WHAT IS THE KETOGENIC DIET?

The ketogenic diet is a high-fat, moderate-protein, low-carbohydrate diet that can produce significant health benefits for both the mind and body. Keto is not a new concept, but recently it’s been embraced as a better way to burn fat, lose weight, and improve health. But what is it, and how did it come about?

ORIGINS OF THE KETO DIET

Physicians first introduced the ketogenic diet in the early twentieth century as a treatment for managing seizure symptoms in epilepsy patients. Prior to the discovery of the keto diet, physicians commonly prescribed fasting as a treatment for reducing seizures. And while fasting produced some positive results, it simply was not a sustainable way to eat. It was later discovered that patients who ate a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet often experienced the same metabolic effects that fasting had produced, but without the need for prolonged fasting. Recent scientific studies on the impact of the ketogenic diet show significant health benefits including improved brain function, decreased insulin resistance, lower blood sugar levels, weight loss, and more. Eating high levels of dietary fat was once considered taboo, but science is proving it to be a smarter and more sustainable way to fuel your body and improve your health.

KETOSIS AND MACRONUTRIENTS

The key to success on the ketogenic diet is consuming the right types of foods in the proper ratios to force your body into a metabolic state called ketosis. Ketosis occurs when the body is so starved of the sugars it typically utilizes for fuel—sugars that normally come from sugar and carbohydrates—that it’s instead forced to burn existing body fat to produce fuel. A by-product of this process are ketones, which are the organic compunds the body uses for fuel in place of glucose. Ketones are produced by the liver through ketosis and are measurable in the body when a state of ketosis is achieved.

The key to attaining ketosis is consuming the right balance of macronutrients. These core macros—protein, fat, and carbohydrates—are all found in the foods we eat and are the benchmarks for measuring the nutritional breakdown of a diet. A typical western diet has about 25 to 35 percent of calories coming from fat, 15 to 25 percent from protein, and 50 to 60 percent from carbohydrates. The ketogenic diet, however, generally has around 70 to 75 percent of calories coming from fat, 15 to 20 percent from protein, and only about 5 to 10 percent from carbohydrates. Most keto dieters follow this general macro ratio, although there are some variations—athletes, for instance, may consume more carbs for fuel and to aid in recovery.

CARBS AND NET CARBS

Carbohydrates are compounds that are present in most of the foods we eat and they’re what the body uses to produce glucose, which in turn is what it uses for fuel. There are different types of carbs, including simple carbohydrates and complex carbohydrates. Simple carbs are comprised of simple sugars or starches and are what the body converts into glucose, which it then uses as energy or stores away as fat. Complex carbs are more difficult for the body to digest and thus don’t create the spikes in blood sugar that simple carbs produce, so they’re a much less efficient source of energy for the body. While simple carbs are converted into energy quickly, they raise blood sugar levels and can be converted into fat. Complex carbs, and fiber, generally do not raise blood sugar levels, are less digestible, and are not converted into fat. (Fiber is also a form of carbohydrate, but unlike simple carbs, fiber is not digestible, so it’s not usable as a source of energy and instead is just passed through the body.)

Net carbs, which are what are reflected in the recipes in this book, represent a more accurate measurement of the actual number of digestible carbohydrates in a recipe, as opposed to all carbs. Calculating net carbs is a helpful way to more accurately measure the impact of carbs and fiber on your daily macros, and they’re simple to calculate: simply subtract the total grams of fiber from the total grams of carbohydrates in a food to get the total net carbs. On a keto diet, your intake of net carbs will be limited to about 20 to 50 grams per day.

WHAT CAN YOU EAT?

Following a ketogenic diet means you’ll be eating a significantly higher percentage of healthy fats, while eating a reasonable amount of protein and consuming only a very small ratio of carbohydrates that will come primarily from lower carb fruits and vegetables. You’ll be eating richer, more satisfying foods that will nourish your body and give you more sustained energy throughout the day. And since you won’t be using carbs for fuel, you’ll stay feeling full for longer since your body burns fat slower than it can burn carbs.

On a ketogenic diet you’ll eat foods like eggs; meats; fish; seafood; lower-carb nuts (such as pecans, walnuts, and almonds); healthy oils; butter; cheeses; heavy cream; non-starchy high-fiber, low-carb vegetables; and lower sugar fruits, such as berries. Foods you’ll avoid include sugary, high-carb, highly processed foods such as grains; pasta; bread; white or wheat flour; rice; oats; potatoes; corn; beans; quinoa; starchy vegetables; and higher-carb fruits. The fast-burning carbs contained in these foods can cause elevated blood sugar levels and weight gain, and also create a higher risk of obesity as well as developing type 2 diabetes. Consuming these foods will also prevent your body from entering ketosis.

Many keto dieters prefer to calculate very specific macro percentages to determine how many calories of fat, protein, and carbohydrates they should be eating. If you’re struggling to achieve your goals, you may find that you need to calculate your specific macro needs based on factors including your age, weight, and body fat percentage, as well as other factors. The calculation for determining personal macro percentages is fairly complex, so it’s best to use an online keto macro calculator to get a more customized macro percentage. (A simple online calculator can be found on my website.)

What does a keto diet plate look like?

A typical keto plate will include proteins, such as beef, poultry, seafood, fish, or eggs, covered in a high-fat sauce or butter, with sides of lower-carb, high-fiber vegetables covered in melted butter, cheese, or high-fat sauces or dressings.

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