ketogenic diet, your brain, as well as other organs, depend on ketones as an energy source. Ketones are produced in the body once you have reached a state of ketosis and can be measured in the blood and urine to ensure that you stay in ketosis during the keto diet.
The protein percentage in ketogenic diet is kept moderate in comparison with other low- carbohydrate high-protein diets, because eating too much protein can prevent ketosis as it is a secondary source of energy and can be converted to glucose. So, a ketogenic diet specifies sufficient protein needed to preserve your lean body mass, including muscle.
A cyclic ketogenic meal is comprised of approximately 10% of calories coming from healthy carbohydrates such as leafy greens, non-starchy vegetables, and limited amounts of legumes and berries; 20% of calories coming from proteins such as omega-3-rich fish and grass-fed animal protein; or vegetables, legumes, cottage cheese, etc. and ~70% of calories coming from high-quality fats such as avocado, unsaturated and medium-chain triglyceride oils, nuts and seeds, and coconut.
This 10:20:70 ratio is a guideline for the macronutrient distribution for a given day, including meals, snacks, and beverages. You should always avoid Processed sugary foods , Grains or starches and wheat-products, fruits except for limited amounts of berries and low GI fruits, Root vegetables and tubers like potatoes, carrots, etc. while following ketogenic diet.
Ketogenic diet is extremely helpful in keeping you energetic, preventing untimely hunger pangs, and ultimately helping you conquer your worst weakness—binge eating. Your liver and kidneys become healthier which makes your metabolism faster. Apart from this in a ketogenic diet, the brain utilizes ketone bodies instead of glucose as its primary fuel source. This switch can encourage more nerve growth factors and synaptic connections between brain cells and result in increased mental alertness, sharper focus, and improved cognitive capabilities. So, Keto diet is of course beneficial if you want to loose weight. Not for every one but for those who can follow it, gives amazing result in weight loss. In medicine, it has been used for almost 100 years to treat drug-resistant epilepsy, especially in children. Various research has shown good evidence of a faster weight loss when patients go on a ketogenic compared to other diet. Because it lacks carbohydrates, a ketogenic diet is rich in proteins and health fats helps to control blood sugar.
My last recommendation for everyone is that always take the help of an expert to start with this. They are the one who will be helping you to deal with any inconvenience or complications you may experience while following this Ketogenic diet.
