The ketogenic diet is used by lots of people who have issues with the digestion of fats and the glucose contained in carbohydrates in their bodies. It is the reason why many people who have a history of diabetes or already have it, are usually advised to try it out. They are often advised to concentrate more on foods with natural fats and fewer carbohydrates.
Such meals are responsible for lowering the amount of insulin that is produced after carbohydrates have been digested. The keto digests the fats in a process called ketosis to get the energy that is being used in the whole body. That is why more fats are ingested naturally compared to natural carbohydrates.
The ketosis process works on the glucose in the fats, ensuring that the glucose levels remain standard in the body. You will then not have to worry about whether you have enough nutrients in your body, because of the fewer amounts of carbohydrates that you are taking. I know of many people who have just opted to try out the diet to lose weight. It is also beneficial to you.
As a beginner on Keto Diet.
The fear that most people have when it comes to the keto diet is the possibility that your body may shut down. This is possible but it depends on your body and how you approach the diet. There are chances that you may endure constipation, making you lose many ounces of energy. But what is a little challenge? There is nothing that comes easy, that is worthwhile.
However, this should not discourage you. After doing some reasonable amounts of research, I came to realize I was having trouble because there were some things that I was doing wrong. As a beginner, try to keep to the following items.
- Increase the amount of water you take.
- Discus with your doctor regarding your health issues before you start the diet.
- Don’t jumpstart on the diet. Give your body time to adjust to the new feeding habit
- Understand your body’s metabolism. It will allow you to know what foods to major on and what not to.
- Keto diet is prone to increase acidity levels. Don’t take it for too long. Have seasonal breaks between each cycle of eating.
- Don’t combine the ketogenic diet with medication without a reliable doctor’s supervision.
Impacts of the diet
The diet has various effects on people, especially if you are suffering from one of the below diseases. It is crucial that you understand the power this diet has on you. It also helps to know the extent you can go before it becomes an issue.
1. Hormonal imbalance
There is a possibility that your body may not be in a position to handle the hormones that it releases. It then causes overweight, fatigue, anxiety, insomnia, and significant weight gains because of the imbalance.
The diet helps to burn healthy fats into energy. It is, however, not enough. Supplements are then needed to ensure that the body can handle the hormonal imbalances. It is also useful in providing that your body does not get over energized to allow you to have the good night rest that you need.
Keto is affecting ladies more because it changes the rate in which estrogen is produced during the menstruation cycle period you. You may then end up either having later periods or imbalanced moods. It is mainly because of the reduced sugars that are in the body. It is not entirely cut but just low enough to ensure that the body is okay.
The ketogenic diet may also be the flag off of symptoms of PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) which is caused by an imbalance of the sex hormone. It may also result in infertility for the males. Various studies were conducted that proved that despite no cure for such an illness, the ketogenic diet increases their chances of reproducing.
2. Metabolic syndrome
It is a disease where the body is fragile and in a poor state because the immunity is very weak. Such people quickly get heart diseases and diabetes, among others, because their body can no longer afford to handle itself. Insulin levels cannot be controlled too. Such people tend to have either too low or too high levels instantly.
Have you ever relate to someone who happens to have this syndrome. If not, these are some of the symptoms that you may see. It includes higher blood pressure, high blood sugar levels, fat lumps around the waist, triglyceride increase, and lower amounts of proper cholesterol levels, which in the ordinary sense is very important for the body.
The ability of the ketogenic diet to handle the fat levels in the body, allows the body to be in better positions to lower the ability to get metabolic syndrome. People who have already been diagnosed with the disease are advised to try it out, as a way of managing it.
3. Type 2 diabetes.
The body is in a position that it cannot and does not want to use insulin. In society today, it is the most common. It affects more people mainly because of the modern ways of living that we have adapted. Therefore, compared to other forms of diabetes, this is the most grave.
Insulin is usually used to help the body break down the carbohydrates to produce energy. Keto diet, however, has fewer carbs meaning the need for insulin has been reduced in the body. They are allowing such people to be able to function better despite the illness they have been diagnosed with.
It has, however, raised great concern over whether it only betters the situation or if it can completely cure it.
4. Thyroid issues.
This is a condition that arises from a gland in the neck region that is used to produce a hormone that works more like an energizer. The problem is that the production of too much of these hormones results in hyperthyroidism, which could lead to heart failure. While production of less causes hypothyroidism which results in fatigues and sluggishness.
