All About Keto: A Beginner’s Guide To The Ketogenic Diet
The ketogenic diet’s (keto, for short) fast ascent to fame probably has you wondering if it’s just another fad that’ll fade away with time. Actually, this diet has been around for a while and possesses a diverse testimonial of all kinds of people who cited great results from it.
What is a keto diet?
Like most diets, the keto diet has a strict set of rules as to what you can and cannot eat. Here’s a fun fact: your body loves glucose! If it has glucose on hand, then your body is going to turn to glucose for energy.
But by cutting down your carbohydrate intake and replacing it with fat, it’ll put your body into a state of ketosis, which is when the full effect of embarking on a keto diet takes place! This means that your body will start burning fat for energy on top of converting these fats into ketones in the liver, which supplies energy for the brain.
There are several versions of the keto diet, but the standard ketogenic diet (SKD) is the most well-researched one – making it the most recommended type. The SKD is a very low-carb, moderate-protein and high-fat diet, typically containing around 75% fat, 20% protein and only 5% carb.
What to eat on a keto diet
A keto diet typically limits carbs to 20-30 grams per day. Cutting out carbs is easier said than done. But by incorporating the right amount of nutritious food, then hopefully you can easily fit into this way of eating. Here are some examples of food you can eat: seafood, low-carb vegetables, cheese, avocados, meat and poultry, eggs, plain greek yoghurt, olive oil, coconut oil, nuts, shirataki noodles, and more.
How it aids in weight loss
Your body burning fat for energy is beneficial for weight loss. As fat burning is increased, insulin levels drop significantly – making it easier for body fat loss to occur without hunger. Having around 200 calories of protein and fat makes you feel full faster, as compared to 200 calories of heavy carbs.
At the end of the day, calorie is still calorie. In order to lose weight effectively, you have to burn more calories than what you eat. So, a balanced lifestyle is essential in this diet! As the keto diet is somewhat known in Singapore, it’s best to look out for the best weight loss programs with activities catered to those on this diet.
The keto diet isn’t for everyone
There are various groups of people who should avoid attempting on the keto diet. To illustrate, people with diabetes, at risk of heart disease, and pregnant or breastfeeding women shouldn’t try this diet. To be on the safe side, it’s best to consult your doctor or a registered dietitian before drastically changing your eating habits!
Conclusion
Since its high in saturated fat, the keto diet isn’t sustainable in the long run. Most experts recommend staying on keto for a maximum amount of six months only, before slowly reintroducing carbs to your diet. For another natural alternative of weight loss, TCM slimming treatments can be considered. It makes use of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) to improve your health and metabolism, aside from helping you lose weight. As an all-natural treatment, the results are sustainable and doesn’t require you to undergo diet changes or consume diet supplements!