When people hear about the ketogenic diet one of the first questions they ask is what’s so good about it? This is a good question to ask so in this post I’m going to show you the wonderful benefits of the keto diet. First things first it’s important to understand what the ketogenic diet actually is and what it’s all about.
What Is Keto?
The ketogenic diet is a low carb, moderate protein, and high-fat diet. The goal of the diet is to get your body into a metabolic state known as ketosis.What is ketosis?
When people hear about the ketogenic diet one of the first questions they ask is what’s so good about it? This is a good question to ask so in this post I’m going to show you the wonderful benefits of the keto diet. First things first it’s important to understand what the ketogenic diet actually is and what it’s all about.
What Is Keto?
The ketogenic diet is a low carb, moderate protein, and high-fat diet. The goal of the diet is to get your body into a metabolic state known as ketosis.What is ketosis?
Ketosis occurs when your body has run out of its glycogen (basically sugar) stores so it needs to find another fuel source. When this occurs your liver begins to process fat into ketones which become your body’s main fuel source. So to recap fat > ketones = energy. With that quick summary out of the way let’s explore the benefits of the ketogenic diet.
Benefits of a Keto Diet
Many other diets suffer from only having a single benefit and that is weight loss. The problem with this being the only benefit is that it becomes a lot easier to fall off the wagon. Keto has numerous benefits due to how it changes your body’s chemistry. Your body is much more efficient when it has ketones as a fuel source.1. Weight Loss
This, of course, is the main benefit that people look for. Because fat becomes a source of energy your body actively burns fat when it needs more energy instead of looking for glucose. But how does the actual process work? When your body enters ketosis, both your blood sugar and insulin levels drop. This actually gives the fat cells the ability to release the water they’ve been retaining and this is why initially, most people see a big drop in weight loss due to losing water. After that occurs the fat cells are small enough to enter the bloodstream and enter the liver where they can be converted into ketones. The process continues as you move along the keto journey as long as you put yourself in a caloric deficit.2. Appetite Control
An amazing thing happens when your diet isn’t carb heavy. You find that you’re not as hungry as often and you don’t end up with random cravings that cause you to eat bad things. Many people that go on keto are able to do intermittent fasting where they only eat during a set period of the day. This is possible because your stomach isn’t rumbling around telling you that you need to eat a donut. What happens when you aren’t consistently looking for things to eat?
Ketosis occurs when your body has run out of its glycogen (basically sugar) stores so it needs to find another fuel source. When this occurs your liver begins to process fat into ketones which become your body’s main fuel source. So to recap fat > ketones = energy. With that quick summary out of the way let’s explore the benefits of the ketogenic diet.
Benefits of a Keto Diet
Many other diets suffer from only having a single benefit and that is weight loss. The problem with this being the only benefit is that it becomes a lot easier to fall off the wagon. Keto has numerous benefits due to how it changes your body’s chemistry. Your body is much more efficient when it has ketones as a fuel source.1. Weight Loss
This, of course, is the main benefit that people look for. Because fat becomes a source of energy your body actively burns fat when it needs more energy instead of looking for glucose. But how does the actual process work? When your body enters ketosis, both your blood sugar and insulin levels drop. This actually gives the fat cells the ability to release the water they’ve been retaining and this is why initially, most people see a big drop in weight loss due to losing water. After that occurs the fat cells are small enough to enter the bloodstream and enter the liver where they can be converted into ketones. The process continues as you move along the keto journey as long as you put yourself in a caloric deficit.2. Appetite Control
An amazing thing happens when your diet isn’t carb heavy. You find that you’re not as hungry as often and you don’t end up with random cravings that cause you to eat bad things. Many people that go on keto are able to do intermittent fasting where they only eat during a set period of the day. This is possible because your stomach isn’t rumbling around telling you that you need to eat a donut. What happens when you aren’t consistently looking for things to eat?3. Better Mental Focus
3. Better Mental Focus
The problem with carbs as an energy source is that they cause your blood sugar levels to rise and fall. Because the energy source isn’t consistent it’s harder for your brain to stay focused for long periods of time. When you’re in ketosis and your brain uses ketones as a fuel source, it has a consistent fuel source that it can rely on which means you can focus for longer periods of time. You also don’t have a cloudy mind. It’s really hard to explain the feeling because when you’re eating carbs you don’t realize that your mind isn’t at 100%. Once you’re in ketosis you will begin to see the difference, especially if you spend a day or two eating carbs again.