This diet helps to balance out the extremity of the production of the hormone. It also ensures that you don’t get too excited or too dull because it then gives the extra thyroid work to help balance the emotions.
The beauty of this balance is that it helps keep the hormones in check even when you don’t think you required it.
Restriction for the usage of the Ketogenic Diet
Just like any other type of dieting, certain people are generally not allowed to patriate. It is not that it is biased, but the wellbeing of a person is better than finding ways to cure them.
Children
Children are active and fast-growing that they need the energy that they get from food to ensure they grow physically and even mentally. Limiting the number of carbohydrates they take may lower their growth rate, which will eventually affect their maturity.
While on medication.
If you have diabetes, then you are already on an insulin prescription. Trying to embark on a ketogenic diet may result in your sugar levels dropping lower than 70 ml per deciliter, which leads to Hypoglycemia. It, therefore, means that you will be damaging your boy instead of helping it.
Most of the time, the drugs that we take, forces the body to act more than usual, getting it into a diet while on drugs may cause it to overwork which then leads to a crash down.
Older aged people.
Older people have feeble systems. This means that their bodies will not be in a position to handle the pressure that the keto diet usually exerts to the body. Such people are then advised not to try it out for their own sake.
How can you maintain the diet as a busy person?
Dieting is hard, especially if you are a person who finds themselves very busy. Either in the office or even at home. However, handling yourself allows you to know what you can do and still maintain the diet that you are doing. For a ketogenic diet, the rules are usually straightforward.
It may look hard first, but once you get to try it, you realize that it is very manageable. Some of those rules are like
- Drink a lot of water. This helps in digestion and also diluting the ketones that are created in the body.
- Have a constant note of your carbs in the body. This is mainly through the hidden sugars that creep in the diet like processed sugar in snacks.
- Your preference should be more of a high fiber, protein, vitamins, and healthy fat meal instead of the fabricated ones.
- Do set your mind on the microwave-type mentality. Be open to the fact that the results of the diet may take longer than usual for you to see.
- You need quality rest if you decide to start the diet. This means that you have to get the exact number of hours to allow the body to work with the diet.
- You can follow up and see if the ketosis is happening. This will help tell you if the diet is functioning or not.
- Green tea is very effective compare to tea or coffee. It helps you feel better and healthier especially when you take it alongside the keto diet.
Best natural foods and supplements to support the keto diet.
Supplements have been known to assist the ketogenic diet in giving the user maximum benefits. However, too much use or dependence on supplements eventually leads to your body degrading once you stop using them. It becomes like an addiction.
Therefore, when on this diet, even though supplements are right, don’t put your mind significantly on them. Some foods have been pointed out to be useful to the health of a person even during the ketogenic diet practice. These nutrients assist the ketosis process as well as provide your boy with the nutrients that it deserves.
Iron
Iron is the essential ingredient in the making of blood that runs in the body. It controls the entire functioning of the boy, meaning it can’t function without blood. Foods like Beef, Oyster, and Fish, have concentrations of iron that will highly boost your blood count in the body.
Calcium
Calcium is majorly known to be in milk, can also be contained in natural foods like Kale, Broccoli, and Salmon and Sardines, which are usually locally available in most places.
Magnesium
Mainly contained in carbohydrates, it, therefore, becomes hard for the body to access them when on the keto diet. You can, however, get similar benefits from different foods which happen to be natural. Many people may not know this, but foods like Spinach, Broccoli, Pumpkin Seeds, and Sunflower seeds have been the significant replacement of carbohydrates over the years.
Fiber
It is hard to maintain this diet and still have a high fiber diet. This is one nutrient that is very important unless you want to have serious issues with your blood and frequent constipation. You can, however, maintain the diet but eat foods like Bread, Grains, Fruits, Vegetables, Broccoli, and Cauliflower to ensure that your body still has the fiber amount that it needs.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D has always been one of the vital nutrients if you want tasty and healthy skin. Some foods are also known to have high concentrations of this vitamin. They include Milk, Orange juice, Cereals, Salmon, Tuna, and Eggs.
The Ketogenic Diet: Final verdict
Being part of the ketogenic diet ensures that the body is balanced and that the right energy sources are being used. It also provides that you have a longer life because you have been able to take good care of your carbs and fat levels. The ketogenic diet is beneficial and has been on the vibes for some time. You may have caught it or not. However, the decision to start the ketogenic diet could be the best you could have ever made. All the best.