The problem with carbs as an energy source is that they cause your blood sugar levels to rise and fall. Because the energy source isn’t consistent it’s harder for your brain to stay focused for long periods of time. When you’re in ketosis and your brain uses ketones as a fuel source, it has a consistent fuel source that it can rely on which means you can focus for longer periods of time. You also don’t have a cloudy mind. It’s really hard to explain the feeling because when you’re eating carbs you don’t realize that your mind isn’t at 100%. Once you’re in ketosis you will begin to see the difference, especially if you spend a day or two eating carbs again.
4. More Energy
4. More Energy
Your body can only store so much glycogen and because of this, you need to constantly refuel if you want to maintain your energy levels. However, your body already has plenty of fat to work with and it can store more fat so that means in ketosis it has an energy source that will never run out. This means that you’ll find yourself with more energy throughout the day. Can you imagine a world where you don’t feel like you need to take a nap after lunch? That is the lifestyle of ketogenic.
5. Helps Fight Type II Diabetes
People that suffer from Type II Diabetes suffer from an increased production of insulin. Because the ketogenic diet removes sugars from the diet, it helps to lower the HbA1c count and can effectively reverse Type II diabetes. Studies have shown that adhering to a ketogenic diet can reduce key markers that are related to type II diabetes.6. Increases levels of HDL Cholesterol
When people hear this one they usually panic but there are two types of cholesterol: HDL and LDL. HDL is the good cholesterol that carries cholesterol away from the body and to the liver where it can be reused or excreted. LDL, on the other hand, carries cholesterol from the liver and to the rest of the body. On keto, the level of triglycerides in your body decreases, while the HDL levels increase. The Triglycerides:HDL ratio is a strong indicator of heart disease. The higher it is, the greater your risk of heart disease.Your body can only store so much glycogen and because of this, you need to constantly refuel if you want to maintain your energy levels. However, your body already has plenty of fat to work with and it can store more fat so that means in ketosis it has an energy source that will never run out. This means that you’ll find yourself with more energy throughout the day. Can you imagine a world where you don’t feel like you need to take a nap after lunch? That is the lifestyle of ketogenic.
5. Helps Fight Type II Diabetes
People that suffer from Type II Diabetes suffer from an increased production of insulin. Because the ketogenic diet removes sugars from the diet, it helps to lower the HbA1c count and can effectively reverse Type II diabetes. Studies have shown that adhering to a ketogenic diet can reduce key markers that are related to type II diabetes.6. Increases levels of HDL Cholesterol
When people hear this one they usually panic but there are two types of cholesterol: HDL and LDL. HDL is the good cholesterol that carries cholesterol away from the body and to the liver where it can be reused or excreted. LDL, on the other hand, carries cholesterol from the liver and to the rest of the body. On keto, the level of triglycerides in your body decreases, while the HDL levels increase. The Triglycerides:HDL ratio is a strong indicator of heart disease. The higher it is, the greater your risk of heart disease.7. Lowers Blood Pressure
7. Lowers Blood Pressure
High blood pressure is a sign of future heart problems. Keto does a wonderful job of helping to lower blood pressure. When my grandmother integrated the ketogenic diet into her life she found that she was able to stop taking her blood pressure medicine.
Keto is a Gamechanger
One of the great things about keto that isn’t mentioned above is the variety of delicious recipes that you get to make. If I told you that you can add butter and cheese to what you want would you be disappointed? This doesn’t include the awesome fat bombs that you can make. The ketogenic diet is much more than a diet. It really becomes a lifestyle that you adapt to and we have found that it has completely changed our lives for the better. That is why we’ve created a program to help people integrate keto into their lives. The 28-Day Weight Loss Challenge is our ketogenic program that will help walk you through all things keto. You’ll get to join a community of others on the keto journey along with getting 1-on-1 help so whenever you have a question, someone is there to help. With 100s of members losing 1000s of pounds each week, we love to see the positive impact that keto is having on people’s lives.High blood pressure is a sign of future heart problems. Keto does a wonderful job of helping to lower blood pressure. When my grandmother integrated the ketogenic diet into her life she found that she was able to stop taking her blood pressure medicine.